WE SHOULD STOP NOW

PART 18 - THE ANGRY CHEERLEADER

JOANIE

"J?" Caleb gently whispers to me as I go to walk past him into the kitchen but he loops a strong arm around my waist and pulls me into his chest, cupping my face with the other hand so I can't avoid his eyes any longer. "Who's Carter Green to you? Is he your...ex?"

For once Caleb doesn't look cocky or confident, if anything he looks...upset...worried even. He gives out a frustrated sigh and I gently stroke his face to try and relax him. "He's no one."

"He doesn't look like no one. Look, I've got ex's and I know you've had people in your past too. I just...I guess...I didn't like the connection you two seemed to have. Do you still have feelings for him?" There's a tremble to his voice and a deep frown across his handsome face instead of his usual easy going smile that makes my heart wince.

"It's not like that, he's not my ex. We used to be kind of...friends...I guess, but it was a long time ago." I answer honestly.

"Tell me about it then, because the way he looked at you is not how friends look at each other. What's with all the nicknames? I want us to be honest with each other J and at the minute my brain's going crazy. Do I have anything to be worried about?" He asks earnestly.

I wrap my arms around Caleb's neck and pull him down into a long slow kiss before pulling back to look at him. "You have nothing to worry about. If something was going to happen with me and number... I mean Carter, it would've happened already."

Looking around I see that the Bakery is empty, so I jump up and sit on the counter and pat the high stool next to me for Caleb to sit down on, which he does.

I give out a big sigh, as I was hoping not to have to rehash the past up, but from looking at Caleb I can tell I need to set the record straight. "Do you remember the night of the big fight between The Warriors and The Ravens?" I ask.

"How could I forget? It was the night I got knocked out...by your fucking 'friend' may I add. It was also the night I found out that Ethan and Mia were seeing each other." Caleb says bitterly.

I run a hand through my hair and puff out a sigh, yeah it was a pretty crappy night.

"Well I'd missed the whole drama of Ethan going up and collecting Mia at the start of the game as one of my squad had a nose bleed and I was trying to get her to the medic. By the time I got back, the game had already started and I just fell back in line and started watching the game as normal...that was until I saw you get taken out by Carter along with another one of his players and all hell broke loose. I saw Mia rush to your side, so I knew someone was with you. But I was so mad that I..."

I stop and look at Caleb who's listening intently and take a deep breath. " ...well, I was so angry that you'd gotten knocked out...that I marched straight up to number 6 and kind of...sucker punched him in the face."

A huge grin slowly spreads across Caleb's face. "No-fucking-way." He beams.

"...but as soon as I punched him, I thought I'd broken my wrist. It seriously hurt so bad that I ran off sobbing like some idiot and Carter followed me. I thought he was going to kick off with me for hitting him...but he wasn't even annoyed if anything he thought it was funny that he's just been hit by a girl, a cheerleader nonetheless, and he wanted to check over my wrist."

I look at Caleb who's no longer smiling and has started to chew on his lip, I can see the cogs starting to move in his brain. Piecing together all the parts.

"Long story short, Carter drove me to the hospital to get my wrist looked at and refused to leave me until he knew my mum was on her way and I was going to get seen to...he only agreed to leave me when I..."