𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙁𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 || EDDIE MUNSON

Promises Kept

IT was days like these that made the girl's nerves go haywire, made her stomach twist and turn and her ears got so hot they went numb. It wasn't the game, no, Brandy had been exposed to them so many times that she had become desensitized to the thought of a large crowd. Naturally, her fear laid not within people themselves, but their judgment. It was human nature, only natural, she told herself. But sometimes, when she couldn't sleep at night, or when she simply couldn't sit still due to the knot in her stomach, she wondered if everyone had these issues.

Surely everyone's nerves got the better of them some days. Though there were times when Brandy would contemplate it for too long, her mind racing with all the things that didn't seem normal about her worries. Some days it felt like her brain moved in slow motion, not in a way that felt like you've been up for too many hours, or that you spent too much time bent over a book, trying to memorize every last formula until your mind turned to mush.

It was slow in the way that it felt like everything and everyone around moved on without her, like she was stuck within her mind. Blurry vision and tingling fingertips, with a weight on her chest so strong that it affected her breathing. And God forbid she spent too much time focused on that. While everything went on, and she stay stuck. Trapped. That weight on her chest became so heavy that it was all she would focus on. All she could focus on. She would focus so hard, so long, that her breaths would turn rapid. Her vision would go dark in the corner as what felt like all the blood draining from her limbs and head would send tingles up her spine.

And that was what Brandy deemed abnormal.

Brandy looked herself in the mirror. Taking a deep breath. Now wasn't a time to focus on the weight. Or the thought of everyone in that gymnasium judging her. Her mind was worried about one person in particular. It was stupid, Eddie had seen her do countless embarrassing things by now, tripping over her own feet, stumbling over her words, dropping a melted milkshake onto her lap. But the thought of her messing up a cheer or a running tumble in front of him made her blood run cold.

"You look nervous," Chrissy whispered to her.

"I'm okay," Brandy fibbed, turning back to the mirror she adjusted her ponytail Making sure everything from her makeup to the emerald green scrunchie in her hair was perfect. It had to be.

"You look washed out, honey." Chrissy hummed, turning Brandy towards her.

"Here," The younger girl dug around her bag, pulling out a round makeup compact. "You haven't been wearing much makeup lately," Chrissy observed, grabbing a fluffy tipped brush from her bag as well.

"Yeah," Brandy hummed as she felt the soft brush glide across her freckled cheeks. "I guess I've just gotten a bit more confident, you know?"

"I like it," Chrissy smiled softly, swiping the rouge-colored powder across her other cheek, and then a dabble on her nose, making Brandy chuckle lightly.

"Thanks, I feel kind of naked sometimes, you know?" Brandy hummed. "I don't think I could give up mascara though,"

"I meant the confidence," Chrissy chuckled.

"Oh," Brandy mumbled awkwardly.

"I like the no makeup though, but I think confidence looks best on you." The girl smiled at her, putting away the blush, and turning the girl around to face the mirror. "All done," Chrissy cheered.

"Thanks," Brandy nodded at her. "Guess the nerves made me a bit pale, huh?" She hummed. "Or maybe the lack of sleep," The girl mumbled to herself.

"I knew you were worried about something!" Chrissy declared confidently.