Princess of Hearts

Chapter 9: Bad is the New Good

"Are you ready?"

I looked over my shoulder as I was putting on my cheerleader uniform to look at Jamie, who was applying golden glitter on Ruby's face and arms. Around us, all of the girls were getting ready for the first game of the Tourney season, with glitter and blue and yellow paint all over the girls' locker room.

"Yeah, I am. Just a little nervous." Ruby bounced on her seat."I just have to get it all right."

Even with all the training, Ruby was still having a hard time with her part of the choreography. And just like her, the whole school had a lot going on today.

The first game was always one of the most awaited as it would set the tone for our team's performance throughout the whole season. It was nerve wracking, fun, scary, all at once. We had students crafting signs in support of our players, workers setting up more bleachers to accommodate the audience for both schools, and even some bettings rolling around. And it coincidentally came up just two days before the Neon Lights party. Jamie, who was organizing the party and would cheer with us today, spent the week as an absolute trainwreck.

"You'll be just fine, Ruby. We got your back." I reached to touch her in the shoulder.

"Those Neverland snobs will be crying for mercy by the end of the game." Jamie said, now brushing Ruby's golden and really long hair so she could braid it and tie it up for the game. I reached out to help, each braiding a side. She really had a lot of hair.

We stood there, mumbling words of encouragement to each other, when I noticed a glimpse of green and red by the door.

"Uhm, I'll be right back." I said, without taking my eyes off the door. Jamie was still concentrating on tying up the braids on Ruby's hair and just nodded quietly before I went to meet who was in the hallway.

"Hey there, princess." Harry is the first to talk, Uma still leaning silently against the wall "I liked the hearts." He pointed at the blue and yellow hearts Jamie had drawn on my cheeks.

"We came to wish you luck. You know, break a leg and everything." Uma said. She lightly pulled one of my pigtails, grinning.

"Isn't that just for theater?" I chuckled.

Uma just shrugged. She was still asleep by my side this morning when my alarm went off, and I was already up and drying my hair when she finally got out of bed, looking like a zombie. And as it was becoming usual, both Harry and Gil were waiting for us outside our room, with Gil practically jumping of excitement. Everyone was, to the point that classes seemed to drag for what it felt like days instead of hours.

Outside, the screaming and cheering got louder, meaning that the bleachers were getting filled with students and everyone else that came to watch the game.

"Izzie!" Ruby called from inside the locker room. "It's go time!"

"I'm coming!" I shouted back at her. "It's go time."

Both smiled at me. "Kick ass out there, princess." Harry grinned.

I turned to go back inside the locker room, when I felt hands pulling me back. Harry held me tightly and kissed me. It was quick, just a peck of lips, and it was over in a second.

"What..." I couldn't form a sentence longer than that.

"For good luck." my eyes went to Uma, right by our side. She just blinked at me and smirked before they both left for the field.

👑

Everything went perfect. Until it wasn't perfect, because I was lifted a second later than I should've been, and I was so worried about Ruby's split that I landed somehow wrong. The first thing I registered was my left ankle bending in the wrong way, then came the pain, burning all the way up to my leg. I reached for Jamie, who was right by my side, and tried to balance myself again before I fell on my face on the grass. That would be terribly embarrassing. Mentally, my mind filled with bad words that would make my mom be horrified, but I did my best to just smile while everyone cheered and applauded over the music.