"Man I miss my Sundays..." Chay remorsed as she got dressed. It was seven o'clock in the morning and she had to be at the school by nine. A week from now they would be on there way down to Florida for their competition. After what happened with Sean and Mya at practice on Friday, you could tell that everyone was stressed. So Ms.Martin, the auxiliary director, decided to call sectionals. In ten minutes she was walking to Teyana's house.
She barely knocked on the door by the time Teyana came running down the steps.
"Hey!!!" she grabbed Chay and took her in a hug. After five years of knowing her she still didn't know why her friend was so zealous.
Chay smiled and asked "Are you ready to go?"
" Girl we don't have to be there until nine. Its barely a quarter after!"
"But we still have to walk to the school."
"We're right down the street. Plus, you know Ms. Martin doesn't show up until 15 minutes after the time she says. Just, just come sit down."
Teyana took Chay and sat her down at the kitchen counter.
"You hungry? I think we still have a few eggs left so I could make you some."
" Nah. I'm okay."
" Some cereal then?"
"Nah."
"Chay."
"What?!"
"I'm doing this with you today. "
" I don't know what you're talking about."
"This anorexic bull crap you be pulling sometimes. Its been getting worse and worse since the school year started. You gone get sick."
" Calm down. All I said was I didn't want anything to eat. I'll be ight. Ms. Martin says I don't need to eat that much any way..."
Over the summer the band was excersise together to condition themselves for the season. Everyone was being pushed. But it seemed like Ms. Martin wanted to drive Chay off a cliff. She was one of the best dancers on the squad. She also wasn't exactly the smallest. It seemed like Ms. Martin would just find the most petty things she was doing wrong just to make her run more laps.
Teyana just gave her the 'don't-say-I-didnt-tell-you-trick' look and sighed.
"Well, how are you and Mr.Carter doing?" She asked. Chay laughed and said
"We're good. He was acting funny after practice yesterday though. I hope that's nothing's wrong with him."
"Oh yea. Randy was telling me how him and Achan were hooping at the park the other day and these little kids wanted to play them. So Randy told him that they would give them a dollar for every basket they make on him. Now he has no money left to take me to movies next week. Now I don't know whether to be mad at him because we can't go or to ride tf out if him because he was playing that shitty!" Can you believe he did that?" She started laughing. Chay kept a straight face.
" Of course he did. What's going on with y'all two any way? Ever since you got his number from me you can't stop talking about the little ugly boy."
"Number one, my boyfriends' not ugly."
" Oh you two do go out."
"Yea. I'm surprised you didn't peep already. We always walk to the store together after practice."
"Ain't nobody paying attention to that little boy."
"Why don't you like him, broskii?"
"What you mean?"
"Every time someone mentions Randy you start acting like-"
"Ain't nobody worried about him!"
"Like that. What about him makes you so salty?"
" I'm never salty. And don't worry, Randy will always be like the ugly, smelly, irritating brother I'm glad I don't have."
Teyana shook her head as she poured her cereal.
"I know you'll love him eventually."
I already have. Chay thought to herself.
As they walked down the street to the school they talked about the routine they had to work on for the "Dangerously in Love" feature for the show.
"For the most part every one gets it, well, except for Tamera."Chay pointed out
"Its always her that we gotta babysit when its time to learn stuff." Teyana said
"Aye, don't say that."
"Its true. She barely pays attention and we always get in trouble at practice because she wants to act like a robot that needs oiling."
Chay laughed then said
" Okay. So what if she's a little slow? She's still new to the squad and if somebody works with her she'll catch on to every thing."
"Well I'm sure you'll be good with that, Ms. section leader."
Chay sucked her teeth.
" You're the section leader, more than anything Tee."
"Okay. We'll find out once Jada graduates, won't we?"
"Yeah, but right now the real section leader is parked right over there." She pointed to Ms. Martins black jeep as they walked through the gates to the back of the school. There was the parking lot and a field in the shape of a 'W' where they began practicing their routines. It didn't take long for them to spot Randy going over music with his trombone section outside of the gym. Teyana's eyes lit up like fireworks.
"Ladies! Y'all two need to get over here now. We've already started. Don't think this squad can't move without y'all!" Ms. Martin started barking at them already. (It was never too early in the morning for her.) They ran to her and started a practice of repeating the dance over and over again. Finally, Ms. Martin says
" Get in attention for me ladies."
As they stood there Ms. Martin walks down the line, analyzing each girl. She slows down when she reaches Tamera. Then completely stops once she reaches Chay.
" I don't see you smiling Chayla." Chay increased her grin.
"Bigger." Chay smiled so you could see the top of her gums.
Ms. Martin shook her head.
" Be back out here in 10 minutes. Some of y'all look like you need a break."
Chay rolled her eyes and started walking inside the building.She tapped on a water fountain by the gym, but it wasn't working. Annoyed, she stomped as she went up to the second floor. There was a working one set right between the bathrooms.
Water had never had tasted so good to her! As caught up as she was in drinking she didn't notice that the boys bathroom door open. She also didn't realize her 'favorite' person in the world was standing right behind her. Randy McClain.
"Save some for the fishes." He suggested to her as he touched the small of her back.
" Ahh!" She jumped and accidentally hit her head on the wall. Randy started laughing. Chay held her hand to her head but try to play the moment off and said
"Randy! You're back and corny as ever."
"Chay! You're here and dingy as ever."
" Stfu."
" Dag , I can't come speak to you now? I thought we moved past that phase."
" Why are you up here any way?" she asked
"The same reason y'all up here. We just got finished with our sectionals though."
"Of course. I know you like to finish early."
Randy caught her eyes for a moment. Then they both shrugged it off. They started walking back down the stairs together.
"So, I heard you and Tee go together now."
" Yea, we have for a minute."
" That's coo. Your name is always in her mouth. She really likes you."
" Yeah..." He had his head hanging down.
"Why you say yeah like that?"
"I mean-"
"You mean what? You better not be trying to play her. If you fw my best friend's feelings I swear-"
"Its not like how it was with you and me."
Both of them were quiet.
Last summer you couldn't have pulled those two a part. Literally. Its like they were always touching each other.( Well, it was always more of Randy than Chay.) In Chays mind it was the closest she ever got to having a first love. But once they almost went too far.
The band was just coming home one night after a performance 2 1/2 hours away from the school. It was after midnight and it started raining heavily. Her and Randy ran and sat underneath a hut with picnic tables at the park. Its corny but, Chay felt that moment. Everything inside of her told her to just go for him.
A lot of things happened after that. And they happened fast. She sat on his lap and started kissing him. He gripped her thigh as she slowly started grinding on him. Next you know Randy was making a motion to unbuckle his pants. Then she felt him reaching to unstrap her bra. The rain slowed down and so did Chay. She realized what was happening and started to get up. "Aye chill! Chill!" Randy whispered as he tried to pull her back. "I'm good." She told him. She walked all the way home by herself. Leaving him there wondering what if.
Weeks after that they never really tried to make an effort to be around each other. They couldnt get over the awkwardness. He stayed out the way. On the outside she was chilling. Its like they kind of forgot about each other. By the time Teyana and Achan joined the band in the spring, everyone else had too.
Chay broke the silence and said " You and Tee will have some good days like we had."
He forced a smile. "Yeah. You and ol boy will too."
"His name is Achan."
"I know what ol boy's name is."
"Omg!"
"He'll be ight."
"Man I gotta go. My ten minutes are probably up and Ms. Martin already acts like she's on her freaking period."
"Nah she too old. The woman probably menopausing having hot flashes and shit."
"Ha! You funny see you later boy!"
She ran outside and sure enough everyone else was already out there running the show. Ms. Martin cut the speaker off and said.
"Take it from the top since your upperclassmen decided she don't have to be on time any more." Chay rolled her eyes and fell in line with everyone else. It was 10 o' clock and it felt like it had gotten twenty degrees warmer than what it was earlier. Chay felt extremely winded and could barely keep going through the routine. Her stomach started growling too. Finally the music stopped.
"Get back at attention ladies." Chay made she she smiled real wide this time.
"May I go use the rest room!" Teyana asked.
Ms. Martin laughed and said "You're dismissed sweetie. You did excellent today." Teyana gave her a smile and took flight towards the building. She always favored Teyana the most.
" The rest of you, good job today. We just need to work on technique. Every little thing counts when-"
Chay could feel herself getting light headed. All of Ms Martin's words were no longer clear to her ears. The heat seemed to drain her body and her vision started getting foggy. She was struggling to stand straight when she saw Teyana and Randy coming out of the building together. For a moment they stood there hugging when Randy leaned in and kissed Teyana. You could tell it came as a surprise to her and it caught Chay off guard too. Suddenly she had flash backs of that night. And the night she spent crying after that, missing him. All at once she realized that she still cared about him. She still wanted him. Jealously struck. Her her heart broke. Then the world disappeared as she felt herself falling on to the ground.
