The Shadow of Stars

Chapter Twenty

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"So what's the article your writing on Molly going to be about, if you don't mind me asking," Micah asks as we drive into the next town. This is the last town we will have to drive though, a cute small little settlement, until we reach the home of the Tigers.

"It's going to be about how cheerleaders are an under appreciated aspect of the game. And I guess about how there's still a sexist side of it that hasn't gone away," I say and he looks over to me, smiling.

"You are giving that paper a run for its money. Here I was thinking you'd write an article about how great I looked out there on the field," he jokes and I roll my eyes with a smile.

"Is that all you expected of me?" I ask with a raised brow and he shakes his head.

"No, no I didn't mean it like that. I just guess I assumed that the article on football would be about the game of football."

I furrow my brows. "It is," I reaffirm. "The cheerleaders are cheering on the game, I guess I want to know why and also why there are only two fully dressed boys who are tasked with throwing half dressed High school girls in the air. I want to see, from their perspective, what it's like to enter an industry, a lifetime career, of celebrating men." He is a little silent after that, only for a moment.

"It's not really that," he says thinking over my words. "Is it?"

I bite my tongue on the similarities that their role in the game had to me being a Luna to him. I'm sure there is a part of him that wants me to be at the game to cheer him on, the same part that sees me ruling beside him as a loving, supportive leader.

"I suppose that's what I'm trying to figure out. From my perspective it seems a little that way but ultimately their experience is what it is," I say because it's true. As much as I might disagree or feel that they could achieve more in life it's not about me. If they feel happy and content with cheerleading it's their choice.

"So I suppose I can rule out you being on the squad," he says with a slightly sad smile. "I was kind of hoping for more of an excuse to hang out on the weekends. How do you feel about playing football? I could pull some strings?" He asks and we both laugh at the idea.

"I'm afraid this is my last game spectating. I've only got one more to write and I negotiated that to be in the finals," I reply.

"There is nothing else that will keep you continuing to come?"

"Henry and I planned our senior year out with a bucket list long ago. If I take every Friday to torture myself sitting through football I won't possibly have the time to do it all," I reply and silence soon drifts between us.

We enter the next town just as the sun begins to set and I sit up in my seat, staring at the buildings that tower on the horizon. It's not as big as the capital, but its still large. All the old buildings, ones with character remain while newer office buildings and complexes have been adapted from them.

"I've never been here before," I mummer, staring out at the window. I'd been to a few smaller towns bordering the packs main city but never reached far out enough to get to a place like this.

"Really?" He asks. "This place is pretty popular during breaks. The nightlife is great in the city centre but there are also some nice holiday destinations out in the forrest too."

"My family never really left the city much for holidays," I reply, staring outside yet again.

We didn't ever leave the heart of the pack and I never understood it, even now I didn't really. But I think my parents figured they were safe there, safe from finding a mate if they hadn't already and besides, with just my father working there was never more than a few days for us to all go somewhere together anyway.