So High School

Chapter Four

Taylor

It's Saturday, which means it's game day.

I dress in my cheerleading outfit, a blue and white crop top with the letters MRR on the front. The skirt is light blue with white trim, and pompoms are the same. My hair is pulled tight into a slick back pony tail, adorned with a big blue bow. I have blue bummers under the skirt for during my stunts, because I do not want to flash anyone.

"Charlotte!" I call, "Evelyn will be here soon!"
She doesn't even do me the curtesy of calling back, just runs downstairs after five minutes. She wears the school's colours in a blue oversized jumper and jeans. Her hair is half up-half down and she's stolen one of my old cheer bows for it.

A horn honks outside and we call goodbye to our parents before running to the car. I jump in the front seat with Evelyn, while Charlotte slides in the back next to Jacob, Evelyn's brother and her best friend (thanks to us).

"Are you ready?" Evelyn asks me as we drive off
We both know she doesn't mean just for the routine.
"I hope so," I say, biting my lip.

Truthfully, I've been feeling a lot better in the last two days. If I don't think about Dan I can concentrate. So I just have to stay distracted.

Evelyn and I drive through the streets, making small conversation about the team and future plans. On Thursday night we gained approval from Miss Rell to start working on new stunts, so when we get back from the two-week long school camp we're going on we can start working on them with the squad.

We pull into the school carpark, which is already pretty full, despite it being just over an hour before the game starts. 

Then Charlotte and Jacob head off to the stands to sit, while we go to the small cleaning which is cleared out and allocated as a cheer locker room. On the way in I can already see the boys warming up on the field, and avert my eyes when I notice Dan. I hear his name being shouted as the door to our room slams shut behind me. 

Evelyn and I are the first two, but we don't have to wait too long for the other girls to arrive. Soon everyone is here, ready and rushing around to finish the blue and white warrior stripes on everyone's faces. 

The referee lets us know that we have five minutes, so we make our way out and onto the field, where the Ceder Grove girls are already seated. Because we are the home team, we are last, and I begin to zone out during their cheer, to concentrate on my own. I'm not the lead of this one, but a lot of people come to these games and I don't want to mess up.

The Ceder Grove team runs out through the pom poms of the cheer captains, and then we're standing, walking over to start.

Music blasts over the speaker and we line ourselves up in two rows to begin. The routine bit passes by quickly, the moves heavily ingrained in my brain so much that could probably do them in my sleep.

We crowd in the huddle, Evelyn and I facing away from the entrance door, so when we turn, the boys will run straight between the two of us.

"Raptors of Maple Ridge, hear our cry, With strength and grace, we'll touch the sky! In blue and white, we stand tall and true, Maple Ridge Raptors, we cheer for you! With each goal, our spirits soar, Through sweat and tears, we'll win once more! Let's unite, let our voices sing, Raptors of Maple Ridge, victory we'll bring!"

Then we shake our pom poms in a recreation of a 'hands in'.

"RAPTORS!" We cheer, and Evelyn and I peel off, forming a gateway of pom poms for the boys to run through. The other girls move off the field, as the captain, Matteo Costa runs out, then the keeper, then one after the other.

I flinch when Dan runs through, brushing my pom poms, having felt his eyes on me the whole time before he went through.

Evelyn and I scoot off the field, while Matteo shakes the other captain's hand and the whistle blows for kick off.

The boys end up winning  1-0, thanks to Matteo's saving goal in the 85th minute. We cheer them as they run off the field and head back to our own locker room.

Evelyn and I are last to leave, her locking up the door behind us, and heading to meet up with Charlotte and Jacob. While I wait for her to do a final check of the room (we've already done one but she has to double check), I see Dan walking towards me.

My stomach twists, and I almost decide to run back inside to Evelyn. But no, I have to hold my ground. When he nears me, he opens his mouth to say something, but is interrupted by a call down the hallway of, "Wright! I need to speak with you!"

We both turn to see all six feet of Matteo Costa, his dark brown hair slick and wet from playing and now in grey sweat pants and soccer hoodie.

Dan nods and turns around without another word to me. Then Evelyn appears, watching the scene interested. She locks up, and we finally head out to the car park where everyone is hanging around, talking about the game.

We find Charlotte and Jacob in a group with some grade 11s and 12s from both our school and Ceder Grove, and join their discussion. After a few minutes I realise the cheer top and skirt was not a good choice for the post game hang out. Normally I'd be wearing a hoodie with the name 'Wright' on the back, but that's not happening anymore.

And in my state, I'd completely forgotten about getting another jumper. I hug myself and rub my arms to try and warm up a bit. 

We're discussing Matteo's goal when he comes out, and the group cheers for him, reforming as we all go towards him. I end up beside Leo Davies, Matteo's best friend, so when everyone finishes congratulating him, moves over between us.

The conversation has moved from the game, so I have to confidence to turn to Matteo and say quietly, "Hey, nice goal before," I said it with the rest of the group, but I don't think he heard me. And whether he knew it or not, he saved me from something with Dan, so I feel like I owe him something.

He looks surprised that I'm talking to him, but not disgusted. This isn't my usual crowd, they're Evelyn's, and I was never supposed to be here with Dan, so Eve would hand out with just me. I love her for it, and now that Dan and I are over, I we can start hanging out here now. I should probably get on talking terms with some people.

"Thanks, it's Taylor right?" I nod in assent, and his eyes widen, "Hey, you're cold. Put this on." I start to protest as he takes off his hoodie, and gives it to me, but the warmth wins out and I put it on. 

I don't speak to him again, and he takes off before I can give him his hoodie back, so I guess now I'm keeping it.