A Year in the Making

THREE~ BROOKLYN

I remember the first day of my freshman tryouts. Brutal. The senior girls scared the hell out of me and I thought I was going to be sick if I didn't make it.
Now, I'm the captain calling all the shots, scaring the little freshmen, and I'd say it was fun.
"In formation, girls!" I yell at the top of my lungs. It's the beginning of the freshmen tryouts and two girls already dropped out because it was too hard. This is the real deal for these girls. We've practiced for a month now. This is their final.
"BROOKE!" Coach Lindsey calls for me.
"Sup, coach?" I smile.
"Routine seven." She replies, mischievously. I throw my head back and laugh.
"Alright, girls! You heard coach! Routine seven!" I say. I feel pity for them. R-7 is the hardest for the beginners. But it helps us determine who stays and who is cut. The track starts playing "problem" by Ariana Grande as the girls struggle to keep rhythm. By the end of it, 15 girls remain. Out of 27. They're in.
Soon enough, we have our JV cheer squad.

"Welcome to the NSHS cheer family girls!" Coach Lindsey cheers for them.
"We have practice 4 times a week so be here tomorrow after school and we will discuss mandatory dates, and everything else you guys need to know. fittings for your cheer uniforms will be in next week or two weeks from now so do not miss it!" She explains. suddenly, I hear the other girls around me squeal and jump with excitement. Excitement about getting our uniforms.

I get a lump in my throat. The gym starts to spin and I lose my balance. I am already dreading fittings.
"Brooklyn? Are you okay?" Lindsey ask me.
"Uh, yeah. I'm fine." I answer thoughtlessly. But I'm not fine. Lindsey is going to look at my measurements and know.

**

"Hey princess." Jacob says to me as I open my locker.
Why is he even talking to me? Now, of all days. It's like he knows I'm in a terrible mood and he still wants to make it worse.
"What do you want?" I say, robotic-like. I have no patience for him right now.
"I heard you miss me." he says sincerely. And for a second I think he's about to say he misses me too. You know. If I did actually miss him.
But no. He laughs and says, "Actually, I'm kidding. I just wanted to see how you're doing." He says with the sweetest tone he can come up with.
It almost makes me want him back all over again. Almost.

"Why do you care?" I said harsher than I meant to.
"Brooke..." he starts but I cut him off.
"No. don't you dare try to make me feel sorry for you. And don't act like you are sorry. You're only sorry you got caught. If I didn't find out the way I did, you would still be doing it. don't even lie. I hate how you've made me feel the past month. I hate it, Jacob. I can't do this. I'm not going to let you do this to me." I say slamming my locker shut. Jacob looks defeated, but still hopeful I'll give him another chance.
"I'll call you tonight..." he says in the distance as I'm walking in the other direction.
Even after everything I've said to him and everything we've gone through, he still calls me every single night to check up on me. Not to say that I pick up. when I don't pick up 98% of the time, he leaves a voicemail and at the end of every voicemail, is Jacob saying, "Brooke, I love you and goodnight."

At first it was too hard for me to listen to. But now it's a regular thing I listen to every night. Not to say I call back or anything.

**

"What's the date?" asks the new boy in my American lit. class.
It's been three days since tryouts.
"September 17th." I reply. This boy has the deepest brown eyes you'd ever seen. I think I'll mess with mr. brown eyes.
"Thanks." he replies turning back to his notebook. He's kind of cute.
"Ha. you're welcome. how come I haven't seen you around before?" I twirl my ponytail. "I just moved here from Seattle." He laughs. I spin my chair the way around to face him.
"Oh, that's cool." I pretend lose interest, fixing my cheer bow in my hair. I look back at him and he is staring. Gotcha.
"I'm ... Ph-Phillip. By the way." He stutters. Oh god, it's so easy.
"I'm brooke." I hold my hand out to shake. he's caught by surprise and shakes my hand slowly.
"What? Seattlites don't shake hands?" I tease. He shrugs and I smirk at him.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how it works. you know. To get a suck wrapped around your finger.

I know. I sound like a bitch. who cares?
I wait for (what was his name?? Frank? Phil? Phillip!) Phillip to seal the deal and ask me out.
Instead, he just turns back to his notebook and says "nice to meet you, Brooke." like I never even phased him.
"Need to know anything else?" I smile at him. A fake, confused smile.
He looks up and gives me a friendly -yes. a friendly freaking smile and says, "if something comes up, I'll ask you. Thanks though."

A little confused, I turn around back to to my seat and look out the window. Mrs. Lakely is talking about her son again. As I daze through the window I see a girl walking towards the beach. Through the fog, I can see somebody waiting on the beach for her. I wish somebody would skip class with me to go to the beach.