Dare to Fall

Chapter IX

Today is the finals for the football match—Anderson High versus Columbia State High. My mom initially wanted to enroll me at Columbia State, but I told her it sounded more like a prestigious academy than a public school. So, here I am at Anderson High, and honestly, I don't regret it.

I've met some amazing friends here so far, especially Amelia, and the community has grown on me.

As the game approaches, the students are buzzing with excitement. Cayden's fan club, a dedicated group of girls, has been preparing for weeks to create a massive, hand-painted banner with his name and face on it. They've really outdone themselves; the level of dedication is impressive, if not a little over the top.

After grabbing popcorn and soda, Amelia and I search for a good spot to watch the game. I spot two empty seats three rows down near the field, but I can already tell it's a bad view. "Ugh, this is going to suck," I mutter under my breath.

My legs ache for a place to sit. "Just sit here," I tell Amelia. The place is almost packed, with students from Columbia State filling the bleachers, so we don't have much choice.

The game is about to start in five minutes, and I can hardly contain my anticipation. As I munch on my popcorn, I notice Amelia eyeing it. I slap her hand away. "Hey! What did I do?" she protests, rubbing the back of her hand.

"Get your own popcorn!"

"Geez! Sorry, hobo," she retorts, rolling her eyes at me.

I glare at her, momentarily offended. "Whatever. Just get your own," I reply, placing my bag on her seat as a makeshift placeholder.

I chuckle to myself, thinking how generous I am. I then turn my attention to the field. The marching band is lining up, ready to kick off the festivities with their xylophones, trumpets, and drums. I've never been a fan of marching bands; the drums always seem to bang too loudly.

Once they finish their performance, Amelia returns with a corn dog in hand. I look at it, and she immediately catches my gaze. "Don't even think about it," she warns, and I roll my eyes in response.

"What did I miss?" she asks, taking a big bite of her corn dog.

"The marching band performed, and my ears are begging to go deaf. But the girls with their batons did some cool tricks," I reply, watching as the cheerleaders begin to take the field.

Those girls in their tiny skirts and crop tops make me uncomfortable. I don't understand why cheerleading always involves such revealing outfits. I shake my head, trying to focus on the game instead.

The announcer's voice booms through the stadium, "Now, let us welcome Columbia State High School and its amazing football players!" The crowd erupts as the Columbia players run onto the field, high-fiving and cheering each other on.

"And now, let us welcome Anderson High School and its powerful football players!" The cheerleaders jump into action, their cheers drowning out the crowd. I spot Cayden on the field, and the girls around me go wild, screaming, "I love you, Cayden!" and "That's my boo right there!"

Amelia stands up, waving a banner she made for Noah. "Woohoo! Go, Noah!" she shouts, and I can't help but laugh.

"When did you have time to make that?" I ask, incredulous.

"Ever since Noah was born. I was born to be his cheerleader," she replies with a gleam in her eye.

Amelia is completely infatuated with Noah, and honestly, I can't blame her. As the players take their positions, I notice Logan scanning the bleachers. When his eyes land on me, he flashes a thumbs-up, and I return the gesture. Cayden catches sight of me too, but his focus quickly shifts back to the referee.