New Team, New Dream

Chapter 7

I dropped the note in the glove box and then made a mental note to tell Peyton about it later. Then I ran back inside the gym to continue practice.

Jamie was nowhere to be seen, and one if the coaches was gone too. Peyton was nervously picking at her fingernails and glancing at the door that led to the reception office. A moment later, one of the coaches and Jamie appeared. Jamie had her head down and was fumbling with an imaginary string on her Nike Pros. I almost wanted to give her a hug, but then I remembered how bad she had been treating me lately, and decided against it.

Jamie made her way to the break room and disappeared inside. Peyton followed her and a couple minutes later, they still hadn't returned. Did they leave or something? Where the hell did they go?

But the coaches didn't even acknowledge the fact that they were gone and we just continued to practice like it had normally been. We worked on one-mans, and I had been paired with Matt. He looked happy as he jogged over to me, and even commented how light and flexible I was in the air.

After one-manning, Matt took my hand and pulled me out of the gym into one of the bathrooms. My heart beat nervously as I braced myself for Matt's news.

"So Summer... I wanted to say that I kind of have an itty bitty crush on you," he blushed as he said this, and then realized he was still holding my hand and dropped it.

My heart thumped so hard I could have sworn he could hear it. "Matt... I've always liked you since the moment I watched you step on the Worlds mat in 2012." My face was red hot and beads of sweat dotted my forehead.

Matt smiled and said, "But you know I'm dating Carly Manning now..." He trailed off, running a hand through his tousled hair. Damn he was cute. I sighed. I couldn't just expect to waltz into Cheer Athletics and date the hottest cheerleader there was. Matt already had a girlfriend, and even if he didn't... I'm sure all the girls on Cheetahs would leap at the chance to date him if he was single.

"Well thanks for telling me the truth Matty," I say, squeezing his hand tightly. Then we walk out of the bathrooms and back out to practice, except it's over and everyone has already left.

Matt waved to me as he left the gym in his car, and I waved back. I tried not to think about the notes from Jamie and my broken window, and just concentrate on cruising down the highway with my Worlds music on.