Cheerleader

Chapter 3

Friday finally arrives, which means game day. Mama isn't picking James and I up after school today, we're staying after to practice before the game tonight that starts at 7 p.m. Since it's a home game day today, James and I are in our cheer uniform as are the female cheerleaders as are the football players. Our school colors are black and red and our mascot is a Spartan.

Five minutes before the game starts we are on the track heading to the end zone for when the football players are to make their entrance onto the field. We made a banner for the football players to run through when the announcer calls them out onto the field. When the announcer calls the team, the crowd erupts into cheers as they run through our banner heading onto the field and shortly after that the game starts. Us cheerleaders are on the track running through some of our cheers and stunts trying to ramp up the crowd and they football players.

During the first half of the game I can hear Charlie in the stands cheering and hollering when he sees me doing my stunts either by myself or with some of the female cheerleaders. During half time, I head up to the stands to talk to Charlie because if I don't, Charlie become upset and will pout at me when we head home after the game. Squatting down in front of Charlie he latches his arms and legs around me; standing him with the giggles causing me to smile and chuckle softly at him.

"Quinny, why is that football player staring at you?" Charlie whispers against my throat. I look down at the field to see Alex, who's standing with two of his teammates, is staring up at Charlie and I.

"That's Alex, he's the quarterback for our team, Charlie," I tell him glancing at the clock on the score board before glancing back to see Alex is still staring up at Charlie and I.

"Why he staring at us, I don't like it, Quinny," he whispers his little voice shaking slightly.

Bouncing him a little in my arms causing him to giggle, "It's okay, I promise, Charlie. He probably is wondering how I got so lucky to have an awesome and cute little brother like you," I whisper into his hair. "I have to go back down to the field, I'll see you when the game is done, okay?"

Charlie's arms and legs tighten around my body and he buries his head into my neck. "No, you stay here Quinny," he whimpers.

"I can't Charlie, my coach will be mad at me if I don't go back down there. I have to cheer for the football players, I'll see you soon, okay?"

Charlie whimpers again in my neck, tightening around me more. "You want to sleep in my room again tonight?" I bribe him quietly looking at mama to make sure it's okay and she nods in agreement at me.

"Promise, Quinny?" he asks with excitement just as the coach calls me down before she realizes that my little brother is attached to me like a koala and her eyes lighten in understanding, knowing how close he and I are.

"I promise, now I have to go before I get in trouble," I say causing him to detach himself from me and climbing back onto mom's lap. I hurry back down to the sidelines in time to start a new cheer. I felt Alex's eyes on me the whole time probably confused thinking Charlie isn't my little brother but my son. By the end of the game the final score was 72 to 7 with the Spartans (my school) winning.

Once home, I shower and change into pajama pants and a long sleeve shirt as Charlie dresses himself in his cute dinosaur pajamas. He bounces into my room with his stuffed green and silver dinosaur that he's had since he was born and climbs onto my bed so he and I can watch a Disney movie together. We watch 'Cars' together before he falls asleep with his head on my chest and under the covers with me. Chuckling I use the remotes to turn off the television and dvd player before falling asleep myself.

When I wake up in the morning, I grab my cell off my night stand to see what the time is to notice I have three missed texts from an unknown number. Frowning I swipe my lock screen off to check the messages.