The Last Chance (Book 2 of the Cheer Series)

Seventeen:

The kiss is more passionate, but sweet. It's like he was telling me that he truly loves me and will not ever let me go. Out of breath, we both pull away and I catch his striking blue eyes, the colour of the sky after it's just rained, looking at mine. He smiles at me, pulling me closer to him, so that my face is against his chest. I can hear his steady heartbeat, and it makes me sigh in happiness. "I told you Becca. We get on like a house on fire." The words almost make his chest rumble, and he gestures between us, "We are beautiful together you and I. Our love is like..."

I shoot up from my bed and groan. What the hell was that? The guy in the story was Steven Daniels, and I'm officially creeped out. Hence where the "We get on like a house on fire" come from. I'm also officially sad that I didn't get to hear him finish that sentence, because no matter how creepy it might be when I'm awake, it was pretty special when I was asleep. I shake the thought out my head. What am I saying? This is about this idiotic jerk-face who cares for no one else but himself.

I look at the clock. It's already time for me to start getting ready for school. I slump out of bed, and my back aches from being pushed against the wall for so long. I pull on black jeans, a grey off the shoulder shirt and adidas sneakers. I brush my hair into a ponytail, and flick a tiny bit of mascara on my lashes. I nod at myself in the mirror and prepare myself mentally to face the day. Well, the day, but mostly Steven Daniels.

~~~~~~~~~~

I haven't seen Steven at all today. Even with our "truce", I still feel uneasy, and I'm pretty sure something is going to go wrong with drama. Today is our last technical rehearsal, and next week is when we go on stage, all five performances are almost sold out, so we are going to be performing in front of a full house. My heart sinks at the thought. I have to sing and dance in front of all those people. Hell, I have to kiss a guy, a guy who used to be a pain in my ass and still sort of is, in front of all those people. Damn.

"Your majesty!" I hear called behind me, as I am making my way to the cafeteria. I stop and turn around.

"Hudson!" I answer to the towering football player, who smirks at me.

"How goes it?" He links his arm in mine.

"It goes good. Are you coming to watch?" I question, looking at him and patting his arm.

"Of course! I have to support my best girl." He says and pulls me into a hug. "Sit with us?" He asks and I shake my head.

"No can do. I have already been booked. A queen has many subjects unfortunately. See you in a short while, my dearest Lord Hudson." I respond, and Matthew just laughs and does a funny little bow. I shake my head, smile roll my eyes, walking over to my table of friends.

Maya looks happily at me, while munching her hamburger. "It seems you have acquired quite the fan base." She teases. I roll my eyes. "If one of those football player fans ever gives you their number, you hand it over to me."

"Oh, so you can see if it's legit or not?" I tease. She sticks her tongue out.

"No! Of course not. They wouldn't hand you a fake number! I just want it so I can hook up with a football player. I'm doing an experiment." She corrects. I nod in agreement.

"For Science's sake!" I respond, and we high five each other. I eye her hamburger. "Want to share?" I beg and she looks between me and the hamburger and back again.

"I'm fine thanks." She responds and takes another huge bite. It makes my mouth water a little. I look down at my own lunch. It's a container full of strawberries and an apple.

"How's dr-" I start, but I'm cut off as someone slams their food tray on the table. It gives me a fright, and so I jump a little.

I look up at the perpetrator. I almost roll my eyes. "What do you want Daniels?" I ask, my eyes catching sky blue orbs.

"We are friends remember? Friends hang out with each other. That's the pretty much the definition of friend." He says, looking at me. The table around me goes quiet. Steven doesn't hang around in groups like this. He has his own table with his own badboy friends. So this is very out of the ordinary. However, when he does decide to infiltrate a friend group, he's usually trying to hook up with girl. So, my friends must think either I'm his next victim, or he's gone bonkers. Personally, I know it's the latter, but my friends don't.

"Go away Daniels." I order and shove a strawberry into my mouth.

"Not going to happen Black." Steven takes a strawberry from my container, and I slap his hand. It doesn't stop him though, and he pops it into his mouth. He reaches to take another one, and I slam the container shut on top of his hand.

"Hands off!" I shout and pull his arm out the container, and see his hand is closed around another strawberry. I pull it out of his hand and stove it into my mouth.

He studies me, and takes the container off the table.

"That's my lunch!" I scream and launch over the lunch table to get it back. It fails miserably, and I manage to knock Steven off his chair, and somehow, land on top of him.

Blood rushes to my cheeks, as I realize the compromising position this has put us in and I quickly shuffle off him. I dust myself off, grab my container out of his hand, while he is still on the floor and pull Maya outside the cafeteria.

"That was interesting." She comments, smirking at me, as we stop in the hallway. "Want to fill in the details?"

"Not really." I respond, and she places her hands on her hips. I look into my container. "He took my apple." I frown. Maya narrows her eyes at me.

"Tell me everything!" She orders.

"I can't believe he took my apple!" I whine. She huffs and rolls her eyes.

"Enough about the apple!" She shouts, and I somehow land up telling her everything, and when I finally finish, the bell rings. Talk about good timing.

"It sounds like Daniels has a bad case of Rebeccaitis." She diagnoses suddenly during English period. I look at her surprised. That was random, and I raise an eyebrow. "He likes you." She elaborates. I shake my head.

"No way! He hates my guts!" I whisper shout. She just chuckles to herself, as if she knows things I don't.