My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter 1

Chapter 1
The Homecoming Game
As Varsity cheer captain, this was the one game a year I was freaking out. Signs had been hung and made. The only thing left to do was put on the uniform and go. But the only thing on my mind was Finn. Not only was he quarterback of my school's team but he was the love of my life...Oh, and one other thing, he's my brother Pete's best friend.
I had always felt the excitement when I found out Finn was coming over to spend the night or hang out with Pete. I tried so hard for him to notice me...I'd wear makeup, push up bras...anything. But Pete would always push me away and slam his door in my face. It wasn't cool for them to be hanging out with a girl...but that was also when we were ten. We were twins, Pete and I. We looked very similar, the only real difference was our hair color. Mine was golden blonde and his a deep black. Not sure how that happened because both of our parents had light brown hair.
"Are you ready?!" Pete yelled from the bottom of the stairs. I slipped on my red cheer skirt and grabbed my bow from the desk next to my window. I looked out and saw him...Finn. He was sitting in his blue corvette. He had his top down, revealing his red hair. He had his letterman jacket on, like always.
"Yes!" I exclaimed still looking at Finn. I broke away from my trance and made my way down the stairs.
"We still need to pick up Tanner," he said looking at me.
"What?" I laughed staring at my brother.
"You look different," he said examining me.
"We're getting older, Pete, face it," I laughed. But it's true. Pete wasn't just seeing things. I changed my makeup, hair, everything. I went blonder and used this new makeup that my aunt got me. I had lost ten pounds. And over time people were just now noticing. My uniform fit better then ever before so I pulled it up a few inches, giving length to my legs.
"Com'n Finn is waiting," he said grabbing his football gear. My heart skipped a beat when Pete said his name...Finn...I never acted upon my love for Finn. I knew that Pete would kill me and Finn would probably laugh at me. I was always his best friend's sister, nothing else.
"Hey, Viv!" Finn exclaimed putting the seat down for me. I threw my cheer bag next to me and leaned over the seat to talk to Finn.
"Finnegan," I laughed.
"So it was Pete taking his sweet old time?" He honked his horn as Pete ran out of the house with his helmet on his head.
"Tanner's gonna be pissed," I chuckled sitting back in my seat.
"He can live with it," Pete hissed. Tanner was Finn and Pete's other best friend. The three were always together. This past summer my parents took all of us on vacation. We went to the Dominican Republic. Almost two months of seeing Finn with his shirt off was fantastic. I loved it. What I didn't like was going out with them every night to clubs and seeing him dance with other girls. It was hard to pretend like it didn't bug me, but it did. I tried to make him jealous by dancing with cute local boys but nothing seemed to work.
"Turn this crap off," Pete said switching the radio to rock instead of country. Finn shrugged his shoulders. That's one thing I loved about Finn...He liked country music. He wasn't like every other guy at my school. He didn't date because school was very important to him. He also didn't change who he was to fit in with others. That's one thing I was sad about my brother. He changed to fit his friends...My brother used to loved country and now he throws it to the side.
"Viv," Finn said looking in the rearview mirror. I looked up and met contact with his piercing green eyes.
"Yeah?" I said over the rumble of the wind.
"You figured out colleges yet?" He asked. I shook my head. I had no idea where I was going next fall. The feeling kind of scared me. My brother got a full ride for football to University of Arkansas. I knew I would never be able to afford it unless I got a scholarship too...
"Me neither," he sighed.
"I hope you become a razorback too!" Pete exclaimed.
"I don't know if I wanna play football," Finn said. I sat back in my seat, a bit shocked. Finn not playing football? He was the best player in the state. For being only eighteen years old, he was amazing.
"Don't talk to me," Pete mocked as we pulled up to Tanner's house.
"Bros!" Tanner yelled as he ran out to the car, "Hey Vivian!" I waved slightly as Tanner crawled in next to me. He flipped his blonde hair and lifted his hands up in the air. I could tell he was excited for the game. This was the biggest one of the year and everyone was anxious. We finally got to face our rivals Baxter Springs High School. We've never lost to them in conference games and we weren't about to start now.
"Vivian," Tanner said leaning over to me.
"Yes?" I laughed. Tanner was weird. He would try way too hard to fit in with the other guys but they still hung out with him. They liked him but I saw through his act. He was an outgoing kid but a little more annoying then normal people. He knew I couldn't stand him so he set out to annoy me every second he could.
"You look pretty today," he laughed. I knew all he wanted was for me to get angry, which always happened. He would make me so mad. I slapped him once this summer for trying to kiss me. I knew he was joking around because after I slapped him he pretended to run off and be upset. But then the same night at dinner he was all happy and joking around with me again. Tanner was a fool and sometimes drove me up the wall.
"Your stop, Viv," Finn said parking me by the main entrance. The boys were headed to the locker room.
"Good luck," I said hoping out of the car, "I'll be cheering for you!" I waved my pompoms at the car as they drove away towards the gym.
Our school was huge. It reminded me of a college. Huge clock towers, hundreds of rooms, secret passages...It was a castle. I had been going here since I was in fifth grade and it was finally my last year. I was sad but happy at the same time. The only things I was going to actually miss was Finn and the school itself. I really didn't have a lot of friends. This one girl, Rita, transferred last year. We had all the same classes but never hung out outside of school. She was nice and all but we never had full conversations. Many people said I was too stuffy to be friends with. This one girl, Rose and I used to be best friends. But one day she lost it and stormed out of my house. I only thought about myself is what she said...She never went into details so I never asked.
I walked into the stadium looking for the other cheerleaders. No one was here. I looked down at my phone. The time read 5:30. All of them were supposed to be here by now. It's not like they ever listened. I was voted captain but not because of my leadership skills, but because of my cheer skills. I won almost a dozen cheer competitions with my cheer squad outside of school. I could tumble, I was a flyer, and I made up a cheer almost every night. I kept them in a book at my house so we could plan ahead for games. I loved cheer. I sent in almost fifteen videos to colleges hoping someone would pick me up. My dream was to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. I had been taking dance since I was five, I had a goal in mind. But I wanted to share that time with Finn...I could marry him right now if he asked me.
And it wasn't just infatuation. Over the summer while at our beach house for a month and a half I would go and sit on the roof at night, thinking to myself. He would join me for long talks almost every night. We talked about college, Pete, his ex girlfriend Minnie...We would talk for hours. One night we even talked till the sun came up. I learned everything about him but he just saw it as Pete's sister...It was awful.
"Guys!" I exclaimed watching the squad come over to the field.
"What?" One said. "Yes?" Another squeaked...This squad was young. They were good, but young. All freshman except for me and a junior. They had a lot of growing up to do.
"Go, run, please," I commanded still keeping a smile on my face. The one good part about them was they didn't complain. I'd tell them to jump or run and they would do it, no problem.
"Vivian..." My coach Hank said walking over to me.
"Hey," I hugged him. He had been my private coach since I was six years old.
"Try the one trick we were working on last week at practice?" He asked...well it was more of a command. I nodded slowly. I wouldn't say the stunt was bad, but it wasn't the best. It had to be perfect. It was homecoming.
* * * * *
As the game passed on we were winning 21-7. Finn, Tanner, and Pete were all playing really well.
"Ready?" A girl, Brianna, said to me chewing on her gum. I held out my hand and she spit it out slowly. I threw it in the trash can and got ready for the stunt.
I felt my foot secured in the base's hands. They lifted me up backwards looking at the field. And that's when I saw the hit. It was awful. Our player went flying in the air...no...it was number 15...My brother...Pete.
"Guys!" I screamed, "Put me down!" I yelled bending my legs. I hopped off and ran over to the sidelines. I was grabbed by a player but I wasn't sure who it was. Pete wasn't moving...why wasn't he moving?! Pete was tough...He never stayed down for more then a second.
Everyone was silent. The players on the other team were kneeling down and our bench was silent. I started to cry...Pete was hurt.
"Come here," the football player whispered as he held me in a hug position. I was trying to fight him but he was too strong. I heard ambulance...What was happening?!
"Finnegan! Get her out of here!" I heard someone yell. Was Finn holding me so closely?
I felt him drag me into the school. The clicking of his spikes against the tile floor echoed down the hall. I felt like he was carrying me. My legs went numb. Something was wrong with Pete...
"Sit," Finn said setting me on one of the chairs we kept in the lounge.
"What's wrong?!" I exclaimed trying to get up. He pushed me back down.
"I don't know. But calm down," he sighed taking off his jersey. He had on a cut off T-shirt under his pads. He began to take them off as he sat in the chair next to me.
"The game won't go on...Pete is really hurt," I whispered.
"Yes, he is. I knew when he was down for more then thirty seconds. He's one of the strongest guys I know," Finn said looking at the ceiling.
"Turkens..." The football coach said from the other end of the room. Finn got up and walked towards coach. He put his hand on Finn's shoulder and shook his head. What does that mean?! I wish my parents were here. They have been in Dubai for the past three weeks for business.
"Viv," Finn said walking over to me, "The games canceled...want me to drive you home?" I nodded and crossed my arms. He guided me through the stands to get my bag. Everyone had dispersed and Pete was no where to be found.
"Finn!" Tanner yelled running over to us, "Can you believe that hit?!" Finn pushed Tanner in the other direction. That was one thing no one knew about Finn except me...Finn hated Tanner. Tanner pushed Finn's buttons and he hated it. He told me that over the summer.
"Shut the hell up, dude," Finn said holding on to me. We walked out to his car in silence. I heard ambulance sirens nearby. Was Pete okay?!
"It'll...It'll be okay," Finn managed to get out as he put his hand on my shoulder. I nodded and leaned against him as he drove. My head rested perfectly on his shoulder.
"We're here," Finn whispered to me. Had we really drove home already?
"Finn?" I said looking at him.
"Yes?"
"Will you stay with me? I don't want to be alone..." I trailed off. I felt the tears swelling up in my eyes. He nodded slightly and helped me out of the car.
"Go upstairs and change, I'm gonna take a quick shower downstairs..." He whispered going down in the basement where Pete's room was.
"Okay," I said quietly as I changed into sweat pants. I never let Finn see me like this but the only thing on my mind was Pete...God I hope he was okay...