Confessions of a Queen Bee

29

I am an idiot. 

I shouldn't have cheered. 

But I did and can I just say, I kept a straight face throughout all the pain. Actually, technically I smiled and performed my way through.

I purposely kept my eyes away from Jackson's prying ones during our performance. I knew he knew I shouldn't be up there, doing all these stunts. But I couldn't let the girls down especially since Nora was so nice to me the whole afternoon.

"Ivy, you were great! I still can't believe you quit." Some girl says from my right, another girl agreeing with her on my left. I smile at them both but it comes out more like a grimace. 

I am in an awful lot of pain.

"Ives, we missed your spirit up here so much." Faye says as she pulls me away to where she and Nora were standing. I give her a small smile and I can't help but turn and look around for Jackson. I didn't know whether he was still going to come to mine, whether I needed to ask my parents for a lift now or whether Jackson is going to drive us back.

"He's over there." Nora nudges me and I shamelessly follow her eyes to where Jackson was standing. I hate how she knew who I was looking for.

He was stood alone, staring over at us. An eyebrow raised at the way I was smiling and joking around with the girls. 

"Are you off?" Faye asks nodding towards Jackson's waiting presence.

"Um, maybe. I'll go talk to him."

The girls watch as I walk over to where he was standing.

"Hey." I smile, feeling awfully self-conscious in my cheer uniform. Luckily, Jess had changed the uniforms to long-sleeved so I didn't have to explain the burns or the dressings to anyone.

"You were great. Typical Ivy James fashion, dead right and centre." He says, his voice a little colder than what his words were saying.

"Thanks."

"Although, just because everyone else can't see through your fake smile, how bad is it? The pain."

I shrug at him, not wanting to seem weak. I know I am being way too stubborn for my own good.

"Are you staying for the whole game?" I ask him, feeling a little awkward to ask him to abandon his friends and come back to mine.

He cocks his head a little and a small smirk plays across his face. "Yeah, I mean unless you wanted me to do anything else."

He's trying to make me say it. To ask him to come home with me. "Jackson." I whine.

"Yeah?" He says innocently and I roll my eyes and walk towards the changing rooms. I can hear him chuckling behind me, following me.

As he jogs to catch up with me, he laughs at my unimpressed face.

"Do you want to leave?" I ask him, giving in to him wanting me to actually ask. "With me?"

"Yeah sure. Now answer my question."

"What was your question?" I ask him casually, grabbing his sweatshirt from my locker and throwing it over my cheer uniform. I carry on putting my stuff in my bag as he waits patiently by my side.

"Your pain?."

"Oh, yeah it's not great. Don't tell you mum I cheered." I widen my eyes at him in amusement but he seems totally unimpressed.

"Ivy, this isn't a joke. you're hurt."

"I know, but it's over now. Are you coming home with me?" I ask.