Breaking Tradition

Chapter Fifteen: Rylee

Disclaimer: All characters and settings are purely fictional. If there are any similarities to real people or places, it is merely coincidental. The plot is written by me and not copied from any other writer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Honest Facade
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That Toe touch was messy. Do it again," Coach Lawson instructed one of the new girls. We were trying to teach the new girls the routine, but it was borderline disastrous. Coach Lawson settled with pairing us each with a new teammate. I used this opportunity to spend some time with Bianca. Well, that and Bianca needed the least amount of work than the other girls.

At the moment she was showing me a sequence of skill sets Coach Lawson wanted us to run through. She did them effortlessly, only having to redo her pike jump. Eventually, I got her to do a few tumbles, and I found myself joining her. In a short time, we were laughing and playfully cheering the other on. It was so chilled in comparison to the other pairings, who were struggling to get through the set work.

"You're still so good," I complimented her, trying to settle my breathing. Bianca adjusts her tights, her breathing just as heavy and deep as mines. We both started off at Jason Kyelar's Gym at the tender age of four. I was five when Bianca joined, but she was always so tenacious and flexible. We cheered for our gym in many competitions, and Bianca always outshined everyone. She was the epitome of a cheerleader.

"I'm still so rusty, but thanks," she grinned, placing her hands on her hips. Bianca was a dark-skinned slender girl with an oval-shaped face, hooded eyes, and a rounded nose tip. Her smile was always so big and inviting. She was so pretty. I admired the two afro puffs that she accessorized with thin, shimmery red ribbons.

"How come you're just trying out?" I asked, exhaling deeply. Bianca was a cheerleader for most of her school career. It was weird not seeing her to tryouts during my sophomore and junior years. She was crazy talented, and we needed the extra talent last school year.

She frowns, "I got caught up in some mess." Bianca drops her head, her eyes on the floor.

My eyebrows furrow in confusion, "Mess? What happened?"

Bianca whispers, "Promise you won't say anything?" Her eyes were wide, pleading almost. The vulnerability she gives off makes me step closer to her. I'm not certain why. Maybe to offer comfort or trust? She seemed so open. Her face is alert as I close the gap between us.

"I promise." Bianca exhales lightly in relief to my agreement, but it is short-lived as she begins to spill her truth.

"I got caught up with the wrong crowd when I came here. I was heavy on the drugs. I was partying like crazy," she admits. I contain myself from reacting to her confession. I never knew she was mixing with the wrong people. She always seemed so focused and well, normal.

"Then, I got involved with the wrong kind of guy," she continued. Guy? There was no news in Devenport about Bianca dating. Our school spreads gossip as quick as a wildfire, so discovering she was involved with someone and I didn't know is a big deal.

"Eventually, I made a stupid decision that landed me pregnant at fifteen," she whispers softly. I inhale sharply, the weight of her words hit me. Bianca was pregnant? Wow. The words failed me.

"So, what did you do?" I whisper, trying not to let the other hear our conversation.

"I had my son over the summer last year. My grandmother has him while I'm at school. She was the one who told me to get back into cheerleading," she admits. To say I was shocked was an understatement. Bianca didn't look like she just had a kid. She didn't look pregnant last year, either. Or was I too busy in my own world to have noticed?

"Who's the father?"

"Just some guy I should have stayed away from. Lesson learned," she says, shrugging it off. I don't bother to ask whether he's involved in her son's life. I think I've asked enough questions for the day. I run some tumbles with her to distract from the seriousness.

Hearing Bianca's story makes me think about whether I could handle a situation like hers as beautifully as she did. Looking at her, it seems as if there is nothing remotely different between her and any other kid at this school. But, there was. She was a mom. She had responsibilities to attend to after school. Would I be able to handle the weight of parenthood and school? I doubt it. Maybe. My mom did. She handled it well. My eyes wander to Kelly. She did too. So many girls from this school did it. But it is definitely not something I wanted.

I'm so grateful for my mom taking me to the clinic to get birth control. Even though Theo and I weren't having sex, I wanted to be prepared for when we do. I bite my lip thinking about what we did in his room a few days ago. We were getting closer and closer to taking that step and the idea no longer terrified me. It thrilled me. And from the last few intimate sessions, I knew it would be amazing. It always was with him.

"Ok, let's see if we can get a quick practice in," Kelly says, clapping her hands for our attention. I push the thoughts of Theo and me in the back of my head and jog up to the mat. Bianca follows behind me with a smile on her face. Seeing her hopeful makes my heart warm. Maybe this is the start of a new friendship, I think.

"Mikah, show everyone what we've worked on," Kelly instructs, and just like that, I'm sucked into my own little world. One with drama, boyfriends, or holes of hopelessness.