Page 133 of Infatuated as They Come
She tilted her head at me. “What happened?”
“Just… It’s a very long, complicated story.”
“I see. Does it happen to involve the boyfriend that your dad hates?”
“Yes, completely.”
Claudia frowned. “Are you telling me your dad still hates him? Even now?”
“Depends on what you mean by hate. And also… yes.”
“Dads.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I wanted to ask you something. I’ve been really struggling to come up with choreography for the next game. I think I’m still in holiday mode.”
“Once you’re back in class doing all of that work, you won’t feel like that.”
“Ooh, so exciting,” she said sarcastically. “But I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind helping out? Natalie caught a bad flu when she went back home which is why she isn’t at practice today, and she’s definitely going to be out for the next week or so.”
I blinked at her. “Wait, you want me to help?”
“Mhm. Is that okay with you?”
“But…” My hands squeezed at my water bottle. “You know, last time…”
She waved a hand at me. “Like I said, it wouldn’t be cheer without a fall every now and then. You think I haven’t fallen during a stunt?”
“I literally can’t imagine you falling.”
“I assure you that I have, and that’s how you learn, right?”
“Yeah, I guess.” I tapped my fingers against the steel of my bottle. “You really want my help?”
“As long as you’re up for it. We can go over some of the routine after we get done with stunting if you’re interested.”
“Um, yeah. Okay. If you’re sure.”
“Yay!” She squealed. “I’m gonna go check on the rest of the girls, but I can’t wait to hear your ideas! We’ll brainstorm together!”
She took off running and I quickly downed some water, forcing myself back into head cheerleader mode, stunts flying in and out of my mind as I tried to choreograph on the spot: teddy sit, cobra, heel stretch. I joined the girls again for the rest of the session and it all went by smoother than I thought. The last half hour flew by and my body was buzzing with excitement at the idea of Claudia and the other girls performing stuff I had come up with. Claudia trusted me and so did the rest of the team, and that meant a lot after my screw up from before.
With practice out of the way, I said goodbye to the girls, making my way to my first class of the day. Time dragged on until lunchtime hit, and just as I was about to grab something to eat, my phone buzzed in my pocket, and then I smiled instantly when I saw a message from Sawyer.
I can see you :-)
Freak. What do you mean?
Turn around.
I did so slowly, almost squealing when I spotted Sawyer in his blue mechanic’s shirt, a white paper bag and a Styrofoam cup in his hand. “What are you doing here?” I practically leaped into his arms, my hands circling around his shoulders.
“I told you I wanted to show you how much I miss you, right?” he asked, leaning down to peck my lips. “Thought I’d bring you something nice and warm for lunch as well.”
I grabbed his free hand, instantly loving how warm his skin felt against me. “You’re spoiling me. Come, I’ll show you the nicest bench here. It’s this way!”
The January air was sharp and cold, but there was a slither of sun out as I guided him over to one of the benches unshielded by the many looming trees on campus. Sawyer kept an arm around my shoulder as we took a seat, letting me nestle against his warm body.
“You’ve got some time to spare, right?” he asked.
“Yup. And then I get to spend a very exciting hour in my Media Ethics class.”
