chapter 21
Kira stared ahead, a stunned expression on her face. “I don’t understand,” she murmured. We were in Leona’s father’s study, surrounded by law books and mahogany. When I called the emergency meeting, Leona asked us to come here. Only the essential members had gathered: Leona, Kira, Izzie, Chloe … and me.
“I’m going to kill him,” Leona said, pacing behind her father’s desk, occasionally looking out the bay window. “I’m going to commit homicide and spend the rest of my life in prison.”
“Now, now,” I soothed. “No need to do time for this. Joel is completely sorry. He’ll help if we need him, but I told him that we have it handled. What’s done is done, girls. Now we just have to win back the respect of the school.”
Leona looked sharply at me. “You’re not still dating him, are you?” I shook my head no. She blinked quickly, as if she were almost sad to hear that, but then went back to pacing.
“He wasn’t the right guy for me,” I added.
Chloe snorted from behind me, but I ignored it. My attempt at moving on might have been a bit misguided, but at least, I didn’t hack into people’s e-mail accounts to stalk them.
“I’m proud of you, Tessa.” I looked at Izzie sitting cross-legged on the floor. Her curls were bouncy and hanging to her chin. Her freckles were visible across her nose, and she was wearing lip gloss again. I smiled at her.
“For what?”
“Figuring it out. You totally pulled your life together after the unfortunate Mary Rudick incident, and I think it’s amazing. And … you still have all of your hair.” She grinned. I didn’t like to think about how sad Izzie had been. Not that she was the princess of perk now, but she was getting better. Slowly and steadily. And she’d stopped seeing Sam. That was a huge step forward.
“Wow, do you guys always get all snuggly like this?” Chloe asked. “Should we have a pillow fight in our underwear now?”
I laughed and looked over my shoulder at her. She shrugged. “That was actually funny,” I said.
“Thanks. Now, are we going to practice, or what? Because I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of getting called a slut in the hallways.”
“You sure that has anything to do with the Smitten Kittens?” Leona joked. The girls giggled, and I felt the change. The Smitten Kittens had a new dynamic. It seemed we’d just gone from G-rated to PG-13. It was kind of nice.
“You know,” I said, leaning back in the leather chair. “I’ve been thinking about my cheer.”
“It looks great,” Kira assured the squad, as if she were sticking up for me. I looked over at her, and she smiled in a way that said all of our problems were behind us. I wondered if she really felt that way, or if she were faking. Then I wondered if my break-up with Joel had somehow let her move on.
“Thanks,” I said. “But I’ve made a decision. If we really want to wow the crowd and get some great face time on ESPN, we can’t do just any cheer.”
Kira’s eyes widened as if she knew what was coming. I’d spent the night reading her e-mail, considering what her friendship meant, trying to understand what the Smitten Kittens were all about. We were there to inspire. Make champions. And nothing good ever came out of chickening out.
“We’ll perform the Triple Licorice Twist. It’s stellar.”
She gasped. “Really?”
“Really. It’s dangerous. It’s crazy. But, hey, when have the Smitten Kittens ever been afraid of a little danger? Only thing,”—I held up my finger—“I’m the flyer. I won’t put any of you at risk. It’s just not safe.”
“But your leg?” Kira asked.
I smirked. “I almost think it could be an asset. Something to show how dedicated we really are. Now,”—I clapped my hands—“let’s get practicing.”
Turns out cheering with only one good leg is really flipping hard! But I wouldn’t give up. We spent close to three days mounting and unmounting. Perfecting a basket catch that would save me from hitting the ground on my bad ankle. I just needed to flip. It was difficult, but it could be done. And it would be delicious.
Leona had the idea to leak the story of our amazing cheer to the newspaper—pointing out that ESPN would be there to film it. Technically, they weren’t just there for us, but we needed all the publicity we could get.
They ended up running a column about our “death-defying stunt.” Leona may have exaggerated a little, but it did the job. It created a buzz. Sure, some people were still catcalling or cursing, but that seemed to die down a bit. Just enough for me to focus.
The night after I found out about Joel, I’d sent Aiden a text message, thanking him. I couldn’t really think of anything else to say. He returned his usual, “Of course, baby.” But this time, it didn’t make me cringe. I was getting used to the word again. And I decided to leave Mr. Awesome in my phone. It was sort of fitting.
When Saturday came, I took three Extra Strength Advil before the squad and I were going to have a pregame practice. We were all nervous. Word was that the game was sold out—the first time since Phil Collins! My parents had made an extra-large puff paint sign that read, “GO SMITTEN KITTENS,” rather than the Wildcats. I appreciated their support.
On the field, Kira was out on the grass, stretching out her split. “Hey!” she called as I went to sit next to her.
“Hey.”
“Nervous?” she asked, bending to one side and then the other.
“A little. No, scratch that. A lot.”
Kira paused and looked me over. “You don’t have to do this for me.”
I watched Kira’s blue eyes take me in, her blond curls blowing in the breeze. I liked being by her side again. I’d missed being her friend. “Yes, I do,” I answered.
Her mouth twitched into a smile, and she reached out to touch my leg. “Can I admit something to you?”
“Anything.”
“Joel and I talk every night. He’s my best friend.” She paused. “Nothing romantic has gone on, but I thought you should know… . I was hoping something would. I was always hoping he’d choose me. I’m still in love with him.”
I pressed my lips together and looked at the grass, her confession stinging a bit, but not unbearably so. I met her eyes again. “I know. And you have my blessings.”
She nodded, pulling her hand back to stretch again. After a minute of silence, I thought of something. “K, remember when you wanted to talk to me about the handbook? What did you want to change?”
“Oh.” She stopped a minute, thinking. “I updated it. I was wondering if you’d take a look.”
Well, that was great of her. I’d been meaning to update that thing ever since Mary Rudick tried to steal my boyfriend. She didn’t exactly evoke the best feelings in me. “That’s spectacular, Kira. I’d love to.”
There was a loud whistle, and we looked up to see the rest of the squad arriving. The sea of maroon and gray uniforms and pom-poms made my heart pump.
It was almost time. Out in the parking lot, a bus pulled up with the ESPN logo painted on it. Fancy!
“Ready or not,” I said to myself, climbing to my feet, “here we come.”
I looked out over the crowd. The wind was blowing, and my throat was tight with anxiety. The audience in the front row of the cheer section were supporters. Smitten Kitten signs from both of my parents and some of our past clients. ESPN had set up their cameras near the field post, and I was keenly aware that the operator must have had a thing for cheerleaders. He panned over our legs more than once.
But then, up near the top of the bleachers, were guys—ones who weren’t exactly fans. They booed to let us know.
As we stood in formation on the sidelines, waiting for halftime, Blaze Harmon—who was walking off an on-field collision—walked directly between us. He was carrying his maroon helmet at his side, black smeared under his eyes. He looked menacing. When he passed by, he snorted, then spit toward Chloe. Barely missing her.
“Hey, Harmon,” she called casually as he continued to walk away. He looked over his shoulder at her, a snide expression on his face. She smiled sweetly. “Next time you try to spit on me, I’ll knee your nuts so hard they’ll rename you Nancy.”
Leona choked on her laughter. Blaze’s face fell as he looked between us and then limped back toward his bench. I didn’t correct Chloe’s statement. It was about time the Smitten Kittens grew a set of claws.
Just then the buzzer sounded for halftime. My breath caught in my chest, and I darted a look over to ESPN’s cameras. This was it. As if sensing the tension, some people in the bleachers stood up. My mother clutched the collar of her turtleneck. My father put his arm around her and gave me a thumbs-up.
It was showtime.
I used my crutches, now even more bedazzled, as we hurried out into center field. Once there, I laid them off to the side and took a deep breath as the girls formed two lines behind me.
“Ready? Okay.” I began, my projection reaching the crowd, my voice ringing with confidence even though I didn’t entirely feel it. I kept my knee bent as I did the arm movements, and the girls did a full-scale cheer behind me. I tried to concentrate.
Chloe zoomed past me, in front of the squad, as she did backflip after backflip until she was out of sight. Izzie and Kira did simultaneous cartwheels that got them back to the building spot. Now.
“And when we’re done,” I yelled, hopping backward until I felt Leona’s steady hand at my back. As carefully as I could, I began to climb. It seemed like forever, and I heard the girls echo my cheer line, signaling me. I was almost there.
At the top, Izzie grinned at me, her hands ready to clasp my feet. And I was there, on top of the largest pyramid we’d ever built. On top of the best group of cheerleaders ever assembled.
I screamed the last line, ready to take the leap. “You’ll see we’ve won!”
I jumped. Twisting, turning, tucking and … falling. My boot was heavy, and as I tried to bring it around for the last move of the Licorice Twist, gravity wouldn’t let me. It was pulling me toward Earth faster than I could spin.
As if I were having an out-of-body experience, I heard Leona yell out, and the girls scrambled to get in position for the basket catch. But we had horribly misjudged the timing. Trying to avoid a face-plant in the grass, I got my legs underneath me and braced for the impact.
Control top pantyhose! This was going to hurt.
I landed hard, my ankle in the cast immediately buckling on impact. I screamed, falling to my knees, the pain vibrating up my entire leg. Twisting my stomach. Banging into my head. I’d never felt anything like it as I writhed on the ground, my cast splitting and a little bit of blood visibly leaking out.
I realized—my only clear thought—that I didn’t just break my ankle this time; I had broken my leg. We’d failed.
“Oh, my God!” I heard Kira’s frantic voice, but I couldn’t even open my eyes. I was praying for the shock to numb me. Hadn’t I heard that going into shock stopped the pain?
There was yelling all around me, and I dug my fingers in the field, my nails embedding in the dirt underneath the grass. Someone was brushing back my hair. Someone else told me to hang on.
“Get the f*ck out of the way!”
And I breathed. A big breath of air filled me, and I slowly turned my head to see Aiden bending over me.
“Christ, Tessa. Your f*cking bone is sticking out.”
“Ew, really?” Ah, this was the shock. But they lied! It still hurt like H-E Double Hockey Sticks!
Aiden stared at me and let out an I-can’t-believe-you laugh. Then he plopped himself down in the grass next to me and put my head in his lap, wiping my tears off my cheeks.
“Can’t move you off the field,” he said quietly among all the screaming.
They’re calling an ambulance.” I stared up at him, his face pale from either the sight of blood or the scare I’d given him. Maybe both.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice thick from tears. “I didn’t know you’d be in town.” He shrugged.
“Chloe called me. Said you were doing something really stupid. Like jumping off a human pyramid with a cast on.”
I went to laugh, but stopped myself. I found that if I stayed completely still and tried not to breathe, it didn’t hurt as much. Ouch.
Kira came into view above me. Her mascara was running down her cheeks and her palms were pressed together in front of her lips. “I’m so sorry,” she said.
“It’s not your fault. I didn’t factor in the weight of the cast times the—”
The siren of an ambulance broke through the air. Thank goodness. I needed a shot of some really good stuff right about now.
“Honey?” My mother rushed over, kneeling at my side. She looked down at my leg and then at my father. He took off his glasses and stared sternly at me.
“I thought I told you not to hurt yourself again?”
I couldn’t help it. Despite the incredible pain in my leg, I laughed. Only for a second before I winced.
Aiden’s hand lay protectively behind my neck before his other hand slid down to touch mine. At first, we didn’t move—although people around us were visibly frantic—we just sat there, his hand against mine, neither of us technically holding.
Aiden bent down to kiss my forehead, adjusting my head in his lap. The world was so loud, but right here, between us … it was peaceful. It was so strawberry smoothie.
“Clear a path, please,” I heard an authoritative voice shout. Then the EMTs came running forward, a gurney with them. I was never so glad to see someone in the medical field.
Before we could even say anything, Aiden’s hand moved away from mine as the EMTs began to assess the damage. The taller one with the mustache looked at me, a disbelieving expression on his face.
“Were you cheering with a broken ankle?”
“Yep.”
“Brilliant,” he said and shook his head.
“Thank you!”
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the ESPN camera pointed in my direction. I wondered if he’d caught the fall. Darnit. I can’t believe I messed up the routine.
Aiden and my parents stayed close by as the EMTs got me on the gurney and began to wheel me off the field. They assured me that I had indeed broken my leg—possibly in three different places. Well, I was nothing if not an overachiever.
And just as I was about to exit the field, the weirdest thing happened. There
was … applause. Over the loudspeaker, I heard the announcer: “And it looks like our Smitten Kitten is going to be okay!”
I lifted my head slightly to see that in the stands people were up and cheering, looking concerned but grateful that I was alive. Even the football team was clapping from the bench, their helmets off with respect. Well, other than Blaze Harmon, who sat fully uniformed and looking in the opposite direction. That boy needed some sparkles of his own.
“Wow,” Leona said, appearing and putting a pom-pom in the gurney next to me. “Looks like all we needed to be popular again is to nearly kill ourselves. Good to know for the future.” She smiled and pointed at the pom-pom she’d given me. “So you know we’re thinking about you.”
Leona. She was the kitten’s meow. I was so lucky to have her. Have all my friends. For a second, I felt like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. The part where she wakes up and sees all of her friends and family. It was surreal. But then again, I didn’t think Dorothy had her leg broken in three places!
“Who’s riding with us?” the driver asked as he opened the double doors to the back of the ambulance. The lights were still swirling, and I felt a little dizzy.
“You go ahead,” my father said to my mother. But just before she climbed in, I touched at her arm.
“I want Aiden,” I murmured softly.
My mother turned to look at me, probably thinking I was out of it, but then her face cleared and she smiled softly. “Okay, then. We’ll be right behind you, sweetheart.”
I thanked her and as they lifted me into the back of the van, I caught Aiden looking at me. His green eyes were beautiful, a devious twinkle to them. He licked his lips and glanced away as if he hadn’t just been staring. Sigh. He was the most fantastic thing I’d ever known.
After I was settled, Aiden started to climb in when the ambulance guy stopped him. “Hold on a second,” he said, sounding impatient. “Who are you?”
I smiled to myself and Aiden caught my eye. “He’s my boyfriend,” I said. Without any noticeable reaction, Aiden got into the ambulance and brought his long legs under him as he leaned close to my bed. The doors shut and as one EMTs worked off my cast, Aiden snuggled his head onto the pillow next to me. His fingers, gentle and tender, slid down my arm, tickling me. And when he got to my palm, he paused.
“The reasons Tessa Crimson should go out with me,” he whispered so that only I could hear him. “Number ten: She looks very perky in her cheerleading uniform.” I giggled and felt a breathy laugh on my neck as he continued. “Number nine: She can make me smile with all of her cute phrases. Number eight: She—”
I turned to him, my nose nearly touching his. “I’ve heard this before,” I murmured.
“Not number one.”
I smiled. “Ball of sunshine.”
“Nope.”
“Then what?”
“Number one: Because I love her.” Only he didn’t whisper it. He said it as if it were something that was so true, something that was just a fact. Like he was telling me that whipped cream was delicious or puppies were cute. He said it as if he meant it.
I intertwined my fingers with his, looking at him. In him. Because he was my guy. Aiden would always be my only guy.
Epilogue
I sat on the top bleacher, my braced leg resting on the empty seat ahead of me as I observed practice. The gym had been newly remodeled, which would be a huge draw for the basketball finals. In fact, the ESPN crew would be returning, this time with broadcasters.
The Fall Heard Round the World had become a Web sensation. It was even on Sport’s Center’s Top 10. I used to get mad at Aiden for watching it over and over again. But he said that he was just proud that his girlfriend made the Clip of the Week.
At the game, the Wildcats had been slaughtered by the Ducks (as usual), but no one seemed to remember that. Instead, my disastrous cheer had gotten nearly three million hits on youtube. As a result, the games were sold out for the rest of the season. It was considered a job well done for the Smitten Kittens.
“Line up,” Leona shouted from center court. My mouth twitched with a smile as the Smitten Kittens took their spots for their final routine run-through.
“Popcorn?”
I looked sideways at Aiden as he held out the bag of popcorn he’d picked up from 7-Eleven. He said it would help me with the transition if I ate popcorn in the stands like a true spectator, but I think he was just hungry.
“Thanks.” I took a handful and watched him. He was dressed in a red Oregon State University T-shirt and baggy khaki shorts, his blond floppy curls sticking out every which way. When I reached over to smooth them down, he tried to bite my hand.
“Stop!” I laughed. Instead, he leaned over and pretended to bite at my neck. Which I really didn’t want him to stop.
“Ready? Okay.” The routine began, and both Aiden and I turned to the court.
“Is she really that good?” he murmured, his breath warm on my neck.
“Just watch.”
“Can’t be as good as you.”
Even though I wasn’t on the court, which still stung a little, I was more than happy to be in the stands with Aiden. After my operation—six pins and a titanium plate—I wouldn’t be cheering any time soon. The actual word the doctor used was never, but he obviously underestimated my tenacity. Aiden had become my personal physical therapist, helping with strength training, endurance … and well, lots of other super-fun stuff.
We were encouraged by my progress so far.
Aiden was granted a temporary leave from college as he regrouped and transferred to OSU. Luckily, it wouldn’t affect his scholarship, and in fact, it put us in the same graduating class and only forty-five minutes away from each other.
I’d decided that I never really wanted to go to WSU—it was just that Aiden was supposed to be there. Now that he was a Beaver, there wasn’t much of a reason. And with the year almost out, I’d been accepted to the University of Oregon for their Kinesiology program. I planned to work in sports medicine, which would be pretty awesome, considering how much I enjoyed being around athletes.
But officially—I was now a Duck. Ironic.
“Dunk it!” Chloe yelled, projecting her voice through the gymnasium. “Slam it! Get that ball!”
I reached over for more popcorn as Aiden straightened, watching intently as Chloe led the squad in their cheer. “Damn,” he said, shaking his head. “She’s good.”
“Watch it,” I said through a mouthful of popcorn.
“Psht. Like I even look at anyone else.” He tilted his head to glance at me, batting his eyelashes. “You’re the only girl I have eyes for.”
“Stalker eyes.”
“You know it.”
I laughed, leaning into Aiden and resting my head on his shoulder. We had indeed become smoother than ever—completely and sickeningly perfect together. Leona let me know on several occasions.
Unfortunately her relationship with Chris didn’t make it past my final cheer. They broke up later that night amid a slew of insults. She later admitted that part of the reason she took him back in the first place was because she couldn’t stand the idea of him dumping her. She felt that she needed the closure of being the one to call it quits.
She had rebounded nicely though. She was now dating a guy from WSU—someone that Aiden knew—and we double-dated often. It was cool, especially because we all loved sports.
There were squeaking noises as Kira and Izzie moved across the court, doing cartwheels, their sneakers giving off the perky sound that I loved. It was great to see Izzie so vibrant again. She continued therapy through the season, but soon she was off medication.
She’d relapsed briefly—I caught her texting Sam—but we’d reacted quickly this time. No more letting her slip through the cracks. She was coming with me to U of O next year. She was going to be my roommate.
Just then Kira’s sneaker caught the edge of Leona’s, and she stumbled a bit but straightened and started laughing. “My bad,” she called before clapping and counting off again. They sprang back into action, Kira’s blond curls flying all around her shoulders as she turned head over feet.
It had been strange when I returned to school after my fall. First, because I had to be in a wheelchair for three weeks. The gym hadn’t been handicapped accessible, but thanks to Leona’s father, a lawyer, they’d remodeled the entire thing. It was a victory for students everywhere.
Anyway, after I’d gotten back, I was popular again. People were talking to me; football players were hitting on me (not that I cared). Blaze Harmon even apologized. Of course, it was after school while I was standing with Aiden, but I doubted that had anything to do with it.
Kira and I had forgiven each other completely, even hanging out a few times, just the two of us. It wasn’t the way it had been before—I knew it never could be—but we’d reached a comfortable place. One we could both smile about.
And it seemed that she and Joel had worked out some sort of quiet, sweet friendship—one that wasn’t up for discussion with the Kittens. Leona and I had speculated that they were back together once, but then Kira went on a date with Rhett. So we weren’t entirely sure. She liked her privacy now, and we respected that.
I sighed as I watched the Smitten Kittens, building a base for Chloe to climb. “I should go out there,” I murmured, straightening up as they got ready to fly.
“Baby,” Aiden said. “You don’t need to go out there. You’re like the most famous cheerleader that’s ever lived. Five thousand Facebook fans can’t be wrong.”
I laughed. Just then I caught my breath as Chloe leapt in the air, her arms wrapped tightly over her chest, her legs perfectly straight. Her form was held until just before they caught her. I twitched my mouth. She’d have to work on that. Maybe a few more run-throughs and she’d have it. She’d been training hard.
Chloe Ferril was a natural-born cheerleader. Despite her years of disliking cheerleaders, she’d found that her school spirit was both infectious and less annoying than ours. People really seemed to relate to her and her brand of sarcasm. She occasionally swore and often gave dirty or rude looks, but they were always coupled with a brilliant idea or a new plan. SOS had never been stronger.
Of course, I didn’t spy anymore. I couldn’t. And although I thought it would bother me, it didn’t. Leaving our organization in capable hands somehow made it easier.
Chloe made a great captain.
“Nice job!” I called from the bleachers, clapping as they headed for their water bottles. Izzie waved and Kira blew me a kiss. Leona was already on her phone, and Chloe was standing by herself, silently redoing her move. She was a perfectionist.
“You ready to go?” Aiden asked, standing up and stretching his long legs. When his arms were above his head, his T-shirt lifted just enough to show off his amazing athletic abs. He caught me looking.
“Be quiet,” I said before he teased me. He laughed and instead took my arm and pulled me to my foot/cast.
Once standing, Aiden put his warm hands on either side of my face as he looked down at me. His green eyes were my most favorite color in the world, and I stared back into them, ready to get lost forever.
Instead, he smiled the huge, goofy grin of Mr. Awesome. “You’re so insanely in love with me, Tessa. What are you going to do with yourself?”
I laughed, my body tingling. “Question is what are you going to do with me, point guard?”
“Mm …” he said, pressing his lips together as if he had to think about it. “That’s a tough one. But I do have some ideas.”
“I bet.”
He licked his bottom lip, everything about him sexy. Mine.
“I do love you,” I said seriously, my hand tangling in the soft fabric of his T-shirt.
With a satisfied look, he leaned in to kiss me, his mouth the perfect fit against mine. And as he pulled back, he brushed the back of his finger softly against my cheek and smiled. “I know you do, baby. Now shut up and kiss me.”