Page 63 of Falling Into You

“Everyone follow me!” Layla shouted.

Jacob was just about to join the team when somehow, over the din, he heard someone calling his name. He looked around and saw his mom and dad cutting through the crowd toward him with Chad and Lindsay in tow. The two kids were all decked out in Woodmont colors. And then, shocker of all shockers, he saw Ford very slowly, very casually, bringing up the rear. Half the girls and some of the guys in the hallway stopped to stare at him as he walked by.

“Hey! You made it!” Jacob said as his mom reached up to hug him.

“We wouldn’t miss it, son,” his dad said, clapping himon the shoulder. “We get to see both you and Willow compete on the same stage? Who would’ve thought?”

“How did you get Ford to come?” he asked under his breath.

“It involved a very expensive bribe,” Ford replied loudly.

“Mom, hey!” Rory said suddenly.

Jacob saw Owen weaving through the crowd along with a woman he recognized from the family photos at Rory’s house as her mother. She was as tiny as Rory with a mop of curly hair, and she’d painted littleWHsymbols on each of her cheeks in red and gold. Her glittery red T-shirt read “CHEER MOM!” in huge block letters. Rory hugged her, and Jacob slapped hands with Owen.

“Mom, Dad, this is Rory,” Jacob said. “She’s the team captain.”

“And the girl he can’t stop talking about,” Chad said, rolling his eyes.

“So nice to meet you, Rory!” Jacob’s mom grinned as a pair of preteens jostled into her side, making her step on her own foot.

“And Mom, this is Jacob,” Rory said.

“You’re so tall!” Rory’s mom said, and reached up to hug him.

“And this is Stuart,” Jacob continued.

“I’m the idiot reason he’s here,” Stuart mentioned, waving a hand.

Jacob’s parents laughed, and Rory’s mom reached over to squeeze his shoulder. “We’ll get you in fighting shape again in no time. You know I need you on stage crew for the spring show. You’re my best sound guy.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Graham,” Stuart said. “I’ll be there.”

“So, Jacob, what do you think of your first cheerleading competition?” Rory’s mom asked with an expression that told him he looked exactly as overwhelmed as he felt. Down the hallway a chant of “We got spirit, yes, we do, we got spirit, how ’bout you?” broke out.

“It’s amazing. And intimidating,” he said.

“And we need to go register before we miss the deadline and don’t even get to compete,” Rory said, grabbing his hand.

Jacob’s mom and Rory’s mom exchanged an intrigued and excited look. He could just imagine what they’d say to each other once Rory had dragged him off.

They’re so cute together!

Do you think they’ll go to prom?

And all he could think as Rory laughed and wove through the chaos, clinging to his hand, was that—win or lose—there was no way he was going to finish the day out without finally kissing that girl. That was a bet with himself he could keep.

Rory

“We’re up next. Is everybody ready?” Rory asked as the team waited just outside the door to the gym. They could hear the music for the Shrewsbury Falcons starting up, and Rory felt her already pounding heart kick it up a notch. She looked around at each of her teammates, one by one. “We can do this. It’s less than three minutes, and all I’m asking of you is to do your absolute best.”

“Heard,” Carlos said.

“We got this,” Layla put in.

Rory’s hands shook as she put her right palm down in the center of the circle. Jacob put his hand on top of hers, warm and steady, and she smiled over at him. Then Gwen and Carlos and Layla and Maya and Dahlia and the rest of the team. The gymnasium erupted in cheers as the Shrewsbury team finished its routine. It was go time.

“Lumberjacks on three, ready? One, two, three! LUMBERJACKS!”