Page 64 of Catch
I looked at her in disbelief. “Why? Why are you pushing this?”
She shrugged. “Because I love you and the quarterback should get to date a cheerleader. I think it’s a rule.”
I laughed. “It’s not a rule. And don’t worry. I’ll find somebody.”
She took my hand. “But it’s high school and I want you to be happy and have fun with all of us. Going out in groups is fun, but alone time is funner.”
“More fun. Alone time is more fun.”
Rolling her eyes, she huffed. “Whatever. You know what I mean. Surely, one of those cheerleaders is gay.”
I ignored the JV team because they were too young for me. “We know Missy and Amberlynn aren’t. I’m clueless about the rest.” I didn’t have gaydar yet. Maybe it was something I would gain once I spent more time with lesbians and gays, but for now, everyone was straight. I sat up when Missy waved me over. “Does she mean me?” I pointed to myself. She nodded. I stood and marched down the bleachers and out onto the field.
“We’re all getting together to make posters for the football team’s first game. Do you want to join us? It’s before school in the art room. Ms. Elling said we can use all the posterboard and glitter and paint we want,” Missy said.
What a weird request. Why would she assume I’d want to hang out with them? She must’ve noticed my confused look because she elaborated.
“And by you, I mean the whole football team. It would be good for the new cheerleaders to meet the entire team. I’ll bring doughnuts and I’m sure we can have the cafeteria brew coffee for us. The lunchroom ladies get in so early.”
“A meet-and-greet? That’s a good idea. I’ll bring it up to the guys tomorrow. When do you want to do it?”
She bounced on the balls of her feet as though for two minutes she couldn’t abandon cheering just to have a conversation. “The first game is Friday so why don’t we try on Wednesday morning? It’s not like they need to do anything other than show up.”
“Okay, sounds good. I’ll talk to them.”
“Thanks, Sutton.”
Missy bounced away and pulled the team into a huddle. Hayley mouthed something to me but I ignored her and motioned for us to leave. She met me on the side of the bleachers.
“What did she want?”
“She wants the football team to meet the cheerleaders for breakfast one morning.”
“Is that weird? I mean, don’t you all know one another already?”
“Not everyone. And she’s bringing doughnuts. I mean, she could’ve started with that and I would have committed right then.”
“Are the guys really going to help?” Hayley said.
I snorted. “I can barely get them to do drills. What do you think?”
“It’s nice that she’s trying, right?”
* * *
“Thanks for coming. I have name tags for everyone to wear,” Missy said. She waved a stack of white labels with a red border that readHELLO, my name is.
I passed them out to the team. Last night I reminded them to behave and be nice. Coach Larson told them he was showing up, too. I knew that he wasn’t. Just the threat that he would be there was enough to keep the guys in line. I wrote my name in big block letters. Wyatt used five stickers, one for each letter in his name. I was positive everyone knew his name already because Coach was forever yelling at him to pay attention to the field, not the cheerleaders.
I managed to grab two doughnuts before they disappeared. Missy must’ve spent a fortune. I excused myself from the tablewhere Max and I were trying hard to draw two junior varsity cheerleaders into conversation. I grabbed another cup of coffee from the cafeteria’s urn. A slightly burnt but comforting smell wafted around me when I hit the spout. It looked like jet fuel and I was sure it tasted as bad. Two sugars and two creamers couldn’t kill the bitterness, but I needed the caffeine to get me through Algebra in thirty minutes.
“It’s horrible coffee and yet here we are, lining up for more.”
I turned to find the new girl standing in line. “Anything to keep me awake. Are you on the squad?” We both knew I knew she was, but she played along.
“Yes. I’m new to Oak Grove. I’m Parker O’Neal. And you’re Sutton.” I smiled at her smugly. She took the time to find out my name. That was promising. But then she pointed to my name tag. “It’s hard to miss.”
“Right.” I blushed and took a sip of coffee that was unbearably hot. I turned my head and coughed as it scalded my throat. Fuck, that hurt.
