low, they jumped up and down, waving their
similar-colored pom-poms to the delight of all the guys in
attendance.
Jenna’s cheerleading days were over. When
she’d been with the Stuck-Ups, she’d loved going to games, cheering
for Val, and having fun with her friends. That seemed like a
million years ago.
“ I still got my uniform,”
she informed Riddick.
He smiled. “I’m the last person to endorse
school spirit, but I’d love to see you in it.”
She rolled her eyes.
“ You still got your
pom-poms?” he continued.
“ Yes.”
He grinned. “Even better.”
She shook her head. “Not gonna happen. Brings
up bad memories.”
“ Then why do you still have
it?”
She shrugged. “Just couldn’t bring myself to
get rid of it.”
A loud curse rang out from afar. Everyone
turned to see Val, who was benched, standing in Malcolm’s face. The
roles were reversed. Val was wearing plain clothes, and Malcolm was
in uniform.
“ Uh-oh,” said Kylie. “Looks
like a fight.”
“ Malcolm could take him,”
Jenna said with confidence.
Riddick gave her a look, but didn’t
comment.
Malcolm spoke very softly to Val, much less
than he deserved. Surprisingly, Val shut his mouth and sat down,
defeated by a few words. Kit was sitting behind him on the
bleachers, silent. He did nothing to defend his friend, possibly
defeated too by Malcolm’s unrivaled authority.
“ See?” Jenna smiled. “Guy’s
got skills.”
“ He’s walking this way,”
said Kylie.
This was Jenna’s chance.
“ Hey, Malcolm, we need to
talk.”
Malcolm waved to her friends. “Sure,
okay.”
Jenna left her bewildered Misfits and walked
a few feet away with Malcolm.
“ What’s up?” he asked. “The
game starts soon. I wanted to talk afterwards.”
“ I know, I know, it’s just
that well…the thing is…”
He smiled. “Yes?”
She turned back to her friends. Everyone
snapped their heads forward, toward the field, but Riddick kept his
eyes focused on the couple.
She faced Malcolm. “Okay, well, you know
Riddick?”
His fiery blue eyes swiveled to find Riddick,
and then came back to hers. “A little.”
“ Well, he kinda…loves
me.”
His face contorted, seemingly upset by this
news. “Do you love him?”
“ No, but we’re very good
friends and well, I think he’ll be upset if we, you
know…”
He smiled. “If we were to become a
couple?”
She blushed and nodded.
“ What do you want, Jenna? Or
better yet, who do you want?”
“ I, uh, well…I’m not really
looking for a boyfriend. My life’s a bit…complicated right
now.”
“ This is why I wanted to
talk to you. Afterwards. I think that we have more in common than
you know.”
“ I don’t
understand.”
“ And I’d love to go into
greater detail, but”—he put on his helmet—“I have to get out on the
field.”
“ Oh, okay, sure, right,
but…”
“ But what?”
Now that the lower half of his face was
partially hidden, his fiery blue eyes were even more
distracting.
“ I don’t wanna upset
Riddick. He really, really loves me. If he sees us together…I’m
sure right now he’s watching us.”
He gave a knowing smile. “He’s been watching
us the entire time.” He glanced up at Riddick in the bleachers, and
then back down at Jenna. “I’m sure he wants to kill me right now,”
he observed amusingly.
“ You see? I don’t wanna lose
a friend.”
“ How about gaining a
friend?”
She furrowed her brow, noticeably upset. “You
just wanna be friends?”
He shook his head in a don’t-be-silly kind of
way. Then he brought his hand up and brushed her hair with his
fingertips from root to tip.
“ I like you, Jenna, and I
think you feel the same way about me.”
She swallowed, nervous, speechless.
“ I could talk to him,” he
continued.
She found her voice. “What would you
say?”
But he didn’t answer, already walking toward
the bleachers.
She was nervous as she jogged behind him,
wondering what was going to
similar-colored pom-poms to the delight of all the guys in
attendance.
Jenna’s cheerleading days were over. When
she’d been with the Stuck-Ups, she’d loved going to games, cheering
for Val, and having fun with her friends. That seemed like a
million years ago.
“ I still got my uniform,”
she informed Riddick.
He smiled. “I’m the last person to endorse
school spirit, but I’d love to see you in it.”
She rolled her eyes.
“ You still got your
pom-poms?” he continued.
“ Yes.”
He grinned. “Even better.”
She shook her head. “Not gonna happen. Brings
up bad memories.”
“ Then why do you still have
it?”
She shrugged. “Just couldn’t bring myself to
get rid of it.”
A loud curse rang out from afar. Everyone
turned to see Val, who was benched, standing in Malcolm’s face. The
roles were reversed. Val was wearing plain clothes, and Malcolm was
in uniform.
“ Uh-oh,” said Kylie. “Looks
like a fight.”
“ Malcolm could take him,”
Jenna said with confidence.
Riddick gave her a look, but didn’t
comment.
Malcolm spoke very softly to Val, much less
than he deserved. Surprisingly, Val shut his mouth and sat down,
defeated by a few words. Kit was sitting behind him on the
bleachers, silent. He did nothing to defend his friend, possibly
defeated too by Malcolm’s unrivaled authority.
“ See?” Jenna smiled. “Guy’s
got skills.”
“ He’s walking this way,”
said Kylie.
This was Jenna’s chance.
“ Hey, Malcolm, we need to
talk.”
Malcolm waved to her friends. “Sure,
okay.”
Jenna left her bewildered Misfits and walked
a few feet away with Malcolm.
“ What’s up?” he asked. “The
game starts soon. I wanted to talk afterwards.”
“ I know, I know, it’s just
that well…the thing is…”
He smiled. “Yes?”
She turned back to her friends. Everyone
snapped their heads forward, toward the field, but Riddick kept his
eyes focused on the couple.
She faced Malcolm. “Okay, well, you know
Riddick?”
His fiery blue eyes swiveled to find Riddick,
and then came back to hers. “A little.”
“ Well, he kinda…loves
me.”
His face contorted, seemingly upset by this
news. “Do you love him?”
“ No, but we’re very good
friends and well, I think he’ll be upset if we, you
know…”
He smiled. “If we were to become a
couple?”
She blushed and nodded.
“ What do you want, Jenna? Or
better yet, who do you want?”
“ I, uh, well…I’m not really
looking for a boyfriend. My life’s a bit…complicated right
now.”
“ This is why I wanted to
talk to you. Afterwards. I think that we have more in common than
you know.”
“ I don’t
understand.”
“ And I’d love to go into
greater detail, but”—he put on his helmet—“I have to get out on the
field.”
“ Oh, okay, sure, right,
but…”
“ But what?”
Now that the lower half of his face was
partially hidden, his fiery blue eyes were even more
distracting.
“ I don’t wanna upset
Riddick. He really, really loves me. If he sees us together…I’m
sure right now he’s watching us.”
He gave a knowing smile. “He’s been watching
us the entire time.” He glanced up at Riddick in the bleachers, and
then back down at Jenna. “I’m sure he wants to kill me right now,”
he observed amusingly.
“ You see? I don’t wanna lose
a friend.”
“ How about gaining a
friend?”
She furrowed her brow, noticeably upset. “You
just wanna be friends?”
He shook his head in a don’t-be-silly kind of
way. Then he brought his hand up and brushed her hair with his
fingertips from root to tip.
“ I like you, Jenna, and I
think you feel the same way about me.”
She swallowed, nervous, speechless.
“ I could talk to him,” he
continued.
She found her voice. “What would you
say?”
But he didn’t answer, already walking toward
the bleachers.
She was nervous as she jogged behind him,
wondering what was going to
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