Boy Next Door||Axl Heck

Homecoming

I was stressed. As a cheerleader homecoming was the biggest event of the year. Besides maybe the state championship game, but with the way our team played, that wasn't going to be something I had to worry about. 

Sean didn't seem to have a care in the world about homecoming, but his mother had some strong ideas. 

"I was thinking we could go dress shopping together this weekend Kenzie, unless your mother wanted to take you?" Mrs. Donahue asked. 

"That's okay, she works weekends. We can go." I lied. My mom had her AA meetings on Saturdays, and although it was no secret my mom had a problem in the past, she wanted to keep it under wraps now. 

"What do you need a dress for?" Sean looked up from his textbook to ask.

I gave Mrs. Donahue a look. Boys.

***

"Mackenzie can you use a little more glitter? We really want our float to pop." Deb instructed me. 

We were busy making sure that the cheerleading float was going to be the best in the homecoming parade. Today was the big game, and the pep rally and parade led the charges. 

"Hey Kenzie, how's it going over here?" Sean put his arm around me. 

"Well, it's going. Deb and Court really know what they want." I told him. 

"Hmm. Glad we don't need to make a float." He kissed my cheek and went back to his friends. 

I finished up my float-making duties and snuck off to the locker room before anyone else could ask me to do something. 

***

"And now here come our Lady Hens Cheerleading Team." The annoucer introduced our float. 

I smiled and waved, looking in the crowd for my mother. She had taken off work just for tonight. Since I made varsity, I got to be apart of the varsity parent's parade, where my mother would escort me across the field. I was glad that she cared, or at least pretended enough to care, because everyone else's parents would be there. 

I didn't see my mother, but Mrs. Donahue waved at me from the stands. 

I shook off any feeling of dread and put on a smile. 

***

We preformed our spirit routine, and I still couldn't spot my mom in the crowd. Most of the parents had started lining up for the parade, so I assumed she had too. 

I was wrong. 

I was the last one in line, hoping to give my mother a chance to sneak in late, but still no sign of her. 

Luckily, Frankie was running late, something about Sue having a cross country meet just before the game. She had missed her chance to walk with Axl, but she could make it up with me. 

"I really appreciate this, Kenzie. I bought a new dress just for tonight." She linked her arm through mine.

"Yeah no problem, I was gonna have to sit out anyway, having no parents kinda disqualifies you from walking in the parent parade." I told her.

"Wait Kenize!" Mrs. Donahue called out. 

I turned to see her holding a large picture of my dad. 

"I fixed the sheet for the announcer, I put Frankie on it.... I also added your dad. He'd be so proud of you, Kenzie." She told me. 

I smiled, because I knew if I said anything I would be at risk of ruining my makeup. Mrs. Donahue knew, she handed me the picture and went off to stand by Sean for the pinning of the flowers. 

***

The game was in full swing, and we were winning, if you can believe it. 

Sean was playing really well, which I knew would make him happy. 

The happier mood Sean was in, the more fun we'd have at the dance the next day. 

"Sean looks good out there." Morgan told me. 

"Yeah." I responded. 

"I was thinking about maybe calling Axl up again. He asked me to homecoming, you know?" 

"Yeah. Whatever." I brushed her off. 

I didn't like Morgan thinking she could just talk to me like we were old friends. We were teammates, and nothing more. She had come for Axl when we were together, she had come for my spot on the Prymid, and now she was playing some game trying to rile my up by bringing up Axl. 

Speaking of, Axl was making a great play. He was only ten yards from scoring a touchdown when.... SMACK. 

He was plowed by a big guy from the other team. He didn't get up for a while. 

Suddenly Frankie came running down from the stands to her son. 

"Oh no Frankie." I whispered. 

***

"Bye Kenzie, see ya next week." Court called out to me. 

I waved, slinging my bag over my shoulder, only to have to removed by my boyfriend. 

"I can carry my own stuff, Sean." I protested. 

"I got it." He said, grabbing my hand. 

We walked to his car in silence. They had won the game, so I knew he would be in a good mood. 

"So tomorrow is the dance you needed that dress for." He broke the silence. 

"Yeah, and I'm hoping you got a tux or else I'm gonna need a date." I teased. 

"Yeah yeah. My mom took me, she even got me a tie to match and some flower thing for you." 

"How romantic." I shoved him. 

He pulled me in for a kiss. It didn't last long, we were stopped by morgan knocking on the window. 

I rolled it down for her. 

"Axl got hurt pretty bad, shouldn't someone check on him?" She asked. 

"Axl's fine, he played the rest of the game just fine." Sean said.

"Well I just thought that maybe Kenzie would want to." She smiled. 

"I don't really want to, Morgan. You can take this one." I told her, rolling up the window. 

She looked upset and walked off, hopefully to find someone else to bother. 

"I hate her." I spoke. 

"Yeah she's the worst." Sean teased. "Where were we?"