Size Matters

Chapter 25- The Pep Talk

Justin Smith-

Ebony was coming down the hallway with in her cheerleader uniform on along with the other girls. All the other girls were smiling and jumping excitedly while she stood their with an awkward smile and her brows were furrowed almost as if she looked....guilty?

She was looking around when she turned her head and saw us down the hallway. She looked at all of us then her eyes dropped down to me slouching in my chair. After seeing who my competition was I started to doubt whether or not we would seek victory or get humiliated out there.

She was looking down at me with a little bit of worry and I turned away. Whatever I dont need her pity I thought in my head even though secretly I was hoping in my head that she would at least say good luck to me. Just once. What? The more luck the better right?

I looked back at her from the corner of my eye and it looked like she was debating coming over here. She must feel guilty for abandoning us to go cheer for Mr.Me So MachoMartin. She should!If she was going to play a game against a teacher I would show up and support her! Whoa....did I just say that?

Even that was messed up for her to do.... I did deserve it. I have been a jerk to her but....it's hard to realize that she has feelings when she's never shown them. Any time I have ever insulted her she just insults me back and hits me and then it's over with. Now all of a sudden....ever since she told me she likes me....I can't stop hurting her?

I look up once again and see her slowly walking towards us and although she has all my attention my friends finally see her coming and they're all silent and so am I.

Her little cheerleaders are staring after her confused and she turns back to them.

"I'll be right there girls just wait there" She says and they nod their heads getting back to their conversations.

She turns slowly back to us with her hands behind her back and looking down at her shoes. She looks up at every single one of our faces and prepares to speak when Rebecca beats her to it.

"Before you open your mouth I just want to tell you that this whole week you haven't been acting like my best friend. You've been acting pretty selfish ttowards your own friends and it really upset me when you said you'd rather go cheer for Mr.Martin then you're closest friends!!" Rebecca said while getting all up in Ebony's face reminding me why I was mad at her in the first place.

"I know.." Ebony says quietly to Rebecca making her pause what she's saying. We all stare at her in disbelief. Usually it takes alot longer to get her to admit she was wrong.

"I've been really selfish to you guys and I'm really sorry. That's why I made this" She said and reached behind her pulling something out of her bookbag. It looked like a wrapped up poster paper and she held it out in front of her before spreading it out.

My eyes widened as I saw it. It was the coolest poster I've ever seen. There was a drawing of a basketball player raising the ball right above the hoop about to smash it right in and his legs were high up in the air. Around it was our names Luther, Chase, and Justin. And there were cameras flashing and fans cheering in the audience.

I stared at it in awe and so did Luther and Chase. Chase walked up to her and took the poster in his hands examiningit closely. His mouth grew into a grin and he looked up at her.

"This is AMAZING!!" He said to her and threw his arms around her pulling her into a bear hug. She smiled widely then coughed because he must've been choking her. He let her go and let out a laugh because she was holding her stomach.

Luther walked up to her next gave her the same bear hug making her chocke again. Everyone laughed and thebgirls stayed behind to watch this sentimental moment.

Soon enough after Chase and Luther said thank you she looked down at me and saw how I wasn't saying anything. Everyone looked at me and waited but I wasn't sure if I was ready yet to suddenly warm up to her. Then she started giving me the eyes. Puppy dog eyes to be exact. I rolled my eyes and stayed where I was.

"Come one.....give Ebony a squeeze!" Rebecca said from behind us and I looked back and gave her a glare. They all started encouraging me to hug her. And I looked at her and again took notice of how tall she was then a though came in my head.

If I hug her my head is going to go straight to her boobs!!

I could feel my face get red and Ebony looked at me confused. Didn't she understand this height hugging ratio?? I stood next to her and told her to bend down so I could whisper in her ear. She did and I told her what I thought and she jerked away from me with her face red also.

Everyone was looking at us strangely but they just didn't understand. Ebony turned to me with a smile on her red face and put out her hand to me. I lookes at her gratefully and shook it with considerable force.

"Well that was a big letdown!" Rebecca said while rolling her eyes. I laughed and so did Ebony and soon all of them laughed. This is how it's supposed to be. This is how I remeber us all being before the "I like you" mayhem.

When the laughing died down Ebony turned to me still with her poster in hand.

"So...why are you guys sitting here when you should be out there?" She said. I soon remebered why. Our competition was feirce against those walking skyscrapers. I was hesitant to tell her because I knew exactly what she'd say.

"We just saw who were up against and Justin kind of got cold feet because they're bigger than all of us" Luther said to her and I had the nerve to punch him. I shot him a glare and he backed away slightly. I looked back at Ebony and her eyes were wide with anger. Oh gosh here we go.

"Are you kidding me?!?" She yelled making everyone in the hallway look our way but she didn't care one bit. I was about to speak when she cut me off.

"No no no listen I did not spent all my time afterschool in the classroom making this for you vh guys so you can chicken out because those guys are a wittle bit taller than you!" She said with anger looking at all three of us. Luther and Chase hung their heads down but I kept my head up to hear everything she had to say. She did have a point. It looks like she spent a lot of time on that poster.

"Justin you fight me all the time and challenge me everyday and I'm eons away up in the sky yet still you have no fear of me so....why can't you suck it up that these guys are taller than you and just play them? There's a reason you're the team captain and I refuse to have you let down your team, the kids in the bleachers who cane to support you, us your friends, and....yourself" She finsihes with that and I'm completely blown away.

She just opened my eyes to what I wasn't seeing. If I chicken out I will be letting lots of people down because I'm getting last minute jitters. That's not fair to my team, not fair to everyone watching, and not fair to my friends who support me. That's it I have to suck it up and just play. Win or lose....I still tried.

"You know what? You're right, We have to do this. We can't let everybody down" I said looking at Luther and Chase with more confidence then I've ever felt.

They both grinned and high fived each other and then me.

Rebecca and Jenny smiled at me then hugged their boyfriends. I turned to Ebony and she was smiling at me

"Thank god you were here to knock some sense into me" I said with a grin and I meant it too. She was always there to tell me whats up whrn I needed it. She kept it real.

"Someone has too" She said shruggi n.g. then lifted up her hand and smacked the back of my head. Okay I take what I said back. She's a demon!

"Ow! What the hell you Totem Pole!" I said holding my head and they all started laughing. Looking up at Ebony I saw that she was laughing
and smiling and I thought about how happy she looked when she smiled. I like her at lot better when she's smiling....not crying.