Flower He Couldn't Pluck

CHAPTER 37

~

"Go, go, go-"

"Where's Jane? And Millie?" The coach asks as she directs the girls to the cheerleading stage. Everyone happens to be unaware of their absence, they all were busy touching their makeup up.

"Gosh, these girls, what am I gonna do?" She continued in frustration.

"Go, go, hurry up!" She commands the other girls, "I'm gonna check where they are." She states before rushing into space.

"She's gone; run, run, run!" Jane whisper-yells, the pair lurking immediately runs to catch up with the team.

"All the best!" She yells again, "Make Malika proud," She murmurs before heading backstage, where Malika would probably be.

~

The tournament has started, the teams, the squad, the audience, everyone is on their marks to perform their part.

"Jane?"

"Oh god, Jane!" Malika yells as she figures out the girl in the casuals is her.

"Where is Millie and-" She pauses upon realising the difference, "And where is your dress?" She asks, more like spatting in anger.

"Coach," Jane speaks after gulping the fear in. Coach looks at her without blinking,

"Millie is on the stage." She states, "And what are you doing here?" Coach asks, trying to maintain the cool.

"Uhm,"

"I-I, well, you know," Jane looks anywhere but at her, too scared to speak up in front of the lady.

"I was just," She clears her throat, "Uhm, I-"

"Tell me!" Malika yells, making Jane jolt up at her own place.

"I," Where is all the courage now? She asks herself, Malika's eyes look murderous, she spats mentally.

"ALRIGHT, FELLOWS!" The Voice of the main anchor of the play echoes throughout the hall, muffled noise reaches their ears too as the crowd's enthusiasm takes over.

"Jane, come with me!" Malika grabs Jane's arm and starts dragging her towards the green room.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Match is gonna start any minute now, you need to dress up, we don't have time-"

"But mam, I-I can't perform!" She yells. Malika's feet freeze, she turns around to give Jane a surprised look, "What?"

"Yes," Jane sighs nervously.

"I, I-" She gulps before closing her eyes, "I am not performing." She states, Coach's gapes at her in pure shock.

"What the hell are you saying? You're the centre Jane, you can't back out-"

"Actually, I am not the centre anymore, there is someone else," She pauses, getting even more nervous as she meets the horrified look over Malika's face.

"Someone far better than I am is the centre now."

"Who?" Malika asks restlessly, her subconscious is already signalling her what's coming next but she still waits for an answer.

Jane looks at her in a frightened state, they all know how mad she gets when someone breaks her rules, and this would be the biggest rule break in the history of her coaching.

"It is-"

"BUCKLE UP BECAUSE IT IS THE TIME EACH ONE OF YOU HAS BEEN WAITING FOR," Malika looks towards the stadium, there is no way that anything can be done now.

"I am not done with you!" She spat before running out, towards the stage.

"Oh, I can't wait to see your after reaction," Jane whispers to herself.

Malika hurries towards the stage, the performance before the match has already started. With her unimaginably hard pounding heart, her eyes directly land on where the girls are in position.

She narrows her eyes to see the centre, it's too crowded and the rest is covered in bright flashlights.

The music starts, "Get out of my way!" She yells at the kid standing tall in her way, scooping out of the crowd she jumps on the place from where everything can be clearly seen.

"Who is she?" She asks no one. The girls' back is facing the stadium.

Her small eyes instantly take up all the space of her face the moment they land upon the mysterious centre girl.

"Rose," Her mouth leaves in a low tone. The performance has already begun with everyone cheering upon them, whistling and hooting and not settling down for a single second.

Malika emotionlessly stares at the team, every single step is on point, on the beat and the centre looks marvellous.

"I was too nervous," Jane surprises her from behind. Malika gives her a look before diverting her gaze back on the stage, "Rose is perfect." She finishes with a smile before cheering for them with everyone else.