At the start of the pep rally, we all wait in the locker room.
"As you all know, we are starting football season soon, and you can't have the start of football without our Hawkins' high Tiger cheer squad. Please welcome this year's cheer squad!" We run in and stop in the right places. Right when we stop, the song starts. Our routine goes flawlessly. As we finish and line up next to principal Higgins with me in the center, I catch Eddie's eye, and he raises an eyebrow at me. "That routine was certainly something else!" He introduces each cheerleader. "And our amazing cheer captain, Jacqueline Wheeler." I bow at the audience. We all take our place at the front of the bleachers. The football team comes out. Once Higgins gets to Tommy, who is the football captain, he takes the microphone. I'm truly uninterested in his blowhard speech that was probably written by the coach.
"And Jackie, I love you, babe." I fake smiled and blew him a kiss. Our relationship is more of a show for the school. I really don't like him that much anymore. I was already planning a very quick breakup soon. I'm not going to be like my parents, married to someone I don't love, just for security. Nancy and I have theorized that our parents don't love each other and probably never did. Mom got pregnant with me a month into their relationship, and they got married a week later. It's almost obvious that they don't love each other. After the pep rally, I've got English with Eddie. He slips a note into my book while we walk into the classroom. Meet me at the picnic table during lunch. I quietly slip it into my purse. Tonight is the first football game of the year, which means I'm at school until 10. I have my copy of the Hobbit tucked away in my purse to read in between school and the game.
Classes speed by, thankfully. I meet Eddie at the picnic table.
"What's up, Eddie?" I ask, smiling.
"Would you maybe wanna come to the hideout on Tuesday?" There's a metal band that plays on Tuesdays. The little dive bar is the only place in town that doubles as a music venue.
"As long as I'm not babysitting, I would love to." His nerves change into a smile.
"So you like metal?"
"I do."
"I'm sorry I misjudged you."
"It's ok, I put up a good cover. I don't let everyone know I'm a metalhead."
"You know you should probably leave Tommy. He's an asshole."
"Oh, I was already planning to. This may be surprising, but I don't like jerks."
"So you gotta go do your cheer thing tonight?"
"Yeah, the game starts at 5, and then I'm here till 10, which is just what I like doing with my Friday night. At least it gets me out of being a stand-in parent."
"How come you have to do that?"
"You're an only child, aren't you?"
"Yep, thank God."
"When you're the oldest or an older sibling, you end up being a surrogate parent whenever your parents aren't around." I shrug. "It's like they're doing that, so I never have kids."
"Really? I feel like it might just be easier to ask you than find a babysitter."
"Unfortunately, but once I graduate, I'm leaving. I'm done with this town."
"Where are you gonna go?"
"I don't know, I just know I don't want the life I have in a way. I don't want to marry someone just because I got knocked up, I want to find someone I love, someone who loves the real me. I'm honestly done with being a cheerleader and pretending to be like the rest of them."
"I want to meet the real you, Jackie."
"Really?" He nods, his big baby cow brown eyes showing only sincerity. Maybe he's the only safe person in the entire school. If there's one person who wouldn't make fun of or judge me, it would be Eddie. "I'll hang out with you, but not until I dump Tommy and not in school." His face falls a little. "They don't understand like you do." I smile.
"That's fair. Well, you will be at the hideout on Tuesday anyway." He's so sweet, and his lips look so inviting.
"Would it be ok if I kissed you right now?"
"Absolutely." I close the gap, and our lips connect. His skin is so warm and soft. His breath tastes like Weed and tobacco, with a hint of mint. I could stay here forever. We pull back, exchanging a smile. Is love supposed to be comfortable? I can't even describe it. I feel secure, not anxious, and no butterflies in my stomach. I look at his watch.
"Oh shit! It's almost 4:45, I gotta go."
"Oh yeah, the game." I smile weakly and give him another kiss.
"Good luck on your quest, Dungeon Master." I run off to the girls' locker room. Making it two minutes before we need to head out to the field. I pull out my lipstick and reapply it.
"OK, we know you weren't with Tommy."
"I was eating a sandwich."
"Uh-huh." Chrissy smirks at me. She's sweet, but she has an ego. She's also extremely pretty. I grab my pom poms and put my purse into my locker. I check my hair and everything. Perfect.
"OK girls, are we all ready??"
After the game, I met Tommy by his car.
"Hey."
"Hey Tommy, I think we should break up." His brow furrows.
"Why?"
"Because I know you're cheating on me."
"What? No, I'm not." He scoffs.
"I saw you swapping spit with Janice." His mouth opens and closes like a fish. "Yeah, nothing to say now. Like I said, we're over." I turn on my heel and walk to my car. I drive home and go up to my room. I grab the landline in my room and dial Eddie's phone number.
"Hawkins city morgue, you stab em we slab em."
"Wow, Eddie, I've never heard that one before."
