The Gang Leader & The Cheerleader (Under Construction)

Chapter 1

Skylar's P.O.V

   My eyes watered at the sight in front of me. My body had more cuts, bruises, and burns than ever before. My eyes traveled the length of the mirror, taking in every inch of my skin that was covered by cuts and burns. I was utterly disgusted by the sight. I stared at my long blonde hair and watery blue eyes. I know that people think I'm pretty but honestly most times I don't see it. All I see is a pitiful person looking back at me.
     Sighing I walked over to my calendar and marked the date with a red ex. My eyes wondered towards the countless ex's that littered the month. How long will this go on for? When will this pain end? My hand made a it's way up to my chest, just above my heart. A dull ache, that I had come to be familiar with, settled there. I don't know when this aching appeared but it has taken up permanent residence in my heart. It has becomes sort of a reassurance. A reassurance that despite this situation I'm in, I'm still alive and can feel.
     A buzzing sound filled the room. Whipping the tears on my face with the back of my hand I walked over to my night stand to peek at my phone. I glanced at the caller I.D, sharing a small smile with myself.
    "Hello" I said with fake enthusiasm while rubbing my bloodshot eyes.
   The voice in my ears didn't sound like my own. This voice sounded like a person who was physically and emotionally drained. Not the preppy, fun, beautiful, easy going, head cheerleader of Clearwater High School that I had come to be.
  "Hey bestie, hurry up and come down!" Kelly said just as a car honked outside.
   My best friend, Kelly Carmona was the only one who know about my situation. She was the only one I could really trust. Being the head cheerleader comes with a lot of attention, unwanted in my case but I'm used to it. Kids in schools everywhere will treat you one way to your face but behind your back is when their true intentions come to light. People will use you for your ability to benefit them. Being popular and having money mean nothing to me. If I can't truly trust you all the popularity and money in the world won't be able to fix that.
     If my situation were to be disclosed to my other "friends", they would turn on me so fast you would get whiplash. Believe me deep down I know that they are actually good people and everything but all of them have a unhealthy thirst for attention. No matter if it's good or bad they crave it. They need to be the center of attention at all times, so to have an opportunity to knock some competition out of the race is something that they would never give up.
  "Hey. I'm almost ready, give me two minutes." I said while pulling on a pair of jeans and a blue long sleeve shirt to cover the bruises.
      I slapped on some mascaras and lip gloss before getting my bag and closing my door.
   Shaking off the aching in my heart I rushed down the stairs of my three story house and out the door slamming it on the way out to let my parents know I was leaving.
   My parents often work late nights with my mom being a cardiovascular surgeon and my dad a lawyer. They rarely have time to spare.
   I trudged down the stairs and straight to Kelly's shinny new red BMW. Kelly hangs up her phone as soon as she sees me come out the door. Kelly is beautiful. She's the kind of person who doesn't know how beautiful she is inside and out, and it makes her even more attractive. We have been best friends for over 10 years, ever since she stood up for me in elementary school when Jared Smith was bullying me. Standing at 5'5, only two inches taller than me, she is a force to be reckoned with, no one messes with her or her loved ones. As I open the car door I see that she is wearing the new outfit that she picked out over FaceTime last night. With her hair in nice waves it compliments her face well.
     We share a small smile that calms our nerves a bit. Today is our first day of Junior year and we both just want to survive the year. We make small talk during the drive, Kelly trying to suppress her excitement. She must have noticed that my mood wasn't too good because she glances at me frequently during the ten minute drive. She doesn't pry though, she knows I'll tell her when I'm ready.
      " Are you ready to have the best year?" She questions me smiling.
     " Absolutely" I answer back finally regaining my good mood and enthusiasm.
     The schools sign comes into view all to quickly. 'Clearwater High School' is boldly displayed surrounded by freshly planted flower beds. The weathered wood of the sign gives me a calming sense of normalcy but strangely also a pang of uneasiness. The school didn't change much over the summer. Same brick walls, same parking lot, same people, same everything. To say life in Clearwater was mainly uneventful would have been a fair judgment. But that's only if you look at it from the surface.
   People were milling around the courtyard waiting in anticipation for the doors to open and a new school year to begin.  Kelly parked the car and we both got out. Kelly's boyfriend, Todd Bishop, was one of those people standing around waiting. Todd is the school's star kicker on the football team and is extremely popular. With Kelly being the schools co-captain of the cheer leading team the school just expected them to be a couple but Todd and Kelly got together on their own terms. They are going on two years happily in love. People always expected me to be with the school's football captain Edward Blake, who is Todd's best friend, but there was and is no connection between us. I want a relationship that isn't based on what other people think, I wanted something real. So as of right now I am perfectly single.    
Clearwater was like any other high school with its social rankings and whatnot. There were the jocks, cheerleaders, sluts, nerds, geeks, and then there is the gang. The Midnight Blood is the only gang in Clearwater but its the most feared and well known  in the gang world. Ryder Chase is the leader of the gang and also is the youngest leader of all the gangs, but what he lacks in age he makes up for it in strength. At seventeen, and six foot five, Ryder is the most successful gang leader who still goes to high school. Well at least thats what everyone says. This year he is a Junior just like me and Kelly, which means he will most likely be in some of my classes.
   While Kelly was sharing saliva with Todd, I made my way though the packed parking lot to the school. People's hellos and comments became background noise as I blocked them out. I waved and replied when necessary but my mind was somewhere else. Suddenly I was brought back to reality when I bumped into someone and flew backward. I braced myself for the fall but it never came. I opened my eyes to see vibrant green eyes staring at me intensely with curiosity and concern. A arm was wrapped around my waist and warmth spread through me from head to toe. My hair which had fallen out of its loosely tied pony tail was pushed back from my face. My eyes traveled up to see black wavy hair, and then down to see flawless tanned skin, pink full lips and a clean strong jaw. I snapped my eyes back to and made the realization that Ryder Chase was staring back at me. He looked at me with a intently and slightly questioning gaze.
   My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. I swallowed and then began to form a sentence but my mind wouldn't allow it. Still trying to process what was happening I twisted out of his grasp and regained my footing. Looking up one last time, my eyes being drawn to his, I turned and forced my feet to move even though I felt like my legs would give out any minute. I moved past his towering frame heading towards the school building.
     " Skylar, right?" His voice was like a whip that cut through the crowds volume.
      It was silent for a moment but then the murmurs and whispers became audible to me.
     I answered him with a simple nod, not trusting myself to speak. I started to break out in a cold sweat, because of the pressure of the situation and the attention that came with it. I broke through the crowd that had formed and continue my walk to the front doors.
     I could feel his green eyes burning holes in the back of my head. I feel them all the way into the school building. Entering the building I smelt to usual smell of clean waxed floors and rusty lockers. Everyone inside was staring at me with wide eyes. I forced myself to not look back as I strolled to my locker. A couple pit stops at random people's lockers to be polite, I finally made it to my locker. Opening it I began to unpack my bag.
   Everyone at school said that Ryder Chase was bad news and that he would rather kill someone than help his own family, so it was a shock that he actually helped me rather than just letting me fall. I was still trying to comprehend what happened when Kelly came by and started dragging me to our first class, saying that we would be late if I didn't hurry up. All I wanted was to have a normal Junior year at Clearwater. The way this year started off wasn't good.
   By the time homeroom started the news of what had transpired in the parking lot between the gang leader and the cheerleader spread to the whole school. The whispering of the student body were becoming increasingly louder until they became full questioning from everyone. Kelly pulled me to the furthest corner of our homeroom frantically eyeing the people around us.
     " Sky what the heck happened?!" She whisper-yelled at me. Her eyes where full of concern and curiosity.
   " Nothing I just bumped into him by accident." I replied, shaking my head trying to get my mind to stop replaying what had happened a few minutes earlier.
     Kelly looked at me incredulously and but her lip deep in thought.
     " Honestly, nothing happened Ryder just happened to be there and caught me when I was falling. Kelly it's not big deal." I stated hoping that this would curb her curiosity and questioning.
"Skylar Rose Anderson! This is a big deal! Ryder Chase isn't someone to mess around with. You know how dangerous his gang and he is. This isn't something to brush under the rug. You need to be careful" Kelly ranted on.
     She is one of those people who overthinks everything. She'll take the tiniest problem and make it into a whole crisis.
     I hate to drown her out but today is a day where my mind is wondering nonstop. Her rant is white noise in my ears as I turn over the ideas of paintings I see in my mind. This is a thing I do to help me relax.
     Students file into the room a few at a time until the bell finally rings. Many people come up to talk to use during this time. Kelly makes small talk with them, while I chime in at important parts.
     This is the role I've come to play during my years of high school. I never wanted the attention or to become cheerleading captain. It was my mom's wish for me. I do it to make her happy. It's the least I can do right now for all that she's done for me. I smile and laugh at things that are supposed to be funny but aren't, I pretend to be interested in drama and fashion like other girls, I become a social butterfly and cheer captain during the day. To be honest it never use to bother me the facade that I put on, but recently I've been overwhelmed.
     The bell brings me out of my thoughts. Kelly and I gather up our books and head to our next class which is English. The hall ways are crowded but we easily make our way because people always make a path for us. One of the perks of people popular I guess.
     I hear my name being called and look back to see a tall black haired and green eyed Ryder sauntering towards us.
     " Kelly we need to go now!" I practically yell as I begin to drag her down the hall way. Ryder's voice becomes louder and more irritated the further away we get from him.
     Soon we are able to loose him in the growing crowd of girls lined up trying to gain his attention. Finally releasing the breath that I had been holding in I looked at Kelly.
     " Kelly what the heck was that." I questioned nervously.
     " I have no idea! He just came out of nowhere." She signed " I don't think he's ever done something like this before."
     I turned the corner and walking into our English room. I was already exhausted and it was only second period.
     " I have to stay away from him for the rest of the day. Maybe by tomorrow he'll forget everything." I reassured Kelly while secretly trying to convince myself that everything was going to be ok.
     I actually focused on what my English teacher was saying and his explanation on how the year would progress. English was one of my favorite subjects so I pay more attention to the class than most.
     He ended class fifteen minutes early because it was the first day and I turned to Sky next to me to see her talking with a girl named Bre Hathaway. Bre was the typical mean girl, gorgeous but with a bad personality. She was friendly with Kelly and I but we didn't like to spend time with her.
     She suddenly swirled to face me, blonde hair being tossed over her shoulder and her brown eyes narrowing into skits as she looked at me.
     " Sky! How are you today? You look gorgeous by the way. So anyway I heard what happened this morning! Wow, I'm at a loss for words." She said her mouth moving a mile per minute.
     I opened my mouth to answer her but she was already moving on to the next thing.
     " Ryder looked so handsome this morning! Wow like I can't believe that he got even hotter over the summer. Sky what's your relationship with him?"
     I finally got the chance to cut in and say my piece.
     " Nothing, I don't even know him. He just happened I be there when I fell." I shot back. Did I mention that Bre is obsessed with Ryder? Well she is.
     " Oh good! For a second there I thought you were flirting with him! My mistake!" She did one of those fake laughs and flipped her hair again. Even if you aren't interested in Ryder Bre will chew you up and spit you out if you even look at him.  She's convinced that they are dating.
     " Bre you can have him." I say back to her. She gives me the one eyebrow raise and claps her hands. Meaning the conversation is over. 
     The period ends with no more excitement. Kelly and I have different classes for third period so I say bye and head over to my next class, chemistry. Hopefully this class is less eventful than my morning.

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Hey guys! I know it's been a super long time since this story has been updated but I've decided to finally go through and fix the story the way I want it before proceeding. I wrote this when I was fourteen so it needs a whole lot of work. I have a lot of time on my hands now and will in the future as I am going to college, my schedule will become more open. It's also 3 am so please excuse the mistakes. Please enjoy reading! And stay safe.
- Ally.