Summer of Strength

30: Tuesday September 13

Ashanti dismissed us from practice, and we started walking towards the locker room. This season is going to be brutal! Ashanti got bored over the summer and came up with a new list of things for us to try. Unfortunately for us, Coach agreed to them all! We entered the locker room so we could dress back in and go home.

"Hey Ally, what are we doing tonight?" Lindsey asked.

"I don't know about this we business, but Chris and I are having dinner with his parents. Why?"

"I wanted to see if you wanted to go to the mall with me. I want to get that shirt we were looking at Saturday."

"Lindsey, why don't you ask Ashley or Sapphire to go to the mall with you? I'm sure your girlfriend would love to go to the mall with you."

Lindsey frowned. "But you're my best friend and I want to hang out with you."

I sighed, opened my locker, and started to change back into my outfit. She went to her locker and changed clothes as well. I tried to escape, but she stopped me.

"Why don't you want to hang out with me? Ever since you and Josh broke up and he got released, you avoid all of us." Lindsey whined.

"I told you, Chris and I have plans."

"But you two are always together!"

"Yeah, that sort of happens when you live, work, and go to school together. Hey! Sapphire!"

Sapphire pulled her shirt over her head and came over to us. She, Melanie, and I have been on Varsity cheer together since freshman year. Well, technically, freshman year she got kicked off the squad because of suspensions but they let her join sophomore year. She tied her blonde hair up and studied us with her green eyes.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Your girlfriend wants to go to the mall with someone but can't take the hint that I'm going to dinner with my boyfriend and his parents. Will you go to the mall with her?"

"Sure. Do you want to take my car or yours?"

Lindsey turned away from me to continue the conversation with Sapphire and I stormed out of the locker room. I have no idea why Lindsey has to be such a clingy bitch to me! Maybe it's because she doesn't have a boyfriend since Jeffery dumped her? I made it outside and went to find Chris. He was leaning against a pole waiting on me. When he saw me he smiled, and we kissed each other.

"What took so long?" Chris asked.

"Lindsey wanted me to go to the mall with her. She got mad when I told her we were going to dinner with your parents."

"Why?"

"Because I'm always with you apparently."

"You're my girlfriend and we live together. We go to the same high school and work at the same store. Of course we're always together."

"That's what I told her."

"Didn't you hang out with her Saturday before work?"

"Yes."

"So, what's her issue? You can't hang out with her every day."

"Once upon a time, I was able to. Now I just don't want to."

Chris wrapped his arm around me and led the way to his car. I hate how things have changed. I wish I never started dating Josh. I hate that he got on drugs and came after me, kicking my ass and causing me to lose our child, and him verbally harassing me now. I felt my eyes water up with tears. I hate thinking about the abuse, about losing Calleigh. I would be six months along now and probably not be cheering this season.