Chapter 5: Makeup and Masks

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Chapter 5: Makeup and Masks

Coach Jones walks into the gym. "Okay guys and uh Bradley, I'll introduce the seniors and then the seniors will break up into teams and compete in our 'challenge'. It involves throwing and catching. Let's see there's 4 of you on the starting team so Rivers and Bradley on one team and Collins and uh I guess Bobby on the other team. Want keep it fair you know." I look over at Adam, "Good thing Ryan taught me how to throw and you know how to catch," I say with a smile. Suddenly I feel something on my lap and then Adam grabs my hand. Adam Rivers is actually holding my hand! The moment was perfect, until Ryan tapped me on the shoulder, "Jordan! I think the cheerleaders need you," he snaps. I get up and utter a quick goodbye, and see ya later to them.

I walk up the bleachers to where the cheerleaders are sitting. "Ryan said you guys needed me?" I ask sitting down. "Uh no. No ever needs you!" Erika says bitterly while filing her fingernails. "Erika back off! Oh and Jordan since you're here we can start makeup!" Holly jumps up excited, "As captain you get final say on the make up design." She pushes some sketches at me and I look over the designs incorporating blue, yellow and glitter together. "These are really great Holly! I like this one the best," I say pointing to a piece of paper. "Yeah thats my favorite too! So you ready?" She asks happily as she pulls out her makeup. "Me?" I stutter looking around. "Yes you! the captain goes first of course!" Holly smiles warmly and starts applying a yellow eyeshadow to my eyelids. Next comes a blue eyeshadow for the crease, warm tones for my cheeks, a bright red for my lips, and she finishes with a glitter mascara and glitter eyeliner that swoops up into a cat eye. Holly hands me a mirror to see her makeup skills, "Wow Holly. This is amazing, I look great." "Thanks! I'm so glad you like it. So who's next?" We all laugh and the rest of the girls get inline to get their makeup done. We turn on music and start dancing while we wait.

The rest of our time is spent setting up the activities that seniors on each team will partake in. Its all fun and games until around two hours before the rally. The cheerleaders start stretching and the boys head outside to practice or a bit. Everyone is doing what they should be except Erika who's texting on her phone. Holly asks her to come join us and stretch, but Erika flatly replies that she doesn't need to stretch. After we're all warmed up we start practicing our routine. Unlike other practices everyone is dead serious, well aware that soon we will have to perform in front of the entire school. Around the fourth time through something goes wrong. As we start our tumbling combination I hear a scream. We all turn around to see Erika on the ground holding her leg. I run over and kneel down next to her. "Get away from me Jordan! This is all your fault! I'm totally hurt and can't perform in the rally now. This wouldn't have happened if I had gotten your tumbling routine, because I would've been in the front! Why do you have to ruin everything?" Erika yells at me, "I think I tore my bicep!" By this time someone had gotten the nurse and she helps Erika up. "That's seem a little fishy doesn't it?" Holly asks. "What part? The fact that that your bicep is in your arm and she was holding her leg or half the time she yells at me for not stretching enough all the time?" No one says a word and we continue practicing, changing our routine as needed to involve one less cheerleader.

Coach Jones burst into the gym just as my teammates hoist me up into the air. The door slamming distracts me and the hands under my feet disappear. Although, my amazing bases immediately go into a basket catch formation and grab me safely. "That's starting to become a bad habit of yours Jordan." Holly says lightly as my bases set me down and I stand up. I dust myself off and look up to see Coach Jones marching over to me. "Are you aware you're the first girl to ever be on a football roster in our league? And that the board of directors think it's dangerous and unethical?" He says madly. "Uh no. Why? They haven't even see me kick!" I reply. "I know! Ugh its unfair! You have a real talent Bradley, but just because your a girl!" He storms away cursing under his breath. "Wow. He's really mad. Are you really that good?" Holly asks, "Well, I kicked a 45 yard field goal. Thats farther than most high school kickers and I haven't even had any training." I reply politely. Our conversation is interrupted by the arrival of the boys coming in.

"Hey Jordan!" Adam calls me over, "We need to practice for the challenge." "Yeah that sounds great!" I respond excitedly, "So what do we have to do?" Adam explains that I will have to throw him the ball blindfolded from the middle of the gym. He will stand in five places around the gym that we don't know yet. I'll have to listen to voice and his direction to know where to throw it. The first team that catches all five passes wins the game. We decide to warm up by just playing a simple game of catch, then Adam starts moving around so I can practice all different lengths and angles. Next comes the tricky part. I stand still as Adam ties the bandanna around my eyes. Our bodies are close together and I can hear his breathing in my ear. He walks away to random spot in the gym and before I can hear his instructions, someone grabs me by the waist and throws me over his shoulders. I scream terrified, but laugh a little enjoying the ride. I can hear someone running behind us.

My captor sets me down on the ground gently. I lean back and find a wall to sit up against. By the sound of running I realize that whoever had been behind had ran right by. When my hands go up to try to unfasten the bandanna my captors hands pull them down. He says, "Don't take that off. Just trust me. I won't let anything bad happen to you." He then helps me up be careful to not hurt my petite frame. I feel myself being led down a hallway through a couple of doors and making a few turns. Much too complicated for me to remember. I'm gently set down on a chair. Then someone yanks the bandanna off, judging by the force and the pain in my neck not same gentle man who kidnapped me. I look up to see a circle of boys all around me wearing football jerseys. "Coach said you could be on the team, but we aren't convinced yet," says one largest boys stepping forward. Bobby.

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