Andy Anders
"You look like shit." Scarlet says to me as we walk up to the field for cheer practice. It's been four days since my altercation with Dominic. I've been hauled up in my apartment since then. I haven't been going to my classes because honestly? I couldn't care less right now. I'm only here for cheer. It's the only thing that I actually love doing here. Yeah I give a shit about my grades but that's not what makes me happy.
I look at my red headed friend and give her the fakest smile I can conjure up.
"Well I feel fantastic." It's a lie. I don't feel good at all. My mother kept calling and calling after I hung up on her. She threatened to stop paying for my apartment if I didn't show up to the gallery. So now I have no choice but to attend the stupid thing.
"Hmm well maybe fix your face a little because your mascara is running and half your hair is not even in your ponytail." Scarlet says before walking towards the rest of the girls. I glare at her retreating figure while I stand farther away from everyone else.
Maybe now is a good time to tell her to fuck off but I actually need her. She's the one who gives me my "prescription" every week. So I just just quickly fix my hair and paint a smile on my face.
We have a football game tomorrow and so the coach has been hassling us to get practice in everyday this week. Walking over to the rest of the girls, I notice a new face that I haven't seen yet.
"Are you new?" I ask the newbie with long black hair and mocha skin. She turns her body to face me and my eyes widen slightly at her bright blue eyes. Well that's unique.
"Uh...yes I am. I'm Bella." She gives me her hand to shake which I do.
"Andy." I give her a smile before letting go of her hand.
"So where did you come from?" I ask her as we walk side by side towards the coach.
"I transferred from University of Oklahoma. I just moved her last week." Wow. Oklahoma is far away from California.
"My father got a new job here if you were wondering. I could see you thinking hard about it." She laughs which causes me to as well.
"Well that's cool. We could use more skill around here." I shoot my gaze to Scarlet who definitely heard me. She rolls her eyes and continues to talk to the rest of the squad.
Bella follows my gaze and winces slightly. "Should I hate her?" She whispers to me and I chuckle.
"You have no choice. She'll try to make your life here hell. I have no choice but to tolerate her but trust me she is not friend material."
Bella hums and a nod of her head. "Noted."
"Look, after practice I have to stay behind to clean up but we should definitely get some food at the diner near by." I give her a genuine smile. A smile that I haven't had in a while.
She looks at me with big eyes and nods her head. "I would love that! But, why do you have to stay behind to clean up?"
I laugh and place my bag down on the floor with everyone else's.
"Coach found weed in my locker. She threatened to kick me off the squad if I didn't clean up the field after every practice for the rest of the semester."
She looks at me for a moment before laughing out loud.
"Are you serious?! Damn, well yeah I can totally help you if you want me too. So that we won't have to stay here for long."
I give her my hand to which she takes and I give it a firm shake.
"Deal."
~~~
"Okay who the fuck spits their gum out on the field? There are literally trash cans at every corner!" Bella says with annoyance in her voice as we walk to the diner.
"Yeah well imagine having to clean up used condoms from behind the bleachers." Her eyes widen and I laugh.
Bella grimaces and makes a gagging face which causes me to laugh even harder.
"You're not a virgin are you?" I said it as a joke but when I see the look on her face, I freeze.
"Oh." I awkwardly laugh. "Well no big deal, you'll find someone that'll make your eyes roll back soon enough."
"Hopefully. I am eighteen and I kind of just want to get it over with already." She tells me and I frown sightly. I stop her and place my hands on both her shoulders so that I'm facing her.
"Trust me. You don't want to rush it. If I had the ability to go back in time and not lose my virginity to an asshole senior while I was still a freshman in high school, I would." She could probably tell how bothered I was because she gives me soft eyes and nods her head.
"Okay I won't."
I smile at her and we continue walking towards the diner.
"This place is really fucking good. Especially their shakes. I swear they're fucking orgasmic." We both start laughing but my laughter stops when I see three familiar faces.
Mike, Ethan, and Jace.
For fucks sake.
Mike is the first to notice me and he gives me a smile before trailing his eyes to Bella and widen. I look over to Bella to see her looking away with a smile. I can't tell by her dark complexion but I bet she's blushing.
We walk over to a booth to sit down and to my demise, the three boys walk up to us.
"Andy." Jace is the one to say my name. I look up to him with no emotion on my face but I can see the regret in his. He probably feels like shit calling me a spoiled bitch. Good, he should.
"Y'all wanna sit down?" I look to Bella with wide eyes and she gives me a sheepish smile and glances at Mike.
I know we just met but I swear I'm gonna kill her.
The three boys fit into the booth across from us and I notice that Mike is still looking at Bella.
Well someone likes what they see.
"Look Andy I'm sorry for—"
"I'm already over it." I interrupt him.
I knew it was coming because Ethan is never quiet. He very loudly sighs in relief and throws his head back.
"Thank god! Because this man would not shut up about you this entire week. Now I told him that you and I already got something going on but he thought I was crazy!" He winks at me and nudges his head towards Jace. "Tell em baby."
I can't help the laugh that falls out of my mouth. Ethan is fucking impossible I swear.
"We do not have a thing dick brains." I tell him straight up and then I gesture to Bella.
"This is Bella by the way. She's new here." They all look to her and give her a simple 'hey' but Mike feeling bold sticks his hand out for her to shake.
"I'm Mike." He smiles at her and I can't help but smile too. I've only meet Mike once but he was very quiet. So seeing him all wide eyed and red in front of Bella is cute.
"Hi Mike." She takes his hand and shakes it. Her smile still evident on her face.
Ethan smirks at the greeting and I do the same. I look to Jace to see him still staring at me.
"I really am sorry, Andy. I mean it, I don't know what I saying or doing."
I roll my eyes and give him a somewhat sympathetic look. "It's fine. Really."
Seriously where the fuck is the waitress? I want my damn milkshake.
"There's another race tonight if you wanna come?" Ethan says. My head immediately shifts to face him and a wide smile spreads on my face.
"Fuck yeah!"
Bella looks confused and I see she's about to ask what we mean but I'm already shoving her out of the booth.
"Trust me it's so fun!" I whisper in her ear.
I can see a waitress walking up to us but when she sees that we're all getting out of the booth, she rolls her eyes and then walks back to the back of the diner.
"Trust me lady, I'll be back tomorrow!" I yell out before we're all heading out of the diner and to Jace's car.
"Uh...it's a tight fit so maybe Ethan can drive and you can sit on my lap?" Jace says facing me.
I laugh and look towards Bella and Mike who are standing near each other awkwardly.
"I'm sure Bella would want to sit in Mike's lap" I give her a knowing look. "Right?"
She bits her bottom lip shyly and looks at Mike.
"Are you okay with that?" She asks him but Mike isn't the one to respond. Ethan pats him on the shoulder and gives it a shake.
"Trust me, sweetheart. He's more than okay." We all laugh except for Jace who seems agitated and we all get in the car.
I pull out a cigarette and light it. Rolling down the window a bit and take a big hit of it.
"You smoke?" Jace asks glancing at the cigarette in my hand.
I shrug, taking an even bigger inhale of the cigarette. I blow it out of the window and shoots him a grin. "I do."
Jace just nods his head and looks back at the road.
"Can I try it?" Bella asks from the back. I turn around to see her on Mike's lap. His hands are to his side not knowing what to do and I internally laugh.
"Sure." I hand her the cigarette and she takes a small hit but coughs like she just got punched in the gut. I laugh and take it back from her when she shakes her head several times.
"So. Gross." she says between coughs. I take another hit of it and blow it in her face which causes her to cough even more.
"Definitely is."
"Then why do you do it?" She laughs but then coughs again. This time, Mike places his hands on her thighs and gives it a pat.
Because it's better than the alternative. I think to myself. But they don't need to know that so I just shrug and take a final hit before flicking it out the window. "Old habits die hard, I guess."
*****