Sadderdaze- The neighborhood
<<< satudays are not the same as they used to be. sadder days, why do they keep on using me>>>
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The next month, Love goes a little crazy with her coping. She works out and attempts to do her stunt like crazy. At least 3 hours a day on top of her other practices. She dedicates more time to choreographing for her cheer team, she does countless amounts of extra credit homework, and even picks up a couple extra shifts at a restaurant she used to serve at in high school.
Love tries to find an apartment, feeling as if she stays one more moment at Cora's house she will explode. Nothing has gotten better, even in the 6 months she was gone. Cora had nothing to say about Love's absence or the fact that Dream was involved. She really had nothing to say to her daughter at all.
Today is a big day. It's game day. The game day. Love is wracking her mind, terrified that she's going to mess up this move and destroy any chances her team has at making it Nationals. Her body is so tired from all of the work she has been putting in.
"Hey mom," This is the first time either of them have intentionally started a conversation with each other in the last 7 months. Love hates the point their relationship has gotten to but understands she did everything she possibly could be doing. "I have a really important game today. There's extra tickets on the counter," Love rushes out before hearing an answer from her mom.
Rayna remains buckled in the drivers side of her jeep and Love climbs in. The nerves and excitement are real. They're performing in an actual arena today, in front of so many people. Love has mixed feelings about the day, as she does most other games.
Nobody is coming to support her and she knows it.
Love had gotten her hopes up. Thought that Dream or his family would be here since hers never is. But now, of course he wouldn't show up. Of course his family wouldn't show up. Not with Sam back in the picture.
"You okay?" Rayna asks the friend in her passenger seat who is zoning out. Love shakes herself out of it, peeling her eyes off of the landscape they pass.
"I'm good," That's the only way Love has been answering lately. The 'I'm ok' and the 'everything's good'. She has almost refused to genuinely talk about her feelings as of late. Their usually articulate and open friend hasn't been the same ever since her birthday.
"I'm here whenever, Love," Rayna doesn't push it and Love has so much appreciation for this fact. The two girls get to the arena after 45 minutes ad rush into the makeup room. The girls on the team often joke about Love and Rayna dating each other in secret because of how close the two are. They do each others makeup before games, each others hair, help each other with stunts. There is no other kind of best friends like them.
"Are you ready Love?" An assistant couch asks her kindly. They're all counting on her, most understanding that she will do her absolute best.
"I think so!" Love has never been quite so anxious for a game before. Rayna has never felt so anxious for Love before a game before. Kam sits in his locker room, thinking of her too. It seems as if all the people who hold her dearly are thinking of her in this moment.
The girls walk onto the field, hearing so many people cheering for their team. Love tries not to look in the audience for the seats her family was supposed to fill. "You are powerful," Rayna whispers into her ear before getting into formation.
The game itself feels as if it goes on forever, having to stand there in their places and reciting the same dozen cheers every so often. But then it's here: the half-time show. The other team performs first, this being their home field.
Welcome to the center of the field, The Gators!
The announcers speakers are just barely loud enough for the girls to hear. The music begins, a loud bass erupting all throughout the arena.
We are told that a certain cheerleader by the name of Love Olivers has quite the trick up her sleeve
Everyone holds their breath, trying to figure out what it could be. If she can pull it off. Love knows all eyes on her but gets lost in her sport. Before she knows it, the music cue begins. Love gets in the right position, in front of her whole team. With a running head start, she begins.
Flip one. Flip two. And finally flip 3.
And she sticks the landing? Love Olivers just executed a near perfect Biles II!
The crowd, the ones who know anything about cheer, goes wild. Kam on the sidelines starts to jump, screaming her name so loudly he thinks the whole word could hear it. Love landed it.
Running off the field, her whole team politely cheering for her, Love feels like her heart could jump out of her chest. As soon as her adrenaline fades, her disappointment comes back. She did this huge thing and not one person she had invited was here to see it.
As soon as off the field, she is instantly grabbed by two people. Kam and Rayna stand behind, just smiling. This is something Love has so obviously been needing.
"You're the fucking bomb!" Sapnap screams, jumping up and down.
"Hell yeah!" Punz has the same energy as his friend does right now. Love is stunned. They came to see her? Someone came to see her? It's like she's a kid again, seeing people for her in the stands. It wasn't very often she got to see someone until one day, Dream and his family showed up. Then they showed up every time afterwards.
"You did a great job, Love,"Sapnap calms down and hugs her gently this time. He wants his friend to know how proud of her he is. Love feels like she is on the verge of tears. Everything she has been building up threatens to pour.
"Thank you guys," Love buries her head into their chests, staying in the group hug until she feels stable enough to be out of it. The five of them go out to dinner after the reunion, just catching up. Love has never been more grateful for any of her friends. In her time of need, here they are. For the first time, Love has hope that she can get past this period of her life.
"How have you been?" Sapnap asks with Love in the passenger seat.
"I've been ok," It's the same answer Love will continue to give everyone around. She will not admit that she has been hurt or largely affected by Dream's actions yet again. "Kam and I are performing in a couple months if you guys want to come," Love invites. She hasn't decided if inviting her mom is even worth it after today.
"Did she show?" Punz asks. He's curious about their relationship now that Love is back in the house. When they knew each other back in highschool, Cora never showed and it was so hard for her. Dream's family showing up always softened the blow. Love never fully got used to the disappointment.
"No," Her tone is solemn and depressing. Punz reaches over to touch her shoulder gently. Love doesn't deserve that and the two boys are even more happy that they came to support her today.
Sapnap pulls up in front of her home. Before Love gets out, she talks. "Is she there?" Neither of them need more context or details than that, they just contemplate whether or not answering is smart. "Is she?" Punz refuses to hide something like that from her. Sapnap refuses to break his best friends heart even more.
"Yeah." Love nods her head, already knowing the answer in her heart. She just needed to actually hear it.
"Thanks," Love gives them both a simple goodbye before heading into her basement, the room below her family's home. They aren't the same home. Love doesn't consider the upstairs her home, not anymore.
She strips into more comfortable clothes and just lays herself into bed. Quietly shushing herself to sleep, Love reminds herself that everything is ok. She's alone and that is how it is meant to be.
Love can't help but admit this is a huge down point for her mental health. Not in a long time has she felt so weak and isolated and been forced to comfort herself to sleep. She feels like she is 19 yet again and it worries her.
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Sadderdaze- The neighborhood
<<< satudays are not the same as they used to be. sadder days, why do they keep on using me>>>