It was game night and Toni and Luna were getting ready for it in their dorm. Toni helped Luna straighten her hair and Luna curled Toni's. They both put their styled hair up in high ponytails. They put on their cheer bows and straightened out their red uniforms. "Perfecto" Luna stated as she looked at her and Toni in the mirror. Toni nodded in agreement.
"It's officially winter break!" Toni exclaimed as they walked to the gym. "And my goosebumps prove it," Luna mumbled. "Awe, it's great Luna. No school for nearly three weeks! Got anything special planned?" Luna groaned, "Officially, yes. My mom wants Jeremy and I to drive down to Wilmington and stay a couple of days."
Toni was suddenly saddened. What was she to do during her lonely days in the dorm? "What about you? Visiting your parents?" "Oh hell no. I moved here for a reason. I'll call." "You must've had a bad upbringing." "Not bad just...not free."
Walking into the gym and seeing it empty never got old for Toni but she knew that in a matter of hours it'd be entirely filled. The boys practiced shots and plays as Toni and Luna walked past them and into the back where the cheerleaders usually stretched. "Hey Toni, Luna" Darren called to the girls. They waved back but Toni's lingered longer than Luna's. Darren pressed his finger into his left cheek, showing Toni which cheek she'd put his number. She nodded with a smile, telling him she understood.
Toni stretched her arms and legs, splits and flips. After the boys finished and cleared the court, the cheerleaders went over their routine once and even messed around a bit. The basketball players whistleled at the girls while calling the boys on the squad gay. Such disrespectful people these days.
"Do your full" Nicolaa, Toni's second base, nudged her. "No way." "Why not? You just got it and it looks perfect." "Exactly. I just got it. I'm not about to embarrass myself."
"Lyci!" Nicolaa shouted. Toni's eyes widened as she tried to cover Nicolaa's mouth. Lyci turned her head, wondering why Nicolaa's squeaky voice was ringing through her ears. "What?"
"Toni should do her full!" "No she shoudn't" Toni protested, speaking about herself. "Oh yes...Rookie. Do your full." "Damn you, Nic" Toni muttered.
Toni was nervous. Everyone had cleared a path for her and even the basketball players took glances her way, waiting for her to do it. A few people entered the gym, waiting for the game to start but since everyone was starring at Toni, why not them too?
She gulped, "So what exactly to you want me to do?" "Round off, double back handspring, full."
"Okay."
Toni took a deep breath in before running a few meters then doing her round off, two back handsrpings and her full. It felt like her full was in slow motion, like she was going super slow. She closed her eyes and hoped that she didn't land to hard on her ankle.
Think light
She landed on her feet firmly. Her ponytail fell in front of her face. She lifted her head and flipped it back, smiling brightly. Nicolaa, Luna and a few more cheerleaders clapped for her, calling her 'Rookie'. Lyci had a smug look on her face. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the boys. She turned her head to see Darren smiling. 'You're good' he mouthed. Her cheeks tinged, 'Thanks' she mouthed back.
***
"Let's go, Wolfpack, let's go" *clap* *clap* *clap*.
The game, as always, was packed. Luna proudly wore her boyfriends number on her cheek and cheered him on. Toni was just as happy to wear Darrens. So far he made more than half of their points. "Another shot made by Rivera."
Rivera?
She thought Rivera was some type of hispanic last name, but how would she know?
"He is too fine," a cheer mate commented. "Who?" another replied. "Number 24. I think his name is Darren." "Yeah, he's pretty sexy." "I remember I got with him a few months ago. I swear i was on cloud nine. "
Ew
"He was so...fast and...oh gosh I can't even talk about it." "Then don't," her friend laughed. They sat right behind her so it was sort of hard to ignore. Darren was dribbling the ball down the court, calling out names to whoever was open. Sadly, no one seemed open. Poor Darren.
He took a daring move. With five seonds left in the first half he looked over the cheerleaders, eyes landing on Toni and pointed at her, 'For you' he smiled and went to take the three-pointer. The buzzer sounded just as the ball went through the hoop. They all cheered.
"Did you see him point at me?" the girl behind Toni shrieked. She rolled her eyes, knowing that wasn't true.
Half time...yes!
Toni caught Darrens eyes and he approached her. "Am I doing good?" She nodded, "Better than expected." "Oh so you thought I was bad?" She shrugged, "Never really cared." "And now you do?" "You could say that" she smiled.
"I gotta go to the locker rooms and get yelled at for no reason. Later."
"Alright.
"Oh and I look forward to that halftime routine," he winked and jogged away.
During halftime Toni occupied herself. Going to the snackbar and ordering herself some peanut m&m's and a blue gatorade. A few boys from the other team tried talking to her but she wasn't in the mood.
Toni was the type of girl to sit by herself and enjoy it. She thought a lot when she was alone and she liked it. She took her snacks back to the bleachers and enjoyed them as she quietly observed her surroundings.
"Hey, you see Luna?"
Toni looked up to see Jeremy towering over her. "Nope. Last time I saw her she was in the bathroom but that was nearly ten minutes ago." He sighed heavily, "I guess I'll chill with you until she gets back" he said and took a seat beside her.
Toni never really liked having company when it was only the two of them. She was awkward and couldn't come up with a good topic to discuss. She was glad when he said something first,
"You know you shouldn't eat that before you cheer."
Toni just laughed at him. "And what are you, some sort of cheerologist?" He shrugged, "I know a thing or two."
"You want some?" she offered. He held out his hand and she poured some in his palm. "Thanks" he mumbled before popping them into his mouth. "I remember I had a friend that only ate the green ones" Toni smiled, reminiscing about one of her highschool mates.
Jeremy chuckled, "They all taste the same." "That's what I said, but she was convinced otherwise."
"That shit must happen in Maryland." Toni playfully smacked his arm, "Shut up."
"Hey Jeremy," Luna's cheery voice approched. She came and plopped down sideways on his lap. "You ready for my performance?" He nodded with a warm smile on his face.
"Guys!" Lyci's voice yelled, calling the attention of the cheerleaders. The male ones groaned at her annoying commands as the girls rolled their eyes. That was the queue for Toni and Luna to get up and leave. Jeremy kissed Luna's cheek before sending her off with a 'Go get 'em'.
They got into their positions and began dancing as the music started. Some moves were legit while others were just sexual, earning wolf whistles and 'Yeah's' from the crowd. At the end of the routine when the music stopped they shouted "Wolfpack!"
The crowd cheered for them as the spirited off the court and sat back down in the bleachers.
Toni talked mostly during the game, being scolded more than once because of her disruptive behavior. Toni didn't care, just rolled her eyes at her captian and went back to finish what she was saying to Luna.
The game was over in a short time and of course they won. The cheerleaders did their victory cheer while the boys' coach told them how proud he was. The boys were dismissed and so were the cheerleaders. Toni saw Darren walking towards the locker rooms and was going to walk up to him when she saw one of her cheermates, Porsha, talking to him. She stopped and patiently waited for the conversation to be over but decided to walk away when she saw him grab her by the waist and whisper in her ear.
Darren was trying to have some fun tonight so when Porsha bluntly said she wanted to sleep with him he wasn't just gonna pass it up. He leaned down and whispered where she should meet him and what he'd do to her. Porsha liked the sound of it and gave him her number before walking away.
Toni changed out of her cheer uniform and slipped on her light skinnies and pulled a sweatshirt over her head. She pulled out her ponytail so her hair would fall in the loose curls Luna did for her. She put on a beanie and her furry boots before leaving out of the girls locker room.
She texted Luna, telling her she was leaving back to the dorm. As soon as she pressed send she ran into someones hard chest. "Woah, sorry little lady." She looked up to see a guy who she noticed played on the other team. He had his sports bag on his shoulder and looked just about to leave. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be texting and walking at the same time," she laughed.
He looked out the door, seeing his team bus still loading players. He had time to chat.
"You cheered good," he nervously said. "Um, thanks? Good game." "I think you're only saying that because we lost but thanks anyway," he smiled.
He's cute
she thought when he smiled down at her
And tall
His eyes were a baby shade of blue and his hair was nearly red but sure enough to call it blonde. Strawberry blonde.
"Your name?" she asked.
"Ian."
"I'm Toni."
"I doubt that's your real name."
She rolled her eyes, "And what must it be?"
"Like Antoniette or something Italian."
She laughed for he was close but not close enough. She shook her head, "No, it's Antonia but nice try."
"Does Antonia have a guy she's seeing?"
"She might," she teased.
"You're funny. We should hangout sometime." She nodded, "That'd be cool. Give me your phone." "I don't even have to ask?" "If you want to make this harder, you can." He gave her his phone and waited as she typed in her number, putting her name next to a smiley emoji.
"Thanks" he smiled. "I'll call you sometime around...I don't know...next week?" She nodded.
"I guess I'll see you later."
"Okay, Bye" she waved.
He began to walk away but not before calling over his shoulder, "It was nice meeting you Toni."
"You too Ian."
Well that was easy.
Toni continued her path out of the bulding. The air was brisk cold and made her lips shiver. She was going to have to walk home in the cold.
She was about halfway to her dorm when a car pulled up beside her. "Hey Toni!"
Darren.
She stopped mid-stride and smiled at him, "Hey."
"You need a ride?"
"No, I'm almost there anyway."
"It's dark and freezing outside. Hop in."
She got in the car, tossing her cheerbag in the backseat. She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "So..." he dragged. "What?" Toni laughed. "How do you think I played?" "Oh, you were good but I'd say that about nearly everyone becasue I don't know a damn thing about basketball."
"How are you a cheerleader if you don't know the game you're cheering for?"
She shrugged.
"How long have you been cheering?"
"This is only my second year."
"How do you know how to do all those flips and shit?"
"I don't know. I went to a few classes about a year ago to be ready for tryouts so I guess that's how. And I've always been flexible so cheer seemed like the thing to do."
"That's crazy" he chuckled. He looked to the side and saw her looking down at her phone screen, the light illuminating her face. "You still have my number on your cheek" he stated.
She wiped it with her thumb and say the smudge on it. "I'll get it off when I get to my dorm."
"You know you have a dimple?"
"Really? I had no idea" she sarcastically replied.
He shook his head, laughing, thinking 'this girl's something else'.
"So what are you doing to celebrate the win?" she asked, trying to make conversation.
"You mean 'who' am I doing" he smirked. "Oh...ew."
He laughed, "Ew? You're talking like you're a virgin. Wait...you're not a virgin are you?" he cautiously asked.
"No but you don't just openly talk about sex like that. It's supposed to be personal."
"Whatever, I wouldn't mind if you talked about your sexual activities."
"But I would. That's completely uncalled for."
"Alright virgin Mary" he teased.
I'm not a freaking virgin
she thought.
"What're plans over break?" he asked her. "Nothing, stay here and be bored." "Not visiting family?"
"Hell no. What about you?" "I won't be leaving for Wilmington until next Friday so I guess I'll be here until then."
"It's gonna be soooo boring."
"Well there's a new years eve party tomorrow night at the boys' dorms."
"Really?" She got excited, that's exactly what she needed.
"Yeah, I think Luna is going too, I told her to remind you about it but I guess she forgot."
"I guess I'm going" she smiled. He nodded.
"Thanks for the ride" she said after he stopped in front of her hall. "Anytime" he smirked, obviously laughing at his own private joke. "Perv" she muttured, grabbing her cheerbag and getting out of his car.
"Later" he called after her.
She waved back at him.
She felt her cheeks flame at the thought of the conversation she had with Darren about his sex life. Not from embarrasement or shyness but from pure anger. How could he just tell her something like that?
She wasn't sure how to feel about it.