Never Letting Go

by Kristin MacQueen

  Turning her nose up in the air, Bianca takes her place in the center of the gym. Miranda slinks over to the football team, my gaze narrows on her, she’s up to something. Noah nods along as she whispers in his ear. Those two are going to be trouble together. Noah focuses solely on me; he takes long strides until he’s standing right in front of me. Bianca’s glare is burning a hole in the back of my head, she hates the fact that Noah and I are friends. She’s always wanted him.

  “Good luck, baby. Wouldn’t it be great if you become captain? It’d be like a movie, captain of the football team and cheer captain dating each other.”

  A smile spreads across my face, Miranda’s such a sneaky witch. They’re messing with Bianca on purpose.

  “Thanks, babe.”

  “I love you, Kiki.”

  “I love you too.”

  A gentle kiss is places on my cheek before Noah heads back to his seat, his eyes finding me once again.

  “Oh, my Lanta! You should see her face right now!” My bestie hisses into my ear. “I think that ugly blue vein in her forehead might pop, the steam coming out of her ears definitely isn't normal. Her eyeballs might fall out of her face with how wide open they are.”

  “You’re an evil person.” The chuckle can't be helped, Miranda’s an evil genius.

  “Girl, she deserves it. We’ll have revenge on her before we graduate.”

  “Bianca, you can begin whenever you want to.” Miss. Saunders calls.

  Her chest rises and falls with a deep breath, trying her hardest to calm herself but she can't. She’s so angry right now. Bianca performs her routine perfectly, but it isn't that great. Sure, she pulled off the moves correctly but it’s a simple routine. Child’s play.

  “Top that, Valdo.” She sneers, bumping her shoulder into mine as she walks past me.

  “Frankie, whenever you’re ready.”

  My eyes never leave Noah’s. I'm performing for him and him alone. My mind blocks out every noise, every movement. The only thing I see is him. It’s like we’re alone in the gym, no one else around for miles. My voice is strong, confident, sure. My body moves exactly the way it’s supposed to. The double round off back flip I end my routine with is executed perfectly. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am, I'm proud of what I can do.

  My fists land on my hips, gaze locking on Noah once again. I'm startled when the gym erupts with whistles and clapping from the entire football team.

  “That’s my girl!” Noah yells above the rest of the noise. My breath catches when I spot the ginormous smile on his face. He’s sexy as hell and he’s all mine.

  Miss. Saunders holds her hands up, trying to calm everyone down. She can't hide the smile on her face though.

  “Miranda, you’re turn.”

  “Yeah, I'm good.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I never wanted to be captain. It’s not my thing, leading people and all. I just like watching those guys on the field.” She gives the guys a little finger wave, biting her bottom lip. I swear, she can't go more than a few minutes without flirting with someone.

  “You don’t want to be captain? Then why continue once you knew you were on the team?”

  “Eh, Frankie’s my bestie. I was being supportive.” Shrugging her shoulders, she looks back at the bleachers full of football players. Her favorite place to find a boyfriend is on the football team. She says it just makes sense. Cheerleaders date football players, simple as that.

  “Wow... ok, I, I’ve never had a girl not want to be captain before...” Miss. Saunders looks genuinely confused. Miranda’s actions don’t make sense but honestly, they rarely do. Her brain has a way of processing thing differently than anyone else I’ve ever met. “Okay, boys, who’s the captain for this year?”

  “Valdo! Valdo! Valdo!” They chant in unison.

  “Frankie, looks like you’re our new captain.” Miss. Saunders gives me a big smile, grabs her things and walks out the door of the gym. She’s an interesting coach.

  “Told ya my girl would win.” Miranda flips her hair over her shoulder, hitting Bianca square in the face.

  “You don’t deserve to be captain.” She hisses.

  Strong arms wrap around my waist, lifting me off the ground and spinning me in a circle before I can respond to her. I'm placed back on the ground but those hands stay anchored on my hips, I fall back against Noah’s chest, feeling lighter than I’ve felt in months.

  “You never cease to amazing me, beautiful.” Noah’s soft voice warms my body, his fingers squeeze my hips.

  “Why would you ever want to be with someone like her?” Bianca’s shrill voice punctures my happiness. I can't stand her. I want to punch her in the face so badly.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because she’s sweet, caring, intelligent, sincere, naturally gorgeous... Seriously, how much plastic surgery have you had done?”

  “Are you kidding me?” She shrieks. Stomping her foot, her face darkening with embarrassment.

  “Like, are you more plastic than Barbie?” Miranda continues. She knows how to knock people like Bianca down a few pegs. I don’t know how she does it. She’s the sweetest person I know until you piss her off. Then she’s all fangs and venom.

  “ARGH!” Bianca forces her way through the crowd of cheerleaders and football players that surround us. I'm not sure anyone has ever stood up to her before. She definitely isn't going to be a fan of Miranda.

  “That’s my bestie.” Noah wraps one arm around Miranda, pulling her into one side and me into the other.

  “I'm your bestie?” Her voice is barely a whisper, eyes filling with tears as she stares up at Noah.

  “Definitely, sweetheart.” He places a single kiss on her forehead. Man, I love this guy.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Noah

  “Are you ready for our game on Friday?”

  “Yeah, I mean, Twin Creek doesn’t have that great of a team. We always beat them.”

  “I heard they have a new guy that’s huge.”

  “Of course you’d know about the new guy.” Liam rolls his eyes at Miranda.

  “Damn straight, I need to know which one I want.”

  “For what?”

  “Cheerleaders date football players, it’s in the rules. But the rules don’t say I have to date from our team.” Eyebrows wiggle up and down, a smirk playing on her lips.

  “I’ve never met anyone like you in my entire life.”

  “Aww, that’s so sweet of you to say, Liam.”

  “I hope I never meet another one. The world can't handle two of you.”

  “Is it because of my awesomeness? It is, isn't it?”

  “Seriously, Frankie, how have you put up with her for so long?”

  “It’s her awesomeness.” A cheeky grin spreads over Frankie’s face, Miranda holds up her hand for a high five.

  “I need new friends.” Liam grumbles under his breath.

  “You need to get laid.”

  I choke on the sip of iced tea I just took. Coughing like I'm dying.

  “You alright, big guy?” Tiny fists pound on my back.

  “I'm good.” I croak out. “I wasn’t expecting you to say that.”

  “Well, it’s true. He’s wound tighter than a fiddle. He needs a good lay to help him relax.”

  “You were born without a filter or an understanding of boundaries. It’s the only explanation, really.”

  “Be careful at the game, I hear the new guy is rough. He’s the defensive end and he loves to take down the quarterbacks. You need to watch yourself.” Frankie surprises me with her knowledge of football.

  “Damn, that’s sexy.” My fingers stroke her cheek, brushing hair away so I can see her face.

  “What is?”

  “You talking football. It’s hot.”

  “If I'm gonna have to sit through tons of games every year, I'm gonna know what’s happening.”

  “Yeah but most girls don’t know about other team’s abilities.”

  “I need to kno
w my man’s safe. Liam, protect him.”

  “What, so I get hurt?”

  “You’re his guard, it’s your job to protect him. Stop being a pansy.” Miranda shoves him with her shoulder. He doesn’t expect it, falling off the bench and onto the floor. She leans over the seat he was just sitting in. “Whatcha doing down there, handsome?”

  “What’s wrong with you, woman?”

  “Why are you always so sensitive?”

  “Because you’re always beating me up!”

  “If you can't take a beating from me then you’ll never be able to protect Noah from that defensive end.” Her face lights up, I can only imagine what’s going through that brain of hers. “Hey, Noah, I can be your new guard. I can obviously protect you better than this guy.” Throwing a thumb over her shoulder at Liam, she sticks her tongue out at him when he rolls his eyes. “Let’s go, medium guy, get off the floor.” Holding a hand out, she waits for him to take it, then pulls him back up to the table.

  “Medium guy?”

  “Well, Noah’s my big guy. You can either be my medium guy or smalls. Which do you prefer?”

  “I’d prefer to not be your guy at all.”

  “Too late for that. I’ve already claimed you.”

  “Oh look, the trashy captain and her puppet.” Bianca’s shrill voice makes my teeth clench so hard it hurts.

  “Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” Miranda jumps to her feet, her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at Bianca.

  “Oh, I'm the one that you should be afraid of. I rule this school and I don’t like you or her at all. I'm gonna make you wish that you never left your old school.”

  Miranda snorts out a laugh, clearly not impressed by Bianca.

  “So, you come over here, all mean girl like and think I'm going to cower away from you? Newsflash, princess, no one likes you and no one cares what you think. Everyone will love having Frankie as their captain because she’s nice and a better cheerleader than you are. You’re just mad because Noah picked her instead of you. You had three years to win him over and you still failed, how does that feel? Knowing the girl, you hate, still won from hundreds of miles away. Even when she wasn’t available, Noah didn’t want you. You disgust him that much.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Oh, you heard me. You’re pathetic and we don’t want you around. Liam doesn’t want you and Noah sure as hell doesn’t want you. Just tuck your tail and run along.” She does a shooing motion with her hand before sitting back down. Elbow resting on the table, her chin in her palm, staring up at Bianca like she’s bored out of her mind.

  “You’re gonna regret this!” Bianca hisses.

  “You should learn something about me, barbie. I don’t regret anything.” Bianca stomps her foot and turns to leave but Miranda stops her. “Oh, and Liam and Noah are off limits. You won’t decorate their lockers or wear their jerseys. They’re ours.”

  Nostrils flare, eyes narrow, she looks like she’s going to kill Miranda. Surprisingly, she doesn’t say another word. Just stomps away, never once looking back.

  “She’s going to kill you.” Liam mumbles under his breath.

  “I can take her.”

  “I don’t doubt that. I’ve got your back, bestie.” I give her a wink. I’ll always have her back, just like she’s had mine from day one.

  “I'm not gonna be able to get rid of you even if I don’t want you, huh?” Liam tries to sound upset but I see the small twitch of his lip. He definitely has a thing for Miranda.

  “Nope! You’re stuck with me forever.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Frankie

  Game day always causes a buzz of excitement to fill the hallways. Every student’s excited to see what their team is made of. They want a win; they want to feel like we’re better than the surrounding schools.

  The cheerleaders each picked a football player to celebrate today. We decorate their lockers, wear their away jerseys and make them something special.

  “You look sexy as hell with my name on your back.” A warm exhale spreads across my neck, sending shivers through my body.

  “I don’t know, does Vaccaro suit me? I'm kinda attached to Valdo.”

  “Nope, you definitely look like a future Vaccaro.” I blush slightly, thinking about a future with Noah. It’s all I’ve ever dreamed of.

  “Look at the happy couple. You two are freaking adorable! I want a picture!” Miranda pulls out her phone, snapping half a dozen photos of us.

  One of Noah’s arms wrapped around my waist, one of him kissing my check... then my neck... then she yells at him. One of me kissing his cheek, another of him holding me in his arms and the last of him giving me a piggyback ride.

  “Didn’t any other guy want you as their personal cheerleader for the day?” Liam groans, moseying up to us.

  “There was a list of guys. But I picked you!”

  “Why?”

  “So Bianca couldn’t have you. Duh.”

  “Why do you care?”

  “Because I'm not going to let that witch get anything she wants. She might have walked all over Frankie but no one walks over me.”

  “You gonna beat her up?”

  “If I have to, yeah.”

  “What treats did you bring me?” Noah whispers in my ear.

  “Your favorite treat.”

  “Oh, really?” His brow arches, challenging me. I slip my hand into my backpack, feeling around for the box of cookies. A smirk spreads across my face when I find it. I hand it over, I do a little happy dance when the biggest smile spreads across his face. He’s like a little kid on Christmas morning.

  “Is this what I think it is?”

  “S’mores cookies, just for you, baby.”

  Noah pulls me into his arms, claiming my lips with his own. Several whistles float through the air from other football players but we ignore them. We’re in our own little bubble.

  “You better of brought me something that good.” Liam grumbles. Noah and I break apart just in time to witness Miranda throwing a box at Liam. She hits him in the stomach, he grunts in pain, fumbling with the box, almost dropping it on the floor. “Do you always have to abuse me?”

  Miranda rolls her eyes so hard, I'm afraid they might roll right out of her skull.

  “Big guy, the offer still stands, I’d be a better guard for you.”

  THE BUZZ OF THE CROWD is exhilarating. Adrenaline courses through my body, there’s nothing better than getting the crowd all riled up, cheering for our boys on the field.

  We’re up by fourteen points. Our team’s doing great, working well together. Twin Creek looks a little rusty but that defensive ends is rough. I swear he’s trying to get to Noah, trying to hurt him so he can't finish the game. His throws have been on point and we’ve gained dozens of yards because of how good he is. I can see why they're expecting colleges to scout him, he’s amazing to watch.

  Each time he gets to the line of scrimmage, Noah’s gaze finds me, he taps his fist on his chest twice. His little way of telling me he loves me. I don’t think I could make a more perfect boyfriend in my imagination.

  The center snaps the ball to Noah, he catches it easily, looking around for someone to be open. A guy comes at him from both sides but Liam and the other guard take him down. That’s when I see him. The defensive end comes barreling towards Noah, dodging both his guards.

  “NOOOOOOOO!” I scream, dropping my pompoms to the ground, but my scream does nothing. Noah’s body is thrown onto the ground like a rag doll. A horrifying grunt leaves his lips when he hits the ground. I watch in horror, waiting for him to get up. He has to get up. Miranda’s at my side in half a second, her arm around my shoulder as we watch in shock and horror. My pompoms lay at my feet, my hands over my mouth, I can’t move, can't breathe.

  “He has to get up. He has to be ok.” I whisper. The entire stadium is silent. Everyone’s eyes are glued on Noah but he isn't moving. I feel like everything’s moving in slow motion. The paramedics aren’t movi
ng fast enough, taking way too long to get to him.

  “Tell me he’s going to be ok, Miranda. I can't lose him. Promise me he’s going to be ok.”

  “I can't promise you that, I don’t know, sweetie.”

  I shrug her arm off of me, rushing as quickly as I can to Noah. I need to see that he’s still alive, that he’s still ok. I can't lose him, he’s the only thing keeping me together. He’s my entire world.

  I push my way through the paramedics, coaches and staff surrounding Noah’s body. He still isn't moving. He isn't wearing his helmet. I'm not sure if it fell off when he was tackled or if someone took it off for him. I can't believe this is happening.

  “Frankie, you need to give them space. They’re checking him out.”

  “No! I need to know he’s going to be ok.” I drop down onto the ground next to him. One hand caresses his warm cheek, my other grabs his hand in mine, squeezing it gently. “Baby, I need you to wake up.” Shaking with the sob that racks my body, I'm terrified he isn't going to wake up. “Noah? Please! Do something!”

  “Miss, we need you to move. He needs to go to the hospital.”

  “Why? Why isn't he waking up?”

  “He has a concussion, possibly an injured spine. He needs to go to the hospital now.”

  “I'm going with him!”

  “I think his parents are going to want to go with him.” Mr. Eli, the principal, says gently. He’s looking at me with that same look of pity that I’ve gotten since my dad died. I fucking hate that look. It makes me feel broken, damaged. I can't get away from it, it defines me now. I'm the girl you pity because my dad died in a horrible way. He was taken from me way too early and there’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t want to see that look ever again.

  I tear my eyes away from Mr. Eli, finding Mr. and Mrs. Vaccaro standing a few feet away. Their eyes are full of tears, locked on their only child’s unmoving body. They glance at each other; Mr. V gives his wife a slight nod.

  “Frankie can go in the ambulance, we’ll be right behind you, sweetheart. You take care of him; he needs you more than he needs us.”