by B. Groves
Jessica just shrugged her shoulders as they made their way through the crowds back to the seats.
She scanned the crowd and still did not see Danny anywhere, and wondered if he had gotten there yet.
“You didn’t spot Danny, did you?” Jessica finally asked.
Tessa shook her head in response.
“We better get a seat. He is probably with the team to support them,” Tessa said.
Jessica nodded and they made their way to the stands, but not before getting some hot chocolate, because it was getting chilly.
Alex was with his group of friends from his basketball team, and waved to them as they made their way up to bleacher seats.
Jessica spotted her parents. They were both wearing their old alumni shirts for support, and they waved to her.
Tessa’s parents were somewhere in the crowd, but Tessa didn’t see them.
Jessica couldn’t help but continue to fume as the game started and the players were introduced.
The cheerleading squad would cheer each players name as they entered the field.
She tried to relax, but it wasn’t working. She couldn’t wait for this night to be over. She needed to go see The Spirit of the Mirror tomorrow, and ask what happened, or why nothing happened to Mandy Cooper yet.
“Jessica?”
Jessica just looked around as their school punted the ball after four downs.
“Jessica!”
“What!?” She turned sharply to Tessa.
Tessa blinked in surprise at the look on Jessica’s face.
“I was just going to tell you I spotted Danny. I think he’s looking for you, Jeez, you didn’t have to be so nasty,” Tessa said, insulted.
Jessica took a deep breath, scolding herself. She needed to have some patience. It wasn’t Tessa’s fault that nothing happened yet.
“I’m sorry. I was thinking,” Jessica said, trying to manage a smile.
Tessa gave her friend another funny look, then stood waving someone over to them.
Danny spotted Tessa and waved back.
Jessica stood finally smiling sincerely, and waved to him as well.
He smiled and climbed the steps to where they were sitting.
Jessica and Tessa made room for him, and sat between them to Jessica’s right.
Tessa gave her a knowing look making Jessica blush.
“Hey ladies,” he said, cheerfully.
“Hi Danny,” Tessa answered with a grin.
“Hey,” Jessica said, starting to feel her palms sweat.
She made sure she did not let her nervousness get to her, and swore she would not vomit on him again.
She was still fuming at The Spirit of the Mirror, but calmed down now that she was with Danny. Though a certain handsome cop was on her mind, too.
The game continued, and they all talked about it, and the other things going on.
Jessica felt her mood lighten over the course of the night.
Then she sighed when Danny slipped his hand over hers, and she leaned into him.
He smiled down at her, and she back up to him.
Their faces became closer and closer. Jessica could almost feel the heat of his breath on her face. She cocked her head, and waited for him to lean in and kiss her.
That never happened.
The crowd suddenly cheered, and they both pulled away to see what happened.
The football team had pulled a fourteen-point lead going into halftime.
Tessa looked between Danny and Jessica taking the hint, and said, “Do you guys want more hot chocolate?”
The band came into the field to get ready to do their routine.
They were doing a big show this year. Apparently, the cheerleaders were supposed to do some amazing stunts this year in sync with the band.
“That would be great,” Danny said.
Jessica smiled at her friend grateful for what she was doing.
“Thanks Tessa!”
Tessa and Jessica shared knowing looks, and Tessa went to go to the concession stands.
Danny leaned into Jessica and said, “We don’t have to watch this if you don’t want to. It will be our little rebellion.”
Jessica smiled at him. He was so sweet; she hated it that she didn’t really want him around anymore, though she tried to fight it.
“No, I want to see it. I want everyone to know I am not going to be beaten down,” she answered.
“You won’t be. I am putting a stop to it as we go,” Danny said seriously.
“Danny, I’m a big girl, I can take of myself,” she said, giving his hand a slight squeeze.
“No one messes with my girl,” he suddenly said smiling.
Jessica could only stare at him for a moment as the shock of what he said to her.
Was she really his girl? Did he really like her? Was this really happening?
Suddenly, all of the feelings of doubt, and fear fell away as he took her hand raised her hand to his lips, and kissed it.
Jessica was so caught up in his words; she hadn’t noticed the cheerleaders getting ready to do their pyramid routine. She came out of her trance, and noticed the cheerleaders dancing around the field as each one was getting into their assigned position.
Of course, Mandy would be at the top, Jessica thought rolling her eyes.
“Maybe it’ll fail,” Danny said, “Then they will all fall on their asses.”
“Hopefully,” Jessica said laughing back.
The cheerleaders were in place, and getting ready to do their stunts when something went terribly wrong that made Jessica just stare.
Jessica focused on Mandy at that moment, and she didn’t know why.
Mandy was on top keeping her balance getting ready to do her flip when she looked up.
Jessica noticed Mandy’s face changed from determination to outright fear.
Then Mandy began to scream, and Jessica could only watch in horror as she put up her arms in a defensive position.
Something made Mandy lose her balance, but Jessica wasn't sure what.
There were audible gasps through the crowd as the pyramid of cheerleaders began to tumble on top of each other, with Mandy being the first to fall.
Jessica was the first one in the crowd to stand up in shock as Mandy fell head first into ground, some of the other cheerleaders landing on top of her.
Then the screams and the chaos began.
Every single person in the home team stands and the opposing team stands stood up to see what happened.
The cheerleading coach ran out to his team, and they began to call for medical help.
Jessica looked around as the volunteer emergency personnel went running onto the football field to give immediate medical attention to the injured cheerleaders.
Something told Jessica to turn and look up.
She gasped when she saw The Spirit of the Mirror floating atop the stands. Just as he was there, then he was gone within a split second.
She blinked for a moment in awe. He did it, she thought turning back to the field in shock. He really did it.
But, what did he do?
She turned again, and spied the deputies and Mark running to the injured cheerleaders.
Someone from the ground was screaming for help.
Teachers began to stand in front of the bleachers to give the medics and the police time to work on the injured without interference.
Jessica had no idea what to say or to think. She only knew that Mandy Cooper had been at the top of the pyramid, and Jessica had seen her land head first into the ground. The Spirit of the Mirror must have made her fall.
She swallowed hard not knowing why he did something so cruel to her, when that’s not what Jessica wanted. She wanted Mandy to be humiliated and embarrassed somehow, but not this. She had never asked for anything like this.
She began shake, because this was her fault.
“Mandy’s not moving,” Danny suddenly whispered into her ear, making Jessica shiver even more.
Jessica�
��s gazed turned back to the field, and she could see the other cheerleaders being treated, but Mandy was being worked on harder than everyone else.
Jessica spotted Mr. and Mrs. Cooper trying to run onto to the field along with Mandy’s little sister.
Jessica practically covered her ears, as Mrs. Cooper’s screams echoed across the field.
Jessica looked up at Danny who was clearly upset about the situation.
“I didn’t want that to happen,” he said, guilt written across his face.
“I didn’t mean it,” Jessica said, her eyes filling with tears. She began to rock back and forth in the seat.
Danny had mistaken what Jessica had just said to what Jessica had wished a week ago.
Danny suddenly hugged her tightly, and said, “It’s not your fault.”
Jessica did return the hug, and felt somewhat better, but she never in a million years thought The Spirit of the Mirror would be this cruel towards Mandy because of Jessica’s wish.
The way they put her on the stretcher, Jessica knew enough to realize that she might have broken her neck.
The crowd became deathly silent as Mandy was carted away on the stretcher and placed into the ambulance.
Mark stood there and watched them shaking his head and speaking to his fellow deputies as they continued to help the others that were injured. However, Jessica noticed something odd. The rest of the cheerleaders were barely hurt, and started to stand and walk around a little. She wondered what that was about. There should have been more serious injuries.
Jessica wondered if Mandy was dead, and even if she wasn’t, was she now paralyzed?
Jessica still could not fathom what happened as the chaos continued on the football field.
That was not what she wanted for Mandy, she tried to tell herself. She never wanted anyone to get hurt on her account.
Or was it what she wanted all along?
Jessica turned away for a moment and began to smile.
Maybe it was.
Chapter 15
Jessica could only roll her eyes as the crowd began to chant Mandy’s name when the ambulance pulled away. Jessica didn’t understand the feelings that were coursing through her mind, but she knew one thing; one of them wasn’t regret.
The administrators of both schools decided to keep playing the game since it was already the second half.
The crowd from both sides of the stadium remained unusually quiet for the rest of the game after Mandy’s accident.
They had heard she was conscious, but nothing else.
Jessica turned towards her parents. She noticed they didn’t really move the rest of the game, with grim looks on their faces. She wondered what that was about.
Jessica sat there and had a few thoughts as Danny held her hand.
She wanted to have remorse, she really did, but the only thing she could feel was satisfied at what happened.
She remembered when she was younger, and watched a dog get hit by a car. She had cried for days afterwards. Now, she felt nothing, just nothing, but satisfaction.
Was it right to be happy about this?
She kept telling herself that all she wanted was for Mandy to be embarrassed, such as egg thrown on her face or something simple, but this was so much more than she could have asked for.
The game ended with the home team winning, and people began to chant Mandy’s name again.
The rest of the cheerleading team on the pyramid seemed to be just bruised with scratches with no major injuries. That was the weirdest part of the whole accident.
Tessa, Danny, and Jessica stood and waited for the bleachers to empty.
Danny turned, and pulled Jessica lightly, keeping a firm grip on her hand as they descended the stands onto the grass.
“So, whom are you going home with?” Tessa finally asked with a grin.
Jessica blushed, and Danny smiled.
“I can take her home,” he offered.
Tessa nodded and the two girls hugged. “I was expecting karma, but not this,” Tessa said whispering in Jessica’s ear.
Jessica smirked and said, “Me neither.”
Jessica turned to Danny and said, “I just saw my parents, I better tell them.”
“Good, you can introduce me,” he said.
Jessica and Danny made their way through the throngs of people. It was a chilly night, but the body heat of the crowd made Jessica begin to sweat.
Everyone was still talking about Mandy’s accident, and no updates were available.
“Mom! Dad!” Jessica called, waving to them.
The couple still looked a little grim, but smiled when they spotted their daughter.
Leading Danny along, Jessica came up to her parents and said, “Mom, Dad this is Danny. If it’s alright, he is going to bring me home.”
Mary smiled brightly and Don shook Danny’s hand.
“That’s fine, honey,” Mary said, putting out her hand for Danny to shake it. “Nice to finally put a face to a voice.”
Danny smiled, taking her hand, and said, “You too Mrs. Winters.”
“Don’t keep her out late,” Don warned, but winked at Jessica with his charming smile.
“I will have her home safely and not too late, sir,” Danny answered.
“Are you alright with what happened?” Mary asked them both but eyeing Jessica.
“I really hope she is going to be okay,” Jessica said, trying to be sincere, but didn’t mean it.
“The school will pull together for her,” Danny said, but Jessica noted a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
“Well, Dale is known throughout the county and the state, so I am sure that the community will come together for support,” Don said.
“I hope she’ll be okay,” Mary said, worried.
“I’m sure she will Mom,” Jessica answered.
Mary turned to Don and said, “We’ll have to call Dale and see what is going on.”
Don nodded and the couple said goodbye to their daughter and parted ways.
The crowds around the stadium were thinning out, and Jessica was eager to get out of there.
Jessica wanted to know how Mandy was, and thought she would look around to see if the Sheriff was still here.
“Well, looks like we have to wait a while,” Danny observed.
“Yeah, looks like traffic is bad,” Jessica answered, hearing cars starting up, and horns beeping.
Danny suddenly grabbed her hand again, and they started walking the other way from the crowd.
Jessica looked at him questioningly, but he didn’t say anything to her. They walked through the crowds of people still lining up to leave the stadium field. She really wanted to get away from there, but Danny had other plans for them.
There was a big warehouse type of building on the other side of the field, and they made their way there.
Jessica was confused as to what he was doing, but followed without question.
They turned the corner and it was dark except for one field light shining in a distance.
“Danny? What-“
Before Jessica could say anything else Danny pulled her into a kiss. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, Jessica sighed and reciprocated with her own.
She hadn’t even noticed there were other couples here doing the same, nor had she known this was an area for that before.
Still, she tried to enjoy Danny kissing her, but something or someone was tugging at her mind.
Something else was on her mind too, that made kissing Danny less important. She really needed to see The Spirit of the Mirror.
She cursed her foolishness. Danny had been everything she had ever wanted since freshman year, and all she could think about was The Spirit of the Mirror, and then the Sheriff. These sudden changes in her routines after all these years were annoying, but exhilarating at the same time.
She got closer to Danny and slipped her hands in his jacket and wrapped her arms around his waist as he pulled her tighter. Thinking maybe she should relax and enjoy Danny’s com
pany without letting other things bother her so much.