I can’t help but laugh at her. “Do you want some help?” I offer.
She sighs and tosses me the hair tie. Standing up I pull her hair into a high ponytail and secure her cheer bow. “Maybe, Leah will stop giving me the evil eye now.”
“Not until you take off the jewelry, I’m sure.”
Chasity drops her head back and lets out a sound of frustration. “I hate cheerleading.”
“I know,” I tell her. I feel for her because I’m in the same boat, just for different reasons. Chasity was a gymnast before her family moved to Newport, but our school didn’t have a gymnastic team which left Chasity with no option. She needed the extracurricular for college even though she hated the sport. Leah, our captain, would have kicked her off the squad months ago if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s the best flyer and tumbler we have.
“You okay?” she asks.
That’s a question I’m not sure how to answer. Ever since calculus I’ve been distracted. Something was bothering Penn and I don’t know why that’s bothering me, but it was. “Just not really wanting to go to another party.”
“But you guys are the perfect couple,” Chasity says in an overly sweet voice. I give her a pointed look before we both start laughing. Leah claps, calling us to attention and silencing us. We huddle around and do our little chant.
We’re heading out to the gym when I realize I forgot my pom-poms in my gym bag. “I’ll be right back,” I tell Chasity as I head back to the cheer room. The heavy, metal door slams behind me causing me to yelp and jump. With the door shut the noise from the gym is cut off, leaving the room silent. I make my way over to my gym bag when a loud bang echoes throughout the room. Quickly, I jump straight up and look around the room but see nothing. The sound comes again and when I look toward the window I see that a tree branch is banging against the glass. The wind outside has picked up tremendously. It seems we have a storm moving in, but I don’t remember seeing anything on my weather app about it.
I shake my head at how stupid I’m being and make my way back to my gym bag to grab my pom-poms. I kneel down by my bag when the hair on the back of my neck stands up. I shiver but not from cold. I feel like someone is watching me. I stand up and turn around, expecting to see someone but I’m still alone. I take a deep breath to calm my rattled nerves.
The only lights left on, is the row in the middle of the room. One of the lights starts to flicker like a strobe light. Squinting, I start to cross the room when all the lights go out, leaving only the darkening sky to light the room from the windows. A clap of thunder goes off in the distance just as the light above me comes on and shatters into pieces.
Glass falls from the light as well as a few sparks but I’m already to the door. I yank it open and run out into the hallway. My heart in my throat. I run straight into someone’s side, knocking us both to the ground. When I look across from me I see those honey colored eyes with flecks of chocolate brown. Eyes that I’d know anywhere. Penn.
“Are you alright, Olivette?” Bannen asks. Penn is just staring at me like he’s seen a ghost. Neither of us move from our spots on the floor. I must look like a wild woman. My breathing is labored, and I can feel tears pricking the back of my eyes. My heart is still in my throat. Then it dawns on me, I must look…bewildered, like Penn did earlier. Bannen extends his hand to me and I take it.
Bannen has always been nice, ridiculously smart though. He’s on the shorter side, only about an inch taller than me with dark hair and eyes that compliment his tan skin. Once he’s sure I’m steady on my feet, he releases my hand. I hear the principal calling the pep rally to begin. “Thank you,” I tell Bannen. “I’m sorry,” I say to Penn and look up to meet his eyes since he’s now standing. I turn and jog back toward the gym still scared out of my mind from whatever it was that just happened.
Chapter 4
Penn
I had sat through the last few classes and thought about what had happened in the bathroom after lunch. I had written down every possible urban legend that could fit into the description of what happened. Then I realized I was being ridiculous. Urban legends were just legends. When I was a kid I believed they were true, but I was older now. I still loved them. I still got lost in them, but I knew they weren’t real.
By the time the pep rally rolled around I had chopped the whole incident up to a figment of my overactive imagination. I had stayed up last night reading about the Villisca Ax Murder House in Iowa. So late that I ended up falling asleep at my desk in front of my computer. My mind was probably still just dealing with that and I thought I saw something in the bathroom.
I had it all figured out. At least, until Olivette had come busting out of the cheer room and ran straight into me, knocking us both to the floor. The look in her eyes told me something had happened. I almost asked but then I remembered I had no right to know. We weren’t friends anymore. Besides, if I asked her I’d have to explain what happened to me and I hadn’t even told Bannen.
The look in her eyes had paralyzed me. It was like until she moved I couldn’t. I even forgot Bannen was there until he had helped her up. He had broken whatever spell I was under. Olivette didn’t spook easily. Every year during Halloween we’d convince our parents to take us to every haunted house within a thirty-mile radius. They said we’d get scared, but we didn’t. Okay, not true. I did a little but Olivette never found them scary.
We were seven-years-old and had been visiting Oski’s shop for the past few months. Oski had been sharing old, creepy urban legends and lore with us with each visit. He always gave us a book before we left. Olivette and I would spend the next month devouring every word of that book. We did research on the urban legend as well. We’d share our findings with Oski the next month before he’d give us a new one to devour.
I’ll admit that back then there were a few of the stories that scared me. They could scare me enough that I slept with the light on. Nothing ever scares Olivette though. None of the stories, lore, or legend affected her.
After visiting Oski in October, we decided to start a new Halloween tradition; going to every haunted house that we could. I wanted to see if anything could scare Olivette. So, we convinced our parents to start taking us to them. Of course, they went with us, but for the most part they weren’t scary. They didn’t even bother me.
There was one we had yet to conquer. It was in Concord in an abandoned office building that was three stories tall. It was about to get refurbished but apparently it was going to be a haunted house first. No children were even allowed without parental supervision, so our parents were hesitant to take us. Olivette finally convinced them.
I was worried while we stood in line. I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of people but Olivette’s excitement was contagious. Soon enough, I found myself looking forward to the haunted house. The haunted house was set up to have escape doors every so often in case you couldn’t handle it. As we stood in line, we watched people coming out early. You had to use the fire escape if you used the escape door and there was a steady stream of people on the fire escapes.
Our escort stepped up to lead our group through the house. He was a creepy, dead butler. Someone had done his makeup to look like he only had one eye. The other was bloody and gorged out. Dried blood ran down his face and stained his clothes. As we made our way through the floor’s things became scarier. Frankly, I was scared but Olivette just took it all in stride, never broke a sweat.
I wanted to take an escape door a few times, but I sucked it up because if Olivette could do this, so could I. By the time we made it to the end, our parents looked frazzled and I knew I’d be sleeping with the light on tonight. “That was so awesome!” Olivette exclaimed. Once again, her excitement won me over. Our parents took us for ice cream before driving back home.
She was the only girl I knew who looked forward to haunted houses. I didn’t know if she still went to them since the last couple of Halloweens’ we hadn’t spent together, but I did know she didn’t spook easily. Although, s
omething had spooked her today by the look on her face. I needed to find out what.
Chapter 5
Olivette
I managed to stumble my way through the cheer performance, but I got lectured afterward by Leah. To say that she was less than impressed by my performance is an understatement. Chasity waited for Leah to finish and leave before entering the cheer room with me. “Are you okay?” she asked concern lacing her voice.
I nod. “Yeah, just having an off day. We all have them.”
“True, but when you came outside to join us you looked scared and like you had just seen a ghost. That’s not just an off day. Did something happen?”
I bite my bottom lip while trying to decide if I should tell her. I know she watched and read fantasy and supernatural things with me, but I don’t think she believes in them like I do. The only person who might come close to believing me would be Penn, but even he became skeptical the older we got. I had my doubts about him believing me now. There was Oski, but I hadn’t stepped foot in the Conjurer’s Apothecary in over two years. Showing up in his store seemed disrespectful now. “No, nothing happened,” I lie to Chasity because I don’t know how to tell her the truth.
The sky above is dark and gray, angry clouds have taken over the clear blue sky as we exit the school. “Do you think they’ll cancel the game?” Chasity asks.
I scoff. “Only if it starts raining cats and dogs. Otherwise the game will go on.” Our town rarely canceled a game. We had often cheered in raincoats. The stands were never empty; it didn’t matter the weather. Chasity and I are heading to our cars in the student parking lot when the sky opens up and begins to pour on us. Thunder and lightning take over as well. We sprint the rest of our ways to the cars, but we still get drenched.
I’m blasting the heater in my car to fight off that cold the clings to my skin from the rain by the time I pull into the driveway of my house. As I pulled past Penn’s house I noticed his car wasn’t in the driveway. On the way home, I had actually prepared myself to face Penn and explain what happened in the cheer room, but with his missing car, my courage starts to disappear as well.
Once I get into the house, I pop my cheerleading uniform into the dryer and try to warm up before the game. I plan to work on some of my homework, but somehow, I end up on the internet researching ghosts and urban legends. When I hear the front door shut I nearly jump out of my skin. Clearly, the events from this afternoon are still affecting me and I hate that. “Olivette?” my mom calls out from downstairs. By the sound of her voice she heard about my less than stellar performance this afternoon and is about to give me an earful.
I make my way downstairs and into the kitchen where she is putting some groceries away. I walk over and start to help her. “Hey mom, how was your day?”
“Good and yours?” she asks. I shrug because I can feel her eyes on the me without even looking at her. “You know I ran into Leah at the market just now. She said that something seemed off with you today.”
“It was just a bad day,” I comment with another shrug.
My mom makes a sound of disapproval. “Olivette, you know that your performance affects the whole team, not just you. If you are off so are they. They work incredibly hard and you should meet them halfway at least.”
Something in me snaps. “Meet them halfway? Really? You’re seriously saying that to me right now?” I ask turning around to face her. “Everything I do is for them. I give them one hundred percent every single day. For the past two years my entire life has been about cheerleading. I eat, breathe, and sleep cheerleading. How in the world can you tell me I don’t give them my all?”
“Don’t use that tone of voice with me, young lady. You slacked today, that is how I can tell you that,” she says with disdain in every word.
I shake my head. “I’m sorry I didn’t meet your expectations today. I’m sorry that I disappointed you. I’m sorry that I wasn’t perfect this one time but I’m tired, mom. I’m tired of being the perfect daughter for you guys. I’m tired of doing something that I don’t even care about. I could care less about cheerleading. I do that for you, not for me and it’s still not enough to make you happy. I’m never enough,” I tell her as I turn around and leave the kitchen. When I hit the staircase, I take the stairs two at a time.
I fall back on my bed, staring at the ceiling and think about how my life has changed and not in a good way. At least when I was nerdy Olivette hanging out with Penn, I was happy. I love Chasity, she’s like a sister to me but she’s the only part of this life now that has any happiness in it. I consider not going to the game tonight or the after party. I consider calling it all quits, but in the end, I get up a from my bed and get ready to cheer because I haven’t figured out how to stand up for myself yet.
My mother doesn’t speak to me as I leave for the game. My father has yet to make it home from work, another late night at work, I guess. When I step outside, the humidity from the rain earlier clings to my skin, instantly making me feel sticky. Looking up, I see the sky is dark once more, another storm threatening to unleash on us.
When I pull into the football field at the school I take a minute to collect myself. Checking my phone, I see I missed some texts from Chasity. I quickly send her an apology and head toward the sidelines to set up. Chasity spots me and jogs my way. “I’ve been worried about you.”
“I know I’m sorry. I had an argument with my mom and I don’t know, this day has just been weird,” I tell her. She wraps an arm around my shoulder. During the game thunder roars and lightning dances in the sky. In a way, it’s mesmerizing and for some reason I find myself thinking about Penn again. I haven’t thought about this much in the two years without him in my life. Something twists in my heart and I don’t know why.
As we’re getting ready for our half time show the sky opens up once more, unleashing rain and hail on us. Everyone starts to run for safety. The storm raged on and eventually the game was announced as canceled. Chasity looks over at me. “Well, you did say that it’d only happen if it rained cats and dogs and by the look of things, I’d say it did.” I nod once but something feels different in the air, but I can’t put my finger on it.
Chapter 6
Penn
I had watched Olivette during the entire pep rally. She was off the whole time. As much as I hated to admit it, I often only watch Olivette when the cheerleaders are performing. She definitely had a natural talent for it. She never missed a beat during the performance but today had been different. Olivette had been off beat most of the routine and that bewildered look in her eyes had never left.
I debated on going to her house after school and checking on her. I hated myself for even considering it. I hated myself for caring when she obviously didn’t care about me. She was fine throwing me to the curb for a set of pom-poms and quarterback boyfriend. Then again, she was Olivette, the first friend I ever had and probably still my best friend if you wanted to get right down to it. At the end of the day I couldn’t help but be concerned about her but on my way home I changed my mind.
I sat in my car going over what I could say to Olivette, but nothing ever came. Instead, I started my truck, pulled out of the school’s parking lot, and headed for Concord. Visiting with Oski seemed like the perfect idea right now. It’d be a good escape and maybe he could help me think of a way to talk to Olivette or maybe give me some advice on how not to care.
As I made my way to Concord I blasted Stone Broken through my truck, getting lost in the music. I wondered what Olivette listened to now days. Then I mentally kicked myself for being curious. It’s not that I hated her, but I also didn’t want to admit that maybe I missed her and our friendship.
The rain started to fall, a heavy rainfall. I loved these kinds of storms. I’d often sit near my window and watch as the lightning danced around the sky. I slowed my speed a little just to be safe. I spent so much time in Concord that I could probably drive here blindfolded. I already came over three times a week for boxing class and I’d usually sho
w up sometime over the weekend to visit with Oski. He was getting older, but it didn’t show. Oski hadn’t aged a day since we met him nine years ago. It was kind of crazy to think about.
I pull up next to the sidewalk of the Conjurer’s Apothecary, grabbing my book bag I dashed inside the store. The bell chimed as I entered. I stood on the welcome mat to dry off a minute. Oski appeared from behind the back curtain. Dressed in his usual attire he opened his arms to me. “Penn, so good to see you my boy.” He gave me a quick hug.
“I’m wet, Oski,” I tell him as if he can’t already tell.
When he steps back he gives me a smirk and I notice all the water stains on his clothes. “A little rain never hurt anyone,” he tells me before wagging his finger in the air. “Except for that wicked witch of the west.” I laugh at the comment while he smiles bigger. “Come on my boy, let’s get you dried off and some hot tea to warm you up.” Oski leads the way to the back room. Once we are seated at the table full of mismatched chairs with our tea steaming in the cups in front of us, Oski says, “I’m afraid I wasn’t expecting you today, Penn. I don’t have a legend for you.”
I shrug. “That’s okay. How about I return the favor. I stumbled upon a bunch of urban legends, basically one for each state. The one that really caught my attention the most was the Villisca Ax Murder House in Iowa.” I go on to explain in detail what I read about the house.
“Brutal murders like that can leave an energy behind,” Oski comments while scratching at his chin.
A thought has been in my mind since I was on my way into Concord, but I had decided against asking Oski about it. However, it seems my mouth has a different idea because the question comes without thought. “What do you know about our school or the land it was built on?”
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