Emily blinked. This had to be a sign. The entire evening had to be a sign. Was the universe telling her to join Hashtag? For a moment, Emily closed her eyes and imagined herself as the next Serena. A former cheerleader turned rock star. It sounded pretty great.
Emily opened her eyes. Travis was staring at her intently. He reached out and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.
On impulse, she stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips.
Travis smiled. “What was that for?” he asked her.
“Yes,” Emily told him.
“Yes… what?”
“Yes, I’m officially joining Hashtag!” Emily announced. “But don’t you dare tell a soul until after Nationals! I don’t want to distract my squad. And I have to talk to my parents first, to make sure they’re okay with this. I’ll rehearse with you guys as much as I can between now and when we leave for Orlando. And I’ll be at the recording session on February sixteenth.”
“Are you serious?” Travis asked.
“I’m totally serious.”
Travis circled his arm around her waist and kissed her—a real kiss this time. When they stepped apart, Emily felt dizzy. Travis grinned, looking pleased.
Former cheerleader, rock star, girlfriend, Emily thought happily.
CHAPTER 15
The night air was cool as Devin stepped outside to load more boxes into the back of Emily’s family’s minivan. She was starving; she realized that she’d forgotten to eat dinner, although she had a vague memory of munching on baby carrots just before the event started. No wonder… Devin, Emily, Chloe, and Kate had worked all day to prepare for the fashion show, with Chloe and Kate slipping away for several hours to volunteer at Hearts Heal.
“You need help with those?” someone called out.
Devin turned. Mateo stood there, wearing a gray T-shirt and shorts, showing off his incredibly chiseled golden-brown arms and legs.
She was so taken aback to see him there that she dropped a heavy box of programs on her foot. “Ow!”
“Here, let me help you.” Mateo rushed over, knelt down, and lifted the box from her foot. He touched her foot where the bare skin showed over the top of her sneaker and caressed it lightly. “Are you okay? Did you hurt your foot?”
His gentle touch made heat rise to her cheeks. She stepped back quickly and barked, “I’m fine!”
Mateo stood up, a look of confusion clouding his face. His really cute face. “Just checking. Hey, the fashion show was awesome. You all did a great job.”
“You were there?” Devin asked casually.
Of course he’d been there. She’d spotted him the minute he walked into the gym and started helping out: setting up the catwalk stage, arranging the folding chairs, running around the campus searching for extension cords.
She’d also noticed him in the audience as she strutted self-consciously down the runway in her green velvet dress. (Her only preparation for her modeling gig had been to watch some fashion show clips on YouTube.) The dress had been donated by a vintage boutique called Old-School Glamour and had a low beaded neckline and sheer chiffon sleeves. Mateo had beamed and given her two thumbs up as she spun around awkwardly and disappeared behind the curtain. As she’d listened to the applause, she’d found herself wondering if Mateo liked her outfit.
“Yeah, I was there,” Mateo said, smiling at her curiously. “You looked really pretty.”
Devin smiled back, then felt guilty. She’d resolved to be a better, more devoted girlfriend to Josh—why did she still care what Mateo was thinking? “Um, thanks.”
“You’re welcome. So let me give you a hand with the rest of those.”
They fell silent as they finished loading the remaining boxes into the Arellanos’ van. Devin’s mind raced. It had been less than a week since Josh had told her the news about his little sister, Josie. Devin had seen Mateo every day in history class. They’d also spent two study hall periods working on their mock-trial project together. For the most part, she’d managed to ignore her feelings for him. It’s just a dumb crush, she’d told herself repeatedly. You’ll get over it. Josh needs you.
But for some reason, tonight was different. Maybe it was the way Mateo had looked at her on the runway. Or the way he was looking at her now, as though there was something he really, really wanted to tell her.
Was it possible that he had a crush on her, too?
Mateo’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Hey, Devin?”
“What?”
“Granola bar?”
“Excuse me?”
Mateo reached into his backpack and handed her a granola bar. “I thought you could use it. I heard your stomach rumbling just now.”
Devin giggled with embarrassment. No wonder he’d been staring at her. “You did? I’m sorry! We were so busy today, I ended up skipping dinner,” she explained.
“That’s no good. What are you doing now? We could walk over to the Snack Shack,” Mateo offered. “Or better yet, do you like waffles? There’s a new twenty-four-hour diner around the corner, and they have the best waffles.”
Oh. Devin unwrapped the granola bar and bit into it, stalling. Did he think she was hinting for him to ask her out with that stupid I ended up skipping dinner comment? She’d never eaten waffles late at night. It sounded fun.
But it didn’t matter. She absolutely couldn’t go out with him. Besides, now was her chance to establish some boundaries between the two of them, once and for all. I’m so sorry, I meant to tell you before, but I already have a boyfriend.…
“That sounds great, but I can’t,” Devin said finally. “I have to… um… help Emily with some other stuff.… And then her family’s driving me home,” she rambled on. “My mom was here, but she had to go straight to the hospital for her shift, and I promised her I’d be home by eleven, latest.”
Mateo nodded. He looked a little disappointed. “Sure. Another time. See you in class on Monday.”
Devin waved good-bye and stared after him as he turned and left.
I am such a jerk, she thought miserably.
Josh texted Devin just as she was going to bed.
Do u have time to Skype? I want to hear all about the fashion show.
Devin hesitated for a moment before she typed back:
Laptop on the fritz. Plus crazy-tired. Can we talk tomorrow?
Josh typed:
Yes. Miss u.
Devin replied:
Miss u 2.
Devin put her phone on her nightstand and clicked off the light. Emerald jumped up onto the bed and curled into a ball at her feet, purring.
Devin sighed, hating herself for having lied to Josh.
Her laptop wasn’t on the fritz. She wasn’t too tired to talk on the phone.
And at the moment, Josh wasn’t the guy she was missing.
She was lying to everyone tonight—including herself.
CHAPTER 16
Kate rushed out of the locker room, feeling like a nervous wreck. The team was leaving for Orlando on Thursday, and she still had a million things to do. Plus, she was worried that she might be coming down with something; her throat felt scratchy, and her head throbbed. She probably should have stayed home, but she hadn’t wanted to skip her English test or her algebra quiz. She was already missing three days of school for Nationals, and she didn’t want to fall further behind.
The past week and a half since the fashion show had been a frenzy of practices, showcases, tumbling classes, one game, and two meetings with the choreographer to make last-minute tweaks to their routine. Today was their last regular practice before Nationals. Coach Steele had given the girls tomorrow off so their muscles would have a break and they could rest up for the trip.
Of course, Kate hadn’t even started packing yet. Even though she was organized with her schoolwork, packing for trips was something she always left until the last minute.
And right now, she was daydreaming of curling up in bed with a good book, instead of figuring out what outfits would be
right for the Orlando weather.
“Hey, Kate?”
Kate turned around. Willow, Adam’s friend, stood there smiling at her. She was wearing a green peasant top and funky jeans that Kate would never dream of wearing.
Kate took a deep breath and tried to look friendly. Adam wanted to be with her, not Willow. Kate got that now. But that didn’t mean that she had to be friends with Willow, did it?
“Hey, Willow. I like your top,” Kate managed.
“Thanks! Are you busy? Do you have time to go for a cup of coffee?” Willow asked her.
Kate hesitated. Why did Willow want to hang out with her?
Willow seemed to sense her hesitation. “Look, I feel like you and I got off on the wrong foot. You’re important to Adam, and he’s my friend. I want us to get along.”
“Oh! I really appreciate that, Willow. It’s just that we’re leaving for Nationals the day after tomorrow, and I have to go home and pack, and—” Kate began.
“Which is all the more reason you need a little break. It’ll be fun—just us girls, I promise!” Willow said sweetly.
Kate ran through her mental to-do list. Go home, set the table for dinner, help with Garrett and Jack’s bedtime, walk Scout, do two hours of homework, do a load of laundry, pack, then go to bed. Which meant that she had zero time for coffee with Willow.
Willow grabbed her wrist. “Come on. My treat. I really want to hear more about Nationals! Adam told me they’re going to close Hollywood Studios on the last night and throw a private party for all the cheerleaders who, you know, cheer-led. I’ve never even been to Disney World. You are soooo lucky.…”
I’ll only stay for a minute, Kate thought as she glanced around the Mighty Cup. Emily’s brother Eddie wasn’t behind the counter tonight. In fact, Kate didn’t recognize a single person at the café.
Willow walked over with two identical cups and set one down in front of Kate. “It’s a double-shot macchiato, my favorite,” Willow explained. “My family and I drank these constantly when we went to Venice for Carnevale last year.”
Kate blinked. “What’s Carnevale?”
“You don’t know? It’s their version of Mardi Gras. Big street celebration, lots of fancy costumes and masks, everyone acting wild and crazy!”
“Oh.” Kate took a sip of the macchiato. Ugh. It was even more bitter and unpleasant than the latte she’d had here with Adam.
“Anyway… tell me about this Nationals thing. Is this your first big competition?” Willow asked.
Kate shook her head. “No. We had to compete in Regionals down in LA last November to qualify. The whole thing was actually sort of stressful because my friend Chloe—she’s one of the captains—sprained her ankle right before and had to sit out. And then our friend Emily almost didn’t make it in time. But everything worked out in the end. We came in second place.”
“Cool. Second place suits you.” Willow tipped back her cup. “Have you always wanted to be a cheerleader?”
“Um, yeah, basically,” Kate replied, still processing Willow’s backhanded insult. “Chloe, Emily, and I have been best friends since we were in elementary school. Chloe’s older siblings were these superstar cheerleaders at Northside. I guess the three of us looked up to them. We wanted to be them.”
“I never saw the appeal of cheering myself, but I can respect it,” Willow remarked, pushing her glasses up her nose.
Kate frowned. She wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or another weird insult. Or a little of both. Maybe it was time to change the subject. “What do you like to do, Willow?”
“Hmmm, let’s see. I love movies, especially anything foreign or horror. Astronomy, philosophy, and linguistics are my favorite subjects; I took them last summer at the university. And I’m in the NHS debate club, too.”
“I know. So is Adam. He really likes the teacher in charge. Mr. Foster, right?”
“Yeah, Foster’s tolerable. Adam and I are thinking of switching to drama club, though. They meet on the same nights.”
Kate was startled. She had no idea that Adam was interested in the drama club. “Really? He hasn’t mentioned that,” she said out loud.
“He probably just forgot. Auditions for the spring play are next week. Romeo and Juliet. He’s going to try out for the part of Romeo, and I’m going to try out for Juliet. We’ve been rehearsing a lot after school,” Willow said.
“You… have?”
“I swear, that boy is such a good actor,” Willow gushed. “And he’s an amazing kisser, too. But you probably already knew that, right?”
Kate froze. “I’m sorry… what?” she finally managed.
“He and I have been rehearsing act one, scene five. The part where Romeo and Juliet have their own private party after the Capulets’ banquet? ‘If I profane with my unworthiest hand / This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: / My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand / To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.’ Soooo romantic!”
Kate felt her cheeks burn and a pit form in her stomach.
“Hey, Kate? Are you okay?” Willow asked, her blue eyes wide. “It doesn’t bother you, does it? The thought of Adam and me kissing? Seriously, it’s no big deal.”
This can’t be happening, Kate thought.
“Besides, you two aren’t exclusive, right?” Willow pressed.
Kate shook her head numbly.
“That’s what I thought! I’m so relieved, because he’s coming over this weekend to hang out. You know, while you’re at Nationals?”
No, no, no.
Willow smiled innocently. “Don’t worry. It’s just a kiss for rehearsal. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Kate stood up quickly, knocking over her awful cup of macchiato. Everyone in the café stared.
Willow handed her a napkin. “Oh, no, Kate! Are you okay? Did I say something to upset you?”
Kate didn’t answer. She picked up her bags and ran out of the Mighty Cup, fighting back tears.
And not succeeding.
CHAPTER 17
“Oh. My. Gawd,” Emily exclaimed. “I can’t believe we’re really here!”
Chloe leaned across her friend and craned her neck to peer out the window. A long red, white, and gold sign that spelled out ESPN WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS welcomed the Disney’s Magical Express bus that had picked up the NHS JV cheerleaders, Coach Steele, and half a dozen parent chaperones (including Chloe’s mom and dad) at Orlando International Airport. Palm trees swayed in the balmy breeze as the bus turned and headed toward the girls’ hotel. Chloe spotted a couple of great blue herons grazing on a grassy patch by a pond. In the distance, the Florida sky was dusky and pink as the sun set on the horizon.
Chloe lifted her phone to the window and snapped a bunch of pictures in rapid succession. She planned to post photos from the trip on a Tumblr she had created for the JV team.
Coach Steele spoke briefly to the bus driver, then half stood and turned to face her cheerleaders. “Listen up, ladies! We’ll be at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort in just a minute,” she called out. “I’m sure I don’t need to remind you to stay close together and not to wander off. You’re not here to explore. You’re not on vacation. We’ve been traveling all day, so we will be taking it easy tonight. Our agenda is as follows: we will check into the hotel, unpack our bags, eat a healthy dinner at the food court, and go to bed early. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Coach!” everyone yelled.
“Good.” Coach Steele turned and sat back down. The girls resumed gabbing and taking pictures of the passing scenery.
“I’m so excited I might pee my pants,” Emily said to Chloe, practically bouncing up and down in her seat.
Chloe laughed. “Please don’t, since I’m sitting next to you! Although I know exactly what you mean. And we haven’t even gotten to our hotel yet. Or the Field House!” she reminded her friend.
The Nationals competition would take place in several different stadiums at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Their team would be competing in
the Field House, which was the biggest. Chloe had already checked out the entire complex online. The images of the Field House were really spectacular—and a little intimidating, too. The place was huge!
Chloe had also taken a look at the Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort’s website. The hotel looked super-fun. Everything there was sports-themed, from the decor to the dining. The food court where they would be eating was called the End Zone.
Leila leaned across the aisle and smiled coolly at Chloe and Emily. “My family comes to Disney World on vacation, like, every year. So this isn’t that exciting for me,” she announced.
“That’s so interesting, Leila. Thank you for reminding us all how special you are,” Emily replied sarcastically.
Leila narrowed her eyes at Emily—and Chloe, too. But Chloe wasn’t fazed. Not even Leila’s attitude could ruin her good mood. They were at Nationals! As far as Chloe was concerned, today was the first day of what promised to be the best, most exciting weekend of her life—no matter what the outcome.
The hotel lobby swarmed with hundreds of cheerleaders, along with coaches, parents, and random fans. Chloe saw a few groups of girls outside, practicing their stunts on the grass as a crowd looked on.
I guess those girls aren’t taking it easy tonight, she thought, a little nervously.
She spotted the Breckenridge team across the lobby. Their top-of-the-line teal, white, and glittery orange jackets and matching pants were unmistakable.
Breckenridge was Northside’s number one rival back home. Ironically, their coach, Bryan Regan, was Coach Steele’s old friend and college teammate. He had coached for Northside years ago, before leaving to work for the Bulldogs. The administration had hired Coach Steele to fill his spot and bring the Timberwolves cheerleaders back up to elite status.
Chloe saw Coach Regan rounding up his team as they checked in. She also saw their captain, Karen Gelb, taking pictures with her phone. Chloe had met Karen at cheer camp last year and not come away with a good impression. Among other things, Karen had acted totally smug about the fact that the Breckenridge girls won the Top Banana, the camp’s highest honor, at the end of the summer session.
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