“I’m great. You ready for the pep rally?” Drew asked
“Oh yeah, it’s going to be so cool. You look great today, by the way.” When Drew thanked her, she continued. “So, I hear you and Trevor have become a hot item.”
“News travels fast, doesn’t it?”
“So it’s true? You’re together now?” Sam seemed impressed.
“I suppose so. He’s asked me out on a date, and he wants to hang out all of the time. I don’t know that I would say that anything is official, though.”
“What a major development for freshman year. Way to go.”
Drew, proud of herself but wanting to stay cool, answered, “Well, we’ll see. He still has to pass a few tests.”
“Are you kidding me? He’s perfect. What tests could you possibly be talking about?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t thought of them yet.” Drew laughed at her admission. “I’m pretty much kidding. He is kind of perfect, isn’t he?” The girls dissolved into fits of giggles until their teacher reminded them to keep it down.
The cheerleading coach was grinning from ear to ear as she got her squads ready for the pep rally. “Girls, this is going to be a phenomenal year. It’s one of those times when everything has just fallen into place and it makes magic. Our football teams are so talented and stand a great chance of making it to the championships, the cheerleading squads are the most talented and creative teams I’ve ever had the privilege of coaching, and the school and community are energized and behind us like never before. That gymnasium is packed with people from throughout the community who have come here today to soak in your spirit. You girls, more than anyone else, drive the energy and the spirit that supports our teams and our schools. You need to go out there today with nothing on your mind other than getting energy from that crowd. Are you ready, girls?”
Every girl let out a shout of excitement, each one ready to not only raise school spirit but also to soak it in from the crowd. Drew’s heart was beating so fast; she was eager but nervous.
Finally, the double doors to the gym opened, and the cheerleaders were introduced first. The JV team was brought out before the varsity team. Each girl was introduced by name, at which time she would come into the gym, running the length of the gym floor, shaking her pom-poms and waving to the crowds in the bleachers that lined both sides of the gym. One by one, each girl had her moment to shine in front of the crowd. Drew was introduced last for her team. “And last, but certainly not least, we want you to meet our junior varsity squad captain, Drew Daniels!”
When she heard her name, Drew took off running toward the middle of the gym floor, did a round-off, a back flip, and then turned and waved her pom-poms at the crowd with a big grin on her face. She was a natural, and the crowd loved her energy and her big, beautiful smile. She soaked it all in and then jogged over to the side where her team was lined up.
The varsity team was introduced in the same way, and those cheerleaders lined up on the other side of the gymnasium. The two teams formed two parallel lines and waited for the big moment—the entrance of the football team. Each player was introduced, and they ran through the lines of cheerleaders to the sounds of cheering, shouting, jumping, and bouncing. The players really seemed buoyed by the experience, and the crowd loved every second of it.
When the introductions were over, the band played the school song and the cheerleaders got into formation and did their signature dance and cheer. The crowd went wild.
In the stands, Dani was sitting with her mom and dad. They were thoroughly enjoying themselves and cheering right along with the rest of the crowd.
“I really had no idea it would be like this,” Mrs. Daniels said. “Drew is going to have so many great high school memories if she sticks with this.” Mrs. Daniels snapped picture after picture of the celebration.
“Oh, believe me, she’ll be sticking with it.” Dani wondered if her mom would be so excited for Drew if she knew how serious Drew was getting about a boy—the captain of the football team, no less. Somehow, she doubted it.
Drew and her team moved to the sidelines and cheered as the coaches were introduced. Trevor came to stand by her while the coaches gave rousing speeches meant to continue stirring the crowd. Trevor and Drew stood together and looked comfortable together, like they had known each other for a long time. Dani wondered if her parents were noticing, but she was afraid to look for fear of drawing attention to the couple.
But when Trevor leaned down to whisper something in Drew’s ear, Dani couldn’t stand it any longer. She tried to look out of the corner of her eye at her mom. Dani’s mom slowly lowered the camera to her lap, and she leaned forward a bit. Her mouth was slightly open, and her eyes were wide in surprise. She nudged her husband, nodded toward the scene she was witnessing, and raised her eyebrows in question, wondering if he saw the same thing she did.
“Dani, who is that boy your sister is talking to?” Mom asked.
“That’s Trevor Jaymes. He’s the captain of the football team.”
“Oh, he’s the boy who called the other day, isn’t he?” Mr. Daniels asked.
“Is he a freshman, too?” Mrs. Daniels hoped so, even though it was clear that he was not.
“No, he’s a junior, Mom. He’s a nice guy, though.”
“I’m sure he is.…” Mrs. Daniels didn’t ask any further questions at that time, but Dani knew that they would stew in her head and she would have a lot to ask Drew later. Dani hoped she wouldn’t be around for that conversation.
Down on the floor, Trevor was asking Drew if she wanted to be his girlfriend. He understood that with their schedules there wouldn’t be much time for actual dates; but they would have a lot of time together due to their athletic activities, and they would fit private dates in wherever they could.
Drew beamed with pride and excitement. “Of course I want to be your girlfriend, Trevor. I really like being with you, and I think this year is going to be a blast.”
“Great. It’s settled then.” As a joke, he held up his hand for a high five.
She laughed and slapped his hand with a flourish. She was glad he didn’t try to seal the deal with a kiss or something. That was definitely not something she wanted to experience for the first time on a crowded gym floor in front of hundreds of people—including her parents.
It was six o’clock before Drew got home after practice that evening. She was eager to hear what her family had to say about the rally. It had been way too crowded and noisy to try to find them to chat after the rally was over, but she was sure they’d have a lot to say now. She was also a little nervous to find out if her parents had seen anything when she and Trevor were talking on the sidelines. Maybe it would be a good thing, a way to ease them into the idea. She knew, though, that she’d have to be careful how hard she pushed them at first. They would need time to get used to the idea.
“Hi, everyone, I’m home!” Drew announced as she walked into the house after practice. When she arrived at the entryway to the kitchen, she said, “Wow, Mom. It smells so good in here. I’m completely famished.”
“I figured you would be. I made your favorite—manicotti and garlic bread.”
“Oh, that’s awesome. Let’s eat!”
Over dinner, they were abuzz about the day’s goings-on. “Drew, I have to tell you, I was so proud of you today. I’m so excited for the experience you’re going to have in high school.” Mom beamed.
“Me, too,” Dad said. “I had a good time at the rally, and I think it’s wonderful how much school spirit and support is behind your teams. It’s inspiring. I’m still not thrilled with those short skirts,” he admitted. “But you did look great out there—a real natural.”
“Thanks, you guys. I can’t believe how much fun I’m having with it all. I really feel like I’m doing what I was meant to be doing right now.”
“That much is clear.” Mom paused to take a drink of her milk to wash down her food. “There’s something else that was clear, too.”
Drew groaned inwardly, knowing what was coming. “What’s that, Mom?” She feigned innocence.
“It’s pretty clear that you and that boy we saw you with have a bit of a crush on each other.”
“Who? Trevor?” Drew tried to act shocked, but her mom wasn’t buying it.
“You know who I mean. That dreamy boy who was talking to you like there was no one else around. What’s the deal there?”
“Well, I guess a crush is a good way to put it. You know how it goes, captain of the football team and cheerleading captain—it’s kind of a natural thing.”
“It may very well be,” her mom said, “but you are quite a bit younger than him. You aren’t ready for a relationship like he may be.”
Drew shot her sister a look, knowing that Dani must have told Mom how old he was.
Dad, having been quiet until then, jumped in. “I agree, Drew. You are too young to be in a relationship, and you are in the middle of so many other changes right now. Take it one thing at a time.”
“It’s not like I’m asking to be allowed to go on dates or anything,” Drew argued.
“Then what are you asking? Or what are you planning?”
“We just like each other. Neither of us really has time for dates or outside things, so we’re just enjoying the fact that we share our team athletics. I am in high school now, and this is part of it. There will probably be other boys as time goes on.”
“If that’s all it is, I can probably understand that,” Mom said. “But don’t think it’s going to turn into you going on private dates. That won’t be happening until you’re sixteen, and you know that.”
“I know, Mom. What about school-sponsored activities like dances and stuff like that?”
“Oh, that’s different. Of course you may go to dances like homecoming and prom. That’s all part of getting the full experience of high school; plus, they are chaperoned activities.”
Feeling like she had made huge strides, Drew decided that she had better quit while she was ahead. “May I be excused now? I really need to shower, and then I have homework to do.” With her parent’s agreement, Drew excused herself from the table and headed off for the shower, where she’d have a few moments to herself to daydream about all that had taken place that day. It was a day for the history books.
Chapter 9
INVISIBLE
Dani felt invisible when she was with Drew. Everywhere they went they were met with choruses of, “Hi, Drew.” “I like your hair, Drew.” “That’s a cute shirt, Drew.” Everyone seemed to want to talk to Drew and be her friend. They all knew her name, even though Drew knew only a handful of them.
It was much like any celebrity status, Dani realized; people just wanted to make a connection, no matter how small.
Drew squealed next to Dani, making her jump, as Trevor sneaked up behind her and covered her eyes with his hands, saying, “Guess who!”
“I know who it is, silly.” Drew giggled, and Dani rolled her eyes.
“You’d better know who it is. I mean, everyone else better keep his hands off,” Trevor teased possessively, making Drew smile even wider.
“Hi, Dani. How are you today?” he asked, trying to include Dani.
“Oh, I’m fine, thanks. You?”
“Just fine, now that I’ve seen my girl.”
“I have to run to class. I’ll see you two later.” Dani scurried off, mainly just to get away from the syrupy sweetness of young love that she was tired of enduring. As an afterthought, she turned to Drew and said, “It’s Tuesday, so wait for me out front after school, okay?”
“As always, sis. See ya then,” Drew promised, forgetting for a moment why Tuesday was different than any other day.
“Finally, a moment alone,” Trevor teased, because they were never really alone. Everywhere they went, their friends and other kids wanted their attention. Both of them loved it, though. They seemed made for each other, and everyone saw it.
Though he didn’t want to leave Drew, Trevor couldn’t afford to be late to class, since the coach always checked up on that. “I’d better get going, too. See you at lunch?”
“Of course. Save me a seat, okay?” Drew had farther to walk to the lunchroom, so Trevor always got there before she did. For a second she considered asking him to save a seat for Dani but then dismissed the idea because she didn’t think that Dani would want to sit with Trevor and his friends. It was just not her thing.
Racing to the lunchroom so she’d have as much time as possible, Drew got there in record time. She spotted Trevor and his friends in their usual spot and waved across the room. On her way to meet him, she passed by the table she used to share with her sister, who was already sitting in her favorite seat. “Here ya go, Drew.” She patted the seat next to her as Drew was about to breeze past.
“Oh … Dani … I thought you realized … I’ll be eating lunch at Trevor’s table from now on.” Drew nervously chewed on the side of her fingernail. She didn’t want to hurt Dani, but she was sure it was inevitable. “You’re welcome to join us.”
“I just didn’t think. Of course you’ll be eating with Trevor … I guess it just didn’t click.” Dani looked fine about what she was saying, but Drew knew her inside and out. Dani was crushed. It was a sad realization that she would be eating relatively alone from now on. Sure, there were other people who would be around, friends of theirs she could talk to, girls to joke around with while she ate her lunch. But the loss of the presence of the other half of her heart made the remaining half feel broken.
Drew pretended to believe that Dani was fine with it all and headed over to sit with Trevor. Somehow, though, her excitement had diminished and the sparkle was dimmed because she knew that she had disappointed her sister. Drew managed to put her guilt aside as soon as she saw how happy the group was to see her. She, a new freshman, was eating lunch at the table where all of the star football players and varsity cheerleaders ate. She beamed with pride while trying to maintain her composure so they wouldn’t know how excited she actually was.
“Hey, there’s my girl,” Trevor said above the loud lunchroom noises.
“Hey, you. I’m famished.What’s for lunch today?” Drew asked, sliding into the seat beside Trevor.
Sam informed her that the hot lunch was beef tips and noodles but that she wouldn’t eat something so fattening, so she was just having the salad option.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. I sure don’t want those extra calories either.” In reality, Drew would have loved the beef and noodles; it was one of her favorite hot lunches. But she surely didn’t want the group to think she wasn’t watching her weight. She went to the lunch counter and came back with a side salad and dinner roll, hoping it would tide her over until she got home that afternoon.
Lunch was a party of laughter and chatting. The time went too fast for Drew. While she did enjoy herself immensely, the whole thing was bittersweet as she watched her sister sit quietly across the lunchroom. Drew wondered for a moment if she had made a mistake. She didn’t want to choose her new friends over her sister. But then again, she reasoned, she shouldn’t be forced to. Her sister should want her to do the things that made her happy and to meet new people.
“Meet me after school outside the sports office?” Trevor whispered to Drew before they broke to head to their afternoon classes.
“I don’t think I can stay long. I have to meet Dani right after school today, but I can’t remember why. I could meet you for a few minutes, though,” Drew offered.
“A few minutes is all I need.” Trevor smiled suggestively, making Drew wonder what he was up to.
She laughed and said, “I can’t figure you out half the time. But all right, I’ll meet you there right after school for a few minutes.” She waved at the rest of the group as they all headed off in their separate directions. She had hoped to break away with enough time to see Dani before class, but Dani was already gone. Drew sighed and hoped that she could make it up to her at home later.
The final bell rang, si
gnaling the end of the school day. Drew hurriedly gathered her books and things and headed for her locker. She shoved everything in there—keeping the one book that she needed for homework—grabbed her purse, and hurried for the sports office, eager to find out why Trevor wanted to see her.
Walking down the corridor toward the sports office, Drew smiled and realized that she would be spending a lot of time in that corridor over the next four years. Spotting Trevor talking to his coach, Drew hung back for a moment, giving them space. As soon as he saw her, though, he broke away from his conversation, clapping the coach on the back, and headed over to her immediately. “I know you only have a couple of minutes, so let’s not waste a moment’s time.”
“Sounds good to me, I think. Where are we going?”
“Follow me.” He grabbed her hand and headed toward the exit that led to the football field. They walked quickly onto the field and then climbed into the bleachers.
After climbing all the way to the top of the bleachers, he pulled her down to the seat beside him. “Look out there.” Trevor pointed to the empty football field. “Have you ever seen it like this?” When Drew shook her head no, he continued. “I love seeing it empty like this. It reminds me of how big it really is. It’s amazing to me that it sits here lonely like this until we come and bring it to life. It really gets me charged up.”
“Oh, I can see what you’re saying. What a beautiful thought. You really can’t get the feel of the place when it’s full of people in the stands and players on the field. It’s nice to sit back and get to know the personality of it when it’s alone.”
“That’s exactly how I feel about it. It’s alive.”
Dare to Be Different Page 16