For my best friend, Roxy
Chapter 1
Skye and Roxy were sitting in the middle of Skye’s bedroom floor getting ready for the first football game of the season. They were cheerleaders at their Vermont high school.
“I can’t believe it’s the first game already, Skye! It feels like this week flew by.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. But just think, we get to rock our Jaguar print tonight!”
Roxy sat at Skye’s mirror doing her makeup. “That’s true. Hopefully the game won’t last forever and we beat the Bulldogs.”
Skye just laughed a little at Roxy’s comment. “You’re lucky you’re putting on your makeup or I would’ve thrown a pillow at you! How can you not be excited about the game tonight? We get to wear our cute little skirts and hair bows again!”
Roxy just looked over at Skye and smiled. “I guess you’re right. It is nice to be able to wear these again.”
Roxy and Skye were best friends with very different personalities. Skye was always up for a party. She loved showing off her long, tan legs while flirting with the football players. She was gorgeous. Her long black hair and blue eyes drew anyone’s attention.
Roxy was the opposite. She has an outgoing personality, but likes to keep to herself and focus on school. She was a beautiful girl, too. Her blonde hair was long and curly. She had big, green eyes that really sparkled when the sun hit them. It was her job to help keep Skye grounded.
“Well, I guess we better get going,” Skye said as she straightened her hair bow. “Ready?”
The girls grabbed their pom-poms and duffle bags and left the house. “We’ll see you at the game, guys!” Skye called to her parents as they walked out the door.
Skye’s parents never missed anything their daughter did. Whether it be cheering at a football game, or receiving an honor at school for academic achievements, they were there.
“So do you think the Jaguars actually have a chance this season?” asked Roxy as she and Skye walked to the stadium.
“I hope so. Last season wasn’t our best. I don’t think we ever stunk so bad!”
The girls laughed as they turned the bend. Jaguar stadium was only six blocks away from where Skye lived. Walking to and from the games was not a big deal.
The girls walked onto the field and met up with some of the other cheerleaders. “It’s about time you two showed up!” exclaimed Maddie as she gave the girls a hug. She was the senior captain of the squad, with Skye being co-captain. “Let me guess, Skye had to make sure everything was perfect?” she said with a wink.
Skye and Roxy got along with Maddie. They liked her company, even if they did not really hang out much outside of practice and Friday night games.
It was a warm night for the first game, not that Skye was complaining. She would much rather it be warm than cold. She liked wearing the cheer skirts a lot more than their warm-up pants.
It was six thirty, and the stadium was starting to fill up. The Bulldogs have arrived and were on the field warming up. Being on the field again with the stadium lights shining over top made Skye even more aware of how much she was going to miss the season. Knowing this was going to be her final season was really beginning to set in.
“You okay, Skye?” Roxy asked as she squeezed her best friend’s hand.
“Yeah. It’s just a weird feeling knowing I won’t be down here for the first football game again after this. We have all season, but this just kind of hits home.”
“Smile, girl! We’ll come back to the games next season. We can sit in the stands and actually watch the game for once.”
The two girls began laughing to themselves. Roxy was right. Even though they will attend Green Mountain College next year, they can still come back every Friday night to watch their Jaguars play.
Both the Jaguars and the Bulldogs returned to their locker rooms before the game itself started. Skye and Roxy, along with the cheerleading squad, went to line up by the Jaguars tunnel.
“Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, are you ready for your Jaguar football!?” The announcer was heard all through the stadium as the crowd erupted with excitement. Skye did not even realize the marching band had taken the field. They were lined up outside the tunnel waiting for the team to run through them.
The announcer began to announce the football team as each player ran in-between the cheerleaders. With every one, Skye, Roxy, and Maddie, along with the other twelve girls on the squad, cheered and waved their pom-poms at the players.
“Please rise and remove your hats as the marching band honors America.”
The band played through the Star Spangled Banner, their Alma Mater, and their Fight Song before leaving the field. The cheerleaders followed suit to allow the players to warm up on the field.
Skye was able to see her and Roxy’s parents in the stands cheering them on. Neither of their parents really cared about the football game itself, they just came to support their daughters.
The cheerleaders were really getting the crowd going. In-between plays, Skye and Roxy would get thrown into basket tosses. Other girls would get put into holds while holding up signs that read “Let’s,” “Go,” and “Jaguars.”
Three hours later the football game had ended. The Bulldogs had beat the Jaguars 37 to 30. It was not the way Skye wanted to start her final season, but she still had nine more games to go.
Chapter 2
Skye was over by the bleachers putting her pom-poms back into her duffle bag. Roxy was in the stands talking to her parents and some of the other girls had already left. The Jaguars lost their first game and Skye could not help but feel defeated. This wasn’t the way the season was supposed to start.
“Hey, Skye, you ready?” She did not even notice Roxy was standing above her.
“Yeah, sure.”
The girls left the stadium to head back to Skye’s for the night. It was a tradition they have had since they were in middle school. The two were inseparable.
“What is it, Skye? You’re never quiet!” Roxy laughed as she gave her friend a playful shove.
“It’s just tonight. I didn’t think it would bother me as much knowing it was our first game and not our last, but it just didn’t feel right knowing we would never have another first game as a cheerleader again.”
Roxy looked over at her friend and smiled, as a way to let her know she understood. “Yeah, you’re right. It got to me a little bit, too.”
Skye’s parents were already home by the time the girls got there. They were excited to embrace their daughter after her game.
“We’re proud of you, honey.” Skye’s dad, Tom, said as he kissed her on top of her head. “You both did very well.”
Skye’s parents, Tom and Cathy, were very loving parents. They would do anything for their daughter, and for Roxy, too. Roxy was their unofficial adopted daughter. It seemed only right since she spent so much time over their house. They even started to introduce Roxy to everyone as their ‘other daughter.’
“Do we have any popcorn? I think Roxy and I are just going to kick back and watch a movie tonight.”
“There should be some in the pantry,” Cathy replied.
Skye and Roxy changed out of their cheer uniforms and into their pajamas. Roxy does not even need to pack any clothes with her when she stays over. Half of what is in Skye’s bedroom belongs to Roxy and vise versa for when Skye stays over Roxy’s house. Since the girls are the same size, they can just borrow each other’s clothes, too, if they wanted.
“Knock, knock” Cathy said as she entered the girls’ room. “Just wanted to tell you both to have a good night.”
“Thanks, mom.” said Skye.
“Thanks, mom!” Roxy said with a smile.
> The two girls laughed again before telling Skye’s parents good night.
“I love that they treat me like family!”
“Well, why wouldn’t they? You might as well be their other daughter. You practically live here!”
The girls walked downstairs to the kitchen to make their popcorn. When you are waiting to watch a movie, the one minute, forty-five second microwave time feels like two hours.
“What movie do you want to watch tonight?” asked Roxy, who was looking through some DVDs.
“It doesn’t matter to me. I think it’s your turn to pick anyway.”
Skye came in from the kitchen carrying a big bowl of popcorn with extra butter thrown on top.
“That smells amazing! Just what we need after tonight.”
Roxy was still looking through the movies when she came across Who Framed Rodger Rabbit. “How about this?”
Skye has not watched that movie since she was a kid. “Sounds good to me!”
The girls sat on the couch under a blanket. Skye always insists that if they have a movie night they need to watch them while cuddled up under blankets. It was either that or make a fort, and they both agreed they were too old to make forts.
By the time Valiant figured out the mystery of the movie, the popcorn was gone and both girls were sound asleep on the couch. They were both exhausted from school and cheering at the game that night. When Tom came downstairs to check on them, he did not even bother waking them up. Instead he turned off the television, took their empty bowl to the kitchen, and turned out the lights.
Chapter 3
The weekend had come and gone. Skye and Roxy were back in school waiting for their first class to start. The weekend was a much needed relaxation for the girls.
“Not sure about you, Rox, but I really feel refreshed! I think I’m ready to tackle anything that comes my way today!”
Skye was sitting behind Roxy in their anatomy class. Roxy begged Skye to take the class with her. She kept saying how much fun it would be to have all of their classes together for their senior year. Truth be told, it was. Skye enjoyed Roxy’s company. It really was as if they were sisters.
Roxy just continued to write in her notebook. “Yeah, I hear ya girl. I’m ready for the day to get started.”
As they were waiting to begin, a boy neither of the girls recognized walked into their class.
Mr. Valentine was over in the front talking to him while pointing to the empty desk next to Skye.
Skye quickly took out her phone to text Roxy.
Skye: OMG he’s cute!
Roxy sent an eye roll emoji back at her. She could hear Skye chuckling behind her.
Roxy was used to Skye sending her messages about other boys. It is not that Roxy was not interested, it is just that Skye never gets herself into relationships. She just likes to flirt and have a good time.
“Now class, it’s the second week of school so it’s time for us to really dig into the human body. For the next few days we will focus on the different tissues that our body’s are composed of.”
Mr. Valentine was standing in front of the class with the clicker for his PowerPoint presentation. Even though it was a high school class, it was treated as if it were a college lecture. Mr. Valentine did give his students a chance to write down all the notes on the screen before continuing, which was good since Skye had a hard time paying attention in her classes.
The bell rang to signify the end of the first period. “Only six more to go” Skye said under breath.
She and Roxy left class without introducing themselves to the new kid. To be honest, Skye just kind of forgot he was there. All she could think about was lunch.
“Only two more periods to go before we can get some food!” Skye said as her stomach growled.
“You skipped breakfast again?” Roxy reached into her Michael Kors purse and pulled out a protein bar.
“Here, you need this more than I do.”
“Thanks, Rox. I don’t know what I would do without you!”
The girls stopped by their lockers before heading to their Spanish class. They dropped off their anatomy book and notebook and exchanged it for their Spanish book, chemistry book, and both notebooks. Since their chemistry class is upstairs, they will not have time to stop by their lockers again without being late.
“I wonder what the new kid’s name is. I didn’t even think about asking him. My stomach had me a little occupied.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find out eventually. He was pretty cute.”
Skye and Roxy entered their Spanish class and took their seats. Señora Velasquez was writing on the chalkboard. They were going to have a lesson on how to identify the different food that you can find at a grocery store.
“At least it seems like an easy day today,” Roxy said as she pulled out her notebook and pen.
Like always, Señora Velasquez began by asking the class how they were doing. No one was allowed to speak in English during the class, unless they truly had a question on what she was explaining. For the most part, Skye enjoyed this class. It was different than the other hard-core study classes that Roxy insisted they take together.
Skye was smart, but she did not like to study. She would much rather go out and have fun than sit at home doing homework. If it was not for Roxy, Skye would not have the grades that she does. Roxy helps Skye to apply herself where Skye helps Roxy to live a little. They truly balance each other out. They were their own yin yang.
As the bell rang to end the second period, the girls headed upstairs to their chemistry class. Since they were seniors, and had taken all of the other chemistry classes, they were left with Organic Chemistry. Skye hated anything that had to do with chemistry itself, but the thought of drawing all the molecules out on paper seemed fun enough.
After their chemistry class, the rest of the day was smooth sailing. Skye and Roxy grabbed lunch in the school cafeteria. Thanks to Roxy’s protein bar, Skye was not even hungry during lunch.
“You’re not going to eat anything?” asked Roxy as she sat there with her pepperoni pizza and salad.
“I might pick at my salad a little bit, but other than that probably not. I’ll be okay the rest of the day, though.” Skye said with a smile.
“At least all that’s left for the day is psychology, English, and statistics. I can live with this.” Skye said in-between bites of her tiny salad.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that!”
Roxy and Skye finished their lunch just as the bell was ringing.
“So to our lockers?” Roxy asked as they took their trays up.
Since their last three classes were all upstairs, they just grabbed their books for them.
“No use going back downstairs to walk up them again,” Skye said. She really hated anything that took extra work. It amused Roxy.
As they entered their psychology class, they noticed the new kid was in there, too. This time Skye was able to get a really good look at him. He had dark brown hair with dark brown eyes to match. He was tan, like Skye, and built very well. He had the physique similar to a body builder.
Skye looked at Roxy with a playful grin and the two girls took their seats. The new kid was seated at the opposite end of the room, so Skye could not talk to him.
“I wonder if we’ll have any other classes with him or if anatomy and psychology will be all?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure it won’t take long for you to talk to him, though.”
Ms. Brandy was patiently waiting for her class to settle before beginning the lesson.
“Now class, I would like to begin.”
As she spoke, the class fell silent. Ms. Brandy was one of the most respected teachers at their school. She would do a lot for the students, even those whom she had never taught. Her life goal was to help everyone succeed and become the best they can be.
“Very good. Please turn your books to page thirty three. I would like to go over operant conditioning.”
Skye could feel the new kid looki
ng over at her. It was almost like a burning sensation on the side of her face. Every time she would look over at him he would turn his head away, as if he were ashamed he had been caught. This made Skye smile to herself. She took out her phone and sent Roxy a quick text.
Skye: Rox I think he might be trying to flirt with me
Roxy felt her phone vibrate but did not check it. She was too busy taking notes and listening to the lecture that she did not care.
Once class was over, Skye stayed seated a little longer. Their English class was the next room over so they did not have to go very far.
“What are we waiting for Skye?”
“Shhh. I want to see if he says anything to me. Just pretend like I said something funny.”
This was their normal routine. Skye likes a boy, Roxy tries to help Skye out, Skye flirts a little, and then she moves on. Skye has never had a real relationship with anyone before. She just never found anyone interesting enough to stay with.
As the two were talking, the new kid looked over at Skye and then just kept on walking by. Skye sat there dumbfounded that he did not say anything to her. Not even a wave or a smile.
Roxy must have noticed the disappointment on Skye’s face.
“Come on, girl, let’s go to our next classes. He might just be shy.”
“Yeah, I guess he could be. Maybe we can break him out of his shell.”
Roxy and Skye went to English. The new kid was not in this class. English was boring to Skye today. All they did was sit around and read out of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
On their way to statistics, they passed the new kid in the hallway. He did his best to avoid everyone. Skye kept looking at him waiting to see what he would do, but he just continued walking down the hall and into the economics room.
“Well, that was rude!” said Skye as they entered their final class. “I mean, he didn’t even look at me!?”
“It’s okay. Not everyone is going to like you. Like I said, he could just be shy. Give it time maybe.”
They wrapped up their day and left to head over to Roxy’s house. If he will be here all school year then Skye was determined to make him talk to her. She would not go out of her way and make a fool of herself, but she at least wanted to know his name.
Dark Moonlight: Lunar Rising Page 1