Chapter 23 #2
“I don’t know why y’all look to me to motivate you.
You’ve got everything you need to go out on that field and nail not only your job as cheerleaders, but to nail your competition routine.
I can give you the outside perspective, show you what you can’t see yourselves, but each and every one of you has worked your asses off to be here, and it shows every time you take the field.
It shows every time you show up to practice.
I see it, your teammates see it, and tonight, the crowd will see it.
Tomorrow, the judges will see it. You’re going to be amazing, and that’s all I have to say.
I believe in you. If you make a mistake, keep going.
Make sure not a single hair touches the ground. Anything else, Marti?”
She smiled at him like a proud mama and his cheeks burned. “No, Coach, I think you summed it up. Now, finish your stretches. Game starts in fifteen minutes.”
Joe checked in with Genesis and confirmed that it was just nerves, that she was okay, and then he fist-bumped her and Terrell.
Joe and Marti waved at the kids as they climbed the steps to the bleachers.
They sat up a few rows from the bottom and to the left of the squad so he could see them, watch their lines, etc.
, but they would be on their own. Joe knew it was best to give them the autonomy to make their own decisions during the game.
It also freed him up to watch Leslie, which was actually his favorite sport.
Leslie was a physical coach. He moved up and down the field, he used gestures, he acted out his instructions…he was constantly in motion. They’d talked a few nights prior about his coaching style after a rehab session. In Leslie’s giant bed. With Leslie stretched out over Joe’s naked body.
“You know you’ve lost weight, right?” Joe had asked him. “Probably close to twenty pounds.” He’d run his hands over Les’s ass, under his boxer briefs. “Does this happen every season?”
Leslie had laughed, sucking in a breath when Joe’s fingers dragged between his glutes. “Yeah. I don’t eat as much and I move way more. And I work out more because I work out issues while I’m exercising.”
“A kinesthetic learner, huh?”
“Yeah, I’m real hands on,” Leslie had murmured as he’d held himself in plank position above Joe and kissed him…everywhere. Then he’d done push-ups, kissing Joe on the down position.
“I love hands on,” Joe had murmured as Leslie finally lowered himself between Joe’s thighs and demonstrated his love of hands-on work. Lips and tongue-on work as well.
“Before I lose your attention completely,” Marti said. “We need to talk about tomorrow.”
“Hmm?” Leslie had bent over to tie a player’s cleats and Joe had a perfect view.
“You two are a hot mess, you know that?”
Joe sighed and smiled at her with his chin resting against his palm. “We are, but I’ve never been this gobsmacked before.” He pressed his lips together and his eyes burned. “I love him, Marti. I can’t believe I waited so long.”
Marti squeezed his thigh. “You waited until the right time, that’s all. And I’m happy for you. But does that mean you’re staying permanently?”
Joe’s dreamy smile slipped. “I think so. But I definitely feel like that moment when you’re mid-stunt and you look down only to realize that no one is there to catch you.”
“That’s normal, Joe. Once you give your heart to someone completely, there’s an adjustment period.
And even still, sometimes you’ll wonder whether you’re as steady as you think you are, you’ll wonder what if…
but deep down you’ll know you’re solid, that your person isn’t moving, and they won’t let a hair touch the ground. ”
“Great. I feel so much better.”
Marti elbowed him and they both laughed as the announcer started the evening’s production.
The cheerleaders held up the poster for the team to run through and they cheered as the team ran out two at a time.
The seniors were introduced and had a moment to wave to the stands.
Then the senior cheerleaders were introduced and Marti and Joe shouted loudly for them.
Leslie’s coaching staff was honored while the crowd cheered and Joe and Marti stood up and waved when their names were called.
Joe and Leslie made eye contact across the field and Joe placed a hand over his heart.
Leslie nodded and smiled before joining the team’s huddle on the sidelines.
Once the game started, Joe’s attention was on his team…unless they were in between cheers, and then it was on Leslie.
Who did swear.
And Randy threw his clipboard on the ground.
The cheerleaders kept the crowd engaged and on their feet. The Jackets had a slim three-point lead at halftime as the football team ran off the field and Joe and Marti descended the steps to check in with the team captains before the cheerleaders performed.
“Make sure everyone’s shoes are tied and fix your shirts. Everyone better be tucked in. Brittany, fix your ribbon. Ivan, you and the hype team, make sure you keep those megaphones going and nail those twists at the end.”
“We got you, Coach.”
The team gathered together, Marti and Joe stuck their hands in and they all shouted “Jackets.” Joe and Marti moved out of the way and back up to the bleachers to watch the performance, both of them trying to appear calm, cool, and collected.
Joe brought his thumb up to his mouth, and then he shoved his hands in his pockets, looking around to be sure no Paytons were still out.
That’s when he saw the team coming out of the locker room. They trotted over to the sidelines and lined up in the endzone.
Then they started to cheer. “Hey, Jackets?” They stepped and clapped, mostly staying in rhythm.
The cheerleaders had lined up in their formation, but they gawked at the football team.
Finally Terrell yelled, “Yeah?”
“Hey, Jackets.”
“Yeah?”
“Introduce yourself— ”
The cheerleaders got with the program and answered back the football team’s “introduce yourself” cheer with “right on” and then the football team did their part…and ended with a bunch of them doing standing back tucks. Like Joe and Terrell had taught them.
See, the team realized how much they could improve with more workouts like Joe’s and so he’d been their guest trainer several more times, and several of the players had indeed come to tumbling clinics.
He clapped for them and pumped his fist, but their surprise wasn’t over. Joe looked to the goalpost closest to the locker rooms and found the coaching staff standing there clapping. Then the football team all took a knee to watch the cheerleaders.
In all of Joe’s years being involved with cheer, he’d never seen a football team support their cheerleaders like this. It was exactly the type of thing he and Leslie had said they wanted to see: the teams working together and supporting each other.
Mission accomplished.
God, he really needed to get some allergy pills or something. This burning in his sinuses had his eyes watering. That had to be it.
The music started and the squad exploded into action. Joe was thrilled to see everything go off without a hitch and the crowd went wild. He and Marti held hands the whole time, praying everything went smoothly so as to not jinx their performance the next day. They were perfect.
As soon as the squad hit their final stunt and finished with a bang, Joe and Marti raced down the steps—well, Joe was as careful as he could stand to be—and they ran out to meet the kids. There were hugs all around and high fives, the team all congratulating each other and squealing with elation.
Until Joe saw Terrell and Genesis.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he reached them. Genesis was crying and apologizing over and over.
“It’s okay,” Terrell said, but he held his hand against his stomach. When he looked up, his chin was quivering and his eyes were wide open.
“Let me see,” Joe said and Terrell held out his hand.
“Oh my God,” one of the kids said, echoing Joe’s thoughts. There was a tomato where his thumb had been before .
“I’m so sorry, Terrell. I came down wrong and caught his thumb—”
“Let’s go.” Marti led Terrell away from the group and over to the trainer’s table where Terrence immediately went to work. Terrell was quickly going into shock so it wasn’t long before Marti and Terrence made eye contact.
“Leonard ER,” Terrence said. “I’ll be there as soon as the game is over.”
Marti nodded and turned to Joe.
“Go,” he said to her. “I’ll take care of everything.”
“But competition,” Terrell said.
“We got it, man. Just go get looked at. Your mom will message me.”
Marti whisked Terrell out of the stadium and Joe sighed. Then he turned to face the team.
“And this, my friends, is why we have reserves. William, you know Terrell’s part, right?”
William nodded, looking a little shell-shocked.
“Okay. For the rest of the game I want you, Genesis, Sidney and Franklin to go work through the changes needed. Take whoever spots that part. Make sure you and Genesis can nail the stunts, and if not, we’ll try something else. We will be fine, got it?”
They nodded and trotted off a bit away from the rest of the squad, who were standing around trying to figure out what had happened.
“Coach Judd? What happened?” David asked.
“What happened could have happened to anyone. Accidents happen and sometimes a missed foot in a stunt means a broken thumb, other times it’s no big deal.”
“But what are we going to do?”
“We’ll work William into the routine and if that doesn't play out, we’ll go to plan B.” Whatever that is . “Plan to stay after the game. We’ll go over to the gym and do some run-throughs.”
Joe was surprisingly not losing his shit.
Losing Terrell was a big deal. William could do the stunts, but Terrell was front and center for the tumbling runs.
They’d work it out. They’d be fine. And Joe would take them on the bus tomorrow.
He had all the forms they needed, all official and shit, and he would handle it like the college had trusted him to do. It would be fine.
The second half started and Joe’s mind was whirring with all the things he needed to take care of. His phone buzzed.
I heard from Terrence. I’m so sorry.
He smiled down at his phone.
Thanks. It’ll be fine. Especially if I keep telling myself that.
Want me to come with you? Tomorrow? A second set of hands? I was going to drive down anyway.
Joe slumped a little in his seat. Yes, he very much wanted Leslie to come with. But would that be a sign of weakness? He didn’t care if it was. Leslie had gotten him into this mess in the first place, the least he could do was be there to hold him up.
Bus leaves at five. You sure?
He held his breath while the dots floated. Several plays went by on the field and Joe figured he was busy doing coachy stuff. When the Jackets lost control of the ball and defense took over, the dots reappeared.
See you then, Coach Twinkle Toes.
Joe held his phone to his chest and exhaled. Everything is better with Leslie.