Chapter Thirteen Vaughn
Chapter Thirteen
Vaughn
I’m at the field ten minutes before six. It helps that we just finished practice thirty minutes ago, so I was already here. But regardless, there’s no way I’m screwing this up twice.
Lacey is on the sidelines where the cheerleaders stand during games as I walk up. She’s in her uniform, but she has a zip-up jacket on over it.
Her face sparkles as I get closer. Glitter dots her cheekbones on the right side. Written in blue are the letters FLH above our Knights logo.
“You’re early,” she says as she attempts to drag a large duffel.
“Better than late, right?” I drop my backpack and move to help her. “Where do you want it?”
“Just over there.” She points to the side of the bleachers, and I carry the heavy bag.
“What’s in this?”
“Extra uniforms and pom-poms in case anyone forgets something, air cannons, a bunch of shirts to toss in the crowd, stuff like that.”
After I set the bag down, I glance around. She’s the only one here, but the cheerleaders’ section is all set up, complete with the signs they make for every home game. They are stacked up, but I can tell there are a bunch. The top one says, It’s a great day to be a Knight!
“Where’s everyone else?”
“A few of the girls are in the locker room getting ready. The others will be here soon.” She picks up the sign from the top of the stack and moves toward the fence. She starts taping it to the metal pole. “You can grab another one if you want.”
Nodding, I do, and I follow behind her as we decorate the fence line around the field in glittery signs. She’s back to giving me the silent treatment, but she’s agreed to help me, so I guess that’s all that matters.
By the time we’ve finished, the squad is here, along with the band director, who prepares for the half-time performance of our marching band, and the opposing team’s bus has arrived.
“Thank you,” Lacey says when we’re finished.
More people are starting to file in. The concession stand window opens and parents of players take their seats in the bleachers.
“Grab a seat in the front row at the end.” She nods toward the spot just behind where the cheerleaders are gathered. “I’ll come up as soon as I make sure the squad is good to go.”
“Okay.” Any hesitation I have about this is too little, too late. I need her help, and if it means getting tutored at a football game, then I guess that’s what it takes.
I pull out my notebook and the study guide she made for me. I’m reviewing the first section when Lacey finally takes a seat next to me.
“Sorry,” she says, sitting close enough that her sweet floral scent wraps around me. “Someone lost a bow, our mascot can’t find his head, and my best spotter has a wrist sprain.”
She leans over my books and stares down to see where I’m at with algebra.
But I’m distracted by the freckles on her face.
They’re barely distinguishable from the glitter and span out from her nose on either side.
She purses her lips. They’re coated with some shiny lip gloss tonight and a strand of hair from her ponytail is stuck to the corner.
Without thinking, I reach forward and brush the pads of my fingers on the side of her face to pull it free. Lacey glances up, confusion mixed with surprise.
Well, shit. This is awkward. I clear my throat, but it’s still gruff as I speak.
“Sorry. You had a hair stuck.” I wave my hand around the side of my mouth.
“That happens,” she says, running a hand down the length of her ponytail. “So, what do you think?”
“I think maybe you should not wear lip gloss then.”
She laughs. “I meant about the problem you’re working on.”
“Right.” I force my gaze back down to the paper, but even as she talks me through it, I can’t help but sneak glances at her mouth. When she smiles, she gets this tiny little dimple in her right cheek.
Lacey’s a gorgeous girl. I’ve always known that. It’s just a fact, like she’s a cheerleader or she drives a Bronco. Lacey is hot.
I’ve never felt the need to stare at her before, though, so why can’t I stop staring at her now?
* * *
When the game is about to start, Lacey joins the rest of the cheerleaders on the field.
They stand at one end where the players will run out.
Lacey and Andie hold a large blue banner, one on either side, that reads GO KNIGHTS GO!
Rowan drops down on the seat next to me. “I thought you were grounded.”
“I am.”
“Weird. I thought that meant no extracurricular activities or fun, but what the hell do I know? I’ve never been grounded.”
“Never?” I ask, abandoning my Lacey-watching to look at my friend.
He shakes his head. “Never. My parents don’t really believe in that kind of punishment.”
“Do they take your phone away?”
“No.”
“Truck?”
“Fuck no.” He laughs. “Then they’d have to drive me places.”
“What do they do if you’re in trouble?” I ask, genuinely curious now.
Dad hasn’t grounded me often, but I’ve lost phone privileges or video games many times.
Rowan doesn’t talk about his home life much, and I know his parents are never around, but I just assumed he faced some sort of punishment from time to time.
A shadow crosses over his face, but then his easy smile returns. “You’re assuming I get in trouble, Cap. I am a perfect child.”
I huff a short laugh, and we fall back into a comfortable silence as the pregame festivities start. Our football team isn’t great, but the games are well attended anyway. Probably because so many other clubs are involved, and the town is good about showing up to support the school.
The cheerleaders stand along the sideline getting the crowd pumped up, the band plays slightly off-key, the color guard tosses their blue flags into the air, and the spirit line dances in beat to the music.
Football games have good atmosphere. Soccer games are less showy, but I like it that way. All the focus is on the players on the field. I thrive in that environment. Or I did. Another gut twist reminds me that my season might be over.
I get back to work on studying. It doesn’t feel as awkward as I thought it would. No one is really paying me any attention as I hunch over my notes and books. I glance up occasionally when the crowd cheers or when Rowan groans next to me, but otherwise I’m in the zone.
At the start of the second quarter, Lacey abandons her squad to join me.
“How’s it going?” she asks. Her body is warm as she sidles up next to me, and I’m temporarily distracted by the flush in her cheeks.
“Good,” I say when I realize I’ve been staring at her unspeaking for too long. “I’m through the first two sections. Three more to go.”
She gets in my space again, as she seems to have gotten comfortable doing. Lacey leans over to check my work, nodding along. She looks up at me finally and aims one of those big, happy smiles at me. “You’re doing great. These are all correct.”
My skin pricks with the compliment and the back of my neck heats. “Thanks.”
Rowan leans over from my other side, knocking me out of my trance.
“Are you doing the new routine tonight?” he asks her.
“Yep,” she says with a hint of pride and excitement in her voice.
“New routine?” I ask.
“Yeah, for the half-time show.”
I nod as she stands and heads back down to the field. She hadn’t mentioned anything to me about a new routine. Then again, why would she? Our time together is spent studying. We aren’t friends. Not really. Still, for some reason, I feel jealous that Rowan knew and I didn’t.
Lacey grabs her pom-poms and falls right back into the cheer like she was never gone. She’s loud and enthusiastic. Her ponytail bounces around. Each time she lifts her arms, the top of her uniform shows off more of her toned stomach and her pleated skirt moves with each bounce and kick.
When the cheerleaders turn and start a new cheer facing the crowd, our eyes lock.
“Knights fans, catch our spirit. When we yell blue and white, fight, let’s hear it!” The cheerleaders start the familiar cheer.
Lacey’s smile pulls higher as neither of us looks away. “Blue and white, FIGHT!”
All around me, the crowd yells, “Blue and white, FIGHT!”
The cheerleaders go into the next part, but everything around me seems to be muted. Everything except Lacey. My pulse picks up speed and my gut swirls with some unnamed feeling. She keeps staring at me too, and I don’t know what it means.
It’s only when the cheerleaders finish and turn back to the field that I snap out of it and back to reality. My heart is still hammering away in my chest when Lacey glances over her shoulder to see if I’m still looking at her.
Rowan elbows me. “Earth to Vaughn.”
“Sorry.” I blink and turn to him.
“I’m going to hit the concession. Do you want anything?” His brows tug together, and he asks another question before I’ve answered the first. “What’s wrong with your face?”
I smooth a hand over one cheek, down to my chin, and across. “What do you mean?”
“You’re smiling.”
My hand falls away. “Fuck off. I smile lots.”
He laughs.
Okay, not lots, but it’s not that rare. Except maybe lately I have been moodier than normal. But not without good reason.
Rowan stands and hitches his thumb in the direction of the food tent. “Want anything?”
“Nah. I’m good.”
When he’s gone, I look back to the cheerleaders. Not all of them. One. Lacey.
And my mouth curves up again.