12. Endorsements #2
This is how I feel about her, too. And I know that even though she didn’t get a Jodie doll, she’s happy for me.
We’ve always rooted for each other, no matter what.
Her happiness is my happiness and vice versa.
We’ve always said that we’re more than sisters because sisters can be jealous of each other, but we aren’t. There is no jealousy between us.
The sound of Coach Harrison’s whistle gets our attention.
“I hope you like the dolls.” Carole smiles. “This first line should go on sale at the beginning of the official hockey season, and each unit will retail for about fifty dollars.”
Vaughn Heston raises his hand.
“Heston,” Coach bites out. “You better not have any inappropriate comments.”
“No, sir,” Vaughn is a very cocky guy. The way he squirms under his coach’s gaze is kind of funny. “It’s a legit question, sir. I promise.”
Carole smiles encouragingly. “Then go ahead, Vaughn.”
“You said these dolls would go on sale at the beginning of the season. I mean, personally, I’m stoked there’s gonna be a Vaughn doll out there for all my fans to own. But didn’t you need our permission to use our image and likeness before putting these dolls into production?”
Vaughn is pre-law. I guess he’s looking at an aspect I hadn’t even considered.
“We already have your permission.” Carole explains.
“Even though the cheerleading candidates haven’t yet signed a contract with the Shooting Stars while we’re still undergoing the final selection process, you all signed a contract with the network that’s producing the reality show.
That contract included permission to use your image and likeness for any marketing purposes connected to the show.
That includes the dolls. I know you want to be a lawyer, Vaughn.
My advice to you is to read carefully what you sign in the future. ”
“You’re right, ma’am. I’m sorry. I have no problem with the dolls. I was just wondering, that’s all.”
I don’t entirely blame Vaughn for not reading the entire contract.
It was dozens of pages long. That’s how they missed that the infamous no fraternization clause had been omitted by mistake.
Even if actually that clause was part of the terms and conditions to attend camp rather than in the contract.
I guess the network didn’t care about preventing cheerleaders and hockey players from getting close.
As it is, it’s extremely unfair that the consequences for breaking the no fraternization rule are much harsher for the cheerleaders. Tucker, Colsen and I looked at it carefully, and they can get benched or kicked out of camp, but not cut from the team like we can.
What Carole says next pulls me out of my reveries.
“The one thing that will need a separate contract is the deal we want to offer you for helping promote the dolls. We would like to do a full photo shoot with the players and the cheerleaders who have a doll. You’ll get paid an extra five grand for that and receive a royalty of eight percent from the sale of each unit. ”
“Babes, that’s amazing.” Jodie beams. “You’re gonna do it, right?”
“Of course.” It’s a no brainer. Once training camp is over, Jodie and I will have to find a place to rent. And housing in California is anything but cheap, so every cent will help.
Carole dismisses the dancers who don’t have a doll.
“We’ll do the photo shoot right now. Genevieve, Taryn, Talia, and Olivia come with me and Lexi.
Everyone else can choose to do some extra rehearsal with Adrianna in half an hour or go to the spa with Marianna for some deep tissue massages.
Before that, can I please ask Dana and Alicia to go see Adrianna in her office?
Other than that, Lexi and I will see everyone in the big studio at eight a.m. sharp. ”
“Fuck,” Jodie hisses under her breath. “There’s only one reason they’re calling those two girls into Adrianna’s office.”
I nod. “Yup.” They’re getting cut. This means they cut five of the ten dancers who won’t make the final team so far.
“As far as the hockey team is concerned,” Coach Harrison says. “Shayba, Prescott, Thomas, Belkin, and Heston go with Carole and Lexi for the photo shoot. The rest of you, candy ass pucks, will enjoy a lovely afternoon with me in the weight room.”
Coach’s instructions are greeted with a collective groan, but the players know better than to argue with their head coach.
As I follow Talia and the other girls out of the auditorium, and the guys come past us, Tucker stops Talia.
“Hey sis,” he smiles, lowering his voice. “Well done. If things go well, we can help Mom and Dad catch up on their mortgage payments.”
I should probably go. Talia and Tucker are exempt from the no fraternization rule as siblings, but I could get in trouble.
After a look around the hallway, I choose to take a small risk. Carole asked the girls to follow her into one of the rooms where we did our uniform fittings, and Lexi went into the room next door with the guys.
“It’s exactly what I thought.” Talia says to Tucker. “Mom will be happy. She’s been so stressed since Dad got hurt at work and has been stuck at home. Hopefully, we can get the five grand advance straight away.”
“Yeah,” Tucker nods. “I was hoping to help them with my sign up bonus, but…”
Talia hugs him. “I know. But like Meemaw says, where there’s a will, there’s a way. You’ll see. We’ll help our parents until you hit the big time in the NHL. They won’t lose our family home.”
Before Tucker can respond, Lexi sticks her head out of the room. “Tucker, we have a tight schedule. If you could please come in here. You can catch up with your sister after the photo shoot.”
Her eyes skim briefly over me, and I pretend to be engrossed in my phone.
“Yes, ma’am.” Tucker walks past me, brushing his arm against mine. To any bystander that should look like a casual gesture, but Tucker’s pinky links with mine for a few seconds before he picks up his pace and jogs into the room.
“You two are so cute,” Talia smiles, but I don’t miss the tension in her shoulders.
I stop her with one hand on her shoulder before she starts toward the fitting room. “Tal, are you ok?”
“Not really,” she sighs. “But hopefully, I will be. I know you’ve met my mom, right?”
“Yeah, at the ER on the night Tucker and I met.”
She nods. “Look, we’re trying to keep things discreet, but things have been difficult at home.
A few months ago our dad hurt his back at work.
He’s a mechanic. He has been out of work ever since and thankfully his health insurance is good because Mom works at the hospital but he isn’t getting paid.
They rejected his application for disability, and our parents got behind with the mortgage payments on our family home.
Tucker had promised them to use his NHL sign up bonus to help with the payments, but his team decided to keep him here for another year, so that bonus is delayed.
We were hoping to help with the money from the reality show, but we won’t see anything until camp is over. ”
I squeeze her shoulder. “Oh, Talia. I had no idea.”
Her smile is uncannily similar to Tucker’s. “Yeah, we don’t want to make it a big deal. If everyone knew, people would ask us about it, and to be honest, it’s a relief not to talk about it here at camp.”
I get that. Sometimes keeping stressful things to oneself is a temporary relief from the situation.
Not because you’re ignoring it, but because you can let it exist in the back of your mind and let your brain work out a solution in the background.
For me, it’s like when you’re watching a video on social media and it’s buffering if your Wi-Fi connection sucks.
“I understand, and I’ll keep it quiet. But if you ever want to talk about it to anyone other than Tucker, I’m here for you.”
Talia pulls me into a hug. “Thank you. Now let’s go and pose for some photos with our dolls.”