6 - Elizabeth
Elizabeth
After another grueling practice session, Malik headed over to our side of the field and plopped down on the bleachers. He looked defeated, and I could tell that it was more than just the loss they took the previous weekend.
“Hey Tiny, how are you doing?” I asked, walking over to him.
“Girl… This whole situation with the team sucks balls. Not only did we get our asses handed to us on a silver platter last week, but Coach just told us we can’t afford a charter bus to go to our next game.
Apparently the budget is tight, which I don’t get because we haven’t asked for anything.
We don’t even have matching uniforms, man. ”
“Yeah, that’s a tough one, but that doesn’t make it impossible. If the school doesn’t want to pay, we gotta make a plan to do it ourselves.”
“We tried that, but none of our parents are willing to put so much into the team for one game. We need our bus, otherwise we’re never going to make it through the season.”
The second he said that I got an idea, but it wasn’t something I could arrange by myself. I was going to need some serious help, so I turned around and called the rest of the girls over.
“Ladies, the guys need money to buy a bus so they can make their away games. Do you have any ideas?”
“Well, a friend of mine has an old school bus for sale,” Sarah said. “He started converting it into an RV type thing, but he ran out of cash and gave up. It’s still running and I think he only wants like $2,000 for it.”
“Great, so there’s a bus. How do we get the money together to buy it?” I asked, hoping at least one of them would have a decent idea.
“We can do one of those carwash fundraising things,” Jenna eagerly said. “The girls can be in bikinis, and the guys in shorts. I’m sure that will draw a lot of attention.”
Malik looked concerned, and honestly, so did a few of the girls.
“I don’t know if I can convince the guys to buy into that idea,” he said honestly.
“And I don’t know if I’m comfortable exploiting my body like that,” Lizzy said.
“Firstly, the guys don’t have much of a choice. They can either join or they can walk to the next game,” I said, earning a few chuckles. “And secondly, by being a cheerleader you’re literally exploiting your body. At the carwash you’ll just be wearing fewer layers.”
Malik could barely contain his laughter, but I seemed to have convinced them both.
“Okay, I’ll arrange it for Saturday. Coach will probably allow us to use the field, and I’ll get the guys to spread the word,” he chuckled.
“We’ll do the same,” Jenna said, giving him one of her killer smiles. “I guess it’s a date.”
The girls broke away and started heading home, but Malik and I hung back for a while.
“Why are you doing all this, Pretzel?” he asked.
“Don’t tell anyone this, especially not Ethan, but I really want to see you guys succeed. The football team is long overdue, and I firmly believe that, deep in there, under all that unpolished skill, hidden somewhere in the abyss, is a winning team.”
“Are you sure there isn’t more to it?” he asked, looking all sly.
“Well…” I said, leaning in. “I mean, I do have this huge crush on the big bulldozer they call a linebacker.”
I gave him a peck on the cheek, and walked off before he could respond.
*
It was 10 am, and we hadn’t seen a single car all day.
It was the most depressing fundraiser I had ever seen, and the looks on the guys’ faces weren’t helping.
I wanted to do more, to find a way to make this work, but I was coming up short.
Not thinking, I picked up the hose and sprayed water in Malik’s general direction.
“Are you insane?” he snapped, making me giggle. “Have you seen my nipples? They don’t need this kind of torture.”
“Oh, grow a pair,” Jenna said, throwing a soapy sponge at him. “It’s just a little water.”
And just like that, our boredom turned into a full-blown water war.
Laughter filled the air as sponges became projectiles.
Bikini-clad cheerleaders versus topless football players, and a coach who didn’t know if he wanted to go into hiding or join the fun.
It was the most fun I’d had all semester, and I was sure many of the others felt the same way.
A sponge came flying across the field and hit me square in the stomach.
Without hesitating, I grabbed my own and tossed it in the direction of the source.
My gaze followed it, and my delight quickly turned sour.
The sponge, still dripping wet, cut through the air like a bullet and hit Ethan right on the butt.
He spun around and gave me a scathing look that made my heart flutter.
Our eyes met, and I quickly swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat.
What was he going to do next? Was he going to join the fun?
Or scold me for not paying attention? It was clear that he wasn’t enjoying the day as much as the other players, so any reaction from him would be an unpredictable one.
Ethan took a couple of steps toward me, but before he could get too close, a car pulled in between us.
“Guys! My dad and Mr. Pine came to support us,” Cam said, holding up the car keys.
And he and Charlie weren’t the only ones who’d shown up.
There was a whole line of cars that had come with them.
I recognized a few students, and even a couple of locals who saw us messing around and decided to show their support.
I was ecstatic to the point where I was hugging everyone I could find.
It was nowhere near enough, but it was a start, and I was hoping the people who were there would help us spread the word.
We decided to break up into teams of two, a cheerleader and a player on each car. It was a statement to say that at the end of the day we were one big team and we were proud of it.
“I’m with you, Pretzel,” Malik said as he approached, bucket in hand.
“Awesome,” I said, giving him a bright smile.
As the two of us headed over to Mr. Pine’s car, I felt a set of eyes burning into me. At first, I tried to ignore the feeling, but it became so intense that I had to look. I turned to see Ethan, and the hunger in his gaze was enough to set my soul on fire. A look that took my breath away.
My breath hitched, and my lips parted of their own accord. The attraction that had been teasing at me this whole time went into overdrive, and suddenly I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anything else.
“Earth to Elizabeth,” Malik said, snapping his fingers in front of my face. “We have a job to do.”
“I’m sorry,” I muttered as I pulled the sponge out and started washing the car.
I had to get my head straight. There had never been a day in my life that I acted like I did then, and it was so humiliating.
He was just a man. He might have had the physique of a god, but that wasn’t good enough.
He behaved like a caveman most of the time, and he spent the rest of the time ignoring me.
So why did it feel like some unseen force was trying to pull us together?
“So I don’t know what he plans on doing,” Malik said, drawing me from my thoughts.
I realized I’d missed everything he’d just said. Failure to be totally chill about this would risk Malik asking uncomfortable questions, which was right up his alley.
“I mean something has to happen. Things can’t continue the way they’ve been going, because that won’t get you guys anywhere,” I said, hoping I was guessing the topic of discussion correctly.
A new car pulled in between us, and Malik gave me a wicked smile. “You should spend less time in your head and more time on the field.”
“I’m sorry. It’s been a really weird day.”
“That’s okay. It happens to the best of us. You know, when the best of us were about five or six years old.”
The same sensation from before washed over me again—the one of being watched—and I peeked over my shoulder to find Ethan staring at me.
This time he didn’t hold my gaze, looking away as soon as our eyes met.
I didn’t do the same though. Instead, I took the moment to admire the view while trying to figure out what the hell it was that was going on between us.
“Yo, Malik, can I steal my homegirl for a minute?” Jenna asked, walking up to us yet again.
“But we were having so much fun,” he said with a pout. “And besides, that would mean I’d have to team up with Dylan, of all people.”
“Then you’ll know how I feel.” She rolled her eyes before hiking a thumb at the car she’d been washing. “Get.”
Malik made sure everyone knew how unhappy he was about the situation as he grabbed his bucket, and shuffled over to Jenna’s spot. Once she was sure he was completely out of earshot, she turned her attention back to me.
“I see there’s a romance budding that I didn’t know about. Which, by the way, makes me angry, considering I’m supposed to be your best friend,” she said, pinning me with her no-nonsense gaze.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said. “Malik and I are just friends, and we like hanging out.”
“Seriously? There’s not a single person with half a brain who would think there’s something going on between you and Malik. He’s more like a gay best friend than anything else. Wait. Do you think he’s gay? That would be fabulous,” she said, eying the mountain of a man she’d just chased away.
“No!” I laughed. “I’m pretty sure he’s straight. He’s just a gentleman. A nice guy.”
Jenna sighed. She was clearly disappointed by the lack of drama, and I couldn’t really blame her. It would’ve been absolutely fabulous if he were.
“Anyway, let’s get back to the topic at hand,” she said, running her own sponge over the hood of the car. “I’m talking about Ethan, you numbnut. You guys have been giving each other heart eyes out here, which makes me suspicious about all the times I found you guys hanging out alone.”
I scoffed, but couldn’t bring myself to look at her. “Have you checked your romance radar recently? Because it’s clearly going haywire.”
“Are you telling me you’re not interested in the gorgeous hunk who’s been staring at you like some lovesick puppy?”
“That’s not what I’m saying. He’s gorgeous.
I mean, look at that body. It’s the type of frame I’d like to explore with my tongue.
And that hair… I’d love to pull on it while he makes heated love to me.
And I’m not even going to talk about those eyes that seem to look right into my soul.
He’s the hottest guy in town. The type a modeling agency would swoop away and make famous. ”
Jenna’s eyes sparkled as my words sank in, and I realized that I had to rectify the situation before it got out of hand.
“But he’s not that kind of guy,” I said with a sigh. “It’s clear that nothing will ever happen between us. He’s all about the game, and he doesn’t have space for anything else. I’m going to refill my bucket.”
It was a poor excuse, but I didn’t want to continue the discussion. It went from fun to uncomfortable and a little sad. So I grabbed my bucket, poured out the remaining water and walked over to the faucet on the side of the field.
“Look out!” someone shouted as I was walking.
I wasn’t sure who they were talking to, so I kept going.
Big mistake. With the next step I took, my foot hooked on a hose that was pulled tight.
My bucket flew through the air as my hands flailed, but there was no stopping my body.
Gravity had taken over, and I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable moment when I’d hit the ground.
Except. That moment never came.
A set of strong arms wrapped around me, crushing my body into a muscular, exposed chest. Warmth surrounded me and it was accompanied by a sense of calm I couldn’t explain. The most comforting feeling I’d felt in a while.
“Aren’t cheerleaders supposed to be more stable on their feet?” Ethan said, making no move to release me just yet.
I looked up and the air that was left rushed out of my lungs as my eyes met his.