Jacob
for self-torture? The thought that he might be able to find an opening to convince Rory he should do the halftime routine
with them? A combination of the three? Whatever it was, he found himself lurking at the top of the bleachers with a few of
the other soccer players, glad it was so crowded that most people couldn’t see he was wearing his cheer uniform.
Luckily, Tucker wasn’t around. He was probably too busy primping in his suit somewhere, making sure he looked absolutely perfect
for his float ride with Rory and his inevitable crowning as homecoming king.
The scoreboard ticked closer and closer to halftime.
The score was tied, 14–14, and tension in the crowd was so thick Jacob could practically taste it.
The Lumberjacks were driving down the field and had one more play to call with ten seconds left.
Everyone’s heart was in their throat. It would be amazing to take a lead into halftime.
Of course, Jacob was swallowing his own heart for a whole different reason.
What was the squad going to do at halftime without him?
“And Ramsey drops back to pass!” the announcer called out as the play went off. “He’s got Ishmael in the end zone . . . and
the pass is . . . good!”
The crowd went berserk. Everyone around Jacob jumped up and down and hugged and high-fived. Jacob played along as best he
could, but his heart wasn’t really in it. The pep band played the school’s fight song, while on the track, Rory and the rest
of the squad danced along and led the crowd in shouting “Jacks! Jacks! Jacks! Goooooo, Jacks!”
“And the extra point is good!” the announcer shouted, which made everyone cheer even louder. “The Lumberjacks take a 21 to
14 lead into the half!”
Jacob slid out into the aisle as fans began to stream toward the concession stand and the bathroom. The student section stayed
put, of course. They knew to stay for the halftime show.
“Now don’t go anywhere, folks! It’s homecoming, so we have a very special halftime presentation for you. A performance by
the Woodmont Lumberjacks varsity cheer squad followed by the annual parade and the crowning of our homecoming king and queen!”
Whoops and cheers followed Jacob as he made his way around the bleachers and headed down toward the track.
He had no idea what he was going to say to Rory to convince her, but he had about ten seconds to get there and try.
He was only few feet from the fence that separated the grounds from the field when someone stepped right in front of him.
It was Rory’s little brother, standing as tall as he could with a no-nonsense look on his face.
“I wouldn’t go near her if I were you,” Owen said.
“Owen, come on,” Jacob pleaded, his pulse pounding.
“She was up half the night crying because of you.” Jacob had never seen Owen angry. The kid was practically vibrating as he
added, “Which, as her brother, is something I really did not enjoy.”
Jacob swallowed hard. “Really? She was crying?”
“Yeah. I don’t get it, Jacob. I thought you liked her. I even told her to ask you to homecoming.”
“I . . . you did?”
“Yeah! Like an idiot! Because you turned out to be a loser!” Owen shot back.
A couple of girls nearby laughed and started whispering behind their hands. Jacob pulled Owen a few feet to the side and lowered
his voice.
“I do like her!” he said. “It’s just . . . it’s complicated, Owen. Just let me go talk to her.” Past Owen’s shoulder, he could
see the squad getting ready to run out on the field. “Come on. The squad needs me.”
“I really don’t think they do,” Owen said, then looked him up and down like he was a piece of crumpled trash. “And I know my sister doesn’t.”
Wow. Okay, that hurt. Owen finally walked away, having so spectacularly dropped the mic, and as Jacob watched him go the announcer
came back on the PA.
“And now, your mighty Lumberjack cheerleaders!”
Rory led the squad out onto the field, smile on, pom-poms waving above her head. Jacob’s stomach dropped. It was official.
He’d missed his chance. Now all he could do was stand here and watch.
It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t a disaster, but it wasn’t pretty. Whatever Rory had said to him about reconfiguring everything
and being fine without him was clearly a fabrication. Because the solution that she and the squad had come to was not a reconfiguration.
They basically did the routine, just without him there. So every formation that was supposed to look even and symmetrical
looked lopsided. And only Carlos and Gwen did the stunts, so the pyramids were half built and there was a flyer on the right
side of the squad while, on the left, Rory simply stayed on the ground. The crowd could tell something was wrong, as evidenced
by the ripple of confused whispers from above.
When it was finally over, two excruciating minutes later, the squad held their final positions for only half a second before giving a lackluster final cheer and jogging off.
Rory grabbed her stuff and sprinted for the school as the parade floats began to line up just off the track.
She ran right past Jacob, and it was all he could do to keep from reaching out and grabbing her arm.
But she was moving too fast. A girl on a mission.
Not so fast, though, that he didn’t notice the streak of frustrated tears running down her face.