Chapter 9 #2
During their drills, she struggled to focus, her attention shifting from her teammates over to where the captain of the cheerleaders stood in front of the rest of the squad. Gemma was mesmerized, following Caitlin’s confident grace as she led the other girls through stretching routines.
“Shit,” she mumbled under her breath, a soccer ball colliding hard with her stomach. It was obvious to everyone now that Gemma’s focus had been elsewhere.
Coach blew her whistle. “Care to join us, Quinn?”
Gemma felt her face warm with embarrassment, realizing that some of the giggles directed at her were coming from the direction of the cheerleaders. So much for hoping that Caitlin hadn’t noticed.
“Sorry, Coach.” Gemma fixed her place in the goal to continue their drills.
Once the commotion had died down, Gemma chanced a glance in Caitlin’s direction, only to find her eyes already on Gemma. Caitlin gave a shy wave in her direction, causing butterflies to fill Gemma’s core. It was becoming harder to ignore the feelings building inside her.
Having a crush on a girl was not new to Gemma.
She had discovered that bit of information about herself when she had been in middle school, after she had kissed a friend as a dare at a sleepover.
She had never had an actual girlfriend, but she knew that she didn’t look at boys the same way that she saw girls.
Fifteen now, Gemma found herself feeling something more profound than a sleepover crush, and it scared her. Especially since the girl in question already had a boyfriend. Caitlin probably didn’t even think about girls like that.
When Gemma got home from practice later that evening, she went straight upstairs to her bedroom and sat down at her desk, letting out a sigh.
Now, a month into the school year, homework seemed to take her longer and longer each night.
She unzipped the black backpack and pulled out her books, noticing the small, folded-up piece of scrap paper that Caitlin had thrown onto her desk.
Reading it again made her heart race. She admired the words, written in Caitlin’s neat cursive handwriting, before typing mi portera into Google Translate.
My goalie.
She laughed, deciding she should pay more attention in Spanish class.
Before she could think twice, Gemma picked up her phone and sent a text.
555-321-8097: Hey Caitlin, it's Gemma.
Gemma probably could have come up with a better opening.
Caitlin: Hey! I was wondering if you had read my note.
Gemma: I put it in my backpack yesterday and just saw it again now! I texted you right after :) How was practice?
Caitlin: It was good... although I saw this goalie get distracted by the squad during practice today and get hit with a soccer ball. I hope she's okay.
Gemma: So funny, I actually saw that too. I think she was only distracted by one cheerleader, though. But yeah, she was totally fine.
Gemma caught herself smiling. She loved being teased by Caitlin.
They slipped into conversation naturally, like they’d been friends for years.
Caitlin went into detail about cheer squad drama, and Gemma gave her the behind-the-scenes look of her new soccer team.
Before she knew it, it was after ten o’clock, and Gemma hadn’t opened even one textbook.
Gemma: I should probably get to my homework. Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow at school.
Caitlin: I'll be sure to find you.
A blush spread across Gemma’s face as she read and then re-read the text from Caitlin. She plugged her phone into its charger on her nightstand to avoid further distraction.
About an hour and a half later, Gemma finished all of the schoolwork she had felt like doing that night. Whatever was left, she could finish tomorrow during her study period. She got ready for bed and shut off the lights, but before she could close her eyes, her phone screen lit up the dark room.
Caitlin: Hope homework's going well. If you're not busy this weekend, would you wanna do something?
Surely Caitlin wasn’t asking her out on a date. No, she couldn’t be—she had a boyfriend. This was just friendly. Gemma needed to stay cool, keep it casual. Still, she couldn’t help the way her heart skipped a beat at the thought of spending time together.
Gemma: I have a soccer game Saturday morning, but after that I'm free.
Caitlin: Perfect. come over to my house at 3 p.m.
Gemma: I'll be there.
Gemma was already counting down the minutes, excited to spend time with Caitlin outside of school. She could hardly wait, but with days still to go before the weekend, she would have to keep her nerves in check.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON HAD ARRIVED, AND Gemma was finally on her way over to Caitlin’s house. New Hope was growing on her, and the ability to ride her bike everywhere was a welcome change from Detroit. She used the time to calm her anxiety, reminding herself that this was not a date.
Her cool, calm poise had lasted for approximately ten seconds before Caitlin’s front door swung open.
Gemma’s mind went blank as she took in Caitlin, standing in front of her with an expectant smile.
The girl’s black yoga pants, paired with a cropped pink T-shirt and her usual confidence, lit Gemma up from within.
She tried to keep her reaction neutral, but her eyes flitted down Caitlin’s outfit before landing on her face again.
Her grin was unmistakable—playful, knowing, and holding a hint of mischief.
“Come in. Can I get you anything to drink?”
Oh, thank God, yes!
Gemma swallowed, suddenly feeling her mouth go drier than a desert. “A water would be great, thank you.”
She followed Caitlin into the kitchen to help carry the drinks and snacks downstairs.
The Stone’s basement felt like a second living room.
It was warm and inviting, with a large TV perched on top of a sleek black entertainment center.
In front of it, two dance mats lie side by side, each marked with four directional arrows like a compass, their cables trailing into a nearby gaming console.
A beige leather couch, L-shaped and comfortably worn, sat behind the mats.
They placed their drinks and snack bowls onto the coffee table off to the side.
“Ever play?”
“Only once or twice.” Gemma nervously ran her fingers through her long straight ponytail that flowed over her shoulder. “It’s fun, but I’m not a great dancer.”
“We’ll start on the beginner level.” Caitlin winked, setting loose the butterflies that apparently lived rent-free inside Gemma’s stomach.
Caitlin turned on the video game, and the television screen flashed with the green Dance Dance Revolution logo.
In the first round, Gemma did her best to keep up with Caitlin, royally failing. Caitlin continued to beat her song after song until Gemma’s competitive side was screaming with frustration. Determined, Gemma found her rhythm and finally beat Caitlin, whooping in triumph.
The way Caitlin looked at her, shy but proud, made Gemma feel like maybe Caitlin had let her win. She didn’t care, though. Just being here, laughing with her—this was the most fun that Gemma could remember having since she had left Detroit.
“Rematch!” Caitlin shouted, her long auburn hair flying as she spun toward Gemma. “You’re getting better at this.”
Gemma smiled, faltering when she saw the wicked, up-to-no-good grin on Caitlin’s face. She turned toward the screen and watched as Caitlin picked an intermediate-level song.
Intermediate? How hard could it be?
With her game face on, Gemma was locked in, ready for battle.
Techno beats filled the basement as Gemma’s heart began to race.
She tried to convince herself it was because of the song, not the beautiful girl dancing next to her.
Left, left, right, down, up, the arrow lit up to the tempo of the song, Gemma hitting each step like a pro.
In the zone, she was caught off guard by a hand on her shoulder, playfully shoving her to throw off her groove.
Gemma scrambled to get back on the beat and was about to secure another victory when Caitlin jumped onto Gemma’s mat, stepping on every wrong arrow and pushing Gemma off the dance pad altogether.
Gemma could barely breathe, laughing hard at Caitlin’s attempt to sabotage the game.
Gemma took back control of her mat, matching her steps to the bass’s looping rhythm.
As she jumped onto her right foot, Caitlin threw her hip into Gemma, sending her tumbling onto the floor. Throwing herself off balance with the move, Caitlin landed beside Gemma. The game was forgotten as they fell into a fit of laughter together.
“You were just mad I was about to beat you again,” Gemma teased. “Couldn’t let me take the DDR trophy, could you?”
“You wish,” Caitlin retorted.
Gemma felt the plush wool carpet against her back as she tried to get her giggling under control.
Caitlin, lying a few inches away, rolled onto her side and began tickling under Gemma’s armpits and across the back of her neck, stopping Gemma from razzing Caitlin further.
She yelped and thrashed her body, attempting to get away, but her frantic movements only tangled their limbs further as they tumbled across the floor together.
Their laughter stopped abruptly when Caitlin flipped on top of Gemma, pinning her arms to the floor.
The tickle fight was suddenly over, but Caitlin didn’t move.
Her body still pressed close, their chests heaving between them.
Their faces hovered inches apart, and Gemma found herself drowning in the ocean-blue of Caitlin’s eyes.
The air between them pulsed with an electric vibration until Caitlin blinked, shook her head, and gently removed herself from Gemma.
“Sorry. Are you okay?” Caitlin reached out to help Gemma stand.
Gemma felt the loss of Caitlin’s body as the volts of electricity continued to course through her veins.
Sliding her palm into Caitlin’s, Gemma gripped her hand and jumped up to her feet.
Their eyes locked as she stood, neither letting go of the other’s hand.
If tension were flammable, their gaze would’ve sparked a blaze intense enough to bring down the entire house.
The mixed signals were making Gemma’s head spin. There were the flirty texts, alone time, and lingering looks, but all had been followed by a quick retreat. Was Gemma overthinking this? Maybe this was how Caitlin acted with all of her friends.
“It’s totally fine, I’m good.” Gemma took a step back, needing to put some physical distance between them. “I should probably head home. I’m sure my mom will have dinner ready soon.”
Gemma could have sworn that she saw Caitlin’s shoulders drop at the mention of her leaving, but it was for the best. Gemma needed to remove herself from this situation before she crossed a line that she wouldn’t be able to un-cross.
When she hugged Caitlin goodbye in the doorway, it felt forced and awkward. Without looking back, Gemma hopped onto her bike and headed toward her house.
Home just in time for her mom’s famous lasagna, Gemma sat down at the square dining table.
She updated her parents on the latest news at school, soccer, and the new friends she had made, making an intentional effort not to linger on Caitlin’s name.
They were thrilled that she seemed to be doing better after the initial sadness of the move.
Gemma felt grateful to have parents who genuinely cared so much.
After Gemma had helped clear the dishes, she checked her phone, disappointed to find that she didn’t have any new texts.
Dancing with Caitlin had been a blast, but things had been left feeling weird between them.
Deciding to be the first one to make a move, Gemma reached out, hoping to dispel the awkwardness from earlier.
Gemma: I had fun today! Let's do it again soon. Unless you're too scared that I'll keep kicking your ass ;)
Caitlin: Me too :) You wish! Rematch anytime!
Relief poured over Gemma. Thank God Caitlin hadn’t been able to read her thoughts earlier while lying on the floor together, their bodies connected at every point.
Gemma lay in bed that night with a smile on her face, thinking about the way Caitlin looked when she laughed. Their friendship wasn’t ruined by the tension they had felt, but if Gemma didn’t stop these feelings for Caitlin from developing, she was going to be in deep trouble.