Blitzed(7)

I stare with trepidation. Was Dani's plan to come back and offer me a spot on the cheerleading team, just to watch me fall and break my neck? “Uh . . .”

“Come on, Whit,” Dani says impatiently. “We don't have all day. The guys start their football games Friday night, and the coach is going to want us to have our routine in order.”

I debate on just walking off and telling her that I'm not fit for this, but I don't want to disappoint my best friend, and all the other girls are staring at me while they hold their positions, waiting for me to act. I understand the physics of it. Even with my new curves, I'm nearly the most petite girl out there, but that doesn't mean I like the idea of being twelve feet in the air on one foot. That is just insane.

“I hope I don't fall,” I mutter, making my way over to the wall of flesh. One of the girls, maybe Janet or maybe Dasha, grumbles under her breath, telling me to hurry the f*ck up.

“Oh, you'll be all right.” Dani waves away my worry. “They won't let you fall.”

“I'm sure.”

“Hey, remember, Spirit Fingers!” she exclaims cheerily, quoting one of my favorite movies, Bring It On, while wiggling her fingers and doing a high split kick. She throws her arms out in a big V before tucking and doing a back round off, earning a few hoots and some applause from the stands. Dani's eating this shit up— she's always been a natural performer.

“Oh, God,” I groan in exasperation. Didn't she get it? This isn't Bring It On. This is real life. And I can die a horrible death. Or does she not notice that this pyramid is just a sidewalk's width away from the student parking lot and a lot of very hard, very black asphalt?

I know I'm being a little melodramatic, but I can't help myself. You get that way when your life is in the hands of a bunch of ditzy bitches who never gave you the time of day except that you are friends with one of the alpha girls on campus.

Dani comes over and leans in, her smile disappearing. My friend that is buried inside pokes through. “You can do this, Whit. You know I love you.”

“If you loved me, you wouldn't be putting me through this,” I say under my breath. Nonetheless, I do what she asks anyway. It's only after I get halfway up does my fear evaporate. The girls underneath me are all pros and are making it as easy as it can possibly be. There isn't a single wobble or tremble as I get on the back of the girl on top, ready for the last little bit. I reach the top and carefully climb to my feet. Taking my left foot in my hand, I do a quick gripped K-split, then lower my leg, trembling with excitement.

“I did it!” I cry triumphantly, pumping my fist in the air. "Fuck yeah!"

And then something awful happens. I slip. I start to go over to the left and I throw my arms out, trying something, but instead of regaining my balance or maybe having me tumble forward where Dani's there to act as safety, I feel my weight shift the wrong way, sending me backward and toward the black death of the asphalt. I hear the girls underneath me let out surprised gasps as I tumble. I'm sure I'll hit the ground and break my neck, but the very next second, I land right into strong, powerful arms.

I look up into hard blue eyes and a chiseled face. Troy Wood. He's holding me, cradling me as if I'm a baby.

“Careful there,” he says to me, starting to set me on my feet on the asphalt. How the hell did he get from the stands to down here so fast? Is this an episode of Heroes and he has some kind of superpower? His voice is deep and rich and sends a tingle down my spine. “You could've really hurt yourself.”

My cheeks burn with fire, and a little voice in my head tells me that I'm supposed to say something. You know, it's polite to say something when a guy saves your life and then talks to you. I think even Miss Manners wrote about that one time.

“Yeah. I'm clumsy. My bad. Thanks.” It's all I can manage. I sound stupid, and the cheerleaders are all staring at Troy as if he’s a piece of bacon and they're coming off a three-day juice fast, whispering amongst themselves. They don’t even care that I almost suffered a horrible accident.

“He's so hot,” I hear one say, followed by a girly giggle. She composes herself a little and flashes him a thumbs-up and a f*ck me, please set of eyes, speaking up again. “Nice job, Troy! I think it's my turn on top next time!”

Troy completely ignores them, his eyes burning into my face. It's like it’s just the two of us as his eyes bore into mine, and I feel myself swimming in their blue depths.

Dani is immediately at our side. “Are you okay?” She glances at Troy. “You can put her the rest of the way down now, Superman.”

I look down and see that I actually hadn't been put all the way down, and that Troy still held me an inch or two off the ground, his hands at my waist and his arms barely straining holding me up. I expect him to go off on Dani for ordering him around. After all, he has a reputation of being an * who doesn't like to be told what to do by anyone except Coach Jackson, but he respectfully puts me down, then steps back, watching, as if waiting for me to say something.

“I'm okay,” I declare in embarrassment, smoothing my shirt. I have to avoid looking at Troy, and turn instead to look at Dani. He's almost too handsome to take in, and his burning gaze keeps making my heart flip in my chest. Not only that, but he cuts an imposing figure, towering over me, his chiseled biceps on display in the sleeveless undershirt that the football team wears under their shoulder pads and for practices. He has an incredible physique, and I can see why he’s the most prized athlete in the city. Confidence and power radiates from him like a burning star, and he looks like he could hold up the entire pyramid himself across those massive shoulders of his.