Broken Beautiful Hearts(76)
Owen turns toward me.
“Not so fast, Mr. Law.” Miss Ives marches down the center of the hall with her hands on her hips. “I think you should stay right here while we sort this out.”
CHAPTER 31
Handsprings and Happiness
THE HALLWAY FIGHT earned Owen, the Twins, and Dylan and friends three weeks of morning detention—a disciplinary action the principal cooked up as a way to keep the Twins on the football field. The possibility of detention must not worry April, because she had the guts to mess with my locker again. This time she left a note taped inside with a message written in huge letters: GO HOME. NO ONE WANTS YOU HERE.
Whatever.
April can write all the notes she wants as long as she doesn’t put anything gross in my locker. I didn’t mention the note to Owen or the Twins. The last thing they need is more detention.
Coming to the football game tonight wasn’t my idea. Cam guilted me into it with, “Don’t you want to come support me and Christian and Grace?”
Well played.
Grace is my only girlfriend in Black Water, and her spot on the cheer squad means everything to her. So unless I want to hang out at one of her practices, which would involve unnecessary exposure to April and Madison, the only time I can watch her perform is at a football game.
Christian and Cameron bugged me to come, too, so I’m killing two birds with one stone.
The home team side of the stadium is packed. I spot Miss Ives sitting near the front, wearing a Warriors jacket and a blue scarf.
The cheer squad is already on the field, hyping up the crowd. April is front and center, gesturing and issuing orders.
Tucker stands up and waves at us from the middle of the bleachers. There are two empty spots next to him.
“Looks like Tucker saved us seats,” Owen says, moving aside so I can walk in front of him.
“That’s weird, considering I didn’t decide to come until a little while ago.” I feel Owen’s fingertips touch the small of my back as he walks behind me, and my spine tingles.
“I guess he was hoping.” The flirty way he says it makes it clear that Tucker wasn’t the only one.
I peek over my shoulder at Owen. “You don’t even like football.”
He glances at the stands. “I thought that was our little secret.”
“We’re starting to have a lot of those.” I make my way up to where Tucker is sitting at the end of the row.
“I knew you’d end up coming.” He grins and scoots over.
“I’m being supportive.”
On the field, the band plays a new song and the cheerleaders move into position, fanning out to form the shape of a star. April is the front tip of the star. She claps three times, and the rest of the girls snap to attention. The routine consists of lots of marching, jumping, and ponytail tossing. But I have to admit, the stunts look difficult and each girl’s movements are perfectly synchronized.
“They’re good,” I say.
Tucker leans forward and watches. “Just wait. They haven’t even gotten to the stunts yet.”
“He’s got a crush on Natalie Wynn.” Owen reaches behind me and messes up Tucker’s hair.
Tucker looks around as if he’s worried someone might have overheard. “I don’t. We’re just friends.”
“Who’s Natalie?” I ask.
Owen points at the field. “The brunette. Third from the left, in the front row.”
“Isn’t she the girl from the cafeteria?” The one Coach picked to go find Dylan’s basketball coach. The poor girl was so embarrassed.
“That’s her,” Owen says.
Natalie is pretty. She looks younger than the other girls on the squad. I nudge Tucker with my shoulder. “She’s cute.”
He blushes and shakes his head. “I don’t have a crush on her.”
“Whatever you say,” Owen teases.
When the band hits the chorus, all the cheerleaders rush to the center of the field and begin assembling a pyramid. The taller girls on the squad form the base. Another group forms the second tier. The cheerleaders waiting to take their places boost up the other girls. Grace is the last cheerleader to join the pyramid. The two girls on the tier below Grace link hands to form a platform for her. Grace stands, her arms stretched out in a V.
“She’s so high up.” I bite my bottom lip and hold my breath.
“Relax,” Owen says. “She does this all the time.”
I curl my fingers around the edge of the bleacher. Owen takes his hand out of his pocket and casually places it next to mine. I love the way it feels when he touches my cheek or his fingers brush mine.
Secretly, I’d love to hold hands with him whenever I want.
The girls supporting Grace toss her in the air. I hold my breath and tighten my grip on the bleacher and Owen slides his fingers between mine.
Grace does a flip and lands perfectly.
The girls under Grace toss her into the air again, higher this time.
I squeeze Owen’s fingers between mine, and he rubs his thumb back and forth across the side of my hand.
Grace does another flip and then a half twist. The girls form a net with their arms and catch her.
I exhale, but my heart rate doesn’t return to normal. I’m not sure it’s possible with Owen holding my hand.