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“Jealous of what?”
“Of how gorgeous you are. How funny, how talented…sleeping in the same house as Asher every night…The list goes on.”
“Eww. But you’re probably right. Selena loved her Ice Gods.”
“Too bad they didn’t love her back,” Lily quipped, unexpectedly savage. It was glorious to see.
Mentioning the Ice Gods sent my mind spiraling right back to my living situation. Beckett was on a power trip. He seemed to hate me more than ever, but I guess I should have expected that,given his text messages over the summer. Still, it stung, when it had no right to. Beckett was an asshole; I’d always known it. Yet that night in the pharmacy, I’d thought maybe things had changed. Clearly, I was wrong.
I forced my mind back to the upcoming cheerleading tryouts.
Lily had been there for every one of my failed attempts at making the cheerleading squad, so we at least had tradition on our side. It was about all I had on my side.
We headed inside the building and to the cavernous gym where the tryouts were. A table was set up with the football team’s colors, red and black. Several cheerleaders sat behind it, talking and ignoring the hopefuls assembled in front of them. Lily went to wait in the stands as the cheerleaders passed out numbers for the auditionees to wear.
“Wow, still gunning for cheerleader, huh, Eve?”
I swallowed an internal sigh. It was my fault. We had summoned her by invoking her name outside. I turned to Selena, pasting on a pleasant, bland grin. “Why, Selena, so nice to see you. How is HHU treating you so far?”
“Good, well, I mean, I’ve been on ten dates already, so I must be doing something right.” Selena giggled, her tinkling laugh like a chainsaw to my ears.
“Wow, ten dates in two days already, someone’s working hard.”
Selena narrowed her eyes at me, looking for the insult. “Yeah, well, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. Not that you’d know about that. I swear, I don’t know how you put up with your brother. He was so overprotective. It must be because of your family…situation,” she tacked on, suddenly seeming to realize that she was rude ashell. It had never bothered her before, so this was progress of a kind.
“What situation is that?” I asked innocently.
“You know…because your dad isn’t around,” Selena finished and shrugged. “Whatever. I have to warm up. Good luck, Martino, you’ll need it.”
She turned away, dismissing me. I was still deciding whether to go up behind her and pull her extensions out. I knew all about my family situation; I didn’t need her reminding me of it. Yes, our dad had cut and run when we were very young, leaving my mother to bring us up alone. It wasn’t cheap raising twins, and my mother had worked hard for every penny. Selena’s barbs dug little claws of hurt into me, in all my insecure places.
A whistle blew beside the judges, and Instructions were called.
It was time to try out. This time, I decided impulsively, would be the last. If I didn’t make it again, I’d figure out another extracurricular. I’d be done with cheerleading.
I stood in my space and started to run through the routine, memorizing the steps with ease.
The best way to get back at someone is to prove them wrong. My mama said that to me all the time, and she was right.
The group was split up, and I watched Selena try out. She was good, I gave her that, though her nerves were obvious.
A couple more football players joined the judges as I stepped up in my group to try out. One waved to me. Isabelle’s cousin. What was his name? Warner. That was it.
I gave him a smile and tried not to let my own nerves get to me. I had less to lose than Selena. I wasn’t a cheerleading legacy. I had nothing to prove and no reputation to maintain.
The tryout started, and I threw myself into it. Apart from the nerves, it was fun to dance and chant together as a team. I knew Lily was watching, cheering me on, and that gave me the confidence to really go for it.
Afterward, Warner whistled loudly and came to talk to me when I made way for the next group. “That was great. You’re a shoo-in, I’m pretty certain.”
“Really? That would be amazing.”
Warner rocked back on his heels, hands in his pockets, giving me the biggest grin I’d ever seen on anyone.
“You were awesome!” Lily approached from behind and hugged me around the waist.
“Thanks! I’m getting so many compliments today I don’t know what to do with myself.”
“I have an idea,” Warner said. “Come to the Omega Psi Zeta party this weekend. It’s going to be the best party of the entire week.”
