Page 178 of Cruel Steps

This was what I loved about dancing.

The vibe between us was electrifying, and we fed off one another as the music crescendoed. Heading into our final steps, we hit our mark and spun, our legs outstretched in sync with our arms lifted. Leigh had us practice this for so long that it had become ingrained as we exited the spin into an aerial flip. The girls landed in a circle around me, their poms stretched out as I stood in the center with my hands on my hips. We were breathing heavily, but we didn’t stop. As one, we morphed our poms into HC, emphasizing we were one school.

The music died, and the crowd went wild as we climbed to our feet. Every single one of us wore smiles, and the thrill of a great performance was riding us all. I didn’t think anything could top this moment or steal our joy.

Running off the field, the girls headed to the sideline while I returned to the dressing room to pull on my Homecoming dress. I had about five minutes to do it as the rest of the Homecoming court took the field. I could hear the emcee speaking as I hurried into the dressing room. Rushing to my locker, I unzipped my garment bag and yanked out my dress.

Except my dress was nowhere to be found. In its place was a cow costume—it even had udders on the belly. Shocked, I stood blinking at it, convinced I was hallucinating. I looked behind it and in my locker, hoping it had just been misplaced.

But nope. It wasn’t there.

Tears threatened to spill as I thought about the dress Taylor had picked for me. It was beautiful, and I wanted to wear it. To see Holden and Colter’s faces when they saw me. But that had been taken from me.

I could hear the emcee going over the points and announcing the court. I had two minutes, tops, to decide what I would do. There was no doubt this was another Zeta attempt to thwart me and make me too embarrassed to go out there.

So I had two options: I could march out there in my dance uniform or wear the cow one.

Without thinking too long, I grabbed what I needed and ran out the door onto the field, my head held high and fire in my veins.

CHAPTER

FIFTY-THREE

HOLDEN

I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth as I stared at the Royals sideline. My father gloated, and I seethed. Seeing him at the parade had shocked me, but I’d pushed it aside. But finding out he was part of the Royals coaching team had thrown me off my game.

I hated how easily he got into my head, and the first half had been a disaster of epic proportions. If I didn’t pull my head out of my ass, the second half would be the same.

Shifting my gaze from him to the middle of the field, I watched the court nominees. I wanted this part over so we could get back to the game. The fourth couple reached their spot, and I looked around for Emerson. She hadn’t emerged from the tunnel yet. She’d planned to change into a dress so she wouldn’t stand out among the other girls. I didn’t understand it, but I wasn’t a girl. Plus, she’d looked banging in her outfit for the halftime show. Watching her dance and owning the field had given me a boost. She’d told every hater she didn’t care how much they talked. I could use some of that advice myself.

“Our last nominee for Homecoming King is our Hayward football captain, senior Holden Adler.”

The crowd cheered, and I headed out to my spot. I didn’t look at the crowd too closely, worried I’d see disappointment on their faces. I kept my gaze forward, replaying football play calls in my head.

Just get through this charade, and then you can return to the game.

“And our last nominee for Homecoming Queen is a Wolfette and new to Hayward, junior Emerson Adams.”

I glanced around, searching for Emerson, but she was nowhere to be found. Shit. We thought she’d be safe during the game. I hadn’t thought about him being able to get to her. Worry swirled in my gut, and I turned to run off the field to find her when she emerged. I froze, one foot lifted in the air as she walked out onto the field with her head held high.

The crowd went silent as everyone took her in. The cameraman zoomed in on her, broadcasting her onto the jumbotron for everyone to witness.

She still wore the black tights and shorts from her halftime performance but had removed the tuxedo top and undershirt. Her bra was nude, blending in with her skin and giving the perception she was topless. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the most shocking thing about her look.

It was the words scrawled on her visible skin in black that had everyone gaping.

I dropped my foot and tried to ignore the guys catcalling and whistling at her. When she approached, I took her hand, needing to touch her. She kept her gaze forward, her chin up, portraying to the crowd her strength. But her hand shook in mine, so I squeezed it to remind her she wasn’t alone.

“Breathe, baby. You’re amazing.”

Her eyes flicked over to me, and her shoulders dropped an inch. She did as I said and took a deep breath. I hated seeing the slurs written on one side, but I trusted she was making some kind of point.

The emcee cleared his throat, regaining his composure, as he continued with the stupid tradition of crowning people based on popularity. However, this year had become more than that. The girls at this school had made it about self-worth. Which was dumb because my girl was worth more than any of them.

But Emerson hadn’t signed up to be the face of the cause, her own insecurities making her doubt her reach. That was the thing about Emerson. Once you met her, you knew she was special. I didn’t know if that was what intimidated other girls or not, but the students on campus who didn’t fall into the popularity crowds had found a champion in my girlfriend.

“Our Homecoming King and three-time winner is Holden Adler.”

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