Page 59 of Look What You Made Me Do

Ella frowned. Her gaze cut to Jake. What the hell was he playing at? He knew how she felt about cheerleaders. “I see.” Ella steepled her fingers, buying some time.

“My mom said she’d coach us,” Miranda added into the growing silence. “We can practice in the afternoons on the field while the guys are practicing.”

“Your… mother?”

Miranda nodded her head enthusiastically. “She was a professional cheerleader. That’s where she met Jake.”

Ah. So that was their origin story. The thought that he and Trish had been lovers reared its ugly head again, adding to her grievance with him. Were there any women on this planet – and their mothers – who hadn’t ended up between his sheets?

Studying Miranda for a moment, Ella chose her words carefully. She’d always applauded initiative but this was a hot-button subject for her.

“I have to be honest with you, Miranda. I’m really not in favor of this.”

“Oh but, Miss?—”

Ella held up her hand. “Have you heard of Emmeline Pankhurst?”

“Of course.” Miranda looked affronted. “She was a British suffragette. Although I prefer Ida B Wilmott or Lucrecia Mott.”

“Excellent.” Ella nodded, pleased to see there were still young women interested in that part of history. “So let me ask you, how do you think any of them would feel to see young women prancing around in itty-bitty costumes providing entertainment for males at sporting events?”

“If you don’t mind me being frank, Miss Lucas, I think that’s a rather outdated opinion.”

In her peripheral vision, Ella saw Jake hide a smile with a jaw rub. Miranda paused as if she was expecting to be chastised but Ella just waved her on. She definitely wanted to hear what an articulate young woman who knew her suffragettes had to say.

“Cheerleaders are classed as professional athletes these days and are now even eligible for the Olympics. And surely women’s suffrage was born out of the idea that women can be and do whatever they want?”

Ella blinked at Miranda’s cogent argument. “And what about the message cheerleading sends to younger, less informed girls? That women are just there to prop up male egos while they chase a ball around a field.”

“No.” Miranda shook her head. “I don’t think it’s about that and we shouldn’t make it about that. This is about what we can do to support Deluca High.”

Ella opened her mouth to speak but Miranda didn’t break for comment. She plowed right on.

“Look at the Cats last weekend. Their cheer squad was ahh-mazing. And right away they had a mental advantage over us because they had all the bells and whistles and we didn’t. With every chant, they were saying our team’s better than yours because we have all the luxuries, like a cheer squad. This isn’t about girls pandering to boys. It’s about school spirit. About us all pulling together and doing our bit to save the school.”

Ella fell silent at the impassioned plea. She caught Jake’s eye. He shook his head and mouthed, “No.”

Wait… Jake didn’t want it either? She’d have thought the tight-end jock would be all for it. But he shook his head once more, bugging his eyes as he mouthed, “No,” again.

Okay, well… that was curious. She opened her mouth to say something but Jake got in first.

“I think Miss Lucas has made herself clear, Miranda,” he said. “I don’t think we should take up any more of her time.”

“But…” Miranda protested as Jake grabbed her elbow.

Ella narrowed her eyes. “Wait right there!”

What the hell was his problem? Whatever it was, she was sufficiently angry with him that she was happy to sacrifice some principles just to yank his chain in any way she could. “I think Miranda’s made some very salient points.”

“Ella.”

She arched an eyebrow at his clearly irritated voice. “We don’t want to come across as the poor cousins, do we?”

“What about Emmeline?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“I’m sure Emmeline would have approved of Miranda’s daring to stand up for something she believes in.”

Several seconds of mutual eye… whatever the opposite of eye fucking was – eye hating? – elapsed before Ella dragged her gaze from Jake to smile at Miranda. “I’ll call and talk to your mother this afternoon.”

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