Page 61 of Finding Fate

Shrugging off the sound of his sickening voice, she pushed open the doors and stepped into the warm, September air. “In your dreams,” Isabel thought as she started towards the table where her friends still sat, anxious to fill them in, but the bell rang before she even made it off the sidewalk.

“Oh, captain, our captain!” A couple of juniors ran up, falling in step at her sides.

“Love that new dance we’ve been working on, Izzy. Your routines are seriously sick this year!” Casey exclaimed as they headed to the gym for practice.

“No, kidding! I can’t wait to show it off at the pep rally today. Cheerleaders can suck it, ‘cause we know how to bring it,” Dinah chimed in.

Isabel laughed, thankful they’d run up when she’d needed the distraction. She’d have to fill her friends in later.

* * *

“Where do you wanna sit?” Emma asked Annie as they stared up at the quickly filling bleachers.

“I dunno. Do you see where Tucker’s sitting?”

“Hey, Annie! Emma!” they heard from somewhere further up.

She looked up to see Tucker waving for them to join him in the top row. There were a few other people sitting close by but plenty of room still for her and Emma.

Thankful that Hector was on the football team so he wouldn’t be around to put his foot in his mouth, she’d had enough of that at lunch, Annie waved back and pulled Emma along to join their friend.

“You excited about the pep rally, Tucker?” Emma asked when he scooted down to make room.

“There’s one part that interests me in particular,” he replied, a smirk on his face.

“Which one?”

“The dance team,” he said simply.

Annie rolled her eyes sarcastically. “You mean Izzy.”

He shrugged. “Can you blame me?”

“No,” she grinned, “I feel the same way about the football team.”

“A.K.A. Jet,” Emma stated.

Their conversation continued lightly for the next several minutes until it was time for the pep rally to start. Annie watched, elated. Not just from the excitement of the crowd, or the school spirit that spread from the cheerleaders, dance team, and football players, but from the knowledge that soon after this was over, she and Jet would be free to have their first bit of alone time since the school year had started.

“Izzy really is a great dancer,” Emma commented after the dance team had finished their last number.

“Yeah, it’s what she does best. She absolutely loves it,” Annie replied. She heard Tucker snicker and glanced at him curiously. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing really,” he answered her, but a smirk played at the corner of his lips.

“Yeah, right, Tucker. Tell me,” she urged.

He shrugged, still smirking. “I just disagree. I know something she does even better.”

She gave him a sharp jab to the ribs with her elbow. “Leave it to a guy to think of that!” she thought as he winced, still grinning as he rubbed his side.

Emma’s eyes opened wide as she watched the exchange. “You and Izzy are…?!”

“I didn’t say that,” Tucker answered quickly. It had just dawned on him that Izzy probably wouldn’t be too happy if she knew he had let that tidbit slip, although people were sure to figure it out soon enough.

“But you implied it,” Emma threw back. “Wow, I knew y’all were serious, but I didn’t expect Izzy to move so fast.”

“Let’s just drop it, okay,” he pressed, trying to move away from the topic before others sitting around them could overhear.

---