Page 19 of Fire Dancing For Icey Dragons

"Didn't you know that I'm not supposed to have a personality outside of cheerleading?" she jokes. "Most people think that's it."

"It can't be it. You don't cheerlead twenty-four hours a day," I point out.

"True. I love watching cheesy movies and cooking shows. Even though they can be painful when I'm not supposed to eat some of the stuff regularly."

"I can see that being a weird kind of torture."

She laughs, a wonderful sound that I hope I get to hear a lot more of. "It's not as bad as it sounds. Sometimes, I like the challenge of taking an unhealthy meal and making it into a healthy substitute. Some of them don't taste far off."

"That just makes it sound like you want to invite me for a taste test," I joke. "So long as you're not going to try feeding me low sugar no fat chocolate chip cookies, or something like that."

She covers her mouth with her hand as a soft snort escapes her. "Definitely not. Chocolate chip cookies should be left the way they are. It's a crime to try and make them healthier. But I can make lighter chicken nuggets and you wouldn't know the difference. Though I'd still suggest the normal fried kind if you've been drinking."

"I'm intrigued," I admit.

"I'll make them for you at some point."

Our food arrives, cutting the conversation short, but I'm not worried. So far, we've managed without awkward pauses ormoments where things are strained. There's no reason to think that will change just because our food is here.

My mouth waters at the sight of my plate of ribs, though Zara's chicken also looks good. She might be compromising by getting it instead of ribs or something fattier, but there's no way she's going to be disappointed by it.

She picks up one of the crispy chips coated in what looks like spiced salt and takes a bite. "Mmm, amazing."

I grab one for myself and pop it into my mouth. "Yep. So good."

"There's nothing like fresh chips. You can't really do them at home the same way."

"I've never really thought about it," I admit. "I'm more of a stick-it-in-the-oven-and-hope-its-edible type."

She wrinkles her nose. "I could never do that," she responds. "Food is for enjoying."

"Oh, I don't disagree. It's just that most of the time I wait until I get too hungry and then it's more of a matter of finding what I can to feed myself."

She laughs and digs into her chicken, seeming very at ease with both the setting and the food we've gotten.

I watch her for a moment, appreciating that she's definitely not as cold and controlled as the rumours around campus say she is. Having seen her in command of her cheer squad, I can kind of see where they come from, but they couldn't be more wrong about her.

Hopefully, I get to see more of this Zara, because I suspect that a lot of people would like her.

Chapter 11

ZARA

I stand back and watch as several members of the squad are thrown into the air and do a series of twists and flips. They land with ease, and without a single indication that anyone is going to get dropped. I let out a sigh of relief. There are still some tweaks to be made, but I'm pretty sure this is the performance that could win us the title. I haven't exactly incorporated much of what we learned from the other societies and clubs, but it's not like I haven't either. It's more that I've used the experience to guide us through moves that were already part of our repertoire and piecing things together in a different way so that the routine flows better. It's been a worthwhile experience, and one I'll try and remember for when I have a job in the future.

"Rest!" I call. "We'll go through the entire routine in five minutes, take a break." Which means I need to take the time to do some stretches before putting myself back into the routine. I never give myself the starring role, aware that I need to be out of formation too often to do my role as captain for that.

Yuri comes over to me as I stretch out my calves, an amused expression on her face. "No criticism?"

"There are some minor things that need refining."

"You must be pleased," Yuri responds. "Think we're able to win this thing?"

"I think we have a better chance than we did," I admit. "It's still going to take practice and dedication."

"Well, if the squad knows you believe in them, they'll work hard."

I shrug. "They'll work hard because they want to win just as much as I do," I point out.

---