Page 94 of Out of the Shadows
She laughed. “Come on, I have a class in an hour too, we can grab a bite to eat on the way.”
I dragged myself up, grabbed my things, and followed her out of our room. Sometimes, it was still strange for me to have a person I could confide in now.
We strolled across campus, Ella’s ponytail swinging with her bouncy steps, and I spotted no less than four guys checking her out.
“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you, how are things going on the dating front?”
She huffed. “Just as shitty as the last time we talked about it. If I hear ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ one more time, I might scream.”
I grimaced sympathetically. “It just doesn’t make sense.”
“Tell me about it.”
“The right one will come along,” I assured her.
“Yeah, maybe. Or maybe I’ve already met him and just don’t know it yet.”
***
The gym buzzed with energy as the cheerleaders gathered on the mats, the sound of squeaking sneakers and idle chatterfilling the air. The captain, clipboard in hand, called everyone into a huddle. After a brisk warm-up — jumping jacks, high knees, and sprinting across the mat — we transitioned into deep stretches.
We dropped into splits, keeping our arms in perfect alignment. Coach circled around, checking our form. “Remember to point your toes, Sarah,” she said, her voice calm but authoritative. “Legs high, arms straight, every muscle engaged.”
This wasn’t just about flexibility; it was about strength and balance, the foundation of our stunts. Next came the tumbling drills. The squad lined up at one end of the gym and took turns sprinting across the mat to perform backflips, aerials, and handsprings. The sound of hands hitting the floor and sneakers landing on the mat echoed throughout the gym.
After I finished, I leaned forward, breathing heavily, put my hands on my knees, and took a few swigs from my water bottle.
“Stunt time!” the captain called. The bases and flyers took their positions. I adjusted my bow and tugged at my shorts as I prepared to be launched into the air. Two bases crouched, muscles tensed, as I climbed onto their intertwined hands. “One, two, down, up!” the captain counted. In perfect unison, I was launched upward, legs straight, arms extended in a clean extension.
The coach stood nearby, her eyes narrowing as she watched.
“Hold that toe touch longer, Hailey!” she yelled midflight. I adapted, arching my back as my legs snapped out into a perfect toe touch, then landed safely in the waiting arms of my bases.
After nailing several stunts, we transitioned into pyramids, stacking ourselves in levels, creating a structure of peoplethat looked impossible from the outside.
With only a few minutes left, we worked on the choreography of our routine, combining all the elements we had been practicing. Sharp, synchronized arm movements, energetic kicks, and perfectly timed jumps formed the backbone of the routine.
“Tighter! Faster!” shouted the captain as she paced up front. The music blared from the speakers, and the squad moved in perfect unison.
As practice wound down, we all sat in a circle, stretching tired muscles and breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from my brow, but our spirits were high after a successful practice.
I walked over to my bag, wiping the sweat from my face with a towel. Fuck, I was starving. I definitely needed a snack soon, or I would turn into a hangry bitch.
My phone vibrated in my bag, and I pulled it out of the inside pocket. Frowning, I scrolled through the missed notifications.
Ella: My idea might work according to our grumpy in-house quasi-hacker *side-eye emoji*
Me: You still haven’t told me what your idea was in the first place
Ella: Whelp, it’s kind of already in motion *sheepish grin emoji*
Me: What the hell did you do?
Oh God, what has she done? Why hasn’t she said anything? I’mgonna strangle her!
I stuffed all my things into my bag, slung the strap over my shoulder, and made my way out of the gym. Still no answer from Ella, but if I remembered correctly, she was in a lecture. On a whim, I made my way to the building where she had most of her classes.
Me: I’m coming for you. There’s no point in running.
