Page 72 of Fraternizing with the Enemy
But life wasn’t fair. Best to fall in line and realize it now.
After the dynamic stretches, Coach Chelsea worked her way back to the front as we practiced our cheer routine. We added two new ones into the mix for Friday’s upcoming game, and Chelsea asked both Jade and I to demonstrate them to the squad. Jade, with a bright smile, walked through the trick with all the confidence in the world.
Maybe Jade had been right—shewasmore made for the captain role. Maybe thiswashow things were supposed to have been.
I let Jade lead cool-downs, and instead of standing by her side, I faced her like the rest of the squad, unable to look her in the eye. I could feel her gaze, though. Waiting. Expectant.
I wondered what Logan would say if he knew what I was about to do.
Jade gathered her things, her light laughter so totally at odds with my mood. So totally at odds with the mood she’d been in yesterday. But that was Jade Dyer—she was able to smile through anything, whether that be a broken nail or the prospect of her family forcing her to give up the Top Tier.
Coach Chelsea sat in the grass with her legs stretched out in front of her. She tipped her head up atme as I approached, but I couldn’t see her eyes beyond her sunglasses. “You pulled back during practice today,” she said without missing a beat. “I take it this is about that?”
My fists were tight at my sides. “Yes.”
Chelsea sighed, getting her feet under her. “Madison,” she said, the name punctuated with meaning I was supposed to deduce.
I waited, but she didn’t go on. “I don’t think I can lead the girls,” I said, staring at her collarbone. “I don’t think I have what it takes to be co-captain. I’m not… leader material.”
I’d practiced all throughout the day what to say to sound believable. The truth wasn’t an option, of course, but mentioning leader material would do it. If I showed doubt, she needed to cut me out like cancer.
Chelsea sighed again, this time slipping her sunglasses off. The length of her silence roiled my stomach further. “Madison,” she said again. “Is being a captain a joke to you?”
The insinuation hit me like a jolt of electricity. “No, ma’am.”
“Is it something you can just be lazy at?”
“No, ma’am.”
She hooked her sunglasses on the collar of her shirt. “What does it mean to be a captain, then?”
“It means leading your fellow cheerleaders through routines, through games, and setting a good example for your squad.” My breaths came quicker. “It’s an honor.”
“It’s an honor. And yet you’re throwing it away?”
“I’m not. I—I just—I don’t feel confident?—”
“Then do better.” Her voice wasn’t cruel, but it was hard, allowing no room for negotiation. “Don’t come tome complaining about how bad a leader you feel you are. Do better.”
No, this wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I was supposed to tell her to take me off as co-captain, and she was supposed to agree. She wasn’t supposed torefuse.
Jade would say I didn’t plead the case hard enough because I secretly hoped Coach would say no.
Chelsea began walking away, but in a blind panic, my hand shot out and latched onto hers. “Coach,” I all but gasped. “I—I can’t be co-captain.”
Desperation shook my voice, and I winced from how obvious it was.
Coach Chelsea stared at me pointedly, as if waiting for me to crack underneath the probing gaze and spill my guts. I didn’t though. I even went as far as to press my lips together, all but holding my breath. “Is this about the Most Likely To?”
My lips parted, surprised she knew about the list. But I shook my head. “No, it’s not about that.”
She reached over and laid her other hand on top of mine, giving it an unexpectedly gentle pat. “I’ll think on it.”
“But—”
And then she brushed my grip off, grabbing her water bottle where she’d left it on the ground. The girls had dispersed by then, not a single one lingering to catch wind of the gossip. Jade had even disappeared, apparently deciding not to wait for Connor to finish practice.
I stood still even as Coach Chelsea walked away, trying to breathe evenly through my nose.I’ll think on it. It wasn’t the quick agreement that I’d been hoping for—that I was sure Jade had been hoping for. It wasn’t theokayI’d been expecting, but the uncertainty rolled some of that weight off my chest. Just a little.
