Page 16 of Play Fake
Two days a week. Two mornings that feel like the only thing in my life that makes complete sense.
I barely make it back to campus in time. Traffic’s a nightmare, my iced coffee from this morning is watery and warm, and my stomach’s been growling since snack time at the agency.
By the time I park and grab my stuff, I’ve got a turkey sandwich in one hand, shoving bites into my mouth between steps as I cross the lawn toward the practice field.
Students drift past in clusters, some still lingering in the shade of the quad with coffee and laughter, their afternoons stretching wide open in front of them. I envy them for about half a second before reality catches up. I don’t do free time, at least not well. I enjoy my time scheduled down to the minute. Less opportunities for my brain to spiral or to question every decision I’ve made up to this point.
The field comes into view, green stretching under the late-afternoon sun. A few of the girls are already out there, warming up, stretching on the sidelines. Their ponytails flash in the light as they talk and laugh.
I take one last bite of my sandwich and shove the rest back into the sack, swallowing hard as I jog toward the benches along the sideline.
Time to be cheerleader Sophie—the version who always has it together, who never lets anyone see just how thin she’s stretched.
“Prescott! Late again,” Jordan calls, hands on her hips as she surveys the squad. Her smirk makes it clear she’s not mad, just amused.
“Traffic,” I reply, flashing her a grin as I drop my bag on the bench.
“Uh-huh.” Jordan shakes her head, ponytail swishing. “Better hope you stretch fast, because we’re running lines in two minutes.”
I jog over, sliding into the gap between Tessa and Kenzie, both already bent into hamstring stretches.
“Saved you a spot,” Tessa says, nudging me with her elbow. She’s practically glowing with energy, even though practice just started.
“Thanks,” I murmur, leaning into the stretch.
Kenzie tugs her ponytail tighter, smirking. “You’ve got guts showing up late on the first day back. Jordan will put you on flyer duty just to make a point.”
“Please, she wouldn’t risk dropping me out of the sky,” I joke, and all three of us laugh, earning a mock glare from Jordan.
“Eyes forward, Sophie,” she says, but there’s no bite to it. Just the kind of teasing that comes with trust.
We break into line drills, sneakers pounding against turf, motions sharp and fast. My muscles burn, sweat trickling down my spine, but it’s the kind of ache I crave. The kind that proves I can still keep up.
When it’s time to stunt, I take my spot as back base, bracing while Tessa and Kenzie lift our flyer into the air. Jordan counts us off, voice loud and steady, and the stunt hits clean, our flyer posing with a grin before we bring her down.
“Nice work,” Jordan says, clapping us on our shoulders as we reset.
The sun’s lower now, golden light spilling across the field. From here, I can hear the echo of whistles from the football side, the team shouting through plays. Helmets flash in the distance, and for half a second, my eyes drift that way.
Tessa catches me and grins. “You’re glowing.”
“I’m sweating,” I shoot back, unscrewing my water bottle.
Kenzie smirks, leaning in. “Sure. Has nothing to do with the fact that you’re newly single and some very hot football men are just a few feet away.”
Heat prickles up my neck, but I mask it with another gulp of water, forcing a laugh. “Please. I don’t even know any of them.”
Jordan blows her whistle again, pulling us back into formation before they can push further.
By the time practice is finished, my legs are jelly. We’ve cycled through line drills, pyramids, and a dozen stunts, each one testing the limits of our balance and trust. My throat is raw from calling counts, my palms stinging from catches, but it’s the kind of exhaustion that makes me feel alive.
Jordan finally blows the whistle. “That’s it for today! Good work, ladies. Same time tomorrow.”
Groans ripple through the group, followed quickly by laughter as girls collapse onto the turf, water bottles pressed to their lips. I drop to the grass, too, pulling my knees up, sweat cooling sticky against my skin.
“Remind me why we do this again?” Tessa gasps beside me.
“Because we’re insane,” Kenzie answers, sprawled flat on her back.
