Chapter 51: Chapter 51

“Ready?!” Eva yelled. She was in the middle of the quarters dressed in her short blue and yellow cheer uniform with her pompoms in her hands and the blue and yellow paints on her cheek in two strokes beneath her eyes. I’m glad to see she’s recovering from the previous ordeal pretty well and it’s good. More importantly, we have the game to focus on now. I had woken up early and avoided Andre yet again as I hurriedly left with Shewa to get dressed for the big day. My uniform was pressed and hung and ready. As I dressed so did the other cheerleaders until one by one we began to file out to join a beaming Eva.

“Took you guys long enough,” she said her smile bright.

“Everyone is excited about the game but it seems like you barely slept at all,” Janet commented.

“Yeah because I am assistant cheer captain and I am leading my exam.”

“Don’t let Siobhan hear you, she might think you are trying to take her spot as captain,” Shewa laughed.

I observed Eva closely and reached for her hand. “Are you alright?”

She held mine. “Yeah, I can’t keep dwelling on that unpleasant event and luckily I am getting over it.”

“That’s good to know.”

Finally, Siobhan joined us and immediately took my arm and steered me towards the door, looking back over her shoulder as she yelled, “Girls don’t just stand there! Let’s go already.”

I rolled my eyes at her. “You do realize that we were waiting for you, right?”

“And I came and took my spot back from Eva,” she deadpanned. Leaning in with her chin on my shoulder she whispered, “Don’t you think she’s milking this victim and trauma stuff way too much?”

I glanced down at her in shock. “Siobhan! She was attacked! I would be traumatized if I were in her shoes and you can see how hard she’s trying to move away from that situation!”

She snorted. “Yeah by playing the damsel in distress. I have seen how the other guys are doting on her in this ‘trying time’ she’s supposedly experiencing. Do you know what Andre and Gideon did last night? They got her dinner! Aaron offered to help her take her stuff to the hostel after practice yesterday. Ian wants to be her first dance partner at the party tonight. There is no convincing me, she’s enjoying the attention.”

I snatched my arm from hers in disbelief, standing on the road while the other cheerleaders passed us by oblivious to the conversation we were having. Even Eva chatting happily passed us by laughing at some story Shewa was telling.

“What is wrong with you?!” I whispered through my teeth staring at her as if she just grew horns and yes, she might as well have just grown horns because only the devil thinks the way she just did. “You saw how frightened she was, you sympathized with her too. What happened to you? What changed?”

She shrugged nonchalantly and wanted to take my hand again.

“Don’t!” I warned. “How can you be so selfish with your thoughts? Are you worried she would try to steal the boys all because they are trying to be nice to her?”

“I never said so but yes, you know she’s a scheming bitch, come on Bianca! You know her as well as I do.” She eyed me suspiciously, “But suddenly you seem to be on her side now, did she play the damsel in distress to you too?”

“No, she didn’t. And she doesn't have to. I have basic human compassion which you seem to be lacking today and you know what? Maybe I’ll walk with her and be extra nice to her now that I know how you really think.”

I started to walk away from her. She chuckled and held on fast. “Don’t you dare, Bianca Davis! So what you want to be her best friend now?”

“I just might do that since she’s not as selfish as you are.”

“I am not selfish and you know it, I am just protecting what is mine.”

“No, you are selfish. I’m sure Andre will be glad to know you think this way.”

“Who cares what Andre thinks,” she said nonchalantly.

“What has come over you, Siobhan?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, growth maybe. Anyways I was joking about the Eva thing you didn’t have to overreact that way.”

“That wasn’t overreacting, that was me being concerned about what you’ve become.”

“You are overthinking it, luv. I’m sure Eva wouldn’t think much of it if I had told her that I thought she was digging for sympathy. Anyways, let’s leave that conversation since we are not on the same page.”

“I can’t believe you,” I said under my breath.

“Chill out. I would be frightened too if someone had randomly shown up in my bathroom and yes I would be basking in the attention everyone showers on me.”

“You know I’m beginning to think Eva might not be as bad as I’ve always believed.”

She snorted. “She made out with my boyfriend.”

“Because you both agreed to let your exes go.”

“But she’s not his ex, she barely even knew him. She just wanted to make out with him to spite me. Everyone wants me and what I have.” She gave me a direct stare. “Do you want what’s mine too?”

I frowned at the sudden question wondering where it came from. “What sort of a question is that?”

“Just thinking out loud. I have been thinking about a lot,” she hooked her hand through mine again so that we could continue walking toward the main school area. “You know I read that book, I can’t remember the title, that you read last summer and I kept thinking about the other friend who secretly envied her best friend and wanted everything she had including her boyfriend.”

I laughed. “Well first of all you know I don’t envy you. We are friends, we are as close as sisters. Secondly, I do not want Andre, especially because he is your boyfriend.” I said truthfully because that was exactly what I told Shewa. He is her boyfriend, I can’t fight with my best friend over a boy that chose her over me.

“I am not talking about Andre.”

I raised a brow. “Who are you talking about then…”

Suddenly a loud cry rang through the air as the boys came out dressed in their uniform waving the Edwin and Co. school flag emblazoned with the school emblem over their heads while screaming at the top of their voices. Soon the cheerleaders joined them and we waved our pompoms in the air. In the main school area, the junior students who had been carrying decorative stuff and boxes containing decorations for the dining room joined to cheer with us.

"Go Edwin. Go Edwin," everyone chanted happily.

Before long the long buses assigned to drive us to the stadium arrived. Mr. Jorge was in the front passenger seat to welcome us as we piled into the bus. Siobhan pulled me along and we walked together to take seats close to the window. The other bus was occupied by the senior class 2 seniors who were supposed to follow us for support.

“Bring the cup home!” students cheered as they waved us off while the buses started to drive slowly out of school.

“The gold cup or nothing!”

Waving at the students we relaxed in our seats pumped and ready to face our competition.

From my seat beside the window I saw Mr. Jonathan in an anordinary-lookingg car, behind him were more cars all tailing us as we left the school premises.