Page 9 (2/2)

"You suck, Becky!" I shout

The cheerleaders twitter Becky places her hands on her hips and turns toh’s cheerleading captain, but that hen I was the captain

When Becky glares, it’s just funny

"There was a reason I wouldn’t let us do that cheer, you know," I say

She frowns

"You’re not captain anyht not be captain for er They’ll oust you froirls twitter so They should know froht about stuff like this

Becky orders them to take a break and storms up the bleachers to me

"Uh-oh," Jake says under his breath

"Fuck off, Parker," Becky says when she reaches me "That’s my squad out there My squad Not yours, irls--"

I burst out laughing

"It’s an awful cheer and you know it You think you’ll proveit? You think I actually care? Because I don’t--"

"Then why did you feel the need toit? You wouldn’t have tolerated that from anyone, and if I remember correctly, you didn’t--"

"Jessie would’ve vetoed that in a second if she was here, and she did the last tiet us to do it Remember?"

"Jessie’s not here, you bitch"

She storms back down the bleachers

"Becky, I lied!" I yell She doesn’t turn around "I do care The squad will look like total douche bags if they perforirls I rest my chin in my hands

"Are you ready to talk about our project now?"

"No," I say

"Okay, good," Jake says exasperatedly "So basically, Norton is fucked Unity and disparity is ridiculous But I was thinking we should do one side really, really, really dark and the other side really, really, really light--"

"But how do you connect that? It has to connect in the ly at the ga on the court

"Let’sand the middle can be suerly "I like that!"

"Oh, really? I thought you wouldn’t We can’t do that That’s what Mindy Andrews and Cory Hall are doing I overheard them"

He rolls his eyes and checks out the cheerleaders

"Do you miss it?" he asks

"No"

It’s not true I kind ofto do, to distract htmare captain and they had to be perfect But I was like that about everything My grades,perfect

The bell rings

"You didn’t get to play," I say

Jake sighs "Yeah"

"You should try out for the team"

"Can’t My knee’s all fucked up I hurt it during the ames at lunch are about all I can stand I miss it a lot" He sounds wistful "I love basketball"

Great Just et

SEVEN

By Wednesday, word around the halls is Chris and Becky are a couple By Thursday, it’s confir down pat and I have to hand it to them, they look pretty happy for two people who have absolutely nothing to be happy about He’s with her because he can’t be withthat, and boy, does she know that

By Thursday night, Bailey kno to fetch Dad’s slippers

"Look at this!" Dad says, after he calls Mo room He’s stretched out in his recliner and Bailey’s sprawled out on the floor at his feet Dad snaps his fingers "Bailey!"

Bailey raises his head

"Fetch, Bailey; fetchBailey rises slowly, totters out of the room and totters back in with Dad’s slippers in hisisBailey on the head He looks pretty satisfied with hi He nestles back into his spot at Dad’s feet and Moet him a treat

"Good job, Bailey," I say

But I’ht, but I show up early so Chris and I can have sex Another year at St Peter’s is alht ti to be a lot more sex in our future