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Sawyer had never had an ounce of fat on him, as far as I could tell But the last time I’d seen him with his shirt off, after the Labor Day race, he’d looked drawn and sinewy, like he could kick anybody’s ass th In the two and a half weeks since then, he’d been working out with the football tea down that path would have gained confidence, too Sawyer didn’t need any

Grace grinned at him from the nearest seat "Want me to zip you up?"

"Yeah," Sawyer said with none of the teasing tone he usually took with Grace After putting his arloves, he stood Grace rose beside hiertips probably brushing across his bare back She moved the zipper all the way up to his neck I wondered if he shivered at her touch

Next she bent, flashing everybody her full butt in her boy shorts underneath her cheerleader skirt, and fue pelican head "Here, Sawyer," she said, "I’hter Sawyer, who nor even dirtier in response, only turned bright red and looked straight atat hi!" Cathy exclai?" Ellen echoed "Grace and Sawyer, sitting in a tree"

Ugh I faced the front and dove under the seat for e white shape filled my peripheral vision The pelican stood beside loved hand He carriedI took his hand, and he pulled entleled me out and paid me romantic attention--bird suit or not--was doubled when he escorted htly lit even though the sun wouldn’t set for another hour Myhead cheerleader was the opposite of Most Likely to Succeed, but cheering at football gah school so far

Thirty minutes later our team kicked off The stadiu team had beat us last year, but this season Brody had led us to wins in our first three games If he and the teaht, our chances were good ofthis, our fans packed the suest side of the stadium and overflowed into the ho band parents were here, and every cheerleader’s parents except mine

Most of the students froauys: our friend Quinn, whose boyfriend, Noah, was on the football team, and Kennedy Glass, the yearbook editor, as self-ih to think soame or not Come to think of it, Aidan had driven here for the same reason He didn’t understand football, but he felt it was his duty to show up since he was student council president That’s the way he’d explained the trip toto support me personally or see me cheer

So I didn’t scour the stands to spot hiht annoy , but they were terrific athletes We htest, so I was on top--and I kneouldn’t fall, because they would hold reat about playing along We hadn’t come in third in the state cheer cha

For short stints I turned around withfor Brody’s big plays Dad loved football I’d spent many weekends curled up on the couch with him while he explained the rules to me Now, even from field level, I could watch our foret ready to make some noise

In short, I felt like a successful head cheerleader--way more of a success than I was as student council vice president If only ht this counted

But raphed Whenever the opposing teah the next several plays without much movement, I pointed at Tia, as drum captain, up in the sea of band uniforms in the stands She consulted with Will about what janal to tellto the cheerleaders The next thing we kneere dancing to a groove I felt high Little kids held on to the chain link fence separating the crowd fro cheerleaders theame, Sawyer acted like he always did with me on the field He could flirt all he wanted and Aidan would never say a thing as long as Saas in costuht behindinto me on purpose Several times I slapped him ahen he tried to look up my skirt (which wouldn’t have mattered anyith my boy shorts underneath, but it was the principle of the thing) During halftime he always disappeared to take his suit off in the locker room and pour cold water over his head, but this time he returned a few minutes early He sat beside me on the players’ bench, slipped his feathered arband’s show