Chapter twenty-five | The crowd entertainer

Chapter twenty-five | The crowd entertainer

My ears rang as the wild cheering of the crowd filled the ground.

The game was in full swing as thrill rushed through many students. Adrenaline kicked into my body for a different reason altogether as I felt my body being pushed into the air.

For a moment, my world tilted as everything turned upside down. The moment was a short one, but it was enough to send blood rushing to my head.

Air kissed along my skin, sucking on the light beads of sweat along my neck.

Soon the gravity crashed down on me, bringing me down with acceleration.

My team members caught me, and we quickly took back our formation with a bright smile.

Cheerleaders are supposed to smile all the time.

A really fucking hard task when you are sweating buckets and panting like a dog.

As our performance ended, we took a break. My eyes moved towards the ground with a hint of interest.

Our football player rushed around with the ball in their possession as the other team tried to stop their path.

Our team was at an advantage as they played on the familiar ground with the home crowd on their side.

As the crowd hollered, my eyes moved towards the bleachers.

No one was paying attention to the cheerleaders, except (of course) the perverts wanting to look under our skirts and the lost souls forced to attend the match.

So it was easy to locate him in the mob of enthralled people. Like a sore thumb, he stood out in the crowd.

While everyone's eyes were focused on the game, he was staring our way.

Meeting his cerulean gaze, I raised my hand in a wave. A small smile filled my face, more genuine than any other smiles in the past hour.

Following my lead, he raised his hand waving it in the air.

"You guys are surely having something between each other," Fern commented, following the lead of my eyes.

Her words were barely audible over the screaming, but they still brought out my annoyance.

Ready to retort, I turned around just in time to notice Andrea nodding in agreement as she gulped down hearty sips of water.

"Nothing is going on between us," I muttered, tugging on my scrunchie. "We are just friends."

I gathered the loose tendrils that had escaped my ponytail and bound them in the rubber. I resisted the urge to itch as my uniform stuck to my sweaty skin.

We heard the telltale honk of half-time, bringing the game to a small halt.

"I need to get something to eat before the stands get too crowded," I declared, grabbing my purse.

I didn't wait for their response and ran towards the small concession stand.

The front was already crowded with people as more approached for food.

I was a hair's breadth away (an exaggeration) from the stand when someone pulled at my arm.

As the entrance disappeared behind the tall bodies, I whirled around to face the offender.

Eli's eyes twinkled as he stared at me in amusement.

"Eli!" I whined, giving the crowded stand a look of longing. "I need food!"

He chuckled at my statement and shook his head. I gave him a pout as he tugged me away.

"I know. That is why I have already bought half of the stand." His long steps ate up the distance to his seat, where Connor was settled.

Connor looked up from munching on the pack of chips and gave me a wordless warning.

I returned his glare, eyeing the chips packets he had under his dominion.

"No fight for food right now," Eli muttered, waving a hand between us.

Before any of us could react, Eli swiped his hand and got an unopened pack of chips for me. With a smug smile, I settled next to Connor.

Connor blatantly glared at Eli, displaying his discontent at his actions.

"Dude, we bought it with my money. You didn't even shell out a penny for this stuff." Eli rolled his eyes and took a chip out from my pack.

"Traitor," Connor hissed under his breath and gave us his back. The child-like gesture almost brought a smile on my face.

The horn blared once again as the player started to fill into the ground. I was just halfway down the pack of chips, making me frown.

Seeing this as a chance, Connor swiped his hand and took it away from my grasp. "Hah! Finally!"

I just huffed in annoyance and crossed my arms.

"I don't want to! It's not like anyone's watching!" I bemoaned, getting back up on my feet.

Eli lightly nudged my feet with his, looking at me from his sitting position.

"I am watching you do those crazy tricks. Truthfully, those air flips are more amazing than running around the ground with a ball," he reassured, making me smile.

"So you are a pervert who wants to look under my skirt," I stated, making his cheeks color red.

"A cute pervert," I comment just as he opened his mouth to respond.

The shade on his cheeks darkened at my words as Connor made barfing noises.

I gave Eli a playful wink and rushed back to the group.

As I walked back into the field, my shoulder bumped with someone in my path.

I looked over my shoulder to offer an apology but stopped short at the sight of Jacob glaring my way. His jaw ticked as he met my eyes and then looked up to the bleachers to glare towards Eli. Annoyance just seemed to grow on his face.

With a scoff from my side, I ignored his tantrums and returned to my group.

"Ready to soar the skies again?" Andrea asked, stepping up next to me.

"Let's just hope I don't puke out what I ate," I whispered, making her grin.

Throughout the next half, we entertained the crowd. Thankfully, I managed to keep my food inside.

The game was relatively tense as the ground screamed 'Everett' as Jacob performed a dramatic touchdown just before the time finished. We were able to score points just enough to defeat the contenders.

"Thank goodness it is over!" Andrea moaned, cracking her sore joints. Fern and I nodded in agreement and followed her into the locker room.

Quickly changing out and taking a shower, I bid the girls goodbye. By now, it was late, and I was sure Eli was waiting for me to show up.

Just as I walked past the boys' locker room, an arm shot out and grabbed my elbow.

Pulling my down the hallway, Jacob dragged me away from the entrance.

"What the fuck are you doing, Everett?" I hissed as his grip turned bruising.

Pulling me into an empty classroom, he turned around to face me with a livid expression. I rubbed my sore elbow, returning his glare with equal enthusiasm.

"The question should be, what the fuck are you doing, Crimson?" he hissed, walking closer to me.

My eyebrows drew together in confusion as my guard rose to the sky.

"What do you mean?"

Jacob tensed for a moment and kept his gaze fixed deep into my eyes.

"What are you doing with that nerd?" he replied to my question with one of his own.

A scowl twisted my features as anger rose through me. "I don't see how that is any of your issues. Whatever goes on between Eli and I is none of your concern."

I jumped back a little as his hand slammed right next to me on the wall. My eyes turned wide in caution as he leaned closer to me.

His face held a dangerous glint as his eyes spat fire. "Yes, it is my fucking concern!" he spat.

I was too shocked to reply, keeping my eyes steady on him. A tinge of fear filled my heart, letting it slip on my face.

Jacob's analyzing eyes noticed the change, making his shoulder sag. The murderous anger on his face got replaced by vulnerability and something indecipherable.

"I wouldn't harm you, Cyn. I can't," His voice was soft as he searched for an answer on my face. "But what is it? What makes him so special to you?"

He wanted to say more, present more questions but held himself back. He patiently waited for my answer as I processed his words.

Watching the emotions swirl in his gray eyes made me gulp.

"I-I don't get what you are saying," I stammered, cursing myself on the inside for sounding weak.

Jacob hummed in response and raised a hand to my face. Involuntarily, I flinched, making pain shine through his eyes.

With delicate movements, he pushed back a loose tendril from my face, lightly brushing my skin.

As his skin touched mine, disgust rose through my mind.

I pushed him back, making an exit for myself.

Tears stung my eyes as I rushed down the hall, leaving a shocked Jacob behind.

How could he?

My mind chanted as I feared interpreting the emotions in his eyes.