Dare You to Chase the Soccer Player (Rock Valley High 5)

She smiled at me, her eyes crinkling with warmth. “I know they will, Lex. Just you wait and see.”

“It’s a big step. I’d understand it if people chicken out.”

“They won’t.” Charlotte grabbed my hand on the other side and held it tight. “We’re in this together. Just have some patience.”

I tried not to let my nerves get to me, but it wasn’t often that I stood bare-faced in front of the school during a weekday, with not a stitch of makeup on. A couple weeks ago, I wouldn’t have dreamed of pulling off a feat. But my time with Zane had changed me. My worth didn’t just lie in how well I could hide my scars and blemishes. I was so much more than that. Just as every girl at Rock Valley was more than her ability to work a powder brush or lip liner. I knew that, now. And I wasn’t going to feel ashamed of myself anymore.

“They’re here.” Beth squeezed my hand. She pointed down the walkway. “I see them. They’re here for you.”

I craned my neck to see and gasped. It wasn’t just one or two supporters who’d rallied to my pleas for help yesterday. Dozens upon dozens of girls walked toward us, each of them as bare-faced and bold as me and my friends. I smiled so hard, I thought my cheeks would break. There were girls from the cheerleading squad, the band, the basketball team, the book club. Girls from every social circle on campus.

They were beautiful.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming,” I said loudly as they slowed to a stop in front of me. Tears of gratitude clogged my throat. “I can’t tell you what this means to me.”

“We all saw what happened to you yesterday.” A small sophomore with jet black hair that fell just to the top of her shoulders stepped forward from the crowd. I was pretty su

re her name was Charlie and she’d just returned to school this year after a battle with cancer. “We don’t like bullies,” she continued, her eyes flashing with emotion. “And we don’t accept the narrative that you have to wear makeup to be beautiful. You’re beautiful just the way you are—whether you choose to wear makeup is up to you.”

Her words had my chin quivering as I tried to keep it together. I honestly couldn’t believe all of these ladies had shown up today for me. It was more than I ever could’ve asked for—or believed. It was amazing. I made a promise to myself right then and there to always come through for the girls in my life, no matter their need.

There was a commotion at the back of the crowd. A shrill and familiar voice reached my ears before I spotted its owner elbowing and pushing her way toward the front. Janelle carried a white Coach purse tucked close to her denim shirt and leggings. She blinked at me in surprise as she finally broke free from the crowd and then her surprise turned into a snarl.

“What is this?” she demanded, her large eyes taking in my scarred and red face. “Didn’t you get enough embarrassment yesterday? Didn’t you finally realize you’re not meant for this world?”

“Maybe not, but I did learn something.” I kept my cool gaze trained on hers and unblinking. She wasn’t going to rattle me, no matter what. I had all the encouragement I needed from the girls surrounding us. “I learned that I’m tougher than I realized. And no one gets to shame me for something I’m not ashamed of.”

I lifted my chin higher and tucked my hair behind my ears on both sides. I wanted to be sure Janelle got a good, up and close look at my face. She didn’t get to tell me where my worth came from.

Janelle’s nasty smile faltered as her gaze flicked from my face to the girls around us. It seemed that, for the first time, she had realized what these other girls were doing here. They met her stare head-on, each one proudly lifting their bare faces to show her they weren’t afraid of her. Janelle’s shoulders wilted a bit as she took it all in, but the next second, the snarl was back and she came toward me with her finger jabbing at my chest.

“You know what? I’m pretty sure you were fired. Take a hint and stay away from the set, before I call security.”

“Well, see, the thing is Janelle, we’re not actually on the set,” I said calmly, resting my hand on the wooden barrier. Inside, my heart hammered like a drum at a Pep rally. “So, I’m allowed to be here. Isn’t that right, Derick?”

“That’s right, Miss Black,” the burly guard standing near the entrance said with a satisfied smirk.

I was pretty sure that was the longest speech I’d ever heard uttered from his lips, but it made me smile.

Janelle huffed and tossed her long, blonde hair. A smile tugged at my lips as I watched her searching for the words to cut me back down to size. I could smell a victory in the air and it was sweet. Finally, with a last exasperated sigh, she continued her march through the gate and walked away without another glance.

The girls around us cheered, no doubt every one of them thinking about their own bullies who’d tried to tear them down. Each one of us had a Janelle and we’d all won today. It felt great.

And as I watched that long-legged girl with the perfect symmetrical face disappear between the trailers, I felt nothing but sympathy for her. She’d become part of a world that would never allow her to be worth more than her looks. She’d embodied it and allowed it to spoil her inside, even as her outside remained looking flawless. At least I could use concealer on my scars when I wanted to. She couldn’t fix the ugly within so easily.

“Ladies, ladies, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Freddy’s red head appeared through the crowd as he made his way to the gate. He grinned from ear-to-ear, winking at one of the girls from the orchestra and tipping his chin flirtatiously for another girl from the debate team. “If you’re here for a date with the Fredster, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. We fly the coop today and it’s back to LA for us.”

The reality that the movie set would be gone in only a matter of hours hit me hard, just as Zane appeared on the path that Freddy had cut through the girls. There was a twitter of excitement that followed his sudden appearance. I could feel at least a dozen eyes look my way, no doubt from the people who’d read the article about us yesterday.

Zane’s blue gaze fell on me with an intensity that made my gut clench. I stared back at him, fighting against the pain and the loneliness that threatened to consume me every time I thought about the way things had fizzled out between us. Had his dad convinced him of my guilt? That I was just like those other girls who’d tried to use him?

“Makeup Girl!” Freddy wrapped me up in a warm hug and then winked at me as he pulled away. “Don’t miss us too much. When you get to LA, give us a ring.”

“Haven’t you heard, I’m not Makeup Girl anymore,” I said, trying my best to smile at him. I could feel Zane’s gaze on my face. “I got fired.”

Freddy tilted his head, the warmth not leaving his eyes. “You’ll always be Makeup Girl to me. The one girl in the entire world I couldn’t impress with my endless charm and good looks.”

I snorted with laughter. If there was one thing Freddy was good at, it was lightening the mood. His eyes sparkled with humor as I giggled into my hand.