Eden High: Series 1 (Eden High 1-6)

“Your mom’s asleep, what she doesn’t know can’t hurt her, and if you snitch I’ll kick your ass.”

“Tough talk old man.”

“You boys play nice. Mr. Chad just two for you.” She took the plate away from him and took it over to the counter out of reach while he pouted like a two year old.

“You’re just sad dad.” I shook my head and prepared to rub his face in it as I took a big chunk out of my fourth, but he snatched it out of my hand.

“Who’s sad now sucker?” He checked his watch the thief and brushed the crumbs off his face. “Hey, wouldn’t coach let you join practice even though you missed class?”

“Good idea dad I’m sure he will since he knew why I had to bail.” I got up from the table and headed up to my room to get my gear.

Coach is a hard ass he doesn’t play around. He’d once coached in the pros but something happened there and he left to come here. He wasn’t influenced by the purse strings of his team’s parents and so we didn’t get away with shit.

If we weren’t keeping up with our schoolwork as well as he thought we should, he’d bench us in a heartbeat.

So missing class and then showing up for practice would’ve been a no-no in any other situation. But since I’d seen him earlier and told him what was going on I was sure he’d let me on the field.

I could already feel by blood pumping in my veins, I love this dam game. Sometimes it’s the only thing that gives me pleasure, the only thing I have to look forward to.

And since I was now sans a significant other, looked like I was going to be spending more time with the pigskin.

Chapter 5

SIAN

There goes my car again. I know it hadn’t been there this afternoon when I’d gone outside with Belle to call her friend, but now here it was again.

I wondered what kind of teacher could afford a car like that. Granted it was a private school and I’m sure the faculty here made more than at the average high school. Still, that car was like a half a million dollars easy.

I grinned when I remembered telling dad that that’s what I wanted as payment for him disrupting my life.

I was on my way to the field for tryouts. After this afternoon’s little run-in with the squad I wasn’t sure of my reception, but I wasn’t about to let that deter me.

Ms. Simmons, the coach was very personable when we spoke earlier, and she seemed pretty impressed with my stats.

The school had never been part of the nationals, whereas my old school had won twice in the last three years. I was a shoo-in and since I seem to have gotten over whatever was bugging me earlier, I really wasn’t too interested in what Mandy and her crew thought.

Yes you have to work together when cheering but like any other job, everyone didn’t always get along or even need to, in order for things to work.

I’d left Belle back in the hall looking for Tammy who was still a no show and who hadn’t answered her phone.

I wanted to stay with her and help find the other girl since she seemed so distressed, but coach had made it clear that she didn’t put up with tardiness or any form of slacking off, and I wasn’t about to start off on the wrong foot, so I told her to come find me when she got word.

I saw the other girls in a huddle as I approached. They looked over and saw me coming and as if by mutual consent turned their backs.

This morning my step might have faltered, I might’ve missed a step, but now that I was in fighting form I really didn’t give a frack.

I walked over to the coach to let her know I was there and she blew the whistle for attention, apparently I was the last one there.

“Right, now that we’re all here let’s get started. Now last year we had some issues that I’d like to avoid this year.

This is supposed to be fun for all involved, yet there were stories of bruised feelings and cattiness that I will not abide.

Let this be a warning, I will not think twice about removing any trouble makers from this squad are we clear?”

There was a bit of mumbling from the back but I kept my head forward, I wonder what that was about?

I know cheerleaders get a bad rap and most are seen as stuck up divas, but in truth, most of the girls I cheered with were just happy to be doing something they loved.

I personally like the excitement of the crowds but that’s secondary to the feeling I get when I’m being tossed in the air and doing my flips and shit.

It was just a graduation from dance as far as I’m concerned, and since I wasn’t planning on making it a career choice since cheerleaders made squat, it was just a fun way to get through high school and stay in shape.

I’m sure it meant a lot more to some and some people might call me cynical, but for crap sake it was just a sport.

My brother played football and I cheered, mom and dad come to see both of us doing what we love, that’s about it for me.

“Okay, before we begin let’s go over the nutrition sheet.” There was even more grumbling as she passed out the sheets of paper.

After the rudimentary questions and answers she turned to me and the other hopefuls who were there to try out. Oh boy here we go.

I stood off to the side and watched the others as they went ahead. She didn’t have them do anything extra just the basic jumps and rolls but when it came my turn she had other ideas.

“Okay Claiborne I’ve read your file, since you’ve been part of a team that has won nationals your last two tries let’s see what you got.” She smiled encouragingly after putting me on the spot.