All That Glitters

Braylen groaned loudly as someone was hitting a pot, and yelling clanging loudly. She recognized it as Sterling, who was yelling “anyone who has to go to the basketball game, get up now!” She laughed, before she turned on her back to stretch, curling her back and her eyes bulging when she felt an arm wrapped around her tightly. Her eyes darted as she saw John sleeping next to her. She had a minor panic attack, she looked under the white sheet and saw both their naked bodies. “Naked, of course,” She cursed, before she bit her lip, carefully lifting John’s hand off of her and dressing faster than she ever had before. She rubbed her head, surprisingly not as hungover as she should be. She grabbed a gatorade out of the fridge and started searching for advil.

“Everyone that needs to be in the basketball game! Up now! Players, cheerleaders, Sundancers and sports fans!” Sterling yelled his voice echoing through the house. She a couple of heads pop up from the couch and smiled, realizing it was Isabelle and Blake. “JohnO! Get your ass up! And you too Braylen!” Sterling shouted as he knocked the door to the guest bedroom, Braylen blushed as she stood in the kitchen. “Oh, you’re up,” he smiled knowingly. Braylen rolled her eyes and replaced her cardigan over her self like a robe.

“Seriously! It’s almost ten! Game starts at noon, get your asses up for warm ups!” Sterling began yelling and more people collected in the kitchen tiredly rubbing their foreheads and looking at each other with curious looks. Braylen grabbed her car keys, knowing she was going to spend the night at Sterling’s anyways she had packed everything she needed.

“Has anyone seen Caitlin?” Braylen asked Isabelle, who simply shrugged. There was no judgement between Sundancers about one night stands, since almost every Senior had a shameful moment in the past.

“She went home with Jared last night,” Someone called out and she turned to see it was John, running his hands through his sandy blonde hair. Braylen’s cheeks instantly lit up in bright pink as her mind flashed back to the night before, their flesh touching and the things they did to each other.

“Oh, Izzy, do you need a ride? Bixby is gonna get mad if we’re late to warmups,” Braylen shook off the feeling in her stomach and as Isabelle nodded they both left the house towards Braylen’s range rover.

“Oh my God, you and John?” Isabelle exclaimed while they were safely in the car raising her eyebrows, Braylen blushed and shrugged, trying to play it off.

“We were both really drunk…” Braylen explained. “I don’t even remember that much of it.”

“Oh, well he’s totally hot, you two would make a really cute couple,” Isabelle chirped, almost as if she had never drunken half a bottle of watermelon vodka all by herself. Braylen was impressed. They were at the school surprisingly fast, and had decided to speak about superficial things, Braylen got the closest parking spot to the gym since the parking lot was empty. They both carried their gym bags into the locker room, changing into their game uniforms. Braylen was lucky she had heavy makeup to cover the hicky on her neck and chest. She pulled on her nude tights and white boots and sat next to Clara, who gave her shift eyes. As if everyone already knew.

“What?” Braylen snapped before laughing to make it seem like a joke.

“I have to show you something, but I want you to promise not to get mad at me… okay?” Clara said as Braylen adjusted the feather girls wore in braids in their hair. Braylen looked confused but then nodded in agreement. Clara sighed as she pulled out her phone and showed Braylen a picture of her and John making out in the hallway, she saw the sender and instantly recognized the number. Her face dropped.

“Thanks for showing me,” Braylen put on a fake smile to mask how pissed off she was.

“You’re not mad?!” Clara perked up seeming surprised.

“Not at you, you’re just the messenger,” She smiled, before curling her own hair. Jeremy Palmer would be the one to mass message a photo of her, but she would get him back if it was the last thing she did. Once she was done, the girls were all stretched, she saw John in his uniform and ran off to talk to him, grabbing his arm and not even telling him what she was doing.

“Hey, Huntington,” John smiled with that smile, you know, when someone has seen you naked. Braylen frowned and looked around to make sure no one was around them. “Are you mad? Because last night you seemed to be enjoying it and I’m sorry if-”

“Jeremy Palmer took a picture of us and mass messaged it probably half the school,” Braylen interrupted him in a loud whisper. “You need to talk to him,” She told him, but in her eyes John could see the desperation. “If this gets around I could get kicked off Sundancers… and I did enjoy it,” Braylen reassured him, giving him a quick kiss and then rubbing off her lip gloss that had transferred.

John felt a breath of happiness and relief all at once. “I will,” he smiled with his cheeks turning rosy again. She heard someone calling her name and she gave a small wave before running off to rejoin the rest of the dance team. John ran his fingers through his hair and tried to calm his racing heart. He walked back into the locker room and his eyes met with Sterling’s. The coach came in and all the players took a knee.

The Sundancers were sitting on the sidelines as the cheerleaders lined up and waved their pompoms forming an alley for the basketball players to run into the gym. John quickly found Braylen clapping and cheering for them and smiled. The game started, John refused the ball to Jeremy, the whole team did. As soon as Coach Meyers benched him, they got a fifty-three point lead.

The referee blew the whistle implicating half time and the Sundancers lined up and smiled at the opposing team. The music started and their parents started clapping. Braylen went to the front and started performing with Isabelle, both of them out doing each other, their mascot came out and started doing the worm in front of them, and both girls flipped backwards rejoining the girls and finishing their dances. She saw her Aunt and Uncle sitting next to an older man with same eyes as Braylen, she smiled at him brightly. She began their second dance, and Braylen did every move with more passion knowing her father was watching.

When they finished half-time was over and Braylen struggled to find her father with all the parents standing up and applauding, but when she saw him with a big smile on his face, standing with the other parents, she almost cried. He looked so proud. Braylen waved back her father and she walked back to the locker room where girls were allowed to change.

Braylen changed quickly into a pair of black leggings she had left in her bag and a Sundancers t-shirt and ran back to the gym and into the stands to find her dad. With a smile on her face she gave him a huge hug, “Daddy! What are you doing here!”

“Did you honestly think I would miss my little girl’s eighteenth birthday?” He smiled, kissing the top of her head. Braylen looked up at him slightly surprised, she had forgotten her birthday was in this weekend. She missed his southern accent and his deep voice that encouraged her when she was a child. “Well I came early because I have a board meeting, speaking of do you remember Mr. O’Callaghan?” Mr. Huntington turned and to a man with brown hair sitting next to him.

“Yes, of course! How are you?” Braylen smiled graciously extending a hand and making eye contact, just like her father had taught her.

“Good, I ran into Luke randomly. You know John’s playing right?” He smiled, taken back at how mature she was.

“Yeah, I know him,” Braylen smiled, trying to keep herself from laughing, “We have first period pre-calculus together.” She decided to end it at that, she sat between her aunt and her father as she finally let a chuckle out, if only their fathers knew how well she and John knew each other. As soon as the game ended, John came up awkwardly, into the, now empty, bleachers.

“Hey Pops,” John smiled awkwardly, looking at Braylen as she tried to communicate with him through her eyes.

“John, this is Mr. Huntington, Braylen’s father. Do you remember?” Mr. O’Callaghan said politely like Mr. Huntington had done.

“Oh yeah, hey,” John said awkwardly shaking his hand and Mr. O’Callaghan seemed a little disappointed John hadn’t greeted him as professionally as Braylen had greeted him. Mr. Huntington and Mr. O’Callaghan had a long-standing friendly competition.

“We should go get some lunch, remember after those corporate meetings, John?” Mr. Huntington suggested, looking at Mr. O’Callaghan. In that moment, Braylen died, a frown crossing her face, until their fathers turned to look at them and she faked a big smile and nodded. “They’re a little bigger now, I’m pretty sure they won’t order chicken tenders and chocolate milk anymore,” Mr. Huntington joked.

“Sounds good, what do you think Junior?” Mr. O’Callaghan asked, but in a tone it was evident he wasn’t really asking. John had a similar fake smile as Braylen and nodded. Their fathers walked out of the gym in front of them, both Braylen and John waited behind with big, fake smiles plastered across their faces.

“What the fuck?!” Braylen finally let out after their fathers were far enough ahead that they were out of ear shot. She shoved John lightly, “Don’t say anything to my daddy, I’ll skin you…” Braylen threatened with her Tennessee accent much more prevalent since her father was around.

“Why would I say anything?!” John laughed as he followed her down the bleachers and into the parking lot. “Oh hey, Pops, guess what?! Last night I totally boned Braylen! Isn’t that awesome?!” John said in a deep, sarcastic tone. Braylen let out a laugh and seeing her laugh made him follow suit. Before they passed the double door, Braylen stole a shy kiss.

“I like you…” She admitted awkwardly, blushing brightly before exiting the building John with a crooked smile his eyes filled with disbelief. He had to remind himself he was supposed to be getting a ride with his father. He caught up to her and they continued joking with each other.

Mr. Huntington heard Braylen’s dulcet laugh and turned to see her bumping John with her shoulder, John slightly laughing too. He smiled, nodding over to guide Mr. O’Callaghan’s eyes with his own. “We’re in the same pre-calculus class, my ass,” Mr. Huntington joked. He sighed looking at how grown his daughter was.

“Well, they are young. You remember how we were at that age,” Mr. O’Callaghan chuckled before both their eyes grew large. Both fathers had been notorious playboys at eighteen, Mr. Huntington stopped in his steps and turned, calling Braylen’s name. Mr. O’Callaghan stared at his son hoping he wasn’t the same way, for both the sake of his friendship with Mr. Huntington and their business deal. Both teenagers caught up with their fathers and Braylen smiled as childishly as she could.

“Yeah Daddy?” She smiled.

“Tell me about school! I see you’re still doing dance, you were very good,” Mr. Huntington praised her as he wedged his way between her and John. Braylen chuckled realizing exactly what he was doing, but she played along tell him about every class.

Once they got to the restaurant, each father sat with their child, Braylen and John ended up sitting across from each other. He felt a foot on his ankle and straightened up from shock, until he saw Braylen laughing and a smirk crossed his lips.

“So John, you’ve become quite the basketball player, how’s that going?” Mr. Huntington asked as Mr. O’Callaghan looked proudly at his son.

“Yeah, I like basketball, but I’m more of a baseball player. I play baseball off-season…” John explained as Braylen took the opportunity to scan the menu innocently as her foot travelled further up John’s leg until she was rubbing his inner thigh. She practically killed herself trying to hold in the laughter as his voice cracked and she quickly withdrew her foot and masked her face with the menu. John cleared his throat before continuing, “Sorry… my throat’s dry… Anyway, yeah… baseball.”

“Good man! Your daddy and I played college ball together,” Mr. Huntington smiled looking back at Mr. O’Callaghan, soon there was a kick under the table and Braylen whimpered, dropping her menu and giving a glare to John, who was now looking at the waiter standing at the end of their table. What an asshole Braylen thought as she turned to the waiter with a big smile. Who decided ladies first was still a rule.

“I would like a diet coke and a Junior burger with no mayo, please,” Braylen spoke kindly before handing him her menu. They waiter smiled at her with knowing eyes and she realized he was a junior at her school.

“You’re Braylen Huntington, right?” The waiter asked with a perverse smile across his face.

“Yes, I am,” She said with a sweet voice, but threatening eyes. Before he could say anything she preemptively stroke. “Daddy, what are you getting?!” She said obviously loud, hoping he would get the hint. The waiter’s smile dropped when he saw Mr. Huntington’s eyebrow’s raised, with his blue eyes giving him an icy threatening stare, which only fathers had seemed to master.

“I’m getting the angus smoked burger and y’all got beer around here, boy?” He said with his deep voice booming. Braylen smiled knowing she had won this battle.

“Yes sir, we have Bud, Budlight, Dos Equis and a local amber ale on tap,” His voice quivered. Holding up his notepad higher.

“Well, hell John, I don’t wanna drink alone,” Mr. Huntington looked to John’s father with an old friendly smile.

“Well, it’s five o’clock some where right?” Mr. O’Callaghan laughed, “Let’s get a pitcher of Dos and I’ll have the Bacon Cheeseburger.”

“Oh, could I please get a side of fries as well,” Braylen smiled sweetly with a southern twang. He nodded adding it on. After John ordered his food he met eyes with Braylen and smiled looking over at the waiter and raising his eyebrows. She simply shrugged.

“Well, I’m glad to see you two aren’t kicking each other under the table and throwing food like you used to. Weren’t these kids trying to rip each other’s throats out Luke?” Mr. O’Callaghan laughed. Braylen let out a laugh and she blushed.

“John pulled my hair when we were little,” Braylen explained her behavior when they were younger and John’s jaw dropped as he shook his head. Both father’s raising their eyebrows with accusing looks and he sputtered out pointing at her.

“She and Caitlin wouldn’t share the crayons!” He exclaimed, in disbelief he was going to get in trouble for both their bad behavior. John smirked deciding to switch the playing field, “Fine, I pulled your hair because you married Seth Flynn and I was jealous,” He smiled. Braylen scrunched her eyebrows in surprise.

“I was just mean to you because you pulled my hair,” Braylen shrugged, smiling shyly as a happiness filled her. She couldn’t even think about anything else going on in her life. As soon as her food arrived, Braylen was officially on cloud nine as she and John kept their feet intertwined underneath the table, no one else knowing.