Be Free, Be You

“You keep missing practice and you’ll be kicked off for sure, Val.” Jenna harshly whispered from beside me. We were holding our starting stunt positions and my stunt group was in the center with Santana’s and Brittany’s flanking my left and right.

“Ready!” Coach shouted from the highest gym bleacher. “Five, six, seven, eight!”

I was launched up into the air and I just let my muscles take over; by now I could do this routine in my sleep and backwards without missing a step or hit. Hit, hit, hit, pull, smile, clap, hit, hit, down 1-2, move right three matts, back up 1-2… My thoughts were interrupted by seeing Steph in the gym window waving at me. I shot her a ‘go away’ look but she just shook her head and motioned for me to come outside.

“Tattoo Barbie! My office now!” Coach shouted as she cut the music off and everyone came down from their stunts. My heart sunk as I followed her to the office, when I arrived Coach wordlessly motioned for me to sit in the chair across from her. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean coach?” I kept my cool on the outside, but my insides were doing double back handsprings. Did she know? Steph and I had only been in Glee Club for a couple weeks and I triple checked that no one saw me go in or out of that stupid Choir room.

“You know what I’m talking about. You’re coming late to practice; you were just distracted on the matt. Are you doing drugs? You’re looking a little blood shot up in the orbs.” She sucked in a breath between her teeth as I was about to defend myself. “You know… If you keep this up that position as captain might go to someone else, like Jenna.”

My blood boiled. “Jenna? She’s not a flyer Coach, I have more experience and skill then she does—”

“Are you sure? Because she comes to every practice on time, early maybe I don’t know.” Coach Sylvester leaned in on her elbows with her hands in a fist in front of her face. “Get your act together Tattoo Barbie and get out of my office, tell the girls practice is over.”

I got up and did what she said. I can’t lose my spot as captain. And to Jenna? Seriously? I mean, sure I love the girl but she can not and will not take my spot as captain. This can’t happen. Coahc has got to—. I was walking away from the locker room and to where I knew Steph would be I ran into Wheels, for the second time that week and for the second time that week he interrupted my racing thoughts but running me over and hitting the same dang spot on my shin. This time I didn’t have the energy or drive to tell him I’d push him down stairs if he literally ran into me one more time so I settled with; “Ouch.”

He looked surprised, if not disappointed. “Sorry, hey are you alright?” He looked genuinely concerned and it just made me sick.

“You just ran me over. Again. What do you think, Wheels?” I had hardly any venom in my voice and I sounded so beat down that I wanted to punch myself. God I have such a headache.

“Come with me for a second?” He held his hand out, palm up.

“Why the hell would I come with you?” I pointed at him and had what I hoped would be a disgusted look on my face. He just took my hand and put it on the back of his chair and started to roll down the hall with me following.

We reached one of the little courtyards that the school had and told me to sit, when I crossed my arms and gave him a look he took my forearm and did his version of making me sit down on one of the flowerbed ledges. He rolled himself so that he was sitting in front of me, elbows on the armrests of his chair and fingers locked together in front of his middle. “I can clearly see that someone has been bothering you for the past couple of weeks—”

“So what, you’ve been spying on me?” I snapped.

“We have math together and you keep running into me aftersch—”

“Correction, you keep running into me.”

“Will you stop interrupting me please?” He asked with his eyebrows raised and lips pursed. He was getting annoyed so I shrugged. “As I was saying, I can see something is eating at you, is it that Stephanie got into Glee Club and you secretly want to?”

If I was drinking water I would have spit it up at him. “Are you joking? I wouldn’t join that damned Glee Club if my life depended on it.” A little part of me twitched inside, Loophole: I’m not a member, technically Steph is. Not me. Ever.

“Oh don’t play dumb with me Val. I see you sneaking away from the choir room after Glee practice.” He said simply, with a smirk on his face. Oh shit.

“Oh please, don’t flatter yourself. I only go and watch Steph out of sisterly kindness, not jealousy, eew.” I bit my lip and looked down. “But does anyone else see me? I only go because I’m proud of Steph.”

“I don’t think anyone else sees you. I just always seem to find you in a crowd.” His face turned red as he caught himself, he cleared his throat and fidgeted. “Not that I look for you or anything.”

I laughed and stood up. “Oh no of course not.” I checked my phone, three missed calls from Steph. “I’ve got to go. Thanks for the little chat, Wheels, we should do it more often.” I said it with a hint of sarcasm as I started to walk away.

“Really?” He sounded so hopeful, I had to stop and turn to face him again.

“Keep my secret?” He nodded. “Then…. Maybe.” I winked and he just smiled and laughed.