Matchbox

III. Hummingbirds Of Nerves

Three. Hummingbirds Of Nerves

               That icky feeling before Pep Rally's was always there. The nerves. The anxious feeling in your gut. Being jumpy in your own skin. Those feelings were there, always .. No matter how many times you'd done the routine, or stood in front of these people. The possibility of dropping a stunt, despite the thousandths times you've done it was always high. It's how the cheer world spun.

Ocean blue eyes burned into the high school building. Robin said her bye-byes to the pair before she jogged off to the gym. Cars hurried around, parking, or dropping off like Steve was. Students buzzed with energy, thankful to miss first block! Teachers and counselors talked brightly and cheered, directing students to the gym.

   This was the same routine as the time before, and all the times before that. It just sucked, Vera guessed, first year of Pep Rally's without Steve in his basketball uniform being cheered on by gushing girls and jealous guys—when all he was focused on was Vera Stonem in her tiny cheer uniform. And the sneaking touches, and slapped away hands with flushed cheeks after.

   Vera was growing up. Steve already had.

Speaking of, said girl gently closed the backseat door to her boyfriend's car. She pushed her bag up her shoulder more. "Hey. Don't make that face." Vera's eyes snapped down towards the boy in the driver's seat, his window rolled down now. "Vera, you're gonna be fine. You've done this a million times. You got this."

   But, what if I want you there and you can't be? What if I mess up because you aren't there?

To be fair, she wasn't too worried about the Pep Rally (like she was trying to convince herself to be).

Steve's voice was soft, honey full, and all too sweet. "C'mon, Vee, don't let those hummingbirds of nerves eat at you." That made her smile. A Vera Stonem catch phrase slipping past Steve Harrington's lips was always a good sign, even in the worst of moments. Vera's cheeks puffed out, redden. "I got this." Steve nodded with a true smile at her words, "my girls' got this."