"You're dripping like a saturated sunrise
You're spilling like an overflowing sink
You're ripped at every edge but you're a masterpiece
And now you're tearing through the pages and the ink"
where the zoomer falls in love with the thief.
(max mayfiel...
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PRESENT DAY: MARCH 1986
The air horn sounded. Joe tried to make herself look cheery and excited when the basketball team ran out onto the court. This was Lucas's big day, and truthfully, she was excited for him and the team. She didn't want her problems to get in the way of his game. The last thing he needed was to be distracted by her tonight.
You're always worried about everyone else. When are you gonna actually put us first?
She shook the thoughts away. She wanted to tell the little voice in her head that always seemed to badger her that she was putting herself first, but she knew that wasn't true. If she was putting herself first, she wouldn't have kissed Robin. She may have learned how to put herself first when it came to Max, but it was only because Max had broken up with her. If they were still together, Joe knew she would be kissing the ground that Max walked on, and that very thought disturbed her.
Don't think about it, Joe, she told herself.
"Let's go, Tigers!" The cheerleaders shouted out in sync.
Joe felt stupid. She had totally missed her queue because she was so in her head.
I need to stop thinking about Max and my poor choices in life. The game needs to be my focus right now, she told herself as she put a smile on her face, her eyes becoming glassy and dead as she cleared her mind of all things redheaded.
She shook her pompoms along with the other girls. Becky was standing next to her, glancing at her every once in a while. She had noticed Joe's slight change in demeanor, as well as her little mess up, but she didn't say anything.
"Let's go, Tigers!" The cheerleaders yelled out again, this time, with Joe in the chorus.
Joe glanced around the gym seeing a lot of familiar faces. She, of course, saw Lucas who looked nervous. She wished she could give him some last minute words of encouragement, but she couldn't. She glanced over by the door. Nancy Wheeler and a kid named Fred Benson were scribbling away on their little notepads for the school paper.
Joe remembered Fred interviewing her for the paper one time. He clearly was disinterested, well, until she started questioning him, then he got really mad, and her interview never ended up getting published. She couldn't remember what had happened during the interview. It was like she had blacked out again.
She tried not to worry about it too much. Fred was fine and nothing bad happened other than him avoiding her at all costs. He was odd, so she didn't mind it much.
Joe felt thankful she couldn't see Robin from where she was. The band was positioned on the opposite side of the gym from the cheerleaders, which meant she could avoid the post-kiss awkwardness just a little while longer.
