More Than Friends - A Hayes Grier fanfiction

Chapter 44 - Competition part 2

I am thrown into the air and I shake with happiness when I am up. I look across the crowd as I pull my body into a scorpion. I vaguely see my parents and my friends in the second row, screaming and cheering me on. I smile cheekily then get ready for the basket toss. I come down like a bullet then get ready for the tumbling section.

We finish the routine thirty seconds later and I almost burst into tears. We hit perfectly. I come out of my finishing pose and hug everyone. Molly runs over to me and we hug then follow the rest of the team off the mat. Off the mat, we all have a massive group hug, several of us bursting into tears.

"I can't believe it!" I say happily. Madison runs over to me and twirls me in hug. I laugh and we head back to the practice room to relax before the results. I sit against the cool wall of the room and catch my breath. I am boiling hot in my uniform and fan my face, the temperature of my body not cooling in the slightest.

Bailee runs over to tel us we are about to go grab some dinner so I pull on my sweats and we head out for a meal. Near where Madison and I got our dinner there is an Italian restaurant so we go in.

"Table for twenty one please!" When the water hears his jaw drops. We all giggle at his reaction and watch as he scuttles off to prepare an extra large table. When he comes back we are put in the basement where a huge table has been laid.

"let's do this quickly." Kayla says. "Five margaritas and five meat pizzas?" We cheer and the waiters smiles nervously.

...

Our food is absolutely delicious and we ar bursting from our clothes by the time we start to head back for the awards ceremony.

"Get your uni's on." Kayla says and, when we are ready, we follow the others teams to the stage.

"All teams please find a space to sit on the stage." The announcers calls into a microphone and we sit at the front, giggling nervously. These results will be the make or break of our team. We need to get through to the next round.

"I'm going to poo my pants. I'm so nervous." Madison says in my ear and we hold hands for good luck. Molly sits beside me and I hold her hand as well. I look out at the audience and I see my family. Alyssa an Kaitlyn are nowhere to been seen however.

"Sophie!" I hear and Alyssa and kaitlyn appear at the front of the stage.

"hey!" I laugh and they wish me luck.

"you did so good. Your stunt was absolutely amazing!" Kaitlyn says and I grin.

"I'm glad you liked it!"

"All spectators to their seats. This is your five minute warning!" A person calls and they get up to leave. I wave them off and they give me one last wish for luck. I squeeze my pals hands and my heart rate increases as the announcer steps up.

"Everyone ready!" She shouts and the crowd whoops and cheers.

"Okay. I'm going to read a list of ten teams and they will all be advancing to the next competition. You stay on the mat and the rest head back to your practice rooms."

"Alright. Here we go!" She reads the list and it feels like an hour has passed. The last name is about to be called and we all squeeze hands. After a brief pause the woman screams our teams name and we get up and cheer. Even if we don't win this is good enough for us.

"Okay. In third place... Starlight Intensity!" She calls and a team in the back get up and scream their heads off. A tall girl accepts a small trophy with a ribbon and they sit down.

"Second place... Infinity Elite!" She shouts and another team in teal and black uniforms scream. Two girls have burst into tears and I can't help but laugh slightly. I am almost hysterical from the long wait. I am tired and anxious about Hayes and, I realise now, I just want to go home.

"And now I am going to announce the team who came in first place." She says and opens the envelope in her hands. She takes a breath and after a wait that seems like ten minutes, she screams... OUR NAME! I get up, dragging Madison and Molly and we hug. Tears begin to pour from my eyes and Madison hugs me tight. Someone pushes me to the front of the crowd and I accept the huge trophy. It weighs a ton but I heave it with all my might. The three winning teams stay behind and we get out photos taken for some magazine. I wipe my running mascara and smile for the photographer.

...

We arrived home at eleven o'clock last night and I am woken up by Molly at seven thirty.

"What is it?" I groan.

"School? DUH." She says and I groan again. I pull on my school clothes and pack my bag. Mom has made a waffle so I grab it off the plate and tell Molly I am walking to school. The walk is a half hour but I need fresh air. I munch on my waffle and walk along the chilly street. Cars pass me every so often but the atmosphere is almost haunted. I wonder how it will be at school?

I pass the Grier's house and think about stopping in but when I see the truck pulling out of the drive I walk on. Instead of turning left for school they turn right. I see a teary eyed Elizabeth in the front seat alongside nash and I give a small smile and a wave when they pass me. They stop when they see me and I walk to the window to say hi.

"How are you?"

"Better thank you sweetheart." Elizabeth says and I nod. "Are you going to visit anytime?"

"I'll come by after school. I think the others will be coming aswell."

"See you then." They wave solemnly as I walk on towards school. I arrive at school later with a solemn expression, as does the rest of my grade, and pretty much the whole school. Everyone in the halls are silent and I feel like crying again. Alyssa, Kaitlyn, Noah and Kyle are at the lockers alongside Tanner and Megan. I don't want to go over but I do anyway and give everyone a smile.

"We are going to visit Hayes later. You up for it?" Kaitlyn asks. I nod and grab a textbook from my locker before homeroom.

"Sophie, can I have a word?" Tanner says quietly. I almost forgot his presence at the school, even after everything. He has basically avoided me since mid September – thankfully – s it seems weird talking to him.

"What's up?" I cannot be bothered to be rude.

"I just wanted to apologise. Properly. I am an idiot. So... I am sorry." He says humbly and I smile slightly.

"Apology accepted." I say and turn away from him. I can't carry on this conversation.

...

The seven of us arrive at the hospital at five o'clock, ready for the evening visiting hours to start. At the front desk a beaming nurse leads us through the corridors and up two elevators until, finally, we arrive on a stale smelling ward. We are lead to a small room and, through a window, I can see Hayes lying in a bed. We quietly walk in and Elizabeth greets us all. She has a box of tissues by her side and there are many on the floor. I hold out my hand and she takes it gratefully. We sit in the few chairs scattered around the room and, silently, each one of us turn s our heads to Elizabeth for updates.

"Any progress?"

"He's... okay. He moves slightly and I think he responds to stimuli but other than that..." She sighs and rests a palm to her forehead. I sigh again and the room returns to silence. Tanner offers to go gets some food so he, Noah and Kyle go find a vending machine. I take Kyle's seat next to Hayes and rest my hand in his palm gently. When he doesn't respond I feel tears prick in my eyes. What was I expecting, that he would just wake up at my touch like a fairytale? As I lose my train of thought I feel a movement under my fingers, so small it could be a feather landing on my palm. I look down and see Hayes has curled his fingers round mine.