Attracting Trouble

Chapter 5: Sunflowers

Under the weight of one bag filled with thick textbooks and the other stuffed with clothes and fluffy pom-poms, my legs can only move as fast as I can move them. I'm surprised they don't buckle under it all.

But, when I finally come close to the gym doors, I find them locked and the lights inside are shut off.

I drop my bags beside the door and bang on it, hoping to catch someones attention. Finally realizing that I had just screwed up majorly, I turn and press my back against the door, sliding down it.

"Jessa? Where have you been?" I hear Coach Hunt say. She steps out of the girls' locker room and locks the door behind her.

I quickly get to my feet and grab my cheerleading bag, throwing it over my shoulder.

"Coach Hunt... um, I'm so sorry I'm late," I say breathlessly.

"Where were you?" She asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

I take a deep breath. "I had detention... it wasn't my fault, though. It was a misunder-"

"I thought we would be able to count on you this year, Jessa. I let it go in the past but now..." She sighs and looks at me disappointedly. "It's the first day of school. What in the world has gotten into you?"

I try my best not to let my emotions get to me. I can't get angry and I can't let any tears fall. All I can do is beg, which is the last thing on earth I want to do. The things I do for my mother.

"Can I please have one more chance?"

Coach looks at me with sympathetic eyes before patting my shoulder. "I can't, Jess. I'm sorry. The team has already been decided."

With that, she leaves me in the dark hallway alone. I feel my face growing hot which only means one thing: tears.

I hate letting people see my soft side, so I don't waste a second gathering my two bags and racing into the main hallway where I can find the exit doors to the student parking lot.

I'm so hot with fear of what Mom will say and the fact that I really just screwed up that I don't see the person in front of me until I smack my head into his hard chest.

I don't say sorry or excuse me and I don't look up as I hurry around him.

"Uh, Jessa?" He says and I freeze in my tracks.

"I would advise you to leave me alone, Will," I seethe. He of all people should know not to mess with me when I'm angry or upset. It's a bad habit of mine, but I tend to yell. A lot.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He says and I hear him walking towards me. I spin around and face him, his eyes widen with my sudden move.

"Why did you come back? Why?" I ask as I hastily wipe at my eyes.

"Jessa, come on." He tries to take my hand but I jerk it away. "What happened?"

"I missed my cheerleading tryout, Will!" I shout and it echoes in the hallway. When I say it aloud, I sound like a total drama queen. The thing is, it's so much more than a cheerleading tryout. It's my mom's love.

"You hate cheerleading," he says quietly and matter-of-factly.

He's the first one to know. Well, besides Hannah, he's the only one to say it out loud.