Stereotyping Rock (Stereotyping Series) | ✔️

Chapter Eleven

Jen

Coach Hayes clapped her hands together, "If you're still here, you're the squad I'm taking to AIS. I presume you've already gathered that."

She looked over each of us individually.

She continued, "I'll be your main supervisor and coach whilst there but one of the girls in the junior league will be my co-coach. But, it's time to talk about captains."

The excitement in the room dulled to nervousness. 

"The captain will be responsible for ensuring the entire team is obeying the rules, which will be supplied later, responsible for managing the team routines and handling any minor issues with the judging panel. Therefore, we need someone who has a rule-following nature, can look outside the box, not detail in, and can settle any small disagreements," Coach Hayes looked around, "Any nominations?"

I glanced around at the girls that are now my team. Courtney was good at settling disagreements but she didn't like following rules. Whereas, Ashleigh followed rules but was too shy to settle disagreements. Bronte-

"I, Elise Hawk, nominate Jenna Blakely as our team captain."

I jumped in my seat and squeaked, "Me?"

"I, Courtney Asher, second that nomination."

I looked between them furiously, "M-me?"

Coach Hayes nodded, "Any objections?"

No one came to my rescue.

"Jenna Blakely is officially your team captain."

"Guys," I stood up, facing them, "I'm the youngest here, the least experienced and I have no ability for memorising anything, let alone rules. I'm probably the worst you could choose for captaincy."

Surprisingly, Coach Hayes placed a hand on my shoulder, "And that argument is precisely why they nominated you."

Elise shrugged, "I chose you, Jenna, because you have a passion for cheer that the rest of us just can't ever have. You love this more than the rest of us combined. And that's what it's about."

***

I turned the corner of the hallway and marched past Matt, at his locker. Ignoring him, I turned into the Music class. Only to stop in the doorway. I cocked my head, watching the scenario in front of me. 

Georgia was sitting on the desk in front of Will. Georgia was on a desk. And the pair were talking and laughing. 

Since when were they so close? 

Will laughed out, "Your grandma is so sweet, Gee."

"Thanks," she grinned back at him. 

Will's expression softened and my heart twanged with slight ache. Will whispered, "No wonder why you're so perfect."

I flinched and stepped back. 

Georgia shook her head, "No one's perfect, Hart."

Will shrugged, "To me, you are."

Georgia took a deep breath before laughing again, "Shut up before I take you seriously."

And with that, she slid off the desk in front of him and sat in the chair beside him. 

Gee noticed me at the door and smiled, "Morning Jenna."

"Morning, Gee," I mumbled, going in to sit at the front of the classroom. 

My good mood dissipated. 

"Are you okay?" she asked.

I nodded slowly, "I'm fine. Just a lot of things on my mind, I guess..."

I risked a glance back at Will to see he wasn't even looking at me but out of the window. I narrowed my gaze and turned to the front of the classroom, sitting in the seat with a scowl. 

Matt walked in. Stopped. Looked around. Then he smirked, "Well, isn't everyone chipper this morning?"

I scoffed at him, "For once, can you think of other people and shut up?"

Matt pretended to contemplate it, watching me, "But then I wouldn't be me. Morning, by the way."

I nodded my head at him before turning back to the classroom. We all sat in complete, awkward silence for the next five minutes until Mitch walked in. And then, all he did was tell us to sit in further silence. 

A waste of a detention. It was almost as if Friday, performing at the front of the classroom, had never happened. 

The connection that I could swear I felt on that stage... it had disappeared over the weekend. And it wasn't just my fault; it was everyone's fault that it disappeared. 

***

I took out my salad from it's plastic bag and put it on the table. Courtney slid in next to me, "Hey Jen."

"Hi Court," I mumbled, searching for a fork in my bag. I pulled out one and opened the lid of my salad. 

"What's got you in a mood?"

"I'm not in a mood," I muttered, stabbing my chicken angrily, "PMS, okay?"

Courtney sniffed, "No, it's not."

"How do you know?" I glared at her.

"I've been your best friend since seventh grade," she reminded me, "I know you well enough to know you don't get PMS."

I scowled at her and returned to stabbing bits of chicken.

After a moment, she placed her hand on top of mine, "Maybe stop killing something that's already dead and... eat it like a ...normal per-"

She cut herself off harshly. 

I looked up at her in sudden alarm. Her sharp gaze was narrowed on the other side of the cafeteria. I followed her eye line. My hand curled into a fist. Will and his friends had just gone and sat with Georgia and Julia. 

For the first time in five years, Will, Justin and Alex weren't going to sit with us at lunch. Ifelt my breathing quicken as I realised something. Will had found someone he actually liked. He was forgetting the girl that had kept him distracted for years. 

Courtney placed her hands on my shoulders, "Jenna, breathe for me, baby."

I shook my head quickly as I tried to catch my breath. 

Courtney smoothed my hair out of my face, "Jenna... he's not worth it."

"Agreed," a new voice entered the conversation and I stopped breathing altogether. 

I held my breath as Matthew Wellington sat down across from us. 

Courtney raised an eyebrow at him.

"What?" he scoffed, "I'm not going to sit with Gee and Julia when they're with William."

"Go sit with someone else," I muttered at him, finally breathing normally again. 

Matt shook his head, "I would but I don't like anyone else in the school than Gee and Julia. At least I can tolerate you two."

Courtney rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

I shrugged and didn't expand.

We sat there for the rest of lunch like that, too. Awkward silence. 

And then I realised, Matt's return from the UK had started this massive chain of events and it was slowly crumbling my life away. 

***

Song: Counting Stars - OneRepublic

A short chapter but I felt the need to finish it there...

Thoughts on this chapter?

Thoughts for next chapter?

xx Sharky.