Average Jane |Lesbian Story|

Chapter 8

On Friday afternoon, classes were canceled for a school-wide pep rally in the gym. It was the game of the season. The school had its biggest rival in every sport coming into tonight's game undefeated.

As Jane walked to the pep rally with Emily, she gathered data for another entry in Unfair Life:

Friday, January 29th. On the way to the pep rally, three different people asked Jane Waleski, "Are you really Caroline Waleski's sister?"

When the team came running out into the gym, the people in the bleachers went wild. Everyone was chanting Caroline's name. Emily joined the crowd until her throat was hoarse from yelling. Jane had cheered as loudly as she could for all the others, but she tried to cheer even more for her sister. She felt terrible for the bitter thoughts she had of Caroline the other night at dinner. Her sister had to play really hard and really well tonight. Their school had to win. And Jane couldn't wait to see Caroline making it happen.

At the game, Jane sat high in the bleachers again, this time with her mom and dad, who arrived to join her later. Lots of her classmates were there. Emily was sitting next to Ashley and James. Maddie was in a group of the most gossipy girls. Jane didn't see Lucy Adams. Lucy never went to any of the games.

Some of the teachers were there, too. Jane searched every section of bleachers for Ms. Anderson. She half wanted to find her and half hoped she wouldn't. If Rapunzel saw Caroline Waleski leading the team to victory tonight, she would never again think Jane was that wonderful anymore.

But Ms. Anderson wasn't there. Probably she was out with her friends from the university. Or maybe with her boyfriend.

There was no way someone as beautiful as Ms. Anderson was wouldn't have a boyfriend. Jane tried not to think what her boyfriend would be like. Tall, mostly likely. And very handsome and as masculine as Ms. Anderson was feminine.

When the team came running out of the locker room to start the game, everyone jumped to their feet to yell a welcome. Both of Jane's parents were yelling, too. Jane got a kick out of watching her parents at Caroline's games. Her dad, so quiet at home, had the loudest voice in the gym. At least it sounded that way to her. No one had a more booming cheer when her school scored, and a more heartrending groan when they missed.

Jane's mother, on the other hand, could hardly bear to watch the game. Whenever Caroline was going to make a shot, her mom would close her eyes and wait for the roar of the crowd to tell her she could open them again.

The first half of the game was a close one, ending 28-24, with their school in the lead. Caroline had scored 15 of the points, making her the team's highest scorer for the half.

But in the second half, her team couldn't seem to do anything right. Caroline missed three shots in a row and got called for a foul against the opposing team's player.

With less than a minute left in the final quarter, their team was behind 42-38. Caroline's team would have to make two baskets in the next fifty seconds or go down in defeat. And Jane was painfully conscious that somewhere in the stands the invited coach from the university was watching both teams play, scouting to see which players would be the new scholarship awardees and future stars.

All Jane heard from her father was groans now. Her mother hadn't been watching the game since the final quarter began. Then the coach on their team called a time-out.

Would they replace Caroline with another player? Jane didn't think she could stand it if Caroline had to sit out the rest of the game on the bench in disgrace. But Caroline ran back in with her teammates, looking grim.

The coach's talk must have helped. Their team scored: 42-40. Before the other team could recover, Caroline stole the ball from one of their forwards and made a quick lay-up, tying the score. Everyone in the gym was standing now, screaming. There were only ten seconds left on the clock. Jane glanced at the scoreboard.