little lies (an e.d. fanfiction)

✭ chapter 18

claire's pov

i say goodbye to ethan and quickly make my way back inside so i can go to the gym. my heart is still pounding and my hands are shaking the slightest bit.

my mind is racing with wild thoughts and i can't even begin to process what just happened.

we kissed, again.

where do we even go from here? the whole moment seems like a blur now and i can't wrap my mind around the situation.

the one problem is i can't talk to ethan at school in front of people. if liz, serena, kimberly, chelsea, or anyone that knows about this whole situation sees me and Ethan talking again, they will make my life a living hell.

i don't want it to get worse with these girls, so it might be best for me and ethan to finally part ways for good, as much as i don't want to. i just don't think i can handle the wrath from those girls anymore.

i'm approaching the gym when i hear my phone ding. i glance and do a double take seeing who the notification is from. jade? i haven't talked to her in ages.

bff: hey ik we haven't talked in forever but i rlly miss u. things haven't been too good over here and it kinda sucks w out u. i miss u like hell everyday. i hope ur doing good up there. ily

i smile at her text. this is what real friendship is. not some fake bitches getting mad at me for talking to a guy. jade has been by my side since day one and she has never left me, despite everything that we've gone through together. i don't need serena or liz or any of them when i have the greatest best friend in the entire world.

claire: i love you so much i can't even describe it. things are shitty up here too so dw ur not alone. i miss u sm and i have lots to tell you

bff: awww ilym we need to catch up b

i smile reading over our texts and i put my phone away and push open the doors to the gym. i walk in and already see some girls ready and early sitting in their cheer practice outfits on the bleachers.

i jog over to the locker room and quickly touch up my makeup and throw on my spandex and tank. i bend over and gather my long hair into a high pony tail placing a somewhat large bow in front of it. i grab out my cheer shoes from my bag and slip them onto my feet. i throw my stuff into my locker and go over to the bathroom to examine myself.

i grip onto the sink and start to breathe heavily as i look down at the dirty white tile and back up to the mirror looking at my reflection staring back at me.

today is the final day of cheer tryouts, claire. you can't mess it up. don't get in your head and go out there and give it your all.

i got this.

i exhale loudly and i feel my heart pumping fast as i slowly walk out of the locker room. i open the locker room door to go sit in the bleachers with the rest of the girls but i hear coach yell at us from the front of the gym.

"listen up ladies!" everyone's head snaps over to her direction as i hear a sea of "shhh's" being spread across the room.

coach kelly clears her throat," okay, i want everyone to get in a numerical ordered line from 1 in the front all the way to 100 in the back. i will call up your group to audition and we will work down the line. after you are done auditioning please go back to the bleachers and do not talk," coach pauses and looks at us sternly, "if i hear you talk you will get points deducted from your score, is that understood?"

we all sit up straight and nod in unison, "yes ma'am."

coach kelly smiles, "then lets get on with it."