Dreaming of Cheers (Standing Up to Life Book 3)

Chapter 26:

THURSDAY MORNING WAS free of the torment from yesterday, but only because my parents had scheduled another appointment with Doctor Reynolds. They were all worried about me – Doctor Reynolds included – because all I seemed to be doing was crying late at night. "I'm not going to give them the satisfaction," was my reply to Doctor Reynolds who suggested that holding it in until then every time was bad for me. She kept asking me questions making sure I wasn't suicidal or something, before I eventually escaped back to school, certain I had missed even more homework.

"Are you okay Tiffany?" Kyle asked me on the way to band that day.

I sighed. "Yeah, more or less. I'm just tired of getting threats, and even more tired of people worrying about me more because of them..."

All the way to the band hall he listened to me talk, just nodding at the right moments and saying two-word sentences, but I felt better after talking to him than I had talking to Doctor Reynolds. Just before we went into the band room, I did something I didn't expect any more than he did. I gave him a quick hug and said, "Thank you for being you Kyle." We must have both been red as we walked in, because when I sat down with my saxophone Jessica turned around from the clarinet row in front of me and whispered, "What happened?" Clearly, she wanted the gossip.

"Nothing," I said to her honestly, more or less. I didn't want to say we'd hugged because that would have brought more questions.

Thankfully Mrs. Remar chose that moment to step to the podium and begin her reign of tyranny over our band for the day. "Jessica, turn around!" she said unhappily. I watched Jessica roll her eyes towards me but I managed to avoid the giggle that threatened to escape from my throat. She rehearsed us without mercy that day. I felt bad for Melissa, a flute player, because she had played a wrong note... Mrs. Remar nearly took her head off for it.

The end of class couldn't have come quick enough for any of us. As I walked to Coach Holt's office where I had stashed my cheer bag that morning, with Kyle in tow, I reflected that I may have just moved from the frying pan and into the fire though. Coach Holt was sure to be going after us today too. "Hey Tiffany, here's your bag," she told me as she reached into her cabinet behind her desk.

"Thanks," I told her.

In the meantime, I felt her give Kyle and then me a look before continuing, "Why don't I go with you down there since I'm ready to close up my room." She said that as if she'd had an especially long day already. Not a good sign!

"Okay," I said. I looked at Kyle and said, "Thanks for walking me over here, I'll see you tonight?"

He caught the hint of dismissal and said, "Yeah, my mom is going to come with me," he said the last bit fairly embarrassed.

"So's my mom, and Amy's coming too," I added.

"Oh... okay I'll see you later then," he told me.

As soon as he was out of sight, and Coach Holt had her keys out to lock her door, she asked "So... are you two going out?"

"Umm... not really no..." I told her.

"Too bad, you two would make a cute couple," she told me with a smile.

I muttered a reply about my parents not letting me date till I'm sixteen or something. She just gave me a knowing smile. Like Mrs. Remar I felt that Coach Holt could read every thought going through my head sometimes. It wasn't fair!

Practice went on forever that day it seemed like. Amy and I walked slowly out to my mom's waiting car and got inside. "Hey girls," she said as we got in.

We both mumbled a tired 'hi,' as we sat down and put our bags next to us on the seat.

At my house we had enough time to each take a shower, change into some nicer jeans and tops, eat, and then head off to the local community college auditorium. It was actually a pretty nice auditorium for a town like ours. We were going to have our concert there next week instead of at the high school. The stage was bigger there, and it was a lot easier to set up. When we pulled into the parking lot, I looked around to see if we saw anyone we knew, but didn't so I became immersed in a conversation with Amy.