Me, Me, Me and Tara

Chapter Three

My arms burn and sweat rolls down my back uncomfortably as I gasp out the end of the cheer we’ve been drilling for the last hour with a fake smile plastered across my face. My eyes stay unfocused as I concentrate on the zinging in my muscles from the excretion and the way my shorts cling to my body. It’s a miracle I haven’t bumped into any of the other girls during practice based on my ability to zone completely out of reality today.

“Great job, ladies! See you tomorrow!” Coach bellows from the front of the squad and the girls quickly disperse, grabbing bags and dissolving in chatter. Effectively bursting my bubble of distraction from what happened earlier. With a huff, I scurry over to my bag as well and try to ignore the stares. What on earth am I going to do? I assaulted poor Charlie! My parents were barely talking to me before this, I doubt today has installed any additional trust. Wendy shuffles nervously next to me as she reaches for her bag. It stings to know even my close friends are scared of me too.

“Uh…Kennedy…are you, you know, you?” She questions trying to sound confident even as she steps further away from me.

“Yeah, it’s me Wendy. I- ” I’m not even sure what to say when she flinches when I spin to face her as I haul my gym bag onto my shoulder.

“I saw a video of earlier. You…I think I just need a little space to process seeing you like that. Like, we are still friends and all but I don’t need you rearranging my face because Tara doesn’t like something I do or say. I don’t even know her so I don’t know how to not piss her off and honestly, that’s so scary.” She’s rambling but I’ve got a lump in my throat preventing me from saving her and myself more of her word vomit. “Do you even really know her? I don’t know, I feel like we need a safe word. Or an intervention. Isn’t there a pill or something you can take? Like who just goes around hitting people?! You literally went all vampire afterward too and that was straight disturbing. You’re too sweet and amazing for this to be the new you all of a sudden. There has to be a way to stop the crazy train. I love you but your alter ego is-is-is … the worst!” She huffs a huge breath and stares at me unblinking like someone would a snake in the wild, waiting for me to suddenly attack.

“Oh, okay. I-it’s okay.” I reassure her quietly, ignoring her string of questions as I wipe my shaky hands down my thighs. I try to smile and she bobs around on her toes a bit before giving me an awkward wave and dashing away. My whole body is shaking now. I feel like I just lost a friend for good even though she had tried to tell me differently.

“You need better friends.” A deep male voice declares from behind me and I roll my eyes as I face him with a little smirk. Clint would never have been my choice of friends but Tara had invited him into our lives over the summer. Turns out we both see Dr. Stringer on a semi-regular basis. “You were so hot today. Topped off with the innocent cheerleader act who apparently gets away with anything.” He gives me a crooked smile and grabs his junk in a way only a self-absorbed jock wouldn’t find weird at this moment. “Just damn, babe.”

“Ew, Clint don’t do that!” I throw my hands over my eyes dramatically to prevent any further burning of the image of him fondling himself into my brain. I let out a girlish squeal as he wraps his huge sweaty arms around my middle and spins around. I instinctively latch onto him with my arms and legs before throwing my head back and begin giggling manically after a full minute of dizzying twirls. “Okay! Put me down!”

“Sure thing.” He unceremoniously lets me go and then lets out a booming laugh of his own when I don’t so much as shift based on the ironclad grip I have around him keeping myself up. “You have to let go too, babe.” I spring backward and onto my own feet with a smile that feels all too natural for this situation. Clint is a big guy who is betting on his sports ability to carry him through life at this point which of course means he is oddly popular despite his reputation for being a douche canoe.

“I don’t need better friends. I need to get a grip on my life.” I finally defend Wendy half-heartedly. I don’t really blame her for her reaction given how unpredictable Tara has been but it still hurts. Still makes me wonder if maybe Clint is right after all. “I can’t believe I did that.”

“I can. But then again I met you when you were beating up that narc kid at Doc’s so…” he shrugs like that means my behavior today was completely within my character. Maybe it is these days. “Where’s your girl, anyway?” His eyes scan the practice field like Harper might magically appear.

“She didn’t come to practice. Her text said she wasn’t feeling well but…” I trail off as I study my feet.

“Yeah, right.” He scoffs. “She should be more grateful. That right there is what is wrong with women these days. They don’t appreciate all the effort and testosterone we have to give.” He tips my head up with his thumb so I have to look at him. “How can you be so f*****g meek and girly and such a badass? I don’t know if you’re one of the guys or a damsel and that really shouldn’t be so hot.”

“Neither, Clint.” I roll my eyes, giving him a little wave over my shoulder as I head to my car in the parking lot quickly to hide my reddening cheeks. It’s not that he is the only guy to flirt with me but something about Clint O’Hare meeting both me and Tara and just seeing one whole person has butterflies taking up residence in my intestines. No matter how douchey and self-absorbed he is.