Beside Him

Chapter 17// The cheerleader

I pulled up my skirt one last time, cursing when it was slightly loose, meaning it showed my stomach more.

I pulled my top down, happy that this time it wasn't as showy showy and that Mrs Dale has taken my advice on changing it.

Then, redoing the band in my pony tail, I picked up my one blue and one grey pompom.

Then I walked out, waving and throwing air kisses into the fully packed audience as they all yelled my name.

After a couple more cheers, everyone silenced up and I began to talk.

"First home match for Costell High! Let's hear it!" I yelled into my ear piece. They all yelled and, once they were moderately calm, I spoke. "I'm so happy you all decided to come here and support us today. Let's hear it, for the wonderful football team of Costell High!"

Here the players began to come out, Archer looking as hot as always in the front with his team mates behind him. I smiled as everyone cheered taking my place with the rest of my team.

After the cheers for Wolves, it was time for the Bulldogs, aka the wonderful bitches of Greenwich high school.

I narrowed my eyes as Lily pranced on stage in her extra extra small mini skirt that caused all the boys to wolf whistle. I gritted my teeth and jogged over to Archer's team, ignoring her as her shrilly voice made it across the field.

"Alright boys?" I asked, noticing their solemn expressions.

"No!" One boy, Jesse, I think, suddenly exploded and Archer shot him a glare.

I turned Archer, who was captain and star quarterback, and raised an eyebrow, silently asking him what it was that had all of these guys so worried.

He sighed. "They think we're gonna lose. That it's bad luck or something to play first thing against the bitches and that whenever we do, even if we win we'll lose all other games this year. It's apparently a bad idea to start off against our worst competitors."

I bit the inside of my cheek and turned to them all, thinking about what he'd just said.

"If you guys win today," I started off slowly, coming up with a plan slowly in my mind. "If you guys win today, and I mean properly win without getting psyched out, I'll get one of my contacts to host the free party." I exaggerated, watching as their expressions lit up.

Benefits of being rich. Or at least what people think are the benefits of being rich.

They all immediately agreed and I jogged back after a kiss on the cheek to Archer, wishing him good luck.

It felt weird after I'd done it, considering how natural it had been and how much he'd tensed.

After a talk with the Wolves mascot who I said that if he got all Costell students to cheer loudly, I'd pay him an extra 200 bucks I went back to my girls.

"Ready, ladies?" I asked and they all nodded.

After our usual routine, we did what we added yesterday which mostly contributed flips and tricks.

I took a deep breath in, standing in the right corner of the field and attracting the attention of all the students as I did a front flip, then, without pause a back flip and then a no hand flip and then a hand stand until I was at the other corner, standing straight after I was done with my toes pointed straight and my arms up.

Then I grinned as everyone began to cheer once more, moving back in the same way towards where Lily stood.

It was always the two head cheerleaders that had a match of something to see who would start with the ball.

I smirked at Lily. Mrs Dale came on to the field, raising her arms to silence the people in the bleachers who were shouting away. Catching Jay's eye, I winked and he smiled back at me.

Archer came to stand beside me and Lance stood beside Lily. I ignored the way his gaze burned into my legs and stood a little closer to Archer, who immediately put his arm around my waste and pulled me closer.

"Toss up." Mrs Dale said at last and everyone booed, knowing how interesting these things can get. "Ok Ok, What do you wanna do then?"

A sudden chant broke out and I smirked as I heard it. "Best- move. Best- move."

Best move- the last three times we'd done it our school had lost although I'd never had the absolute pleasure of doing it against Lily so I was more than excited to do just that.

The clue was in the name. Which ever head cheerleader could spill out the best move would get to start the game off.

"Best move it is then. Rivi, go to your side, Lily go to yours."

I moved my hands forward in a way of saying 'you first' to Lily who smirked, flicking her blonde hair over a shoulder and giving me a once over. She chose to do a back flip, landing on her hands stand with splits in the air. I had to give it to her, it was hard to do.

Me on the other hand, I decided to take it a step further. I caught Archer's smile and he nodded at me.

Then, taking a deep breath in a braced myself, flipping my weight backwards in a monkey flip and then, once stood, pulling my left leg all the way back in a straight leg Scorpio. Then I ran towards the bleachers and using the cement wall that separated the fans and the players, I did a wall flip, easily landing on my toes and grinning towards the audience.

Applause, cheers and a chant of my name could be heard from mars as I went and stood back next to Archer.

He winked at me, leaning forward to my ear and whispering 'River- River-River," continuing the chant of 'rivi' that everyone else had on.

I grinned as Mrs Dale pointed to me with a smile. "We have a very clear winner today, folks. Costell Wolves start with the ball. Archer, places. The match is about to begin."

• • • • • •

As per tradition, The Wolves absolutely kicked ass. They truly stained the reputation of The Bitches and, as always, Archer had a big hand in that.

We were all planning to meet up in the parking lot after we'd showered and changed; we being Archie, me, Lance, Jay, Kyle, Callum and sadly Lily.

After a quick shower in the changing rooms, I changed into the same outfit as the morning, just putting on black tights to protect my legs from the cold of 6 o'clock.

I swung my backpack over my shoulder, throwing my cheer-leading bag back inside the locker and skipping out.

The only one standing outside at the moment was Callum and I pulled out my phone as I made my way over to him. We stood in silence, with only a smile and nod exchanged until he broke it.

"You know don't you?" He asked, his voice small and his gaze on the ground.

I put away my phone and pursed my lips. "About what?"

"Me and— you know..." He trailed off and my eyebrows raised.

"You and Jay?" I asked and his head flicked up in shock before snapping back down again. He only nodded.

"Yeah, I- er- Yeah I do." I said awkwardly, cupping my wrist and moving back and forth from my toes to the balls of my feet.

Then, noticing his nervous and obviously uncomfortable form, I slowly inched up, nervously wrapping my arms around his neck.

Callum and I had only shared a word or two in the last few weeks, adding to awkwardness and... intimacy of the situation. I sighed in relief when he wrapped his own arms around my waist.

"You're not gonna tell anyone are you?" He murmured slowly and I breathed out a laugh.

"No, Callum. I'm not."

Just then the rest of them came out, the only one missing being Archer. I frowned and pried myself away Callum's grip, happy that we'd gotten that out of the way.

I smirked in Lily's direction, gloating our win and she gave me a dirty look.

She actually looked very pretty without makeup, her natural skin tone a light one with rosey cheeks and everything. She was wearing blue shorts and a white t-shirt, looking genuinely very pretty with her blonde hair out. Then she turned and leaned on her car, taking out her bag and opening it before getting on with her makeup with things I didn't even know existed.

My head snapped to the right when I felt Archie's gaze on me, shaking my head at myself when I realised how very weird that sounded.

Then a grin came to my face. Due to everyone rushing on to the field, I hadn't had the opportunity to congratulate him on his win.

My legs moved before I could process what was happening and I swung myself in his open arms, relishing in his scent of pine trees and nature, my arms around his neck and his around my waist.

I could practically feel his excitement, his smile.

I leaned back with a grin, meeting his eye. "You won! You actually won!"

He smiled back and I still stared, now becoming a bad habit that I really needed to get out of.

He put me down slowly and I kept one foot in the air as he placed his lips ever so gently on my forehead, the simple, even friendly move doing things to me that it shouldn't be doing.

He's dating Barbara, Rivi.

I snapped out of my trance at that and pulled away from him, giving him a small smile as I made my way back to the rest of the group. I hugged Jay, smiling with a wave and side hug to Kyle.

We were all ready to go until I heard the crude, unmistakable shrill of Barbara's voice yell, "Archer, baby, wait up!"

I groaned.

F*cking Perfect.