Almost Always You

Chapter 11

The next day went by in a blur. I went to the field after class to watch Xander and his team practice. Peter, Josh, Harry, and Pete were also on the team.

Xander was looking really hot while he was playing. The cheerleaders were practicing on the other end of the field, and Xander would look at them from time to time.

I didn't like that he was giving them his attention, but I couldn't say anything.

A few minutes later, Peter noticed me in the stands. He blew me a kiss, and I pretended to catch it.

Xander looked over to see whom Peter was blowing a kiss to and saw me. He smiled at me and winked.

I waved back at him.

There were some girls sitting beside me, talking about how hot the boys looked while playing, especially Xander.

I rolled my eyes and ignored them.

One of the cheerleaders walked toward the stands. She came up to the girls and said, "I'm Madeline, the head cheerleader. I'm guessing you're all here for the auditions."

"Yes," one of the girls said.

"Alright, let's go to the end of the field," she said.

The girls got up and walked away. Madeline looked at me.

"Aren't you coming?"

"Oh, no! I'm not here for the auditions. I'm just here to watch the guys play."

"If you really want to get their attention, I think you should join us."

"What? No, no... I'm not trying to get anyone's attention. It's just that my friends are playing, so I'm here to watch."

"Okay, whatever you say. But you could join us. There's no harm in it. You're wearing comfortable clothes, so you can audition if you want. Plus, we're looking for someone as slim as you who could be lifted into the air easily," she said, looking at me expectantly.

I looked toward the field and noticed Xander winking and smiling at the girls.

I felt jealous.

I guess there was no harm in auditioning. I had been the head cheerleader during my senior year of high school, after all. Xander might pay a little more attention to me if I was there.

"Okay. I'll give it a try," I said to Madeline.

She smiled brightly.

We both walked toward the girls, who were doing warm-ups. I placed my bag down and joined them.

Soon, we were given a basic routine and asked to perform it in pairs. My partner was a blonde girl. She had the perfect body for a cheerleader.

I looked like a kid standing next to her.

The girls started doing the routine one by one. My partner and I were the last to perform. We both started and finished at the same time.

Madeline and the existing members exchanged a few words privately. Then Madeline turned toward us and said, "We only have two spots on the team, and there are eight of you. I'm going to point out who's staying for the next round and who isn't."

I was sure I wasn't going to make it because the other girls were very pretty and had great body shapes.

I looked over at the field and saw Xander looking toward me. He had a blank expression on his face.

He turned around and resumed playing.

Madeline selected one girl from each pair. When she looked at my partner and me, she smiled and said, "The short one—you've been selected."

Yup! That's me.

The blonde girl looked at me in disgust.

"Seriously, this girl?" she asked. "I'm way better than her. She looks like a little kid."

"She's who we want. Now you can leave," Madeline said.

The blonde girl scoffed and left in a fury.

There were now four of us.

We were given a more difficult routine this time. I looked at Xander from time to time, but he wasn't paying any attention.

The routine was something I already knew, so I performed it effortlessly. Madeline gave me a thumbs-up when I finished.

Everyone had to perform the routine individually.

I was nervous.

I knew it wasn't something I'd wanted to do from the beginning, but now I wanted to be part of the team.

"Everyone was wonderful, but as I said, there are only two spots. So, you in the blue T-shirt, what's your name?"

"Scarlett," the girl said.

"Congratulations, Scarlett. You're now officially a cheerleader," Madeline said.

Scarlett let out a high-pitched squeal of victory.

"Shorty," Madeline said, looking at me. "You're the other member. Congratulations, and welcome to the team."

I was really happy.

"Thank you, Madeline."

"Just call me Maddy," she said with a smile.

The other girls were disappointed.

"Sorry, guys. You can't be on the team this year. Better luck next time."

Maddy dismissed them and turned toward us.

"So, now that you've made the team, let's go over the rules. You have to be present and punctual for every practice. You'll get two warnings, and on the third, you'll be out of the team. Your uniforms will be provided by the college once your measurements are taken.

"Both of you will be assigned a player whom you'll enter the field with during matches. When we have matches at another college, we'll travel with the team. Commitment is really important, and if you can't do all of this, you can back out now."

I was ready to do anything to be on the team.

After all, I was a cheerleader.

We were dismissed soon after and told that we'd have practice sessions three days a week.

The football team was still practicing. I made my way toward the exit, trying to get Xander's attention, but he didn't look at me.

I decided to text him about meeting at my room for the assignment. That's when I realized I didn't have his number.

I decided to go to my room, hoping he would show up.

I didn't know what had suddenly changed his mood.

I went back to my room, and Mercy was sleeping. I freshened up and put on shorts and a plain pink top. It was warm outside.

I opened my laptop and started working on the assignment.

It was five-thirty, and there was still no sign of Xander.

Mercy was still asleep. I was about to wake her up to ask if she had his number when there was a knock on the door.

I opened it, and Xander was standing there, freshly showered.

He smelled amazing.

He entered the room and closed the door behind him with a loud bang, which woke Mercy.

"Hey, Xander. What are you doing here?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

"Assignment," he said blankly.

"Okay. I'll leave you guys alone. Just give me a few minutes."

I didn't want her to leave.

"You don't have to leave, Mercy. You can stay," I said desperately.

"Oh, Ella, I have to go to the library to get some books, and I have a headache, so coffee is a must."

I groaned internally.

Mercy got ready in a few minutes and left.

Xander took out his laptop and started working on the assignment.

Okay, so that's how it's going to be. We're not talking right now.

I honestly didn't know why.

We worked in silence for a few minutes, but it was becoming unbearable, so I asked, "What's the matter, Xander? Why aren't you talking to me?"

"What do you mean? I'm doing the assignment just like you wanted. Just because we were intimate doesn't mean we have to talk every time. We're not in a relationship," he said rudely.

And it broke my heart.