flirty wink, I drop down to the ground, opening up my legs, before rising back up. I think it’s called a booty drop or something. Hell if I know. It looked cool on the YouTube video I watched.
I blow Emmett a kiss—one that he dramatically catches, much to the amusement of the other guys and the irritation of Karsyn—before running as fast as I can and performing a seamless back handspring full. It’s one of the toughest tricks a gymnast can perform, but with the muscle memorization spell and the flexibility potion, I execute it flawlessly.
When I finish my routine, I’m breathing heavily and a fine layer of sweat coats my skin. Still, it’s worth it to see the heat in the guys’ eyes.
And, more importantly, the heat in Karsyn’s. He tries to hide it, going as far as scowling in my direction, but it’s impossible to deny. For a brief moment, there was pure and wanton need in his hazel gaze, like he’s an addict and I’m his next fix.
“Holy. Shit,” Helen breathes, just as the football coach blares his whistle, screaming at his team to get back to work. Emmett flashes me a cocky smile, winking, before he saunters off to join the rest of the disassembling team. Only Karsyn remains behind, his golden chest heaving as he stares at me. His expression is a fine balance between rage and lust. Staring at me for a few seconds like he’s never seen me before, he then turns on his heel and stalks away, giving me his back and ass. His rather fine, muscular ass…
“That was amazing!” Helen rushes towards me, Mariabella on her heels. I notice the latter is looking a little flushed, and her eyes are radiant with elation. I imagine she’s excited to have a strong gymnast and dancer on the team—though, truth be told, I can barely walk in a straight line normally.
“So…did I make the team?” I pretend to be timid, unsure, going as far as lowering my eyes to the ground in a subservient gesture.
“Did you make the…? Don’t be an idiot!” Helen rolls her eyes good-naturedly, though I can see that internally, she’s still squealing with excitement. Composing her features, she turns towards the rest of the girls, who are whispering amongst each other, staring at me with wide-eyed wonder and envy. “Now, let’s start from the top, shall we, and show Peony what she missed!”
Chapter 11
My research proves to be right—Helen is a fucking drill sergeant when it comes to cheerleading. By the time I leave practice, I’m sweating my ass off and my cheeks radiate a bright, hideous red. The face ones, not the ass.
Fortunately, cheer practice got out an hour before football, so I don’t risk running into a glowering Karsyn. And I could most definitely feel the evil eyes he directed at me throughout the afternoon. I could practically see the thousands of thoughts circulating in that pretty head of his, but his expression remained guarded. Wary.
Not that I blame him. He most definitely should be wary of me. I’m vengeance and hate, anger and rage, pain and suffering. My plot for revenge has been etched into the stars, defining who I am. There’s no escaping my destiny.
After saying goodbye to Mariabella and the rest of the girls, I begin the long trek home. While this morning, I’d been enthusiastic with a skip in my step that normally isn’t there, this afternoon, it feels like thirty-pound-bricks weigh down my feet. My body aches from the grueling training we just went through and from one of my particularly hard falls.
Helen deemed me small enough to be a flyer. For those of you who don’t know cheerleading—like I didn’t a mere two months ago—a flyer is the girl who is catapulted into the air. She’s usually the smallest and lightest person on the team, but she also must be flexible to pull off some of the stunts required of her. Today, we practiced a simple basket toss, aiming for height. Of course, one of my bases, a girl named Jamie, got distracted by her running back boyfriend and didn’t focus on catching me when I came down. My head hit my back spot’s shoulder as they struggled to keep me upright. But alas, I tumbled to the ground, nursing a bruised hip and sore ankle.
I seriously regret not allowing one of Nana’s boyfriends to drive me as I make the journey back to her house. My backpack suddenly seems to