Waiting For You - Gianna Gabriela
Prologue
AMELIA KING
February
I sit at the couch with my pajamas on as I swipe left on most of the guys on this dating site. I downloaded this app because my sister told me to. Apparently, I need to put myself out there because otherwise, I’m going to die old and alone; those were her words. The thing is, I don’t want a relationship right now. I told her that too but she said this app is the best way to meet non-dating guys.
I guess that’s exactly what I’m looking for.
No dates. No dating. No strings.
“What are you doing?” my sister, Elia, asks as she walks out of her room with her cheerleading uniform on. She was so excited to finally make the team after trying out two years in a row and failing. She kept trying though because she had to be a cheerleader.
“Just swiping,” I tell her, showing her my phone and the latest guy to pop up on the screen.
She comes closer to look at the picture then takes the phone from my hand. “Nope. No. No. Absolutely not. Uh, wait, this one. He’s cute,” she says, her fingers moving quickly on screen and then halting.
“Wait!” I yell, knowing what she’s about to do next and not wanting her to do it. The last thing I want to do is match with a guy who my sister selects for me. It’s not that she has the worst taste, it’s just that her taste is totally different than mine. The opposite really. So yeah, not my taste. “Let me see!” I tell her.
“Too late, I’ve already swiped right!” she exclaims.
“You’re the worst!” I reply, still lying down on the couch and looking up at her as she leans over me.
“Anndddd it’s a match!” she announces dramatically.
I shake my head. “Pass it over!” I tell her, ready to see who I’ve matched with—who my devious little sister has chosen for me. Funny I call her my little sister, we’re twins. I’m only a few minutes older, but I’ll hold that against her forever.
She tosses the phone to me and I catch it before it hits me in the face. “I gotta go,” she says, walking toward the door.
I point at her outfit. “First day of practice?” I ask. Do cheerleaders wear their uniforms to practice? Is that a thing?
“Yes!” she exclaims, eyes wide in excitement.
“It’s February though, isn’t that late to start?” I ask, wondering why they’d accept new cheerleaders into the team at the beginning of the spring semester.
My sister sighs loudly, tired of having to explain things to me, I assume. “This is how they always do it because they start training the cheerleaders who will join them in the fall now while the travel team is off competing,” she explains.
I pretend it all makes sense. “Why do you have to wear your uniform?” I ask. Shouldn’t she be wearing sweats or something? I mean, they’re going to be practicing. Doesn’t make sense to use their uniforms.
“We all have to wear them the first day of practice. They want to make sure they fit properly and comfortably.” Another thing that doesn’t make sense if they won’t be using the uniforms until September but maybe they use it earlier. Who knows? I don’t really care enough to ask.
I take in her appearance from her ponytail down to her sneakers. “Seems like it fits tight.”
“In all the right places,” she says, smiling.
“Well, good luck with that!” I tell her.
“Thanks. I’m really excited.” Of course she is. Cheerleading is the one thing she’s passionate about. It’s actually the reason she chose Bragan University. That, and the fact that I was already coming here and she hates being on her own. She’s never had to be on her own. We literally shared a womb and just about everything since then, except tastes and hobbies, obviously.
“I’m happy for you,” I tell her, sitting up and getting ready to turn on the TV. “So what do you guys do again?” I ask, trying to show some interest in the things that interest my sister yet finding it really hard.
She rubs her hands together before she starts. “Well, we have competitions, that’s what the travel team is focusing on,” she tells me. She rounds the couch so she’s in front of me. “And we also cheer for the football and basketball teams,” she pauses, “just to practice,” she adds, making sure I understand that cheerleading is a sport independent of cheering for other sports.
I nod. “Well, remember