The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 14: Chapter 14 - Ravens Vs. Wolves

Briarwick’s own routine was already done.

The flying had stayed clean. There had been no accidents. Coach Miller had not looked like he wanted to remove every flyer from existence.

But Roxie did not let herself feel good about it yet.

Riverside moved like they wanted everyone on both sides of the field to know exactly why people talked about them. Their first formation opened clean. Two lines split, poms high, smiles bright, feet hitting the turf at the same time.

The visitor side started screaming.

Shut up.

Heather stood in front with perfect posture, perfect smile, and the kind of confidence Roxie already hated. She turned, clapped once, and the whole Riverside squad dropped into the next count without one girl missing the beat.

Angela stood beside Roxie, arms folded. ”Okay.”

Karen looked offended. ”Do not sound impressed.”

”Well, they’re the champion and it shows.”

”We’re going to win this year.”

Roxie kept her eyes on Riverside. ”Both of you stop.”

Riverside went into the dance break.

Sharp arms. Fast turns. Hair flips that looked annoyingly practiced. Their poms snapped in clean lines, and when Heather moved to the front for the kick sequence, the visitor bleachers got louder.

Roxie kept her face still.

They were good.

The squad shifted into stunt groups, and Heather’s smile turned toward Briarwick’s sideline.

Roxie felt half her girls tense.

”Don’t,” she said.

The younger flyer near her blinked. ”What?”

”Do not look scared.”

The girl straightened immediately.

Across the field, Riverside dipped.

Up.

Their flyer rose smooth and fast, body tight, arms high. She did not wobble once. The bases looked solid, like they had done it a hundred times.

The visitor side screamed again.

Then another group went up.

Then another.

Three flyers in the air at once.

Karen inhaled sharply through her nose. ”Okay. That was rude.”

Angela nodded. ”Very rude.”

Roxie smiled at the field like none of it mattered.

Inside, she was already adding extra stunt drills to Monday practice.

Riverside brought their flyers down clean and moved into the finale. Heather stepped forward, hit one last count, and the squad dropped into a final pose so sharp it made the visitor side lose its mind.

Their music cut.

The cheering stayed loud.

Roxie clapped because she had to.

The rest of Briarwick clapped too, but not as loudly as Riverside wanted.

At least the student section had some loyalty.

Heather walked back toward the visitor sideline with her squad behind her. When she passed close enough, her eyes flicked to Roxie.

”Still watching?” Heather asked.

Roxie lifted her brows. ”I got bored halfway through. It’s always the same routine, isn’t it?”

Heather’s smile thinned. ”Careful. Second-place cheerleaders sound desperate when they say it like that.”

Roxie licked her upper teeth in annoyance.

”Heard your new practice-fail video got passed around, Heather,” Kendall said from the side.

Roxie froze.

Heather’s jaw tightened.

Even Roxie knew that was below the belt.

Heather looked Kendall over, then smiled at Roxie again. ”Cute team. We’ll see at the meet.”

She walked away looking furious.

Roxie turned to Kendall.

”What?” Kendall snapped. ”You were going to let her talk shit about us?”

Roxie sighed.

Of course Kendall thought being cruel counted as teamwork.

The football team came back out before Riverside could enjoy themselves too much. Briarwick’s players ran back onto the field, helmets on, coaches shouting, the crowd still restless from halftime.

Zac came out near the middle of the group.

Roxie saw him immediately.

Annoying.

He had his helmet on, chin strap loose, mouthguard hanging from one hand. One of his teammates said something to him, and he laughed once, quick and distracted.

Then he looked toward the cheer line.

He lifted his hand and tapped two fingers against the side of his helmet.

Roxie stared.

Her face warmed before she could stop it.

Angela made a tiny sound beside her. ”Get a room.”

Roxie rolled her eyes. ”It’s not like that.”

”Sure.”

Roxie lifted her poms and faced the field again before Angela’s eyebrows could get any louder.

Riverside tied the game halfway through the third quarter after their running back slipped through Briarwick’s defense and sprinted down the sideline. The visitor side screamed. Their cheerleaders jumped and yelled like they had personally carried him there.

Briarwick answered with a field goal.

Riverside scored again.

By the fourth quarter, the scoreboard kept changing, and the entire stadium looked stressed. Parents were standing. Students were yelling at refs like they had legal authority. Someone behind Roxie kept screaming, ”Hold the line!” even when Briarwick was on offense.

Karen glanced back once. ”Does he know how football works?”

”No,” Angela said. ”But his lungs are committed.”

Roxie’s throat hurt from cheering. Her cheeks hurt from smiling. Her feet hurt from bouncing on the track every time the student section started another chant.

Briarwick was down by four with less than two minutes left.

The field felt too loud.

Zac walked onto the field for the last drive.

The stadium started chanting his name.

”Prescott!”

”Prescott!”

”Prescott!”

Roxie hated how easily the sound filled the whole place.

She hated more that she understood it.

Zac did not look at the crowd.

He looked at the field.

His jersey was dirty on one side. One sleeve had been shoved up, showing a scrape along his forearm. He rolled his shoulders once, then took his place behind the center.

Roxie forgot the chant.

Karen elbowed her.

Roxie picked it back up, louder than before.

”R-A-V-E-N-S!”

The squad followed.

The crowd followed.

The snap came.

Zac dropped back and threw.

Caught.

The student section screamed.

Next play, he ran it himself and took a hit near the sideline.

Roxie’s stomach jumped.

He got up fast.

He always got up fast.

That was probably part of his whole irritating brand.

The clock kept running.

Another pass.

Incomplete.

A groan moved through the home side.

Zac clapped once, sharp, and shouted something at the line. The team reset.

Roxie watched him grip the ball.

Angela leaned near her. ”Breathe.”

”I am.”

Roxie glared.

Angela smiled like a traitor and looked back at the field.

Fourth down.

Near the end zone.

Briarwick needed a touchdown.

The Wolves defense crowded the line, and Riverside’s sideline got loud enough to make Roxie’s ears ring.

Kendall was clapping beside her, smile perfect, but her eyes kept moving between Roxie and the field.

Roxie ignored her.

Zac stepped back.

Riverside rushed from both sides.

For one second, he had nowhere to go.

The whole stadium seemed to rise at once.

Then Zac ducked under one defender, stepped through the pocket, and threw just before another player slammed into him.

The ball cut through the lights.

Everyone looked up.

Caught.

Touchdown.

The home side went loud all at once.

Roxie screamed with everyone else before she could stop herself.

The team rushed the field. Helmets lifted. The band started playing over the noise. Students jumped on the bleachers like they wanted the whole thing to collapse for dramatic effect.

Zac was still down.

Roxie stopped cheering.

He was on his back for half a second under the defender who had hit him late. Then he rolled to one side and pushed himself up.

Zac stood, breathing hard, one hand on his knee. A coach started toward him, but Zac waved him off and looked across the field.

His eyes found Roxie.

For one stupid second, the whole stadium disappeared behind the noise.

Then his teammates slammed into him, shouting, grabbing his helmet, pulling him into the celebration.

Roxie stepped back.

Briarwick won by three.

The rest of the game turned into noise. Whistles. Screaming. Football players running across the field. Cheerleaders jumping until their bows loosened. Parents shouting from the bleachers like they had been the ones taking hits all night.

Roxie led the final cheer.

If she stopped moving, she would have to think about how badly her hands were shaking.

Across the field, Riverside packed up with tight smiles.

Heather caught Roxie’s eye once and lifted her chin.

Roxie smiled back.

The Wolves could cry on the bus.

After the final school chant, the squad broke apart near the track. Angela threw both arms around Roxie before Roxie could dodge.

”We won.”

Roxie stiffened, then patted her back. ”I noticed.”

Karen appeared beside them, grinning. ”We beat Riverside’s ponytail army. I feel better as a person.”

The flyer laughed, still flushed from the routine. Some of the younger girls were bouncing around, replaying the clean stunt like they had personally defeated gravity.

Roxie let herself feel it before she could talk herself out of it.

The routine had worked.

The flying had stayed.

Coach had been right to worry, but Roxie had been right to fight for it.

Coach Miller walked past them with his clipboard tucked under one arm. He looked at Roxie, then at the stunt group.

”Clean work tonight.”

The girls froze.

Karen whispered, ”Was that praise?”

Coach Miller did not stop walking. ”Don’t make me regret saying it.”

Roxie smiled.

Then her phone buzzed.

Angela checked hers too.

Karen’s followed.

Roxie already knew before she looked.

Victory party.

The message had hit three group chats at once.

Post-game party tonight. Seniors’ place near Old Mill Road. Ravens only.

Karen read it aloud and looked up slowly. ”Well.”

”No,” Roxie said.

Angela’s face fell. ”You didn’t even let us ask.”

”Because the answer is no.”

Karen tucked her phone away. ”That’s sad because you’d be missed at the party.”

Angela touched Roxie’s arm. ”Come on. We actually had a good night. Let’s enjoy it.”

Roxie looked toward the field.

The football team was still celebrating near the center. Zac stood in the middle of it, surrounded by teammates, helmet pushed up, hair damp, face tired under the stadium lights. Someone grabbed him around the shoulders. He laughed, and the sound did not reach Roxie, but she saw it.

Kendall appeared near Roxie’s side before Roxie could look away.

Of course.

”Are you coming tonight?” Kendall asked sweetly.

Roxie turned to her. ”Why?”

Kendall’s smile widened. ”Just asking. It might be awkward, though. Prescott will be there.”

Karen’s eyes sharpened.

Angela went still.

Kendall tilted her head. ”I mean, after everything. I’d understand if you stayed home.”

There it was.

The trap.

If Roxie did not go, Kendall would make it sound like she was scared.

If Roxie did go, Kendall would make it sound like she was chasing Zac.

Briarwick was exhausting.

Roxie looked back at the field.

Zac was talking to one of his coaches now, not looking at her.

Fine.

If he could survive getting slammed by Riverside defenders, she could survive one stupid party.

Roxie turned back to Kendall and smiled.

”Why would it be awkward?”

Kendall’s expression flickered.

Karen’s grin spread slowly.

Angela looked both excited and terrified, which was probably the correct reaction.

Roxie lifted her chin.

”I’ll be there.”