The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 200: Chapter 200 - Practice

The following afternoon, Coach Miller kept the squad twenty minutes past the end of practice.

The same stunt group had failed the heel stretch four times.

Fionna reached the position, but her standing leg started shaking before the bases finished extending their arms. Her hip drifted sideways. Ava lifted faster in an attempt to straighten her, while the back spot pulled at Fionna’s ankle until the entire stunt tilted.

”Down,” Coach Miller called.

The group lowered Fionna before the stunt collapsed.

Fionna stepped onto the mat and pulled her foot from the bases’ hands.

”I had it.”

Ava rubbed her wrist. ”For, like, half a second. My hand is dying.”

”You keep lifting me crooked.”

”I’m trying to stop you from falling on my head.”

Fionna turned toward her. ”Maybe stop jerking my foot around.”

Coach Miller lifted the whistle toward his mouth.

Roxie stepped closer before he could use it.

”Both of you, shut up and reset.”

Ava looked at her wrist again, but she returned to her position. Fionna moved between the bases with her mouth pressed into a tight line.

Coach Miller lowered the whistle and watched Roxie.

She stood in front of Fionna.

”You’re reaching for your heel before you’re standing.”

”I’m already up when I grab it.”

”You think you are. Your chest is still forward.”

Roxie placed two fingers beneath Fionna’s chin and lifted gently.

”Look at the blue line on the wall. Keep your head up from the load. Stand first, then pull your heel.”

Fionna glanced toward the wall.

”That line?”

”Yes. Pick one spot and keep looking at it.”

Roxie turned toward the bases.

”Her foot keeps moving toward Ava’s shoulder. Keep it centered. Ava, slow down. You’re getting ahead of the other side.”

Ava released a breath through her nose.

”I was trying to fix it.”

”I know, but you’re making her lean more. Match the main base instead of trying to carry the whole stunt.”

The back spot moved closer.

”She’s already drifting before I get her ankle.”

”Hold it when you reach it. Quit pulling her straight by yourself. You’re all fighting each other up there.”

Fionna looked over her shoulder.

”It’s mostly me. I keep losing it.”

”Your heel is fine,” Roxie said. ”You can pull it high enough. Your standing knee is soft, and you keep folding forward because you’re rushing.”

Fionna looked down at her leg.

”So lock my knee first?”

”Stand tall, lock it, then grab your heel. Give yourself somewhere solid to balance before you start moving everything else.”

Some of the frustration left Fionna’s face.

Roxie moved beside her.

”Lift your foot.”

Fionna raised one leg, and Roxie caught her ankle to show her where the position should begin.

The movement brought back the bungalow.

Zac had volunteered to help Roxie stretch, pretending he was focused on cheer while his ears turned red. His eyes had kept moving down her body until neither of them cared about the heel stretch anymore.

Heat moved into Roxie’s face.

Ava looked at her.

”Are you okay?”

Roxie lowered Fionna’s foot.

”I’m fine.”

Karen watched from the next group with a look that said she knew exactly why Roxie had stopped speaking.

Roxie pointed at her.

”Focus on your own group.”

”I didn’t say anything.”

”You were about to.”

Karen smiled and turned away.

Roxie moved behind Fionna before anyone else could look at her face.

”Let’s go. Ready.”

The bases bent.

Roxie counted slowly.

”One, two. Load. Five, six. Stand.”

The group lifted.

”Chest up. Lock your knee. Now heel.”

Fionna reached the position.

Her standing leg shook, but the bases kept their hands steady instead of chasing every movement. Ava matched the other side. The back spot held Fionna’s ankle without pulling her sideways.

”Keep looking at the wall,” Roxie said. ”Hold it.”

The stunt remained upright.

Several girls near the edge of the mat started cheering.

Fionna smiled.

”Hip down a little,” Roxie told her. ”There. Stay there.”

The bases adjusted their feet.

The stunt steadied.

”Five, six, seven, down.”

They lowered cleanly.

Fionna landed and turned around with a wide smile.

”We got it.”

”You got one.”

Fionna’s smile slipped.

Roxie touched her shoulder.

”That means you know what was wrong. Do it again before your body forgets.”

Fionna nodded quickly.

The second heel stretch rose faster and stayed stable through every required count. When the group lowered, Ava grabbed Fionna around the waist.

”Finally.”

”You were the one lifting me sideways.”

”You’re welcome for saving your life four times.”

Fionna shoved her shoulder, but she was laughing now.

Coach Miller blew his whistle.

”Better. Remember what changed instead of starting from zero tomorrow.”

Roxie looked at the clock.

”Can we run the full routine once?”

Several girls groaned.

Coach Miller studied the team.

”One full-out. Then everyone stretches and goes home.”

The squad moved into their opening positions.

Music filled the gym.

Roxie counted beneath her breath as they moved through the first section. Her legs felt heavy, but the exhaustion cleared her head.

There was no room for the motel, Claire’s ashes, Zac’s parents, or Tennessee while she was moving.

She only had to think about counts.

The heel stretch rose during the final section.

Fionna kept her chest up.

The stunt held.

Roxie hit the ending position with the rest of the squad.

The music stopped.

Everyone breathed hard.

Roxie straightened.

”We need another one. The second transition was late.”

Coach Miller blew his whistle.

”We’re finished.”

”It was half a count.”

”It was half a count because practice ended twenty minutes ago.”

”We can fix it now.”

Coach Miller looked around the mat instead of answering her.

Ava had started rubbing her wrist again. One of the bases bent over with both hands against her knees. Dani stood near the back, stretching one calf while she thought nobody was watching.

Fionna breathed through her mouth.

Coach Miller looked at Roxie.

”Look at your team.”

Roxie glanced around again.

Another full-out would keep her inside the gym for only a few more minutes.

It would delay the empty bungalow. It would delay walking past Claire’s ashes beside the blue mug. It would give Roxie something else to think about before the rooms became quiet around her.

Ava rubbed her wrist again.

Roxie finally lowered her arms.

”Ice that when you get home.”

Ava looked at her. ”It’s fine. It’s just sore.”

”You’ve been touching it since the second stunt. Ice it for fifteen minutes. Tell me if it swells.”

Ava stopped rubbing it.

Kendall approached with both hands on her hips.

”Are we finally allowed to leave?”

Roxie looked at her. ”Nobody was keeping you here.”

Kendall stared at her.

”We’re all still here because you asked for another routine.”

Roxie looked toward the squad.

Angela sat near the wall with her head lowered against her knees. Karen stretched one leg across the mat and watched them without getting involved. Even the girls who usually begged for another run looked ready to lie down where they stood.

Roxie released a breath.

”Fine. We’re done. Stretch before you change, and tell me tonight if anything starts hurting worse.”

The squad moved almost immediately.

Kendall started to walk away.

Roxie stopped her.

”You were right.”

Kendall looked back.

Roxie gestured toward the team.

”They’re done.”

Kendall’s rolled her eyes. ”I know I am.”

Roxie flipped her off.

She moved between the groups during cooldown. She checked Ava’s wrist, watched Dani stretch her calf, and made two younger girls start over because they spent the first attempt talking.

By the time the squad headed toward the locker room, Roxie’s own legs shook whenever she stopped moving.

She remained in the gym to collect the resistance bands.

Coach Miller lifted one side of the final mat. Roxie grabbed the other without being asked.

”The stunt correction worked,” he said.

”They should hit it faster tomorrow.”

”They probably will.”

They folded the mat together.

Coach Miller carried it toward the wall while Roxie gathered the final resistance band.

”You can stay in here after practice.”

Her hand stopped.

She looked at him.

”What?”

”If you need somewhere to sit before you go home, you can stay. You don’t have to keep the whole squad running.”

Roxie wrapped the resistance band around her fingers.

”I wanted to fix the transition.”

”I know.”

”It was late.”

”It was also late because everyone was exhausted.”

Roxie picked up her bag.

Coach Miller leaned one shoulder against the folded mat.

”You helped Fionna because you looked at what she needed. You stopped the second routine because you finally looked at everyone else. You have to do that before someone gets hurt.”

”Nobody got hurt.”

”Ava’s wrist is sore. Dani’s limping. Your legs are shaking.”

Roxie locked her knees.

Coach Miller noticed.

He let out a breath.

”I’m not trying to start some big conversation with you. I’m telling you that you can sit in the bleachers for ten minutes. You can help me put things away. You can be here without making everyone practice until they drop.”

Roxie looked down at the band in her hand.

The offer made her chest tighten more than the careful questions adults kept trying to ask.

”I have somewhere to be.”

”All right.”

Coach Miller stepped aside.

Roxie walked toward the locker room.

”Roxie.”

She stopped.

”The correction was good. You handled the group well.”

She looked back.

”Thanks.”

Inside the locker room, Ava sat on the bench with an instant ice pack pressed against her wrist. Dani stretched beside the lockers. Fionna stood near the mirror, practicing the heel stretch while holding the wall.

Roxie pointed at her.

”Put your foot down.”

Fionna lowered it.

”I was checking if I could still do it.”

”You just did it twice.”

”I don’t want to lose it.”

”You’ll lose it faster if your leg is dead tomorrow.”

Fionna sat beside Ava.

”Thanks for fixing it.”

”You fixed it. I told you what you were doing wrong.”

Ava adjusted the ice pack.

”She also stopped us from killing each other.”

”You were the one starting it,” Fionna said.

”You rolled your eyes first.”

”That isn’t starting anything.”

Roxie opened her locker.

”Both of you survived. Be happy.”

Karen sat on the bench nearby, tying her shoes.

”So what were you thinking about when you turned red?”

Roxie pulled her sweatshirt over her head.

”Nothing. I was just tired.”

”You forgot Fionna was standing on one leg.”

”I was explaining the position.”

”You stopped explaining for a while.”

Angela looked between them.

”What happened?”

”Nothing happened,” Roxie said.

Karen smiled.

”I think... Prescott helped her stretch once.”

Roxie threw a rolled sock at her.

Karen ducked.

Angela’s eyes widened.

”Oh.”

”Both of you can shut up.”

Karen laughed while Roxie changed.

Her hands shook as she tied her shoes.

Karen noticed.

She said nothing about it.

Before leaving, she took a granola bar from her bag and dropped it into Roxie’s open practice bag.

Roxie looked at her.

”You can eat that on the way home.”

”I had lunch.”

”And then you practiced for hours.”

”I’m fine.”

Karen zipped Roxie’s bag.

”Yeah. That’s why your hands look like that.”

Roxie pulled the bag toward her.

Karen left with Angela before Roxie could argue.

When Roxie walked outside, Zac was waiting beside the old truck.

He stood near the passenger door with his phone in one hand. He looked at the screen, silenced another call, and put it back into his pocket.

The entire squad could see him.

A few girls slowed near the gym doors.

Fionna whispered something to Ava.

Ava laughed.

Roxie kept walking.

Zac pushed away from the truck when she reached him. His eyes moved over her face and then down when her knee weakened slightly.

He took the bag from her shoulder.

”I can carry it.”

”I know.”

He opened the passenger door and placed the bag inside.

The granola bar sat near the top.

Zac picked it up.

”Did Karen give you this?”

Roxie leaned against the truck.

”She thinks I’m dying.”

”You look close.”

”That’s sweet.”

He tore open the wrapper and handed it to her.

Roxie looked at it.

”You’re serious?”

”Eat half. Then you can complain.”

”I’m already complaining.”

”Yeah, and you still haven’t eaten.”

Roxie took a bite so he would stop watching her.

Zac reached inside the truck and brought out a blue sports drink.

She looked from the bottle to him.

”You copied me.”

”You bought me one yesterday. I remembered.”

His phone vibrated again.

Zac checked the screen and silenced it.

Roxie chewed before speaking.

”Your parents?”

”Yeah.”

”You should probably answer.”

”I already told them where I am.”

”And?”

”They weren’t happy.”

Roxie looked toward the phone in his hand.

”You don’t need to stay here because of me.”

”I know.”

”You’re saying that again.”

”Because you keep telling me things I already know.”

He put the phone away and looked at the half eaten granola bar.

”Keep going.”

Roxie took another bite.

”You’re annoying.”

”You almost fell walking out of the gym.”

”My knee bent.”

”Yeah. That’s usually how falling starts.”

She tried to glare at him, but she was tired enough that it made him smile.

Zac opened the sports drink and handed it to her.

Roxie drank several swallows.

”Better?” he asked.

”A little.”

He nodded toward the bar.

”Finish that too.”

”You sound like Karen.”

”That’s the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Roxie laughed before she could stop herself.

Several cheerleaders were still gathered near the gym doors.

Zac glanced toward them.

”Are they watching us?”

”They’ve been watching since I came out.”

”Should I wave?”

”No.”

He waved.

Ava waved back immediately.

Roxie shoved his shoulder.

”You made it worse.”

”They already know we’re together.”

”They don’t need a show every day.”

Zac looked at her.

”Yesterday you wanted everyone to know.”

”I wanted them to know. I didn’t ask you to become the mascot for our relationship.”

His mouth curved.

”That sounds like a real position.”

”It isn’t.”

”I’d be good at it.”

Roxie rolled her eyes.

Zac touched the back of her neck and pulled her closer.

The kiss was brief.

When he moved away, Roxie noticed the squad had finally started walking toward the parking lot.

”You’re embarrassing.”

Zac laughed and opened the passenger door wider.

”Come on. I’m getting you food.”

”I just ate.”

”You ate half a granola bar.”

”I’m going home.”

”I’ll take you after we eat.”

His phone vibrated again.

This time, Roxie saw his father’s name on the screen before Zac turned it over.

”You’re already in trouble.”

”Yeah.”

”And you’re still staying out.”

He shrugged.

”I’m hungry too.”

Roxie studied him.

He looked calmer outside his house, though the tension had never fully left his shoulders. She could ask what happened the previous night. She could push until he admitted what his parents said.

He would probably shut down before giving her anything real.

She finished the granola bar instead.

”Fine. We can eat.”

Zac opened the passenger door.

”Your choice.”

”Somewhere cheap.”

”I figured.”

Roxie climbed into the truck.

Zac placed her bag behind the seat and closed the door.

Through the windshield, Roxie saw Fionna try the heel stretch again beside Ava’s car.

Ava grabbed her ankle and forced it down while both of them laughed.

The squad would survive until tomorrow.

Zac climbed into the driver’s seat.

”Where are we going?”

Roxie fastened her seat belt.

”I don’t care. Just drive.”

He started the truck.

For once, Roxie let practice end.