Cheerleading Can Be Murder (Horror High #1) (9 page)

Chapter

Twenty-Five

I expected the weekend to drag by slowly, because I wanted Monday to get here so badly, but it actually went by rather fast. Mom took me and my little brother out to the movies on Saturday. She was trying to distract me from worrying about making the team, and I loved her for doing so. It was one of those animated movies that were supposed to be for children, but even adults couldn’t help loving them. My dad had to work so he couldn’t join us, but we took baby Vincent. I loved my little brother to death, but he was only a year old, and he was fussy throughout the film. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the family time and distraction from the torture of waiting to find out Coach Davis’s decision.

On Sunday, Andy called. I was pleased to hear from him. Right off the bat, he asked how the tryouts went. Since I didn’t have many friends to consult with these days, I spilled all of the gossip to him. I told him about Tasha getting kicked out of tryouts for sabotaging her group members, and we discussed my chances of making the team.

“I have a good feeling you’re going to make it,” he assured me sweetly.

“Thank you for believing in me.”

There was a moment of awkward silence, and then he said, “So, I was wondering if you’d like to come over and work on our history project?” His voice was shaky, hesitant. His nervousness was adorable!

“I’d almost forgotten about Joan of Arc,” I admitted, remembering that it was due in a week. “Let me ask my mom and see if she’ll bring me over,” I offered, setting down my iPhone and calling down to my mom from the top of the stairs. “Mom, can you take me to a friend from school’s house to work on an American History project?” I shouted down to her.

“Let me get your brother laid down for a nap, and then I’ll take you. Your father will stay here with Vincent,” she offered. I hurried back to my room and told Andy I’d be coming soon. He gave me some simple directions to his house and I wrote them down on a sticky note for my mom.

I hurriedly changed into jeans and a clean top. I ran a brush through my hair and applied a thin coat of lip gloss. I puckered my lips in the mirror. I’d never been so excited about doing school work on a weekend before!

Chapter

Twenty-Six

Although Andy’s family’s luxury home looked similar to mine, it was located on a private lot surrounded by birch trees. “What is this friend from school’s name again?” my mom asked, pulling into the neatly paved driveway in her Camry.

“Andy,” I said, trying not to smile. I opened up my passenger side door and stepped out into the muggy heat. It was September, and way too hot for this time of year in Harrow.

My mother rolled down her window, one of those outdated kind you have to turn with a crank. “Is Andy’s mother or father home?” she asked dubiously, sticking her head out the window and eyeballing the house in front of her.

“Yes, of course, Mom. We’re just working on a Joan of Arc project,” I promised.

By this time next year, I would hopefully have my own car and driver’s license. Until then, I needed to appease my mom. “There’s nothing to worry about, Mom.”

I could tell by her tight smile that she trusted me, despite her concerns. She always had.

“I’ll pick you up in…”she leaned in to look at the clock on her dash, “two hours.”

I nodded and gave her a little wave, climbing the steps to the front door.

I was nervous as I pressed my finger firmly to the glowing doorbell. A tall, handsome woman with red hair that matched Andy’s opened the door with a smile. My mother was waiting to make sure that I entered safely, and Andy’s mom waved out to her, signaling that it was okay for her to leave. I waved goodbye to her as well.

“Hi, there! I’m Andy’s mom, Elly,” she greeted me, standing aside to let me into a fancy, wood-paneled foyer. Sitting on a tan leather sofa in a substantially sized, sunken living room, was Andy. Thick reference books were stacked on a glass coffee table in front of him. He smiled at me sheepishly, then stood up, wringing his hands nervously. “I’ll leave you two to your studies.” Elly gave us a little wave. She left the room, her heels clicking against the hard maple floors.

“Your mom seems nice. Is it just you and her who live here?” I sat down beside him on the sofa.

“My grandma comes to stay with us often. And my brother Cameron did live here but he just left for college this year. He’s studying psychology at Butler.” He glanced up at a silver-framed photo of an older redheaded boy on the fireplace mantle in front of us. It was obviously a picture of Cameron. His eyes also briefly scanned another picture—a man in a military uniform who was obviously his father. It was plain to see that he missed both his father and brother.

“Psychology? That’s neat, because my mom is a therapist.” My comment seemed to distract him, which is what I’d been hoping for.

“Really? That’s a cool coincidence. Does she ever try to psychoanalyze you?” he asked, a serious expression on his face. I couldn’t help but laugh. “No. At least I don’t think she does…” I giggled.

A big furry Persian cat leapt on my lap, startling me. Andy tried to shoo her away. “Oh, it’s okay. I love cats,” I said, stroking its silky fur.

Talking to Andy came easy, and that’s how it went for the next two hours…we talked about his father, who was stationed in Afghanistan, and I told him about my father’s work as a radio engineer. Although it felt like I was talking with a friend, it was different somehow, unlike any relationship I’d had. It felt natural, the words flowing out with ease. He told me about all of the places he’d lived, moving around so much due to his father’s work in the service.

By the time the text alert chimed on my iPhone with my mom’s message saying she was there to pick me up, I realized that we hadn’t gotten any work done on our Joan of Arc project.

“Oh, no! I can’t believe it’s time to go already!” I jumped up hastily, shoving a handful of notebooks and folders into my bag.

“It’s okay, Dakota. We still have all week to finish it. Maybe we can try to get some work done again tomorrow?” he suggested hopefully. At the mention of tomorrow, I realized that it was almost Monday and time to find out if I’d made the squad.

“Okay. Let’s try again tomorrow night. If it’s okay with my mom,” I said, walking toward the door. He followed, walking me out to my mom’s car like a gentleman. Before I could even introduce him, he stuck his hand through the open passenger door and shook my mom’s hand. Boy, he was turning out to be quite the charmer!

“I’m Andy. I have American History with Dakota. Thanks for letting her come over,” he said politely. My mother was the queen of polite introductions and she seemed to be enjoying this moment.

On the ride home, she was mostly quiet, but smiling. As we approached our street, she said, “He seems perfect for you, Dakota.” Having conversations with my mom about boys was slightly embarrassing, so I looked away, my cheeks heating up. But I couldn’t help smiling as I stared out the window, watching the rows of houses fly by. I had to agree with my mother.
Andy does seem pretty perfect
, I thought dreamily.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

The Sociopath

I stuffed notebooks and gym wear inside my backpack, all the while balancing a can of Red Bull in my right hand. I needed to hurry, or else I’d be late for first period. Tossing my drink in the trash can by my bed, I quickly tied my shoes and stared at my reflection in the spotted up full length mirror.

“Today is the day.”

I opened the closet door and removed the gun. Mossberg 500, that’s what it was called. There was a heat shield over the barrel, with a pistol grip instead of a buttstock. It held eight shells, nine if you counted the one in the chamber…

A fine piece of American artillery that had belonged to my grandfather. Now it was mine.

I could hear the hiss of the bus’s air brakes…it was only a few stops away.

Quickly, I slid the Mossberg into my backpack. It was barely short enough to fit, but I just managed to get the zippers closed around it as I heard the bus screech to a halt outside. I took off running down the steps.

Today is the day.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

Dakota

When I opened my eyes, I knew that
the
day had arrived. Sunlight streamed through the gap in my curtains, illuminating my entire bedroom. A narrow beam of dust particles floated above my bed. Just like I always did when I was little, I reached up and tried to grab it.

Today was the day when the names of the new varsity squad members would be announced. I couldn’t wait! I threw the covers off and started getting ready for school. I wasn’t much of a morning person, and even if I had been, I wasn’t one of those girls who took a long time getting ready. I pulled on a pair of stretchy leggings with shiny star patterns and topped it off with a tank top and loose fitting tee. I slipped on a pair of ballet flats, tied my hair in a perky bun, brushed my teeth, and applied a light coat of lip gloss.

“You look beautiful,” my mother said as I came galloping down the steps, taking two at a time. There was this tiny electric buzz surrounding me; I was so excited! This was going to be a day I’d never forget.

My mom was feeding Vincent in a highchair, and I leaned down to give him a kiss. His lips were slobbery and stained with juice, but I didn’t care. He was starting to develop a little personality all of his own and he grinned up at me, shaking his little fists in the air. “I’m excited too, little man.” I smiled at him happily.

“Eggs and bacon on the stove,” my mom offered, but I already knew that based on the rich, smoky aroma filling the air. I rarely saw my dad anymore, as he usually left for work before I got up and worked until late at night at the radio station.
I miss him
, I realized, chewing on a bacon strip thoughtfully.
At least he’s not stationed far away in a foreign country like Andy’s dad
, I reminded myself, thinking about our conversation yesterday.

“I can’t eat anymore. My stomach’s in knots. I think I’ll just grab a banana to go,” I told my mom, digging one out of the fruit bowl on the granite counter. Now that my mom had her own private practice, she could set her own hours by scheduling appointments with her individual clients. She used to work all the time like my dad, but she trimmed down her workload when Vincent was born.

“Do you have to work today?”

“Yes. Melody’s going to watch your brother while I go into the office for a few hours this afternoon.” Melody was our neighbor on the other side, and she’s a huge help to my mom.

“If I make the team, I’ll have to stay after school to get fitted for my uniform. But if not…”

“Stay positive, sweetheart,” she interrupted me. “I have a good feeling you’re going to make the team. I’m sorry, honey, but you might have to wait around for a bit after your fitting. Text me on my iPhone as soon as you find out if you make it, that way I can arrange my appointments and come get you from school as soon as I finish at the office.” She offered an unwanted spoonful of scrambled eggs to Vincent. He pushed the eggs away playfully, spilling some on the floor.

I knew that I should have told my mom sooner about possibly having to stay after school, and I felt bad for always interfering with a career she used to love. “Don’t worry about it, Mom. Sydney’s mom already said she can bring me home tonight,” I lied.

“Okay, wonderful! Good luck today, honey,” she said, giving me a hug and kiss on top of my head.

I swung my backpack over my shoulder and headed out to the bus stop. I made it out there just in time to see the taillights of Ronnie’s Trans Am turning the corner at the end of the street.
No more walking for Amanda
, I thought glumly.

But then she came running outside, both of us barely reaching the bus on time…

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

When I took a seat in Biology, I realized that I had absolutely no idea when Coach Davis would make her announcement today. It could be minutes away, or hours. It could even be at the end of the day.
This wait is tortuous!
I thought impatiently.

There were no announcements during Biology, or throughout my Pre-Algebra class. I was honestly starting to think that it was not going to be until the end of the day, after all. When I got to American History, I was grateful because I knew that Andy would keep me occupied. Our teacher gave us time to work on our group projects, which was good because we hadn’t started ours yet.

As soon as he and I took seats in the back to start working on it, I heard the unmistakable click of the intercom system overhead. “Attention please, students! I have an important announcement to make! This is Principal Barlow. I have Coach Davis sitting next to me and she’s going to make a quick announcement regarding cheerleading tryouts.”

Without realizing it, I reached across the desk and took Andy’s hand in mine. My heart and stomach were fluttering like crazy!

“Good morning, students!” Coach Davis said brightly, and I could hear her shuffling papers noisily overhead.

“The six girls who made the team are…Brittani Barlow, Dakota Densford, Tally Johannsen, Amanda Loxx, Genevieve McDermott, and Monika Rutherford.” At the sound of my name, I could finally breathe again
. I made it!
I fought the urge to jump up and start squealing.

Coach Davis continued, “Additionally, I have decided to select
two
alternate squad members. These two girls will practice with the team so they’ll know the cheers, but they are not required to stay after school for the fitting today. The primary alternate is Sydney Hargreaves. The secondary alternate is Ashleigh Westerfield. Congratulations, girls! I will see the six squad members after school to get your uniforms and pompoms!”

At the end of her announcement, I slipped my iPhone out of my bag, and although I was not supposed to use it during class per school rules, I sent a quick text to my mom. It simply said:

I did it!

I knew she would know exactly what I meant. Andy patted me on the back and several other classmates congratulated me as well. I was so happy! It was a dream come true!