Chapter 3
Nova
I don't know why I promised to go to that stupid cheerleader tryouts. I deeply regret it. But I'm a person who stays true to my promises, so what choice do I have?
I put on my clothes. A pair of bright green soft short shorts and a
soft orange crop top. My belly button pricing is fully visible and it's a purple butterfly. On my feet I have a pair of green training shoes. My hair is put up in a high ponytail on my head.
"Ready?" Katie asks.
I sigh and nod. "But do we really have to do this?" I ask.
"Yes! Now move your lazy butt out of this dorm room!" Katie says and starts shoving me out of the room.
"Katie!" I whine.
"No shut it!" She says.
"But my phone, my bag ..." I start but get interrupted.
"I've got them", Paisley says, holding up my things.
I take them and put my phone in my bag.
"I can walk by myself", I tell Katie as she keeps on shoving me.
"I'm not sure", she says. "Maybe you'll try to run away. Again".
She's talking about this morning when I tried to sneak out of our dorm room before they woke up. But Katie arranged a trap and I stepped onto something sharp and cried out in pain. So of course, they woke up.
"There's no need now", I say. "I'm stuck here".
Katie hesitates before she lets go of me. Yes! I take this chance and run away from them. "No, you promised!" Katie yells and runs after me.
"If you can catch me than I do promise I'll go to that stupid tryout", I yell back. I hear how they start running after me in the hallway. I run around the corner and into another corridor. I run around another corner and ...
SMACK! I fly backwards and down on my butt onto the floor.
"Oww", I mumble.
"Nova!" Paisley shouts.
"Oh god, are you okay?" I hear a man's voice ask.
I feel how someone helps me up on me feet and I focus my eyes on the same blonde boy I made spill his coffee over his shirt. This isn't happening. I ran into him.
"Got you!" Katie says as she grabs my arm. I give her the evil eye and sigh. Oh well. "Bye blonde boy, we're off to cheerleader tryouts!" Katie says as she pulls me away.
We walk towards the gym and I stay silent. I don't know what to say. What can I say? I've embarrassed myself two times in front of the same boy. One time I make him spill his coffee all over himself, and the next time I run straight into him in full speed making myself fall down on the floor.
This doesn't go very well for me. Maybe college isn't for me.
The good thing in all of this is that Katie and Paisley can get to know me for who I am and not for the rumors in my hometown. To which I will never return. I'm done with that town. Done!
"Do I really have to..." I start but get interrupted.
"Yes!" Katie and Paisley says.
"But..."
"Come on! What's your deal with cheerleading?" Katie asks.
"I told you, cheerleaders are false people", I say.
"But as we said, people are more mature in college", Paisley says.
I sigh. Yeah.
"I know", I say. "I know, I know, but I just... No, you're right, I'm just paranoid I guess".
"Nova it will be fine, and if someone wants to make fun of you, I'll kick their ass", Katie says.
This makes me laugh. Katie isn't that big. Both Katie and Paisley are pretty tiny, but they're very kind and I really like them. I think I can call them my friends actually. And I really do need real friends after all I've been through. I really do. Maybe I should stop holding myself back, have to start living again.
We make it to the gym and there are a lot of girls and boys here. We sign up on the list and they'll call our names when it's our turn. We sit down, waiting for our turn. People around us are stretching, doing backflips and all kinds of things as warmup. I don't really care how my tryout goes; I don't want to be a cheerleader. Maybe I could sabotage my tryout, I mean I never told them I was good, only that I was a cheerleader. Maybe I was a bad cheerleader. Would they buy that? They probably wouldn’t, but it’s worth a try.
"And please do not sabotage your tryout", Katie says, talking the word right out of my head.
"What? Are you a freaking mind reader or something?" I ask glaring at her.
"Oh yes", Katie says slyly. "Yes, I am".
"I don't know if I can do this guys", I say feeling stressed as bad memories hits me.
I put my face in my hands.
"Yes, you can, don't you know that facing your fear is what cures it", Paisley says.
I smirk is I turn my head against her. "So, are you suddenly a shrink or something?" I mock.
"Maybe I am", she says. "At least I feel poetic and that’s always something".
"And you came into college how exactly?" Katie asks surprised. "Poetry has nothing to do with being a shrink".
"Maybe it could! Poetry helps people, and shirks thinks that they help people", Paisley says. "If they were combined maybe it would be great for everyone".
"I still don't get how you Paisley Ward got into college, you're so smart!" Katie says. I can't do anything but laugh. I mean how can I not laugh. They are so cute and funny.
"Nova Summers!" Someone calls out.
Ugh. I stand up. Well I can't do anything about this now. I walk into the gym with my head held high. I can get through this. I know I can. I just have to stop thinking too much. It will be okay. Right?