“I'm just telling your friends about your fight with Jake,” she smiled.
“Why are you doing this, Mattie?” Alyssa asked.
“Because friends shouldn't keep secrets!” Mattie said.
Alyssa grabbed Mattie by the arm and drug her away from the squad girls.
“First you interrogate Jake and now you're lying about our relationship to those squad witches?” Alyssa demanded.
“Remember, Alyssa, you're a squad witch too,” Mattie sneered.
“Mattie!” Alyssa threatened, “You're supposed to be my friend!
“Then why won't you tell me what you're up to?” Mattie asked.
“What I'm up to?” Alyssa asked, “You want to know what I'm up to? What I'm up to is filling out an application to Georgia U so I can get away from jealous hags like you!”
“What?” Mattie shouted, “I thought you were staying here?”
“Well, you thought wrong!” Alyssa yelled back, “I would never stay here just to be friends with a deceitful hag like you!”
Alyssa didn't give Mattie time to retort. She stormed into the school and avoided her from the rest of the day. By the time the bell sounded to signal the end of her last class Alyssa just wanted to go home and hide under the blankets, but she still had two very important things to do.
She gathered her uniforms and pompoms before heading to Coach Bowen's office.
“Here,” she said.
“Alyssa, what are you doing?” Coach Bowens asked.
“I'm done! I quit! I won't be part of a squad that acts like a bunch of cackling ninnies and jealous hags!” Alyssa said and crossed her arms
“Wait a minute,” the coach sighed, “You mean to tell me after everything we've helped you accomplish, you're going to bail on us?”
“You bailed on me a long time ago,” Alyssa rolled her eyes.
“What's that supposed to mean?” she asked.
“When you benched me for reporting a crime,” Alyssa said.
“It was one game!” the coach retorted.
“One game too many,” Alyssa said and turned on her heels.
She headed to her car without looking back to see the expression on Coach Bowen's face. Let Katie have all the drama that came along with being head of the squad. Alyssa didn't want it anymore.
After phoning home to tell her mom she might be late tonight she dropped her application to Georgia U off at the post office and pulled onto the highway. The afternoon traffic was steady and she made it to Jake's school in record time, which meant she had over an hour to wait.
Alyssa pulled out her political history textbook and began to read the chapters her teacher had assigned as homework. She dug her fingernails into the book's cover as she waited impatiently for Jake.
Alyssa wasn't sure how hopeful she should be, but she wanted to be here for Jake no matter the outcome of the meeting.
Chapter 18: Jake
Jake was waiting nervously in the coach's office for the Georgia scouts to arrive. He heard the coach talking to them on the other side of the closed office door, but couldn't make out the conversation. He reclined in the chair trying to look laid back, but his stomach was practicing gymnastics.
His heart skipped a beat when he heard the doorknob turn. Jake swallowed hard clearing the lump that had formed in his throat. The first scout was tall and lanky and Jake could never imagine him donning football gear, but he must know something about the game if he was a Georgia U scout.
The second man stood a good head shorter than him and had the stocky build Jake was used to seeing on the field. He had a slight limp in his left knee and Jake wondered if it was from an old football injury.