Page 80 of The Cheerleader

“I have some things for the lost and found.” I hand over the items and cash. She takes them and puts them in a large labeled box that’s almost full. “Want me to find another box?”

“Sure. Are you okay? I bet you’re tired.”

Alex glances at me.

“No more so than anyone else,” I say. I give my best shot at a smile, trying not to force it, trying to feel it because this was a successful night and we did a good job. Although the job isn’t done. “I have to go finish sweeping so we can get started on mopping.”

I leave them, but not before I hear Alex asking Liz my name. She tells him, and he says he thinks I’m pretty. That makes me smile for real as I resume sweeping.

There are other guys, like Alex, whom I should be paying attention to. Not Bryan Granger. Anyone but Bryan.

Chapter Twenty

Susie

“Hold my hand,” Liz says, squeezing my fingers until they feel like they’re going to snap. I put my other hand over hers to get her to ease up.

“It’ll be okay.”

“Easy for you to say. This isn’t your virgin flight.”

I chuckle and then flinch as the plane suddenly gains speed on the runway, signaling that takeoff is imminent. I can’t believe we’re on our way to the Navy game on a chartered flight.

“No, but my tummy is tumbling around anyway, doing back flips you’d be proud of.”

She laughs, then hiccups and giggles as the plane lifts off and angles upward.

“Oh my god.” She strangles my entire arm. “I think I might throw up.”

“You’ll be fine,” I whisper, hoping she’ll lower her voice and hoping she’s exaggerating about her nausea. I pluck the white air-sickness bag from the seat back pocket in front of us and hand it to her in case.

Liz manages to hold onto her breakfast, and thank god the flight is only an hour and a half. We parade onto the waiting buses and then arrive at the hotel in Annapolis, MD, in no time while Liz regains her vitality.

We check in and meet in Liz’s room—which Carol, Sherry, and I share with her—where she deals out our spending money for the trip.

“We each get ten dollars for tonight and tomorrow. It has to cover dinner and breakfast.”

“Don’t forget to save some spending money for tonight,” Carol says. “I saw the sign at the lounge advertising a band playing tonight. We should check that out.”

“Absolutely,” Liz says, enthusiasm vibrating from her, telling me she’s back to normal.

“What do we do between now and dinner?” Judy asks.

“How about if we find a package store and have some cocktails?” Liz says.

“The drinking age in Maryland is twenty-one,” I say, “and we don’t have a car.”

Liz absorbs what I’ve said for a second and then grins. “Carol is twenty-one and… I’m sure we can find a ride if we go down to the valet area.”

Shock silences me, interrupting whatever else I was going to think, because this is bold even for Liz.

Keith, Carol, and Judy are particularly excited about the plan, and it works. Two hours later, in our room, which turns out to be the party room, unsurprisingly, we’re drinking dirty bananas—Crème de Banana, Crème de Cocoa, and vodka—and white Russians and eating peanuts and chips.

Judy opens the window. “Look, there’s Dane Eldridge,” she says.

I join her, Liz, and Sherry at the window, leaning enough to see him out front in the parking lot.

“Come on up for cocktails!” Liz shouts.