Page 86 of The Cheerleader

“Yardley is treating the class like a current events course as much as comp,” she says as she catches up at the wide granite steps of the old library. I don’t reply. “She says it’s her way of keeping us in the real world, but I think it’s an excuse to influence us, to make a point.”

“If that’s true, she doesn’t respect us much.”

Susie stutter-steps as she looks up at me. “I didn’t think you were listening to me.”

“I always listen to you.”

Her lips slowly stretch wide, and her perfect brilliant teeth shine like a row of iridescent pearls. Why does it seem like everything about her is perfect?

Chapter Twenty-Two

Bryan

“Let’s go. I don’t want to be late,” Eldy says from the doorway of my room, flanked by Mack and Chuck.

“Who took a bath in their aftershave?” The strong scent stings my throat. I know it’s Chuck’s bad habit to overindulge.

He raises his hand and folds over his fingers, leaving the middle one raised.

“If you changed your mind and need to study, we can go without you,” Mack says, only because he’s worried I’m going to flunk off the team ever since he found out I was getting tutored at Coach’s insistence.

I stand, stuff my wallet in my back pocket, then grab my keys. “I’m ready.”

“No argument?” Eldy says. “Is it because the cheerleaders are running the show?” He grins. I ignore him and walk down the hall and out the front door. They follow me to Eldy’s car.

“Yeah, what’s with that?” Chuck says. “How can the cheerleaders get away with putting on an X-rated movie fundraiser? It doesn’t seem right.”

He’s not asking anyone in particular, so he gets no answer, not that any of us have an answer.

“They’re going to make a crapload of money,” Mack says.

Eldy gets behind the wheel, the last one in, and slams his door. I roll down my window.

He starts the car. “Sherry told me one of the guys is a genius with money, and they need it for uniforms for the guys and to go to some of their away games when the athletic department doesn’t send them. I guess they aren’t scheduled to go to all the basketball games.”

“Aren’t you a cheerleader expert all of a sudden?” Mack says.

“Who’s Sherry?” Chuck says. “Is she that short little bit of a thing?”

“She’s petite,” Eldy says. “And cute.”

I snap my head around to look at him because I could swear there was a special note of interest in his voice, proprietary, and that isn’t like him at all.

“Seriously, why are you so hot to go to this movie?” Eldy asks me, keeping his eyes on the road and speaking quietly.

I shrug. “The usual reason. To keep the rest of you out of trouble.” It’s partly true, but mostly I want to keep the cheerleaders out of trouble because who knows what kind of crowd this movie is going to attract. Deep Throat. Fuck. I know they don’t have a security detail because Liz laughed at me when I asked her about it. She insisted that if the student activities office didn’t require a security detail, they would be fine, and there was no way they were paying for one if they didn’t have to.

The nearest parking lot across from the fraternities' quad is nearly empty except for Irma’s food trailer. She sets up early with extra food on Thursday nights, expecting her biggest crowd of the week. As we walk by the trailer on our way to the physical science building, the scent of fries and sausages wafts past my nose. I wonder if she knows about the blockbuster movie, that tonight might be even busier than the usual Thursday night.

“I know where I’m stopping after the show,” Mack says.

“Irma’s?” Eldy snorts, shaking his head. “You clown—I’m heading to the Rathskeller where there are girls and anyone who wants a ride home will be joining me.”

“I didn’t know you were into threesomes,” I say. He punches my shoulder and then smirks.

“Maybe I am.” He gives me a look. “You?”

I ignore his question as we reach the glass door entry to the lobby and go inside.