“Um, great,” Gianna mumbled, running past both of us and upstairs.
“Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes, Caleb, so go wash up!” Julie ordered me before heading to the kitchen in her ruffled apron.
Wash up? I’d never get used to this wholesome family routine. My mom didn’t care whether or not I came home for dinner and if I did we usually ordered in or ate out. Even when she was married to my dad she wasn’t the homemaker type.
I followed Gianna upstairs and knocked on her door. “Come in!”
She sat cross-legged on her bed, texting. It bothered me to think she was exchanging cutsie little messages with Seth or Jared. “We need to talk.”
Her fingers stilled on her phone and she looked up at me. “About what?”
“About you telling your mom you quit cheerleading.”
An unsure expression flashed over her features. “I guess I should. She goes to most of the football games to watch me so she’ll notice me missing from the squad this Friday.”
Her phone beeped and she looked down to read the text. Her laughter put me on edge. “Who’s that?”
Her fingers moving over the screen, she answered while responding to the text. “It’s Cece. She’s being a weirdo.”
Annoyed for no good reason, I stepped out of her room to go next door to mine. I couldn’t believe what a spaz I was becoming. I felt like a jealous boyfriend ready to throw down with any dude who flirted with her. I refused to become pathetic like Josh or Jared.
At dinner that evening, World War C began. Gianna brought up the subject of quitting cheerleading soon after everyone had dug into their tacos and rice. She was right, her mom freaked.
Her mom started off by trying to cajole Gianna into compliance. “Honey, why would you want to do that? You were meant to cheer. Just look at you. You’re beautiful, popular and so talented in dance.” Was this lady serious? The only part of her argument that made sense was the part about Gianna being a good dancer.
I finished off my first taco and waited for Gianna’s response. “But mom, it’s not fun anymore. I don’t want to do it.” Gianna plate was still full, her food ignored.
“Cheerleaders are hot!” Chance interjected through a mouthful of rice.
Surprisingly, I was the only one who laughed. My dad threw me a look as if to blame me for the kid’s wisdom. I gave my dad an innocent look back and his attention returned to his wife.
Julie was too focused on Gianna’s submission to care about her son’s inappropriate comment. “Honey, I got pregnant with you when I was sixteen years old and had to give up cheerleading. I missed out on so much. I couldn’t be a pregnant cheerleader.” Persuasion was turning into a guilt trip. How great of Julie not to abort Gianna so she could hop around with pom-poms.
Gianna wore a stubborn expression, leaning forward in a move of defiance. “Mom, I don’t care what you did or didn’t get to do when you were in high school. It’s not my fault you got pregnant with me. I shouldn’t have to do something because you wished you could have. This is my life and I’m not cheering anymore!”
My dad shifted in his chair, obviously uncomfortable with the scene, but unwilling to interfere.
Julie slammed her fist on the table. “Gianna Hilary Thorpe! You will not quit cheerleading and that’s final!”
“If you don’t let me, then I’ll go live with dad!” Gianna shouted, storming out of the dining room.
I swallowed down the last bite of rice and gathered my dishes to rinse them off in the kitchen sink. As I stepped through the doorway, I heard Gianna’s Jeep screeching out of the driveway.
That went well.
*****
The remainder of the week flew by. Gianna and her mom weren’t speaking to each other except to bicker. Every day Gianna and I sat with who I liked to call the misfits at lunch. Josh stayed away from Gianna, probably because I kept close to her.
Desiree, the girl I had my upcoming date with, visited our lunch table on Friday and plopped herself on my lap. “Hello there,” I flirted.
She flipped her straight blonde hair over her shoulder. “Where are you taking me tonight, Caleb?”
Flicking a look at Gianna sitting across from me, I leaned in to whisper something dirty in Desiree’s ear. Gianna’s eyes narrowed in either jealousy or disgust when Desiree giggled. “You’re so naughty, Caleb.”
By her response, I could tell Desiree was naughty, too. Unrepentantly, I grinned. “You’ll find out.”
Glancing around, I noticed we had the attention of the rest of the table. Gianna rolled her eyes and turned to say something to Kara. Once my target audience was no longer rapt, I had the urge to move Desiree off my lap. The perfume she wore was fruity and she’d pumped one spray too many.