The Secret The Cheerleader Doesn't... - Chapter 21: Chapter 21
You are reading The Secret The Cheerleader Doesn't..., Chapter 21: Chapter 21. Read more chapters of The Secret The Cheerleader Doesn't....
CASSIE'S POV
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten... one, two, three..." I mumbled to myself as I jumped up and down, doing a push-up, doing a lung in one circuit, a squat in the next. Sweat poured down my face as I struggled to keep up with the beat of the song. Time passed as I pushed myself, feeling my joints lock up at times but I forced them to unhinge. My muscles ached, felt as if they were sizzlingly like an egg on a pan. Every jump I made sure it was a bit higher than the last, every lung was a bit lower, every push-up was a little stronger, every squat burned a little more.
I was cleansing myself through the flame of pain.
Soon my legs couldn't hold me after a jump and I came crashing down. My face buried in the grey plastic mat that had cracks all over it. I couldn't breathe, but that was exhilarating. Pressing my dripping forehead against the mat, I pounded my fist over and over on the mat - even making the sides of my hands red and bruised.
"Cassidy!" The instructor shouted, rushing over but I pushed myself up.
"I'm fine," I said, staring at myself in the mirror, "I've never been better."
~
Pulling up to Jessika's and Jakob's school, I saw the kids piling at the gates, waiting to be released. Swinging the car into the usual parking spot, I pull you my phone and check the time. Five minutes.
Leaning my head against my chair, I closed my eyes and breathed in the trees around me. It was peaceful for a moment, like always. It was either the moment I wake up or closed my eyes. For a little second, nothing is wrong... everything is perfect. I'm not a wife, a patient, a mom, anything but Cassie. However, when that second is over, everything wrong and disgusting comes flooding in.
My buzzes and I look down to see a message from Shelby:
Wednesday totally works! I can't wait to see you!
Smiling a little, I heard the bell go off and my phone went back into my purse.
~
"Mama how do I do this?" Jakob asked. Looking at it, I smiled.
"So you add all of these together right, then you subtract it by the total amount of numbers to get the average," I explained.
"What?"
"How many numbers are there?" I asked.
"Fourteen."
"So after you add all the numbers together, you use that sum and divide it by the seventeen. So the total from the adding goes on top of the fourteen," I said, moving back to clean the counter.
"I still don't get it," he mumbled.
"Here," Jessika handed him her paper - she was already done, "copy that."
"Jessika, you cannot give him the answers," I lectured.
"The longer he takes, the longer he talks," she sighed, setting the table. I shook my head. She has Antonia's impatience... well the impatience she had in high school.
High school.
The loud crash of the bowl I was holding brought me back into reality.
"Mama!" The twins shouted.
"It's all good! Mama just wasn't paying attention," I muttered. As I picked up a piece, I cut myself. I watched as the blood fell down onto the marble tile... and all I could do was think of that night.
Then Jennifer came to mind.
I quickly cleaned up the mess. AFter that, I grabbed my phone and sent Shelby a message:
Tomorrow. I'll see you tomorrow.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten... one, two, three..." I mumbled to myself as I jumped up and down, doing a push-up, doing a lung in one circuit, a squat in the next. Sweat poured down my face as I struggled to keep up with the beat of the song. Time passed as I pushed myself, feeling my joints lock up at times but I forced them to unhinge. My muscles ached, felt as if they were sizzlingly like an egg on a pan. Every jump I made sure it was a bit higher than the last, every lung was a bit lower, every push-up was a little stronger, every squat burned a little more.
I was cleansing myself through the flame of pain.
Soon my legs couldn't hold me after a jump and I came crashing down. My face buried in the grey plastic mat that had cracks all over it. I couldn't breathe, but that was exhilarating. Pressing my dripping forehead against the mat, I pounded my fist over and over on the mat - even making the sides of my hands red and bruised.
"Cassidy!" The instructor shouted, rushing over but I pushed myself up.
"I'm fine," I said, staring at myself in the mirror, "I've never been better."
~
Pulling up to Jessika's and Jakob's school, I saw the kids piling at the gates, waiting to be released. Swinging the car into the usual parking spot, I pull you my phone and check the time. Five minutes.
Leaning my head against my chair, I closed my eyes and breathed in the trees around me. It was peaceful for a moment, like always. It was either the moment I wake up or closed my eyes. For a little second, nothing is wrong... everything is perfect. I'm not a wife, a patient, a mom, anything but Cassie. However, when that second is over, everything wrong and disgusting comes flooding in.
My buzzes and I look down to see a message from Shelby:
Wednesday totally works! I can't wait to see you!
Smiling a little, I heard the bell go off and my phone went back into my purse.
~
"Mama how do I do this?" Jakob asked. Looking at it, I smiled.
"So you add all of these together right, then you subtract it by the total amount of numbers to get the average," I explained.
"What?"
"How many numbers are there?" I asked.
"Fourteen."
"So after you add all the numbers together, you use that sum and divide it by the seventeen. So the total from the adding goes on top of the fourteen," I said, moving back to clean the counter.
"I still don't get it," he mumbled.
"Here," Jessika handed him her paper - she was already done, "copy that."
"Jessika, you cannot give him the answers," I lectured.
"The longer he takes, the longer he talks," she sighed, setting the table. I shook my head. She has Antonia's impatience... well the impatience she had in high school.
High school.
The loud crash of the bowl I was holding brought me back into reality.
"Mama!" The twins shouted.
"It's all good! Mama just wasn't paying attention," I muttered. As I picked up a piece, I cut myself. I watched as the blood fell down onto the marble tile... and all I could do was think of that night.
Then Jennifer came to mind.
I quickly cleaned up the mess. AFter that, I grabbed my phone and sent Shelby a message:
Tomorrow. I'll see you tomorrow.
End of The Secret The Cheerleader Doesn't... Chapter 21. Continue reading Chapter 22 or return to The Secret The Cheerleader Doesn't... book page.