Challenge Accepted

Grace walked down the halls of Grant High, feeling unlike herself. She was usually so pepped up, but at the moment she was exhausted. As she walked her eyes kept closing, and she imagined herself back at home, inside her bed with warm sheets and...

"Woah! Sorry babe didn't see you there."

The sound of Jack's voice cheered her up a little, and she smiled despite the fact that she'd just bumped into him. In a small and tired voice she said, "Oh hey Jack."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "You ok?"

She yawned as she walked towards her locker, with Jack following behind her. She sighed, "Not really. I was up until 12 last night. It was a pretty crazy night."

"What were you doing up so late?"

"Well there was a rally at six o'clock after-school that all the Varsity cheerleaders had to be at. Of course it was fun and I absolutely love performing but it was exhausting. We were the first and last act of the night, and when I got home I remembered that I had English and AP History homework so I stayed up to finish that." She opened her locker and looked at her droopy eyes, "Ugh! I look like a mess."

Jack smiled, "A hot mess though."

Grace chuckled, "You're so silly! So what did you do last night?"

"Well after football practice I went home, copied some homework, and then spent the rest of the night thinking."

She raised a eyebrow in curiosity, "Thinking? About what?"

"I'm not so sure that you want to know the answer to that Grace."

"No, I'm pretty sure I want to know," she replied as she grabbed the notebook that she needed out of her locker and then shut it.

"Well...I was thinking about having sex with you."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh gosh Jack! Really!"

"Are you sure you don't want to try it just one more time?"

"We said we were waiting and we're waiting. Besides, the last time we had sex wasn't exactly the greatest feeling in the world."

"You said it was amazing," he retorted, a prideful smirk on his face, "And that night you were so exhausted, but eager to do it again. Remember that?"

She covered her face with her hands, "I wish I didn't remember that! And that's not what I meant Jack. I meant that well...my father...you know, and it was the exact night that we did it."

He snorted, "Grace how many times do I have to tell you that we didn't kill your father?"

"Whatever let's just talk about something else." They started walking around the school, noticing that they were a little early and the bell had not yet rung.

He shrugged off her statement as he usually did. He understood that Grace didn't want to get too deep into the subject. It hadn't been too long ago that her father had died and he could get that. He felt just as sorry that he died. Although Marshall never really cared for him, he was still a good guy who died much too early in his opinion. But as the old saying goes, he thought to himself, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

He quickly changed to a different topic, "You know you're lucky that you're just in cheer. Football practice has been wearing me down lately. And to top it off they expect me to keep my grades up. I mean what the hell! How am I supposed to manage my time?"

Grace stopped walking for a second, and he looked at her in confusion, "Why did we stop?"

"Did I just hear you say just cheer? What are you trying to say Jack?" Grace looked more than angry at Jack, but he couldn't help but think that she looked cute at the same time. He debated telling her that but finally decided that he wouldn't, she didn't look like she was in the mood for that.

"Sorry I just meant that-"

"Oh I know what you meant. You think cheer-leading isn't hard am I right?"

Jack found himself chuckling at how serious she was. She found her anger melting away at the sound of his laugh and she smiled, "What's so funny?" She tried to keep a straight face but she couldn't, "I'm serious Jack!"

"Well I mean...you don't expect me to say that cheer-leading is all that hard do you?"

She put her hands on her hips and gave him a knowing look. He only laughed harder, "Grace come on. You guys go to rallies and football games, memorize a little chant, kick your legs out, wave your pom poms, and smile. But football actually requires strength and skills more than just looking pretty, which you do amazingly by the way."

"Gee thanks for the backhanded compliment." She stuck her tongue out at him and he smiled as he wrapped his hand around hers. They kept walking.

"Wait! I have the perfect idea!"

The bell rang and Jack started walking Grace to class.

"What is it?"

"If you think cheer-leading is so easy, then I challenge you. You have to come to one practice today after-school."

"I doubt Coach will let me-"

"I'll talk to him! But come on you totally have to do this," she said, giving him the best puppy dog face she could manage.

"Grace I don't exactly look good in a skirt. I don't have the legs for it."

"Jack there are male cheerleaders," she chuckled.

He knew he was going to regret this but he couldn't resist his girlfriend's smile, "Fine. But if Coach says no-"

"Oh he won't. I can be very persuasive," she smirked.

"Why do I feel like that had a double meaning?"

She rolled her eyes but smiled as they finally arrived to her first period class. Before she got in he called her again.

"What is it?"

"If I have to try cheer for a day, then you have to try football tomorrow."

"Hmm," she tapped her fingers on her chin and then shrugged, "Sure whatever. I'm a good runner anyway, and that's pretty much all I have to do is run around and chase some ball."

"Oh you're so gonna pay for that," he smirked.

"No you're gonna-"

"Miss Bowman! Please get to your seat!" At the sound of her teacher's voice she found herself quickly making her way towards her desk as Jack headed off to his class. She couldn't help but smile. Jack was going to find out that cheer-leading just wasn't that easy.

So this is definitely something different! I don't typically write stories like this, but I just felt the need to write something more lighthearted. Secret Life is filled with so much drama, but I just wanted to write something where there wasn't too much of that. This will probably be like a two or three shot. Thanks for reading!