A/N: A chapter every two or three days, you get. Or else I will run out of steam! I love you all and your reviews. I can only write so much in a day.

Everyone looked thoroughly exhausted at the end of the night after the party wrapped up. We stood around together in the trashed gym, many of us dragging garbage bags full of cups and half-eaten snacks to be taken to the dumpster on the way back to Cheertown.

Vanessa gave us all a round of applause, "Great job, Hellcats! I think this was the most successful event we've had yet and I'm sure we raked in enough to get us to Nationals, plus we brought in a good chunk for next year's events!"

We all started to disperse when Savannah spoke up, "Listen, team. I owe all of you an apology. I know I haven't been the best captain lately. I haven't been there for you guys and I've been bringing down the team more than bringing it up."

"Tell me about it," Frankie muttered under her breath, eliciting a snicker from Alice and a couple of the boys.

Savannah didn't seem to notice or care, "After this much needed break, I promise to do better. I'm going to put my personal issues aside and we're going to win Nationals."

"Are you coming back to Cheertown?" Darwin asked. "No one else does the dishes."

For a second, I thought she looked toward me before answering him, "Yes. I'm coming back to Cheertown. In fact, I'm coming back tonight. Who's down with an after party? Classes are over and we just threw a party to remember and I think this is a good reason to celebrate!"

An excited shout rang out, either for Savannah getting her act together or for the after party or whatever. Something. Everyone around me who had just been dragging their feet and moaning about how tired they were had suddenly become rejuvenated and enthusiastic again. Had our awkward chat in the locker room that easily caused Savannah to have this transformation? Was I giving myself too much credit? It didn't matter. She was coming back, wasn't being a twat to me, and I was no longer in danger of having captain thrust upon me when I didn't want it.

Then it sunk in that Savannah was coming back to Cheertown right then. What did that mean? Did it mean anything aside from that she was coming back? Implication after implication began to bum-rush me. Scenarios started playing, from disastrous ones to incredibly ridiculous ones with bad lesbian sex and awkward cuddles.

In a moment of utter confusion and a strong desire to procrastinate getting back to Cheertown, I volunteered to take care of all of the trash we'd collected. There was sure to be more recovered tomorrow, but I'd take the five or so loads to the dumpsters and then head back to Cheertown, so that everyone else could go ahead and get the after party started. Alice eyed me curiously, but said nothing and the rest of the team frolicked off jovially, leaving me with Vanessa and a bunch of garbage.

"I'll help you, Marti," our coach said and grabbed two of the bags. "And Red, but he ran to the restroom."

"Red's here? I didn't even see him." I was glad she wasn't saying weird shit about Savannah or talking about cheerleading in any way.

"He is. He's been around all night picking up cups that people couldn't manage to get into the trashcans we put everywhere." We ventured out into the brisk cold.

I'd pulled normal clothes on over my bathing suit, but it was still frigid and felt like snow. I said, "Gotcha."

"I understand the position you're in," she said.

"What position?" I really wasn't sure.

"I've been there."

I paused and looked at her confusedly before chucking my bags into the dumpster, "What're you talking about?"

"With your professor."

"Huh? Whoa." She was getting a little too personal. "There's nothing going on with me and Professor Parrish."

"I listen to the rumors, Marti," she told me and threw in her trash.

I felt like she was patronizing me. "That's all it is - a rumor. Thanks anyway for your concern, Vanessa."

"I'm just here if you need someone to talk to."

"I'm good, thanks." I shook my head in disbelief and went back inside to grab more bags. Red was there collecting several. It looked like he had them all. Vanessa followed me at a distance, realizing she'd offended me, I think. I knew she meant well, but for God's sake, if it wasn't one thing it was another.

"Hi, Marti," he greeted me.

"Hey..."

"I've got these if you want to go."

"Thanks," I said and got out of there before Vanessa could continue her attempts at counseling.

I was booking it back to Cheertown with my freezing hands tucked into my armpits when a car pulled up next to me. I looked over at it out of the corner of my eye and groaned, "For fuck's sake, Julian."

"Need a ride?" He called through the rolled down passenger side window.

"No. I'm fine. Thanks." I slapped on a sarcastic smile and kept moving, only a little faster now. Holy fuck, this dude was insane. Maybe I should have talked to Vanessa about it.

"It's freezing out!" He tried to convince me.

"I'm good. It isn't far."

"Can I come in when we get there?" He still followed me.

"No."

"We need to talk."

"We don't."

He persisted endlessly, "I think we've had a series of unfortunate misunderstandings."

"I agree. There. We talked."

"We need to have a real talk, so we can be on the same page."

"You need to be on my page, and my page is that you are my teacher and I am your student."

"Alright. There's a start. Can we finish this conversation inside where it's warm and where I'm not in danger of hitting the curb in my car?"

"No." I hustled up the steps to Cheertown and then locked the door behind me and sighed, relieved to be inside and warm and away from Julian. I was going to be sure to drop my final paper off at his office when he wasn't there.

"That was quick," Lewis pointed out and he had Nasty Cathy hanging from his arm.

"What the fuck is she doing here?" I said, not caring that I was being rude.

"Yeah, I told him she's probably a spy," Alice commented, but shrugged. "He insisted and you know he's hard-headed."

"Have a drink and loosen up," Lewis said with a cheesy grin.

"The night is young and you love drinks," said Darwin.

"I'm really exhausted," I confessed.

Those paying attention to me looked stunned that I would turn down drinks.

"Hey, you," Savannah said, joining us and coming from the kitchen. She handed me a glass, clearly not privy to the conversation. "I got a drink ready for you."

"Fine," I said between my teeth, "Just this one."

Darwin laughed into his glass with an audible snort and some of his drink may have come out of his nose. Alice shot him a glare. Savannah looked confused.

"I'm glad you two made up," Alice said to us.

"Me too," Darwin was still chortling.

I ignored them both and went into the kitchen. I really was tired. Tired and confused. I leaned against the counter and Savannah followed me. I pretended to be aloof and unaware of her presence the best I could until she cleared her throat.

I looked at her and she said, "About what happened in the locker room..."

Panicking, I looked around to ensure no one was listening.

Observing my reaction, Savannah said, "We can talk about it another time if you want."

"No," I responded promptly. Perhaps too promptly.

"I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize the team."

"Oh." I wasn't sure what she meant and I took a huge gulp of my drink to attempt to maintain my detached facade. I had to play it cool.

"I realized I was jeopardizing the team."

I nodded a tiny bit.

"So many things happened at once. I lost my focus. It was like a complete stimulus overload."

I understood that.

She went on, "I need to focus on the Hellcats and I need you to be my friend. I need someone to talk to about...about Dan and my sister and everything." She was talking faster and faster and I realized not talking about the incident in the locker room that I thought she was going to talk about. "I took everything out on you and I shouldn't have. You were an easy target. I need you to forgive me and I need you to help me stay positive, ok? I don't really hate you. I was just so frustrated with everything."

"I already forgave you..." I said quietly and then finished my drink. I put the glass in the dishwasher and then started for the bedroom, just as confused as ever. When I passed over the threshold I realized she'd followed me again. She closed the door behind her and I said, "Go hang out with everyone, they missed you. I'm beat and have to be up at the ass-crack of dawn and then I have a paper to write for Julian."

"Oh...I..." She started to say something, but not much came out.

I rummaged through my dresser for something clean to put on to sleep in. I was trying my damnedest to avoid mentioning the one thing I wanted to mention. In the back of my mind I was afraid it would cause a shitstorm.

When I turned around she was standing right behind me like she pulled some ninja shit to get there. Startled, I dropped my shorts and before I could do anything else, she had grabbed onto the front of my sweatshirt and pulled me close to her.

Perplexity and paralyzation set in again as she locked her lips with mine without warning for the second time. Her hands moved from their grip on my sweatshirt to being tangled in my hair. I kissed her back, being overly aware of everything I was doing - my hands on her hips, then the small of her back.

In the next few seconds, she inched us toward my bed. She sat on the edge, pulling me down with her. A moment later, I found myself on top of her. She held me close and gently nibbled her ear and kissed her neck. I heard her breathing and felt her heart pounding against me. Her hands wandered delicately under my clothes, but stayed in the safety of my midsection.

My mouth went back to hers and then my hands began to wander. I tugged the hem of her shirt and felt her toned thighs. They were covered by her track pants, but I felt them no less.

In the next second, she pulled away and gasped, "No."

I leapt off of her and stumbled backwards, away from the bed all the way back to my dresser. My feet got tangled in my shorts that I'd dropped and I caught myself just before falling with my busted hand. "Sorry...I'm sorry. Sorry..." I stammered, "Please don't be mad."

She sat up and diverted her eyes away from me, "I have no idea what I'm doing."

"I don't either." Then I apologized again, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Marti. I'm going to go now. You should get some sleep." Just as she'd done in the locker room, she made sure her hair was in place than abruptly stood up. She left the room without looking back.

"Well, I fucked that up again, I'm sure," I said to myself and slid down to the base of my dresser to sit on the floor. My hand was throbbing.