Chapter 7
Trance stepped out of the locker room. It was five in the afternoon. Cheerleading practice had gone well, she had the moves to her choreography down. This weekend's game was going to go well. Seefra versus Tarn Vedra, this was the battle of the archrivals. Everyone was so excited about it.
"Trance, will you wait for me?" Doyle called out. "I want to show you the outfit I'm wearing tonight."
"Fine," Trance groaned in mock-exasperation.
Doyle opened the door and flaunted her clothes to Trance. She was wearing a pair of black-cropped jeans and an off-the-shoulder blouse. Her hair was swept up in a messy bun that was kind of Boho-sexy. Her makeup centered on her eyes, dramatic with liquid eyeliner. To top it all off, she had the most adorable pumps Trance had ever seen.
"Wow, we have to go shopping one day!" Trance said. "I love your outfit! Harper'll drool over his pizza!" She laughed.
"You think? We're going to Pizza Hut, romantic huh?" Doyle grinned.
"He definitely knows how to sweep a woman off of her feet," Trance replied sarcastically. "But, whatever, it's still a date!" she grinned.
Harper walked around the bleachers and stood behind Doyle. "Hey, Trance, ya seen Doyle?" he asked, totally oblivious to the girl in front of him.
Doyle turned around. Harper looked her over once before whistling through his teeth. " Burn baby, burn!" he said in a husky tone.
"You ready?" Doyle asked, closing Harper's jaw with a finger.
"Uh huh," he said, his jaw dropping open again.
"I have a feeling I'll be doing this all night," she muttered to Trance, shutting his jaw again.
Harper and Doyle got in Harper's car (which he had borrowed from his dad) and drove down the road.
Rommie came up behind Trance. "They make a cute couple, you know?" she smiled.
"Yeah, kind of like you and Gabe," the golden girl replied.
Rommie blushed, flattered. "Ssh! No one's supposed to know about that!" she grinned in mock-secrecy.
"Oh, okay," Trance giggled.
Rommie waved goodbye and climbed into her mom's minivan, the sound of shouting kids reached Trance's ears as they drove away.
33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333
'Couples, couples, couples,' Steve thought as he settled into his seat during lunch. Rommie and Gabe, Harper and that new girl, Doyle, and Dylan and Sarah Reilly, the girl who was the High Guard mascot guy; all three of those couples had sprung up over the weekend.
Of course, he couldn't forget his relationship with Beka. His ego was still bruised from the beating Beka had given him at Pac-man at the arcade.
Tonight he was going to introduce Beka to his parents, and his grandfather. It would be interesting, to say the least.
Beka sat down next to him. She smiled and took a bite of her sandwich. "So, what's your family like?" she asked, after she had swallowed.
"My mom's a homemaker and my dad's a police lieutenant, I've got one sister-"
"Atlanta," Beka added.
"Yeah, Atlanta, and I've got three little brothers, also I lived with my grandfather, he's a retired Navy captain." Steve said, sipping his Cola.
"A Navy Captain? What's that like?" Beka asked.
"It's okay, although all of his stories always begin with 'When I was in the Navy…' it gets really annoying," he shrugged.
"Your family sounds normal," Beka noted.
"Compared to what? A circus?" he smirked.
"Well, my family, for starters. My mom's a beautician, my brother's a dropout, and my dad's a mechanic. I'll need to join the army to pay for my college!" she said in a mild tone.
"You're going to college? What do you want to study?" Steve asked.
"Oh, you know…"
"No, I don't," Steve replied.
"I want to do something in aeronautics," she said quietly.
"Well that's good," Steve reassured her.
"Tell my brother, he says that the 'system' has brainwashed me because I haven't left school yet," she said in a bunny-hops-over-the-rainbow-and-has-lunch-with leprechauns-voice.
That night, Steve picked Beka up from her house.
"You ready to meet the Rhades?" he asked.
"Sure, why not?" she said, smoothing her pants.
They pulled into the driveway and parked. Steve took a deep breath as they approached the door. His mother opened it and smiled.
"Come in, come in!" she greeted warmly.
Beka walked in with Steve. His sister came up and shook her hand.
"You must be Beka," she said.
"You must be Atlanta," Beka replied. "Steve's told me a lot about you."
"Is that was he has you call him?" Atlanta asked.
"Honestly, you have a good strong name!" his mother said.
Steve blushed.
"It's old!" he said.
"It's been in the family for so long!" his mother replied.
"His name is Telemachus," Atlanta piped up.
"Bless you!" Beka said involuntarily.
"I didn't sneeze," the girl said.
"His name is Telemachus Rhade," his mother said.
Telemachus took Beka's hand and gently pulled her away from his mother and sister.
"Telemackutussess?" Beka asked.
"Yeah, can you see why I chose Steve instead?" he muttered.
Steve brought her into what appeared to be the family room. An elderly man sat in a chair with a man who must have been Steve/Telemachus's father.
"Grandpa? Dad?" he asked.
The two men looked away from the television screen.
"This is my girlfriend, Beka," he introduced her.
"Beka, this is my dad, and my Grandpa Gaheris," he said to her.
"Oh, nice to meet you!" Beka said warmly.
3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333
AN: Short chapter, yes, but I need to transition to the final one! Probably like chapter 9 or something. Suggestions? Is there a certain way you want this to end? Let me know!
