Chapter 99: A Cheerleader Reflects
Tuesday, January 3rd, Evening
From the baseline, she could see the game start. She shook her pom-poms and cheered on her high school's boys' basketball team. Slowly, she would dissect the defense of the opposite team, and she would see the weaknesses in the Tree Hill Offense. When the possession changed, she would do the same for the opponent's offense and Tree Hill's defense. She shook her head and then sighed.
She knew ahead of time what needed to be adjusted, what passes need to be made. Shaking her head, why couldn't she be out there. Standing on the baseline, in a short-pleaded skirt, and shaking her pom-poms. Finally, sighing she watched the game.
"What's wrong, Sawyer?" Keni asked.
"Nothing," Sawyer said, "Why?"
"You seem to be distracted," Keni said.
"Nothing just lost in thought," Sawyer said.
"Well stay in focus, or Shannon will bite your head off," Keni said.
"I'm good," Sawyer said.
When did her road change to bring her here? Yes, December, four years ago, she was sitting on the edge of her Mom's bed, her Dad in a nearby chair, and they read that letter. Her Dad tried to say she could still play, but her Mom said no. Her Mom didn't want her to risk it.
It was one hell of a blow. She had always been an active child. Gymnastics, dance, junior cheerleading, and junior basketball to name just a few things she did. Most of those things were curtailed.
"Your mind's drifting again," Keni said, "Are you sure you don't have ADD?"
"I don't, Keni," Sawyer said.
"Well get your head in the game. I personally don't want to hear from Shannon," Keni said.
"Believe me my head is far deeper into the game than most of the girls," Sawyer said.
Keni sighed, "Sawyer, why do you keep doing it? All it does is either a, make you sad, or b, make you depressed," she said.
"I can't help it. It's who I am," Sawyer said.
A gift to the game, that's how Uncle Nathan put it. She was seven and sank a jumper from the foul line on her Dad's half-court. The game was gifted to her, and she would be in turn be gifted to the game. Uncle Nathan wanted to see her make that shot again, and she did it again. That was when Uncle Nathan and Keith started to work with her and Brett, together. Their goal, make her the shooter to support Brett's inside game.
That damn letter changed things. At twelve, she was on the court with the next batch. A blonde in a sea of brunettes, being the leader, helping them learn, but that December, and that letter, ended it all. Also gone was gymnastics, dance was curtailed, but not her martial arts. The funny thing was somehow she ended up at a local gun club learning pistol shooting. Mister Gregory is her instructor, and she always took note he had half of a left hand.
"Do you think you can stay focused on the half-time routine?" Keni asked.
There were times when Keni, the youngest of her peer group, acted the motherliest. Sometimes, like now, it was a good thing. Little Keni would keep everyone in line. Sometimes she was called Little Keni, not because of her age, but her size, at five foot two inches, she was the shortest of her siblings, also she has the slightest build, those Vestergaard genes sneaking in there.
"Yeah, I know it," Sawyer said.
"Well don't drop anyone this time," Keni said.
Sawyer is one of the taller and stronger girls who tended to be the base. Were if they tossed anyone it was usually Keni or Alesha.
"I won't," Sawyer said.
"What's the score anyway?" Keni asked.
"We're up by five," Sawyer said.
Halftime routine, usually done to some music that's played out. Sawyer missed Keith and the nearly endless MP3s of music. Not all of it was good, but when there was one and boy was it good. Sawyer couldn't wait for her sixteenth birthday, she already had two job offers, work for Keith at Red Bedroom, or work for Chase at Club TRIC, and she wanted to do both, and they were real paying jobs, not under the table.
The routine went well, she didn't drop anyone, this time. Alesha deserved it anyways, she was some stuck-up bitch, so what that her older brother played linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, it was his fourth team. Sawyer also got an internal smile, as opposed to her cheerleader smile, she wore, when the dance part came up. Being one of the better dancers on the squad she was usually close to being upfront and center. The dancing she really enjoyed. If she paid attention things went well, when she didn't not so much.
Half-time ended and they would end up on the baseline again. The game was going okay, but Sawyer was distracted, again. This time she was distracted by the fact her Dad wasn't sitting in the stands like he normally did after his game. That was out of character for him.
"What's wrong ow, Chica?" Keni asked.
"I just noticed my Dad's not in the stand," Sawyer said.
Keni looked up to the stands and nodded. "Yeah, he's not. That's not like Uncle Luke," she said.
"Yeah, it's very odd," Sawyer said, "We usually ride home together after the games, and talk."
"I don't know, but there's always room in My Mom's car," Keni said.
Sawyer made a face quickly, then returned it to the fake cheerleader smile. It was true, but she enjoyed the one-on-one time with him. Was he sick? What happened? Ashlyn looks to be in a fouler mood, than normal. Shaking her head, she went back to watching the basketball game.
"What are we talking about, ladies?" Joce Allen-Travis asked.
"My ride home," Sawyer said.
"Your ride home? Where's Coach Scott?" Joce asked.
"I don't know," Sawyer said.
"Why are you being so noisy, Joce?" Keni asked.
"Why can't I just chat up my fellow cheerleaders?" Joce asked.
"Right!" Keni said.
"You don't believe me, Kendall?" Joce asked.
"I didn't say that," Keni said.
"Right, I don't believe you," Joce said.
"She said, what she said, Joce, don't read any more into it," Sawyer said, a taste of steel in her voice.
"Why are you defending her?" Joce asked.
"Wouldn't you defend your sister?" Sawyer asked.
"I'd cut it out before Shannon gets on us," Keni said.
"I don't have a sister, and she's not your sister," Joce said.
Sawyer smiled, "Sisters don't always have to be by blood," she said.
Joce gave Sawyer a look, then turned back to watching the game. Sawyer nodded and turned back to the game, also. Sawyer watched the game. The thoughts came back, she remembered Keith calling her wildcard. Asking what it meant, he explained that she had many things she was good at, so she fit anything. It also meant she didn't fit anything as well.
That changed that December day, sitting on her Mom's bed, being told what the content of that letter meant. That was just the beginning. Keith held her and explained things would be okay, as she cried on her brother's shoulder. Aunt Brooke also helped, she did something. Brooke helped her improve her sewing.
That made things better, but that only lasted a few weeks. That was when the annus horribiles started. At that time Sawyer didn't know that she just didn't know. Hell, no one knew how bad that year would become, how it turned out. Not a person she knew was left unburnt that year, as she left the whole world had caught on fire.
The game wound down, and Sawyer nodded as the clock ticked off those last tenths of a second. When the final buzzer sounded, she gathered up enough energy to cheer the fact the game was over. Tree Hill won, it was a squeaker, 43-41.
Sawyer let out a breath and hoped she could get out of here, fast. Her heart dipped into the black like it always did when she watched basketball and cheered. Slowly she walked to the locker room to get her bag and meet up with Aunt Brooke, under the Coldest Sun.