Chapter 191: Hoggard
Tuesday, January 17th, Evening
It's Tuesday, in the winter, which generally meant basketball. That's where she was now, on the baseline, in her uniform, not the one she wanted, though, and holding her pompoms. She stood out among the girls of the squad, being one of, if not, the tallest.
Sawyer Scott put her pompom from her right hand to her left. Which once her hand was free, she reached back and adjusted her ponytail, which was tied back with a black and blue ribbon. It was a similar look to a picture she saw of her mom when she cheered in high school. After a quick adjustment, she reached over to rub her face. The R that was painted on her face itched.
Once she finished, she returned the pompom back to her right hand. Sawyer looked over to the person standing next to her. Kendall "Keni" Stafford shook her head.
"Are you going to pay attention?" Keni asked.
"I always pay attention," Sawyer said.
"I just want to keep Shannon off my ass," Keni said.
"I know," Sawyer said, and adjusted her pompoms, and rubbed her face again.
"What are you doing?" Keni asked.
"This damn R your Mom taught me to paint on my face is bothering me," Sawyer said.
"Yeah, why did you do that, you usually don't?" Keni asked.
"It just felt right," Sawyer said.
"Is that because my mom isn't here?" Keni asked.
"Where is your Mom?" The Redheaded Cheerleader next to Keni asked.
"She's in New York City on business," Keni said, "Raegan."
The redhead, her name Raegan Sutherland, nodded, "Oh, I'm so used to her being in the stands," she said, her green eyes moving from left to right. Raegan was a freshman and one of the youngest girls on the squad but was nearly as tall as Sawyer.
"So, am I," Keni said.
Sawyer turned her attention from Keni and Raegan. Looking down the length of the court, she could watch the Tree Hill Girls' Basketball team warming up for the game. They were in the road blues. It's another road game and another long night.
"They look ready to go tonight," Sawyer said.
"I just hope the game goes quick tonight," Keni said.
"Why?" Raegan asked.
"The bus ride home, so I could get home," Keni said.
"We're only in Wilmington," Sawyer said.
"I prefer home games," Keni said.
"Why?" Raegan asked.
"The hometown crowd is more fun to cheer for," Keni said.
"What do you think, Sawyer?" Raegan asked.
"The game is about to begin," Sawyer said.
"Once more into the breach," Keni said.
Sawyer laughed and went into cheerleader mode. The game started, and Sawyer watched the players play, occasionally moving her pompoms to show she was cheering on.
"Go Tree Hill!" Sawyer called out.
Sawyer noted the cheer or call from a cheerleader. Sawyer tried to save her voice for the game after this one; the two teams were playing each other tight, matching basket for basket.
Sawyer had to push down the urge to pick apart the game. Her mind wanted to drift off; to imagine herself being out on the court with them. But she wasn't there and never going to be there. It was time for her to focus on being a cheerleader.
Her mind drifted away from the game, no matter how hard she tried to stay focus. She sees in her mind's eyes her old bedroom. The sights, sounds, smells, and colors came back to her. She even knew what day she came back to four years ago.
Sawyer feels her old bed underneath her, and the headboard against her back. At her feet was a bag, zipped up and looking ready to go. She's dressed in a black sweater, a black skirt, and black leggings, her shoes were on the floor waiting for her feet.
In her arms was her battered UCONN Husky plushy, her Jon-Jon. Even in the present, Sawyer could feel the four-year-old tears that streaked down her cheeks. Sawyer remembered her head bowed down with her mouth touching the head of the plushy.
Her memory takes a turn as she remembers looking up and seeing her Dad standing in the bedroom door. They looked at each other, locking eyes. Her Dad nodded, and Sawyer nodded back. She slid off the bed, put her shoes on, and moved towards the bedroom door. Her Dad walked over to the bed and picked up the bag.
Sawyer suddenly turned and hugged her Dad. She buried her face into his shoulder. Sawyer could feel the black wool of his suit jacket. It was a dark day, she remembered.
Coming out of the fog of remembrance, Sawyer could see the first quarter ended with a tied score eleven all. With a sigh, Sawyer shook her head, Hoggard is a good team. She watched them head into the locker room for halftime.
"Staying focused?" Joce Allen-Travis asked as she slid into the place next to Sawyer.
"Yes, I'm staying focus, Joce," Sawyer said, with a cold tone to her word.
"Just want to make sure," Joce said.
"Joce?" Sawyer asked.
"Yes, Sawyer," Joce said.
"Why do you act like you're the boss?" Sawyer asked, "Shannon's the cheer captain, not you."
"Yeah, Joce, I'd like to know, too," Keni said, backing Sawyer up.
"Well, umm," Joce said.
"I was wondering that too," Alesha said.
"Hey enough, Y'all," Alexis Moura said, "They're coming out for the second half."
Alexis is a junior, and Shannon a senior. Most of the squad for whatever reason was younger. Sawyer, Keni, and Joce were sophomores. Raegan and Alesha were freshmen.
Sawyer just pushed it out of her head. Joce Allen-Travis, why in the world does she have a double-barrel name? Brett has a double-barrel name; Ashlyn has a double-barrel name; Aunt Haley has a double-barrel name.
She shook her head and turned back to the game. The rest of the game was a blur. Most of the time, all Sawyer tried to do was stay focused on the game.
It was hard since she wanted to go back to her old bedroom. The walls were oddly painted red for as long as she could remember the walls painted red. There was also Jon-Jon on the bed waiting for her, and to listen to her. There was also the plushy of the bulldog with the Smokey the Bear hat. Keith called that plushy Devildog, sometimes pronounced Devildawg, but his name was Derek. He would be on the bedside table to protect her. She didn't name him Derek, her Mom did.
Sawyer shook herself to the present and stayed focused enough to watch the last of the game. Tree Hill won another game, 57 to 41.