Page 7 of Billionaires Don’t Date Cheerleaders (Texting the Boyband #2)
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“So, I hear you were chosen as Jude Turner’s guide,” Jess said. I sighed and sank lower into my stretch. Was that all anybody was going to ask me about for the next few weeks? The boys had only been at school for a week, and she was already the tenth person to ask me that.
“Yeah,” I said. “I am. But it’s not that exciting.”
Jess shook her head, her curly brown ponytail flying back and forth. “Of course, it’s exciting. What’s he like? Is he as funny as he seems in interviews?”
I didn’t answer as Coach Bee told us to move into our splits. Even just our warm-up this morning reminded me how out of practice I was. I felt like my muscles were going to rip apart as I lowered myself to the ground. And, of course I was next to Jess, who was possibly the most flexible girl on earth—she could drop into the splits anytime without even remotely warming up. Whenever she was acting as a goalie in our gym class, she would always land in the splits when trying to block a shot. She said she hoped that it meant even if she let the goal in, nobody would be upset with her because they would all be so dazzled by her talent. From what I’d seen, it worked.
“So?” Jess prodded when I didn’t say anything. “What’s he like?”
“He’s…” I shook my head. I wasn’t sure how I could go about trying to describe Jude. He was unlike anyone I’d ever met—hilarious, smart, sweet, and kind, all wrapped up into one cute package. As we moved into the next stretch, I tried to think of any way I could convey that to her. “He’s Jude.”
Jess narrowed her eyes at me. “You like him.”
“What? No! I mean… Of course, I like him, but not like that. I mean… he’s my friend. Well, my acquaintance. My classmate. I mean…” The more that I stumbled over my words, the more smug she looked. “Oh, shut up.”
“You like him,” she said in a sing-song voice.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Okay, girls!” Coach Bee called. She clapped her hands a few times to get everyone to be quiet. “Get up and get ready for tumbling.”
As we all moved to the sides of the rooms, Kinsleigh’s hand shot up in the air. “Coach Bee?”
“Yes Kinsleigh?”
Kinsleigh dropped her arm again, holding both arms behind her back and standing up straight as a rod. “I was wondering if we could end practice just a little early today.”
Coach Bee frowned. “Why would we do that?”
“So that we could see the Take Five boys when they come into class, ma’am.”
A hush fell over the room when she mentioned Take Five. It was like everyone was holding their breaths, waiting for the answer. I had no doubt of what answer they were hoping for.
“Well…” Coach Bee looked around the room briefly at everyone’s hopeful faces. We’d gotten out of practice early last Thursday because of a scheduling conflict in the gym, so most of the cheerleaders had gone to sit by the doors to watch the boys pull up to the school in their fancy car. I guess they thought it was so fun that they wanted to do it again. “I suppose so. But only for today! Do you understand?”
I was pretty nobody was listening to her as everyone began to whisper about how excited they were to see the boys. Jess bumped her shoulder against mine.
“Better be careful,” she said. “If you want Jude… you’ve got a lot of competition.”
Call Me Jude @judeturner
Sometimes I forget I'm famous and then I'm like why are this many people following me??
Sloane @its_sloane
How does one just forget they are famous
Call Me Jude @judeturner
Wow I thought this was a safe space to share my feelings and instead I am being ATTACKED
Neeeeeeeil @neilhadley
I relate
Call Me Jude @judeturner
HA @its_sloane I'm the only one
Sloane @its_sloane
Stupid minds think alike 3
Neeeeeeeil @neilhadley
I feel like I've been dragged into something...
Call Me Jude @judeturner
I fell asleep in class today and my friend had to drop a book beside my head to wake me up at the end
Sloane @its_sloane
It was my pleasure. I was so proud of you for falling asleep like I taught you *wipes away tear*
Call Me Jude @judeturner
What are y'alls shoe sizes and by y'all I mean @its_sloane
Sloane @its_sloane
*stares suspiciously*
Call Me Jude @judeturner
is it really SO SUSPICIOUS that I want to know my friends shoe sizes gosh
Sloane @its_sloane
it is indeed very weird. I can see why you wouldn't realize that though since you don't have many friends
Call Me Jude @judeturner
WOW
Why Are You Following Me @meganwhite0202
Her shoe size is 9 :)
Sloane @its_sloane
Wow my own best friend selling me out
Hudson @hudsonshaw
We're in a meeting Jude, get off your phone
Call Me Jude @judeturner
Get off YOURS
“I knew it. I knew you would fall for him.”
Megan had just finished telling me about how she and Hudson had been texting and calling almost non-stop for the past couple of weeks, and she thought she was starting to catch feelings for him.
“Well, I didn’t,” Megan groaned. I couldn’t help but laugh. Megan had never been one to go after boys—she always preferred the company of books to real people. This might have been the first time she ever had this big of a crush on someone.
“He’s perfect for you, Megan,” I said.
“How?”
“He’s cute. Famous. Dreamy…”
“Are you just describing every member of Take Five?”
I laughed. I guess she wasn’t wrong about that. There was a reason almost every teenager in the world was in love with them. It was ironic that she was the one so against it, and yet she was the one who had the best shot of ending up in a relationship with one of them.
“I don’t know what it is about him, Megan. I could just tell from the first time I saw you interact… there’s chemistry there.”
She groaned and pressed her face into her hands.
“It’s not that bad,” I laughed. I pulled her hands away from her face and tried to look reassuring. “Okay, he’s famous—so what?”
“I can’t date a celebrity.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s… him! And I’m me. Normal old me. You really think he would want to be with a regular girl?”
“Has he suggested that he does?”
“I guess so?” She bit her lip and looked off pensively for a long minute. When she finally looked back, she said, “I told him I hated his band.”
What? I mean, we both knew it was true, but why would she say that to him? Especially when she liked him?
“Why? Why would you do that?”
Megan shrugged. “He asked. And I told him.”
I let out a long breath as I mulled that over. Maybe they were a good match then because I had no idea why he would ask her that. I just hoped he was looking for an honest answer.
“Well, the good news is that if he still wants to talk to you after that, then he definitely likes you. And maybe it’s better that he knows everything up front.”
“You really think he might still like me?”
I hated to see her like this, so unsure of herself and what she was worth. I wished I could just knock some sense into her, although I knew any sort of tough love would not work well.
“If he doesn’t…” I said. “It’s his loss. Trust me.”