Page 17 of I Don't Need Your Love

A few more kids join us as well, and then Raven rushes inside. She waves to me, gives Addie a good luck hug, then sits down next to Caleb on the bleachers.

Coach Moreno arrives. A look of surprise passes over her face when she notices the small number of hopefuls inside the gym. Honestly, it’s making me very worried as well. There can’t be more than seven people here, and I doubt each one of them is good enough to be on the team. Principal Harrington said weneed at least five people to make the team. As much as I’d love to accept everyone, we won’t be taken seriously if some of the dancers aren’t good.

But I’m once again choosing to be positive. Maybe they’ll all arrive in the next five minutes.

“Hey, Carly,” Coach Moreno says as she lowers her bag to the table. “Not the best turnout, huh?”

“There’s still time for people to show up,” I say, wishing my voice sounded more confident.

She nods, but I can’t deny the concern in her eyes.

I guess I should have expected this. I’m not exactly the most popular girl at school—I’m not sure people even know who I am. And dance doesn’t seem to be something kids are excited about, not when we have the cheerleading squad, which of course most of the popular kids are part of.

I swallow when it dawns on me that this is it. No one else has shown up. I was trying so hard to be positive and hope for the best, but wishing and hoping won’t make it come true. Life doesn’t work that way.

“I guess we’ll start?” I say to Coach Moreno.

She nods as she lowers herself on the second chair. “Yes, let’s start.”

I’m about to call everyone to attention when I notice a guy stroll into the gym. The tall frame and blond hair immediately catch my attention, and it takes everything I have to keep my blood from boiling.

Ryder slows down as he looks around the gym with creased brows, obviously confused why there are so few people in here.

Storming over to him, I say, “What are you doing here?”

He tears his eyes from the stretching hopefuls and pins them on me, a lazy smile taking over his face. “Hey, Carly. Am I late? Have you already shot down most of the candidates? That’s brutal.”

“I didn’t shoot down anyone. We’re just about to begin the tryouts. So if you would do us all a favor and scram, that would be great.”

His face fills with shock. “Why would I scram?”

“What do you mean…?” My voice trails off when I notice he’s dressed in his gym clothes, too. “Wait a second. What are youdoinghere, Ryder?”

He grins as he strikes a pose. “What does it look like? I’m here to try out.”

“No you’re not.”

“Yes I am.”

“No you’renot.”

He frowns as he gazes down at me. “Do you not want me to try out because I’m a guy? That’s discrimination, Simmons.”

“That’s not what this is—”

He snorts. “Unbelievable. You’re discriminating against me because I’m a guy.”

“I’m not discriminating against you because you’re a guy! I’m discriminating against you because you’reyou.”

Does he expect me to forget that he called dance club corny this morning? How dare he show up here?

His jaw falls open as he gapes at me. I narrow my eyes at him. I have no idea what BS he’s pulling right now, but I have no time for it. Typical for him to pull this stunt when he knows how much this means to me.

He yanks his gaze from me and scans the gym. “I think you should be a little more open and appreciative. It looks like you need all the help you can get.”

I fold my arms over my chest and continue to glare at him. “We don’t need help from the likes of you.”

He’s about to respond, but Coach Moreno walks over to us. “Is there a problem?”