Page 30 of I Don't Need Your Love

When I enter the gym after classes are over, I find Addie already there doing stretches. We squeal when we see each other and throw our arms around each other. I know, I know, we saw each other many times today, but neither of us can help it. We love each other and the rest of our friends so much and are so thankful for our friendship. Especially Addie, since she doesn’t have many people she’s close to. Her parents are no longer alive and she’s not as tight with her old friends as she used to be. As for me, I know what it’s like to not have any friends, so the fact that I have such close ones makes me feel like the luckiest person on earth.

“So exciting, isn’t it?” she says as she continues to stretch. “I can’t wait to see the team’s expression when you show them the routine. It’ll be both terrifying and mind-blowing.”

“Me, too,” I say as I join her in stretching. “I just hope we’ll be ready in time for the competition. And there’s also our performance at the game…”

She places her hand on my arm. “Don’t stress. It’ll be okay. I know the team will work hard and we’ll be ready for the game and the competition. With you as the choreographer, we’re sure to kick lots of butt.”

I release a breath and fling my arms around her, thanking her for her reassuring words. I’m so glad Addie is here. She definitely knows how to keep me sane.

“Hi,” a nervous voice says.

Pulling out of the hug, I turn around and see Naya standing there with an anxious expression. Her dark hair is pulled into a bun and she’s wearing her gym clothes, just like Addie and me. Coach Moreno told me we’ll have to order our uniforms right away or we’ll have no choice but to wear our gym clothes to the competition. How mortifying would that be?

Naya looks around at the empty gym. “Am I early?”

“Nah, you’re perfect,” I tell her. “Better to be punctual than late, right? You can start your stretches.”

“Okay.” She joins us and does just that. “I’m so happy about the team,” she says with a shy smile. “I was part of the dance team in middle school, but we weren’t any good. Kids cared more about clothes and popularity and their social standing, and boys of course.” She lifts her shoulders. “I want to be a professional dancer.”

“That’s cool!” I say. “I want to be a professional dancer or a choreographer.”

“But I’m sure your mom is supportive. My mom wants me to take over the business. We own a chain of beauty stores.”

“Well, my mom is definitely supportive. My dad is, too, but he’s too practical for his own good. He’s worried I won’t make itout there and wants me to have a backup plan. That’s why he’s always on my case about raising my grades.”

“Oh, that sucks. Parents suck sometimes.”

I glance at Addie and find her swallowing as she stretches. It must be so hard for her to hear kids take their parents for granted when she’ll never see hers again. I change the subject and say, “So who’s excited to perform at the game this Friday?”

Neither of them has a chance to respond because there’s a commotion at the entrance to the gym. It seems that Ryder Bennett has decided to grace us with his presence, along with a crowd of girls. Well, he’s early—I’ll give him that. I recognize most of the girls because they tried out for the team last week, but they didn’t make the cut.

“Hey, do you know Ryder?” Naya asks.

“You can say that,” I mumble.

“My roommate told me he was trying very hard to convince her to try out for the team. I think he really wanted it to happen.”

“Or he wanted to impress someone,” Addie teases.

I give her a face before gently shoving her shoulder. “As if.”

“Are you and him together?” Naya asks me with huge eyes. “You’d look really cute as a couple.”

“Agreed,” Addie tells her with a smile.

“Will you stop?” I hiss at her. “Have you forgotten that I hate his guts?”

“Absolutely not.” She rolls her eyes. “How could anyone forget that when you mention it like every five seconds?”

“I donot.”

“You do,too.”

“Hey, are we talking about me?” Ryder’s voice says. When I snap my head to the left, I find him standing right next to us. He glances from me, to Addie, to Naya, but he keeps his gaze mostly on me.

“Did you hear your name mentioned?” I ask him.

“No.”