Chatting

COACH AND CHEERLEADER- 4 

Tiana's POV 

Gossip...

Throughout history, gossip has had a long arm stretching across every major dynasty and civilization finding its way into our modern-day world. We can all agree everyone in history participated in one way or the other in this activity; everyone except Jesus Christ but then even he got struck by the sharp blades of this cruel specter.

There are so many hubs where gossip lurks whispering orders to its foot soldiers. The mall. Spa. The salon. In book club meetings. After book club meetings. Most places you'd expect women to gather but none so formidable as Highschool. 

High school, my friends, take the crown home every time.

Nothing spreads faster than gossip. In a race, fire would be fucked.

The next morning, I walked into school oblivious to the details of the latest gossip and how it involved me. I was too busy fantasizing about Coach Calton to notice the malicious stares and whispers.

Someone had even gone through the pain of artistically crafting graffiti across my locker. It read 'Dick Sucker' and I was a little impressed at the craftsmanship.

Still clueless as fuck, I shrugged going off to my first class. It must have been a mistake. Maybe Picasso there mixed up the lockers.

Another reason I was so occupied that morning was that I'd just been followed on I*******m by you-know-who (the dreamy Coach Calton). I was taking a tour of his profile carefully checking his pics while taking special care not to give an accidental like. That would be apocalyptic asf.

"Is it true?" Rebecca asked stepping in front of me.

She dyed her hair cotton-candy pink with a few blonde strands. Her crop top showed more than it covered highlighting her piercings. The rugged denim shorts completed her look. Rebecca Deandre.

"Is what true?" I asked dropping my phone.

She sighed a little disappointed at my response. "I knew there was something fucked up about the whole thing."

"What whole thing?" As much as I tried to keep the frustration out of my voice, it showed.

Rebecca pulled me to the corner away from prying eyes then she went on to tell me what the entire school was talking about. Wayne had gone bragging to his crew about how he had taken me out last night to this swell restaurant like a gent. According to the story, I'd been so impressed by this that I had taken him to the restaurant's alley and sucked his dick behind a dumpster.

Suddenly the graffiti made sense.

"And you're sure Wayne started it?"

"Positive," Rebecca smirked. "What you gonna do about it?"

Nice question. What was I going to do about it? Simple. I'll destroy the fucker.

Ignoring everyone and everything else, I walked down the hall going straight to the gym. The guys had a practice that morning. I'll end him quickly and effectively.

I burst into the gym like a wraith out of hell. The boys froze and they all turned to the entrance to see what the commotion was all about.

Coach Calton was there but I was too pissed off to care. I was furious.

"Wayne Tobeski." I snarled walking straight to where he sat with a towel around his neck.

The guys smirked giving each other the 'she's back for more' signal. Stupid immature group of fuckers I thought bitterly.

"Tiana. You lo-"

"Shut the fuck up, you weasel." I spat stopping right in front of him. "You don't get to say a word."

"Word is I sucked your dick for a meal?"

The whole gym was quiet now. Everyone watched. Rebecca had rallied half the school bringing them with her to the gym but I was hell-bent on destroying Wayne to notice.

"Best suck of my life." He said winking at me. The guys hooted to this.

A big mistake.

"Was rejection so hard on you that you had to make up that whack shit? I sucked you behind a dumpster? Really, dude. You couldn't even try to be creative."

"I'm Tiana Rogers. My family has so much pull and dough that it's almost silly. Yet your struggling fake-it-till-you-make-it ass chose to come for me?"

"Tia-" He tried to speak fumbling a little. Like I'd let him say a thing.

"I'm not done." I raised a hand. "Take a good look at me, Wayne. This fine ass body is way past what you can afford."

I stopped talking. My chest heaved as I tried to control my anger. Everyone around was pointing at an embarrassed Wayne while snickering.

"That's enough." Coach Calton's voice sounded serious. "Everyone out."

Rebecca and her followers slipped out in a cloud of laughter and amusement.

"You guys too. Practice is over for today." He signaled to the boys to leave and they did grumbling.

"To my office you two."

Fuck.

We walked to his office. It was my first time being inside his office. Everything was well organized on the table and the walls were framed with pictures of some famous athletes. On his table was a plaque with his name on it.

Coach Calton walked in, closed the door, and took his seat. He had a serious look and his eyes showed both disappointment and anger.

"As the authoritative figure present, I have to handle this." He sighed. 

"Wayne." His tone made me flinch.

"You'll stay on the bench for three games. That should be enough time to think about what you did." 

Wayne made a move to get up and go berserk but thought better about it and left instead.

Coach Calton turned to me. His eyes made me feel like I was under a powerful microscope. The softness I'd gotten used to was gone.

"Tiana." His voice was cold and hard.

I flinched.

"That was...something."

My eyes opened a crack from the sound of his voice. He sounded different than he had with Wayne. There was a softness to his tone.

Was he smiling?

I looked at him confused. I hadn't been expecting him to go easy on me.

"I wasn't expecting to see your scary side so early." He admitted getting up from his seat to take a position at the corner of the table.

"I could say the same thing."

Wait. Did that just come out flirtatious? Did I just flirt with Coach Calton? Maybe he didn't notice seeing as it was unintentional.

"Did you just flirt with me, Tiana Rogers?"

No. No. No.

You weren't. Tell him you weren't. It was a mistake. Let him know.

"Maybe." I heard myself saying.

Are you mad? Why would you say that. Oh no, my life is over.

He watched me for a while. I wasn't sure what was going to happen next but I knew I'd fucked up majorly.

The only thing that kept me from running out of the damned office was the mesmerizing pull of his blue eyes. Those blue eyes. 

"Give me your phone." He held out his hand.

I stared dumbfounded. Did I hear correctly? "Huh?"

"Your phone."

I handed it over and he typed something before passing it back to me.

"Now you can text me. The whole i*******m scene isn't for me."

In my phone was his number. I was looking down at his number. I stared unable to believe it had really happened.

I got up to leave, still playing the whole thing in my head when he called out. "I think you're supposed to walk out looking like you were scolded."

He was right. If I walk out of his office smiling like a stupid fool it would start another gossip. I quickly put on my 'woebegone' expression as I walked out of the gym to the crowd cheering me on. I felt exactly the same way Jack must have felt when he climbed the beanstalk and slayed that giant.

That evening, I locked myself in my room thinking about what to text Coach Calton with. It had been hours since he'd given me his number but was it enough time. Just how long has it been?

Relax... Just relax 

I took deep breaths and typed 'hi' but erased it for the seventieth time. This scene has happened in so many rom-com movies and I had laughed at the heroine for it but now that it was happening to me, it left a bitter taste at the tip of my tongue.

Hola Coach...

Why Hola? No, not good enough. I pressed to erase the message but slipped and hit send instead.

Oh fuck me! It popped delivered...seen 

No...no...no 

My heart lurched and hot tears burned my eyes. I pulled at my hair holding back a scream that would have scattered a siren's eardrums.

My phone showed he was typing.

Coach Calton was replying my message. It was like I was living out a dream.

His reply was taking forever and I had to check my connection to make sure service wasn't down. 

I wasn't in the habit of eating my fingernails. I'd stopped it since I was a kid but my teeth found a finger and I nibbled nervously. I'd changed my position on the bed from lying to sitting up to squatting to standing and now I was pacing the room.

And then it came...

Tiana?