Not Just Another Cliché

•picture of Amber Banks• ^^^^

"Is it broken?" Casey asks impatiently.

The doctor sends him a glare but goes back to his work.

"She's a cheerleader. She needs her foot." He continues.

Doctor Cyprus looks up at me and stops what he's doing.

"Does he have to be here?"

"Um, I'm sorry. Case, you can wait outside." I tell him.

"No, no. I'm staying. I'll be quiet. Promise." He says and I sigh.

The doctor looks at me and I shrug, "he'll be quiet." Which he just sighs in response and goes back to what he's doing.

After about 3 minutes of silence, it's my turn to ask questions.

"So is it broken?"

"The x-ray's show just a sprain. You'll be wearing a bandage for about a week and you can't do any physical activity and that includes cheerleading," he looks at Casey, "you'll be using crutches for that week because your ankle is too weak to walk on it. After the week you won't need the crutches but you will still be out of action for 5 days until your ankle is fully healed and stronger." Doctor Cyprus explains.

"1 week and 5 days for no cheerleading?" I question.

"Afraid so."

"This day next week you will be back in for another x-Ray and then you will get the bandage off but before you go back to cheerleading, you have to check in with me on day 5 to see if your strong enough."

"What if my ankle is still weak and I cheer?"

"You'll be out of action for longer. I wouldn't recommend it Emily."

***

"Awh my poor baby." My mom says as soon as I walk in the door.

"I'm okay mom just a sprained foot."

"I don't care, get up to bed and I'll bring you up tea."

Casey wraps my arm around his neck and holds onto my waist.

"Casey you know I've crutches so people don't have to do this, right?"

"I don't care. You're my best friend and I'm going to look after you."

He places me on my bed and lifts my foot up gently so it rests on my pillows.

He sits down beside me on my bed and I put my head on his chest as he turns my TV on and puts on greys anatomy.

"Really?" I question.

"What else are we supposed to do?"

My mom comes up with my tea and my room is filled with silence until Holly decided to barge through my door with Seth following behind her.

"Oh my God Emily. I couldn't wait to get here. This noob forgot to text me when you were on your way home from the hospital so I didn't know if you were home so I was impatiently waiting at home." She says referring to Casey.

"Hey, I was driving." He defends.

"Hope your better soon Em." Seth says leaning in to give me a hug.

Holly sits at the side of my bed and closing her eyes, taking a deep breath and taking my hand in hers.

"Tell me Emily, how long?"

"Wow dramatic much Holls?" Casey says and we all laugh.

"Just tell me. Like a band aid, just rip it off."

"Almost 2 weeks." She gasps.

She stands up and runs her hand through her hair.

"2 weeks? No cheerleading? For 2 weeks?" She repeats and I nod.

Her sad expression suddenly changes to angry.

"Uh-oh." I say knowing that angry Holly is never good.

"I'm going to kill Amber Banks." She says about to leave my room but Seth takes her hand and drags her back.

"Let me go Seth. When I'm finished with her she won't be able to walk at all." She explains.

"Holls, no matter how much I'd love Amber to be punished for this, I think we should leave it up to Leah." I say.

"Yeah and when Casey brought you to the hospital I'm pretty sure Haley went and got Leah and she suspended Amber and Katie off the team until after homecoming." Seth explains.

I look at Holly with a happy grin appearing on my face but nothing replacing her grim one.

"You should be happy Holl. That means they won't be able to be part of the homecoming court. You're a shoe in for homecoming queen." I cheer.

"I guess that's good. Okay, tomorrow we are going dress shopping."

"Homecoming is in 2 weeks, we have plenty of time to get dresses maybe when I'm not on crutches?" I suggest.

They all laugh.

*****

"Why aren't you in your cheer uniform?" Holly asks me when I reach my locker.

"Because I'm not a cheerleader for a bit." I explain.

"Don't be stupid Em. Whether you're paralysed, or sick or freaking dead, you will always be a cheerleader."

"But it's February, and it's cold." I say.

"Fair enough but tomorrow, you're wearing that uniform. And at matches, you're wearing that uniform. You will show up to practices because you are and always will be, a Tigers cheerleader."

I hold my hands up in defence resting my elbows on my crutches.

I get all my necessary books out of my locker and lean against it talking homecoming with Holly.

"You know Homecoming is next Friday right," she says.

"Next Friday? I thought it was the one after that."

"They had to move it up a week so the volleyball girls could use the gym for their finals."

"Understandable. So I won't be cheering for the game." I state dropping my head in disappointment.

The homecoming game is more important to cheerleaders then to the actual footballers. Yeah football scouts come out to look at the boys but so do cheerleading scouts and that's not common. There aren't many cheerleading universities in the world so whenever they come out, you should feel honoured because homecoming is the only game they come out to. But football scouts come out to pretty much every senior football game.

"It'll be day 5 though, you will be able to cheer."

"Well I'm going back to the doctor on Monday and he said after that I'll be out of action for 5 days. I don't think so Holl." I say.

"You will. We can massage your foot all through next week, we can go walking to strengthen it and you will be number 1 flyer at homecoming." Holly states.

"I love it when you have hope." I say wrapping my arm around her shoulder and giving her a side hug.

"It's not hope Em, it's a promise."

"Hello hop-a-long." Casey says coming up beside me.

"Not funny. It's your girlfriend that did this to me."

"Yeah it won't be so funny when your hop-a-longing to her funeral." Holly says.

"It's just a sprain Holl, no need to kill me." I say.

"Not you, Amber!"

"It wasn't her fault. She's not used to being a spotter. Maybe she just couldn't take the weight." Casey says.

I look up at him and furrow my brows.

Am I hearing right? Is Casey actually sticking up for Amber?

"Couldn't take the weight? Casey have you seen Emily, she's like a stick she wouldn't weigh more than a bag of sugar. And catching flyers is what they all train for." Holly explains.

"Are you seriously taking her side after what she did to me?" I whisper to Casey as calmly as I can.

"I'm not taking her side I'm just saying to go easier on her."

"Sounds like your taking her side to me." I say then straighten up and use my crutches to leave my friends.

"Dude, good luck making it up to her after that." I hear Seth say and then he hits Casey on the back.

"Em. Emily, wait up." I hear Holly call after me.

If I weren't depending on two metal sticks as my legs, I wouldn't stop because I'm so annoyed at Casey right now and I know I can't take it out on Holly.

"Emily, wait."

I lean up against a locker and drop my crutches brining my hand up to my hair and gathering a piece.

"Hey Em. It's okay." Holly says.

"No, Holly, it's n- it's not okay. After everything that girl put me through from kindergarten to now, Casey still believes she's changed. When will he open his eyes and see she's dangerous." I kick the locker with the back of my good foot.

"It's just-," I take a deep breath and tilt my head, "just so frustrating."

"I know Emily. But do you know what girls like Amber and Katie feed on? Reaction. If you react, they'll know what they do is working and annoying you. So don't give in Emily."

"It's the fact that she's going after what I want and she has a chance. What hope do I have with Casey?" I question.

"You've won Em. You have Casey and you don't have to work for him. He's your best friend and Amber is his toy. You mean so much to Casey. He left half way through practice just for you, Emily even though he knew he might not be played on Friday for leaving."

The bell rings signalling first period and I take another deep breath.

I bend down and pick up my crutches and lean off the lockers.

"Let's just get to class. And, Holl," Holly turns her head to look at me and I smile at her, "thank you."

She smiles back and wraps her arm around my torso before both of us walk to math.

"He's a goose nugget." We both laugh.

When we get in, I walk to the back of the class and sit down in my usual seat beside Holly.

Soon after, Casey comes in and runs over to me.

"Emily, you know I love you and as far as your concerned, I'll defend nobody else and you need to know that."

"You do a really bad way of showing it Casey."

"Emi-" he begins to speak but I cut him off.

"Just forget it."

***

"Emily, you sit down and we'll get your food for you." Seth insists.

"Seth seriously I'm fine. I can handle holding a tray to a table that's 15 seconds away from the lunch line." I argue.

"No arguments. Sit down and we'll be right back." I sigh but do as Holly tells me to do. 

I take my phone out and start scrolling through American Apparel for ideas on homecoming dresses.

"Emily just give me 3 minutes." A familiar voice says making me look up and throw my head back.

"Casey it's fine. You rather Amber over me. I get it. She's friends with benefits and I'm just a friend." I smile slightly.

"Emily please you know that's not how it is."

"Casey how about you go sit over there with your girlfriend." Holly appears pointing over to Ambers table and her physco group of friends.

Casey sighs and stands up but his eyes lingering on me for a second then he walks away. He didn't go to Ambers but instead to a table with other football players.

"Was that Casey?" Seth asks sitting down beside Holly.

"Yes."

"How long are you going to keep torturing him Emily ? You know he's sorry and that's not how he actually feels."

"You're right."

"So you're going to go talk to him?"

"Hell no. He sided with the devil. He deserves a few more hours. Maybe the rest of the day." I say taking a bite from my carrot stick.

A few minutes later, Jamie joins us sitting beside me and a friend of his named Kyle and 2 cheerleaders who are so nice and part of our little group.

Haley and Ashley.

"Hey guys. Sorry to hear about your foot Em. Katie and Amber are such bitches." Haley says.

"Thank you guys and thanks for going to get Leah yesterday. I don't know what I'd do if Amber and Katie got away with this." I say,my blood boiling.

"We all hate them too Em. We've got your back." Ashley smiles making me smile in return.

Haley looks behind us and back at me.

"Give him a break. I don't know what happened but he clearly cares. He keeps looking over at you. Whatever he did, he's insanely sorry." She says.

"He sided with Amber on what happened yesterday. Had an answer for everything. Stepped away when I was falling? Couldn't take the weight. Didn't even bother catching me? She was new at the whole spotter thing. He fought to defend her so I'll fight to prove I'm mad at him for sticking up for Amber and Katie rather than me."

Silence envelopes the table and then Ashley breaks the silence.

"He's a goose nugget."

"That's what I said." Holly says and we all break into laughter.

***

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