The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 272: Chapter 272 - Before You Leave

The gym looked more like they were preparing for a competition than a normal Friday practice, and Roxie noticed it the second she walked in. Everyone had taken Coach Miller’s message in the group chat last night extremely fucking seriously.

Practice uniforms actually matched properly for once, hair was done instead of thrown into whatever ponytail survived the school day, and several girls had makeup on. Even the ones pretending they had made no special effort somehow looked considerably better than they usually did after seven hours of classes.

Karen walked beside Roxie and looked around the gym. "He said Photography Club was taking practice pictures. Some of these bitches heard Sports Illustrated."

Roxie laughed as she dropped her cheer bag against the wall. She had made an effort too, although she refused to admit that to Karen. Her hair was actually behaving today, and she had fixed her makeup after lunch because the last thing she needed was some ugly picture of herself ending up on every fundraiser poster around Briarwick.

Coach Miller blew his whistle before everyone could settle into their usual groups. "Bring it in."

The team gathered around him while people finished tying shoes and pulling their hair back. Roxie dropped onto the floor beside Angela with Karen on her other side, and Coach Miller waited until most of the talking died down before looking over all of them.

"Administration approved the fundraiser."

The reaction was immediate. Several girls cheered, Angela clapped beside Roxie, and Marissa turned toward Kendall with an excited grin. Even Roxie felt something lift inside her because the fundraiser being approved made Nationals feel slightly less like something everyone kept talking about and more like something they might actually get to do.

Coach Miller raised his voice over them. "That means we move forward with planning. It does not mean Nationals suddenly paid for itself, so calm down. The support we get will decide whether we actually compete at Nationals or stop at being State champions."

That quieted them enough for him to continue. The fundraiser would be tied into Sweetheart week, with student council helping with the performance order, voting and prizes. Some of the details still needed work, but the basic plan had been approved, which meant they could start promoting it.

"And before anybody acts surprised when people start walking in with cameras," Coach Miller added, pointing toward the team, "I posted last night that Photography Club would be here today."

Karen leaned toward Roxie. "Literally, everybody read that part."

A few girls laughed because one look around the gym made that obvious.

Coach Miller sighed. "Can I finish?"

Everyone quieted again while he explained that Photography Club would take normal practice shots first. They needed stunts, jumps, tumbling, formations and team pictures, then a few of the girls would stay for additional promotional shots connected to the Sweetheart fundraiser.

"Nobody needs to start performing for the camera while we’re practicing," Coach Miller said. "I want actual practice."

Once he dismissed them, Roxie started stretching beside Karen and Angela. Movement near the gym entrance caught her attention when Noah appeared beside one of the student council girls, standing near a folding table by the bleachers with a clipboard in his hand and already looking like he regretted agreeing to help them.

Too bad. His revenge entirely depended on it now.

Roxie smiled when she saw him, and Noah glanced over at almost the exact same moment. His expression changed when he noticed her, and he lifted a hand before Roxie waved back.

Ava, who was stretching nearby, slowly turned toward her. "Your Sweetheart date is here."

"Wow, rumors really travel fast, huh?" Angela giggled as she continued stretching.

Karen grinned at Ava. "It’s Ava. She’s the queen of rumors."

"Shut up." Ava glanced at Roxie. "It’s Roxie. Everything is a rumor."

Roxie immediately rolled her eyes. "He’s student body president. He’s literally supposed to be here."

"Mhm."

"Bitch."

Ava laughed, but whatever amusement Roxie had been feeling disappeared when the gym doors opened again.

Lily walked in carrying a tripod over one shoulder and a camera bag in her other hand. Bianca followed behind her with a camera hanging against her chest and a smirk on her face like she owned the fucking place.

The reaction around Roxie happened almost immediately. Nobody said anything at first, which somehow made it more obvious. Ava looked at Roxie. Tori glanced toward Bianca before looking right back at Roxie, and two of the younger cheerleaders whispered to each other before suddenly becoming very interested in stretching.

Angela followed everyone’s attention toward Bianca and finally understood. "Oh."

Karen, who had gone completely still beside Roxie while looking at Lily, answered, "Yep."

Angela looked between Roxie and Bianca. "Everybody behaving today?"

Roxie watched Bianca hand something to another Photography Club member. "Depends."

Since the fight, Bianca and Roxie had mostly managed to stay out of each other’s way. Roxie wasn’t scared of her. Avoiding Bianca was simply easier because every time she saw her face, she remembered every fucking thing that had come out of her mouth and got angry all over again.

Exactly like now.

Karen snorted while Angela gave Roxie a worried look. "That wasn’t reassuring."

"It wasn’t supposed to be."

Bianca finally looked toward them, and her eyes found Roxie almost immediately. The two stared at each other for several seconds before Bianca smiled.

It was not friendly, and Roxie gave her the exact same smile back.

Angela looked between them. "This feels healthy. Why would they send these two witches when they know we have beef with them?"

Roxie straightened from her stretch while keeping her eyes on Bianca. She seriously doubted Bianca had volunteered because she had suddenly become Photography Club’s model member. There were plenty of people who could take cheer pictures. Bianca choosing this practice meant she wanted something, even if Roxie had no clue what that was yet.

Coach Miller apparently noticed the tension because his whistle cut across the gym before either side could start anything.

"Before anybody gets creative, Photography Club is here to work."

Several girls laughed while Roxie looked toward him.

Coach Miller pointed between the team and the students setting up equipment. "Whatever happened before stays outside practice. We have Nationals to worry about. They have a job to do. Everybody understands?"

Bianca nodded with an innocent smile.

Roxie put a hand against her chest. "Why are you looking at me?"

"You know why."

Karen covered a laugh while Coach Miller ignored Roxie and ordered everyone to start warmups.

Practice went normally enough once they got moving. Photography Club stayed along the edges while Coach Miller ran them through jumps and tumbling, and cameras clicked whenever somebody went through a pass. Roxie managed to ignore most of it until she landed from a jump and looked toward the side of the gym just as Bianca lowered her camera.

Their eyes met for a second, and Roxie frowned when Bianca immediately looked away.

"Stop watching her," Karen said beside her.

"I’m not."

"You literally are."

"She keeps pointing that thing at me."

Kendall, standing near them, stared at her. "She’s taking pictures."

"Of me."

"You’re a cheerleader. During cheer practice. For promotional cheer pictures. Ring a bell?"

Roxie glanced toward Bianca again, but the camera was pointed toward Kendall now. "Whatever."

Angela stepped between them as Coach Miller reset the formation. "Maybe she’s trying to catch your bad side."

Roxie looked offended. "I don’t have one."

Karen answered immediately. "That’s the funniest thing you’ve said all week."

Roxie shoved her lightly before Coach Miller called them back into position.

Once they started running actual sections of the routine, Roxie finally stopped thinking about the cameras. She had counts to watch, girls to correct and enough movement to keep her attention occupied.

The Photography Club moved around the gym capturing stunts, tumbling passes and formation changes while Coach Miller occasionally stopped them long enough to let the cameras get another angle. For almost an hour, it felt like an ordinary practice again.

Then Coach Miller called, "Whitlock. Jones."

Roxie turned toward him suspiciously while Kendall immediately looked delighted.

"What?" Roxie asked.

"Promotional photos."

Roxie groaned as Kendall walked toward the marked area near the bleachers like she had been waiting for this moment her entire life.

Karen leaned toward Angela. "She probably practiced poses last night."

Kendall turned around while still walking. "Jealousy makes you ugly."

Roxie followed her toward the setup, where Photography Club had cleared a section along the wall with better lighting. One student was adjusting equipment while Lily moved things around nearby, but Roxie’s attention immediately landed on Bianca standing behind the camera.

"Oh, fantastic."

Bianca looked up. "Excited to see you too."

Coach Miller passed them. "Behave."

"I’m always professional," Bianca said.

Roxie gave Coach Miller a look, but he kept walking before she could complain.

Kendall went first and naturally fucking loved every second of it. Bianca barely had to tell her anything because Kendall apparently knew exactly where to put her hands, how to angle her shoulders and which smile she considered her official public face.

Roxie stood beside Lily waiting while Karen and Angela watched from several feet away.

Karen called, "Try looking less happy, Kendall. People might think you’re nice."

Kendall raised her middle finger without breaking her pose.

The camera clicked.

Bianca checked the screen. "That one might actually make the poster." She waited for Kendall to walk away before looking at Roxie with a smirk. "Your turn."

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