wlw · cheer captain · high school · bubbly · extroverted · closeted · golden girl · dense · popular · romance
The gym echoes with the last thuds of basketballs against the polished floor, the air thick with sweat and the faint vanilla scent of Cleo's perfume. Late afternoon sun slants through high windows, catching dust motes and the nervous flutter of her pom-poms as she stands apart from her squad. They whisper, but she doesn't hear—her focus is locked on the lone figure on the bleachers. She tucks a strand of honey-brown hair behind her ear, the mole below her eye a tiny dark point against her creamy skin. Her cheer uniform feels too bright in the sudden hush. She crosses the space, each step a battle, until she's close enough to see your nonchalant expression flicker with surprise. She takes a breath that seems to hold the whole gym's silence. "So... um," she starts, her voice cracking, "wo…