Chapter 130 - State Qualifier
Roxie’s whole body went cold.
Please.
Please.
Please.
"Hampton Ridge High School."
For a second, Roxie heard nothing.
Then Briarwick exploded.
Not fully.
They couldn’t.
Top three had not been called yet.
But Angela sobbed.
Karen grabbed Roxie’s arm so hard it hurt.
Tori made a sound behind them.
Kendall bent forward, hands over her mouth.
Coach Miller’s voice snapped behind them. "Stay seated."
But his voice cracked.
Roxie looked up at him.
Coach Miller’s eyes were shiny.
Actually shiny.
He looked furious about it.
Roxie almost cried from that alone.
Fourth was gone.
They were top three.
They were going to state.
VCU.
The word hit her so hard she had to press one hand to her stomach.
They had done it.
They had done it.
The announcer waited for the noise to settle.
Roxie could hear Briarwick’s students in the bleachers screaming. Mason was definitely part of it. Maybe all of it.
Zac was somewhere behind her, but she couldn’t look.
If she looked, she would break.
The announcer continued.
"In third place, advancing to the Virginia State Cheer Championship... Briarwick High School Academy."
The sound that came out of Briarwick was not cute.
It was ugly.
Loud.
Raw.
Girls screamed and sobbed at the same time. Angela threw herself at Roxie. Karen grabbed both of them. Kendall stood up too fast, then bent over like her knees had gone out. Tori was crying. The freshmen were crying. Someone shouted, "We’re going to state!"
Roxie sat frozen for half a second.
Third.
Third place.
Top three.
State.
VCU.
They had made it.
They had made it by one spot.
Again, close enough to hurt.
But this time, close enough counted.
Angela hugged her so hard Roxie’s ribs complained.
"We did it," Angela sobbed.
Roxie’s eyes burned.
"Yeah," she said. "We did."
Her voice came out broken.
Karen’s face was wet too, and she looked personally offended by it. "Say anything and I’ll deny it," Karen warned. "This is too emotional for my personality."
Roxie laughed, then cried at the same time.
The 3 of them hugged tightly.
Karen pulled back first, wiping under her eyes fast. "You tell anyone I cried, I’ll ruin you."
Roxie wiped her own face. "You’re literally crying in public."
"So are you."
Karen laughed through a sob. "I hate this."
"You loved it." Angela hugged her once more.
Coach Miller came around the side of the group as they stood to accept third.
His face was red.
His eyes were worse.
He clapped once, like he was trying to regain control of himself and failing.
"Go," he said. "Get your medal. Stop crying on the mat."
Angela cried harder.
Karen whispered, "He’s crying too."
Coach Miller pointed at her. "I heard that."
His voice was rough.
Karen smiled through tears. "Good."
Roxie passed him on the way to the podium area.
Coach Miller caught her shoulder for half a second.
Just half a second.
His hand squeezed.
"Captain," he said.
Roxie looked at him.
His face was still stern, but the pride was all over him.
She swallowed.
"Coach."
He nodded once.
That was all.
It was enough.
Briarwick accepted third place to a storm of noise from their section. Medals were placed around their necks. A ribbon was handed over. Photos were taken. Angela was crying in every single one. Karen smiled with wet eyes and a threat in her posture. Kendall held the ribbon with Roxie, both of them smiling like they had survived each other long enough to win something.
Then came second place.
"Westbrook High School."
A team in black and silver screamed.
Roxie clapped.
Her smile stayed, but something inside her dipped.
Second.
So close.
Still above them.
Then first.
Roxie already knew.
Everyone knew.
"In first place, regional champions... Riverside Gale High School."
The arena erupted.
Riverside stood as one, navy and white and perfect. Heather smiled wide as her team screamed around her. She hugged her flyer. She took the championship plaque. She looked like she had expected nothing less.
Roxie clapped.
Her hands hurt.
She clapped anyway.
Because Riverside had earned it.
That was the most annoying part.
They had been better.
Briarwick had hit clean and still came third.
Their dance was good.
Their energy was good.
Their routine had heart.
But good was not the same as first.
Roxie felt the disappointment settle under the happiness.
Strange.
Both at once.
Her medal was real.
State was real.
So was the gap.
Kendall stood beside her, clapping too.
Her smile had thinned.
She felt it.
Of course she did.
Heather lifted the plaque.
Riverside screamed.
Briarwick screamed too, but for themselves now, for third, for state, for the fact that fourth had not swallowed them again.
Roxie looked toward the bleachers.
She found Zac immediately.
He was standing, clapping, grinning so hard it hurt to look at him. Mason was yelling. Dylan had both hands over his mouth, shouting something. Kyle was clapping with the same deadpan face, which somehow made it funnier.
Zac’s eyes met hers.
He lifted both hands and clapped harder.
Proud.
So proud.
Roxie’s throat tightened.
She looked away before her face gave her up.
The teams were dismissed.
Briarwick barely made it off the floor before the crying started again.
Parents rushed them near the barrier. Students shouted. Phones came out. Someone’s mom was screaming "State!" like a battle cry. Angela’s mother hugged her so hard Angela squeaked. Karen’s aunt cried and Karen immediately pretended to be annoyed while crying harder.
Roxie stood near the edge of it with the medal heavy against her chest.
Third place.
She touched it once.
Cool metal.
Real.
Coach Miller gathered them before anyone could scatter too far.
His eyes moved over the team.
For once, he looked like he had no insult ready.
That was terrifying.
"You made state," he said.
The girls cheered again.
Coach Miller let them.
He actually let them.
Then he lifted one hand.
They quieted, sniffling and laughing.
"You also saw what first place looks like," he said.
That settled them.
Roxie’s fingers tightened around her medal.
Coach Miller’s gaze moved from girl to girl. "Remember both feelings. This one."
He tapped the ribbon around Angela’s neck lightly.
"The one that says you made it."
Then his eyes moved toward Riverside celebrating across the floor.
"And that one. The one that says you are not done."
Roxie swallowed.
Kendall nodded slowly.
Coach Miller’s mouth twitched.
Then, for the first time all season, he smiled fully.
A real smile.
Bright.
Proud.
Almost young.
"You’re going to VCU," he said.
Angela cried again.
Karen covered her face. "Oh my God, Coach. Stop being emotional. It’s making me sick."
Coach Miller laughed.
Actually laughed.
The whole team stared at him like he had grown another head.
Then everyone started laughing too.
Roxie laughed with them, tears still on her face, medal against her chest, body sore, heart full and aching in two directions.
Happy.
Disappointed.
Proud.
Hungry.
Not enough.
Enough to keep going.
Across the arena, Heather lifted Riverside’s plaque for another picture.
Roxie looked at her.
Heather looked back.
For once, Heather didn’t smirk.
She just smiled, small and knowing, like she understood exactly what third place meant.
Congratulations.
And catch up.
Roxie’s hand closed around her medal.
Fine.
State was bigger.
VCU was waiting.
And Briarwick was still in it.