Spirit Showdown

Spirit Showdown

*****

“5… 6… 7… 8…”

Harrie clapped her hands together and began her routine. Left step, right step, cross arms, leap. Pump to the right, shake it at the ground, pump to the left.

Harrie kept her smile up and her energy high as she kept count and led the others through their routine. Everyone was totally killing it all the way until Harrie backed up to do her aerial before they went into their group stunts.

“Ronnie!” Harrie groaned and Hermes cut the music while Ronnie helped Harrie off the ground. Harrie scowled at one of her best friends in the world even if Ronnie already looked apologetic.

“I’m so sorry.” Ronnie tucked a lock of her red hair that fell out of her ponytail behind her ear. “It was seven, step left, eight.”

“And you did seven, step right, eight,” Hermes sighed. “Harrie, do you want to restart?”

Harrie looked around her team for a moment while she twisted her lips to the side. They had been practicing nonstop all day, and they looked it. Ronnie was sweating, Tessa was stretching out her sore muscles. Ronnie’s younger brother, Gino, already had his attention on his cell. Hermes looked hopeful when Harrie caught his eyes and Harrie sighed and accepted defeat with a tiny smile.

“Okay, girls, pack it up,” she said. When Gino raised his eyebrows at Harrie and Hermes cleared his throat, Harrie amended herself with a teasing grin. “And guys,” she added.

It had been a long day, Harrie just hated that they hadn’t nailed the routine from start to finish even a single time yet. The regional qualifiers were next weekend and Harrie would just die if their team wasn’t selected to go to State.

The last time the Golden Lions High School went to State for cheer was when Harrie’s moms had been on the team. Jamie and Lily were like cheer royalty. They were so cute too… Harrie loved seeing the videos of them working their routines and trading the most ridiculous and soppy smiles with each other. There was no hesitation in the lifts, none of the basket throws… where Lily moved, Jamie moved.

They were two halves of one cheer queen.

It was soo sweet.

Harrie had once quit cheer back in the fourth grade over them though. Her dad compared her position as a flyer to Jamie and Harrie just lost it. Harrie would do anything to have had her moms be alive and involved in her life, but they were gone. Harrie’s only family left was her biological-turned-adoptive dad Sirius, her stepdad Remus, and her cousin Daisy.

So Harrie didn’t exactly take it great when Dad told her she should watch the video of him and Jamie doing stunts for a local talent show to ‘get tips on flying’. Harrie said forget it and quit the team then and there. Dad had been super mad, but Remus understood her frustration.

The three Blacks wound up having a family meeting over it and Dad felt really bad when Harrie said she thought he wouldn’t love her as much as he used to Jamie unless she was the very best ever. That had been when Dad and Remus explained the concept of ‘sperm donors’ and ‘biological relations’.

Which had been like super traumatizing to learn about at ten years old. Harrie went back to cheer though, and she was glad she did.

Harrie wasn’t really vain or anything, but there was just no possibility where she wouldn’t be great at what she did. All four of her parents had been on a team that won the State Championship and placed fifth in nationals. Dad and Remus went to college on cheer scholarships. Remus was really good at coaching, even if he couldn’t cheer anymore after a wreck that left him scarred and with a fake knee.

Remus would have been a way better coach for the team than Coach Al. Coach Al was like the oldest man to ever live and the only good thing about him was that he let Harrie run the team. Harrie begged Remus to apply at her school last summer when there was an opening in English, but noooo, the college paid so much better.

Dad was still all about cheer though and he bought Harrie her car when she made Cheer Captain. It made Harrie’s friends laugh their skinny asses off when Dad showed up at football games solely to cheer on the cheer team. They gave him an honorary award at the end of last season, Best Cheerleader, for his silliness. Remus got one for best snacks, which he kept displayed in their kitchen.

After the disaster of practice, Harrie waited in her car for Daisy and couldn’t wait to get home to grab some ice cream from the freezer and have a nice bitch session with Dad. Dad would understand Harrie’s frustration with her team. It was hard being the captain and being friends with everyone because when Harrie wanted to push her cheerleaders, she didn’t want to hurt her friends.

It was like so hard when all Harrie wanted was for her team to be the best. The Golden Lions had to go to state and they had to win because Harrie couldn’t stand another year of—

“If you could just cry, you’d totally finish the whole emo vibe you’ve got happening.”

Harrie rolled her eyes when it seemed like her thoughts had somehow conjured the very last person she wanted to see. When Harrie turned to look out in the parking lot, it was definitely Tamara that was taunting her.

Tamara Riddle was what Hermes called Harrie’s rival and Ronnie called the skankiest bitch to ever walk the earth. Tamara didn’t go to Harrie’s school, thank god, but she attended the private school that shared a parking lot with Harrie’s school. Harrie and Tamara used to be friends, back when they both attended the same middle school, then they grew up and grew apart.

Tamara moved foster homes and became stuck up and snotty. Harrie met Ronnie and Hermes and stopped returning Tamara’s texts.

Harrie used to call Tamara her bffl and everyone said they were as close as any set of sisters. They could have pulled off the whole sister act, both were dark-haired, light-skinned, and thin - except Tamara had been Harrie’s first kiss when she was thirteen. After that, they said soulmates instead of sisters so it didn’t sound so incesty. Tamara really had been Harrie’s closest friend for years, it was like they had shared souls.

They cheered together, they made up dance routines together. Dad took them on little trips together. Harrie really thought they would be best friends for life.

Tamara just became a bitch after starting school at the snobby private school that her foster parents sent their two daughters to. Harrie didn’t like her friends, didn’t like her green and silver uniforms that Tamara altered to look especially skanky.

Harrie didn’t like Tamara anymore, period.

Tamara had her ass twitching beneath her pleated skort, the style she totally ripped off Harrie since she knew Harrie wore those for practice, as she walked around Harrie’s car for no reason other than irritating Harrie.

“I really thought that you’d be at practice, Harrie.” Tamara widened her brown eyes at Harry with her fake lashes really finishing the look of pretend innocence. “Or did you give up on making it to state? Nobody would blame you, you just have a weak team.”

“At least my team is real,” Harrie said sweetly after pausing the music coming from her radio. “I saw Darcy this morning, her new nose looks soo good.”

“Doesn’t it?” Tamara said, smiling at Harrie. “Ugh, it totally sucks that you can’t get your nose fixed.”

“Mm, that’s okay,” Harry said with her own perfect smile. “Everyone has flaws, like you and your giant ass. New eating disorder not working out, Tam?”

Point, Harrie.

Tamara lost her catty smile and Harrie saw her smooth a hand over the back of her skirt. Tamara didn’t actually have a giant ass, she had a great ass. Which was so unfair because mean girls just shouldn’t have great assess.

“You wish you had my ass,” Tamara shot at Harrie. “Still stuffing your bra, babe?”

“Ask Blaire if my bra’s stuffed,” Harrie said, smirking as she brought up one of Tamara’s cheerleaders that Harrie hooked up with recently. “She was the one with her hands in at last weeks tailgate.”

Tamara’s eyes flashed in irritation and Harry saw her clench her fist at her side. Harrie almost gave herself another point, but Tamara could argue all day long.

Harrie used to like that about her.

“That’s because Blaire will feel up any slut who lets her,” Tamara said with a haughty flip of her hair. “Plus she’s been taking molly lately, she was probably high and wanted to see if those mosquito bites were real or not.”

Point, Tamara.

Harry threw her car door open and climbed out to glare right in Tamara’s face. Tamara had on her green wedge sneakers which gave her like two extra inches on Harrie, but Harrie was pissed enough to feel taller.

“Are you saying I’m a slut?” Harrie demanded hotly. Harrie was a lot of things, but not a slut.

Tamara twisted her red-painted lips in a smirk and she made a point of looking Harrie over from her messy ponytail clear down to her practice pumas.

“I’m saying that you’re one more script for penicillin away from getting a free refill,” Tamara said, drawing her words out slowly.

Harrie’s face burned just as hotly as the blood inside her body boiled. That was one time.

“At least people want to have sex with me,” Harrie said with as much venom as she could. “Are you getting tired of all your girlfriends getting drunk before they can stand to fuck you? I’d offer to give you a makeover, but even my eyeliner can’t fix your personality.”

“As if I’d use your eyeliner,” Tamara sneered. “I don’t want to catch pink eye again.”

“You’re the one that gave me pink eye!” Harry yelled.

“Oh yeah?” Tamara arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Like how you gave me lice?”

“YOU GAVE ME LICE! I NEVER SHOULD HAVE USED YOUR HEADBAND!”

“YOU BEGGED TO WEAR MY HEADBAND!”

“BECAUSE EVERYONE MADE FUN OF YOU AND I WAS TRYING TO BE NICE!”

“YOU’RE A LIAR! YOU STOLE THAT HEADBAND FROM ME!”

“YOU STOLE IT FROM THE MALL TO START WITH!”

“Alright there, Harrie?”

Harrie turned to look away from Tamara when she heard a familiar voice. Daisy was walking across the parking lot with her softball bat over her shoulder and her eyes locked on Tamara. It was perfect timing from Harrie’s perpetually late cousin because Harrie was one second away from breaking Tamara’s nose and getting suspended.

Harrie swished her ponytail, wishing it would bitch-slap Tamara, and smiled brightly at her cousin.

“I’m fine,” Harrie said cheerfully. “Are you ready?”

Daisy looked suspiciously toward Tamara, but Harrie already had her back to her as she walked back to her car. Tamara was a bitch and that was the entire story.

Tamara watched with hooded eyes as Harrie and Daisy climbed in the car that Harrie loved so much. She waited until they were pulling out of the parking lot to yell one more jab at Harrie.

“Sorry you won’t be at State! I’ll take photos for you, babe!”

Harrie Black really, really, hated Tamara Riddle.

“Long day, lovie?”

Harry huffed at her Dad while she dug through the freezer for the brownie batter ice cream she hid from her stepdad. Remus had the worst chocolate addiction and if Harrie didn’t hide her favorite ice cream then it was always gone by the time she wanted it again.

It was tricky hiding ice cream from Remus, but Harrie just saved a plastic bag for frozen peas once and used it as a cover for her cartons. It didn’t always work, but Harry was pleased to see it did that time.

“The longest day,” Harry whined after grabbing a spoon and throwing herself in a chair beside Dad at the table. Dad was typing away at his laptop, probably working, but Harry needed someone to complain to. Dad hummed and it was all the encouragement that Harrie needed to begin ranting.

“First of all, Petunia said I look anorexic,” Harry said heatedly, immediately catching Dad’s complete attention. Harrie’s weight was ‘a sensitive topic’ and Dad hated it as much as Harrie did when people commented on her size. It was different when it was Tamara, she had been there through the hard times and her barbs rolled right off Harry’s perfectly healthy sized back.

“You drove Daisy home today?” Dad asked, curling his lip up when Harrie nodded. “If Petunia wants to discuss your health, she’s welcome to start with your records when you were one.”

Harrie felt immediately vindicated by Dad’s dislike of Daisy’s parents that matched her own. When Harrie’s moms died, Harrie had to spend six months with Daisy’s family while the court sorted out Dad’s paternal claim as her biological father against his criminal record.

It was one drunk and disorderly, Harrie didn’t see the big deal.

Harrie didn’t remember staying with them, she had only been a baby, but Harrie’s parents never forgot that when Dad was finally granted custody that Harrie had a diaper rash bad enough to put her in the hospital. The hospital also said she had lost weight and Dad and Remus chalked it up to Daisy’s parents neglecting Harrie while they had her.

Harrie could look past that because babies were probably a pain to take care of, but every time she had to see her aunt and uncle, they never failed to find a way to insult her. It almost made it not worth being friends with Daisy except Harrie loved Daisy so she put up with it.

“I might have asked her if she ever considered getting Invisalign to fix her teeth,” Harrie admitted sheepishly, knowing Dad wouldn’t care.

Dad said way worse things to Petunia on holidays. Harrie got most of her creative insults directly from him.

True to form, Dad snorted.

“Catty,” Dad said with an absent grin. He glanced over and saw Harry stabbing at the frozen ice cream harshly and raised a concerned eyebrow. “You don’t look unhealthy, love. Petunia’s a jealous waste of cum.”

Harrie giggled and Dad winked.

“See?” Dad said brightly. “If she ever talks shit again just start doing back walkovers, she’d turn red with jealousy when Jamie did them in front of her.”

Harry sighed when that actually reminded her of what had caused her bad mood.

“Open up,” Harry ordered her dad, holding a spoonful of ice cream for him.

Dad did it without a second thought and gave Harry a grin after she fed him a bite.

“As you’ve now accepted a bite of my ice cream, you have to help me,” Harry said seriously. “It’s a binding contract, Dad. No takesie backsies.”

Dad closed his laptop before tilting his chair back to reach the silverware drawer behind him. When he had his own spoon in hand, he held it up with all the solemnity that the moment required.

“I, Sirius Black, father of the fabulous Harrie Black, would never dream of enacting the disgusting rites of takesie backsies,” Dad said, waving his spoon like a magic wand. “In this bubble of brownie batter, I am prepared to listen and assist.”

“Very good,” Harrie said, sniffing haughtily even with a grin pulling up her lips. She pushed the carton between them on the table. “This is life or death, Dad.”

“So it’s about You-Know-Who?” Dad asked, immediately attacking the ice cream like a madman to find the best chunks of brownie.

“No.” Harrie smacked his spoon with hers to take the brownie piece for herself. “She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is not the problem. Though she did seem really mad about Blair when I brought it up.”

“J-E-A-L-O-U-S,” Dad chanted in a quiet cheer.

“S-K-A-N-K-Y, she ain’t got no alibi,” Harrie quipped back with a roll of her eyes. Dad was all the time trying to set up Harrie and her friends - and enemies.

So far he was 0 for 3. The worst setup was when he tried to get Ronnie and Darcy on a date together. That terrible incident was what prompted Harrie to put a password on her cell phone.

“Okay if it’s not about Tam-Tam, then it’s my golden lions,” Dad said before popping a spoonful of brownie in his mouth with a smug look.

“It is,” Harrie said solemnly. “Dad, we suck. Okay, I’m good, but there’s no ‘I’ in cheer.”

Dad became all business when Harrie began outlining the problems the team was having. Ronnie seemed to be forgetting more and more steps the closer they got to the competition. Tessa, their newest teammate, was a sweet girl but she was a sophomore and just didn’t understand the severity of state. Gino seemed more interested in girls than grand jetes. Hermes was technically great, but he was stiff like he memorized the routine but didn’t put any feeling in it.

To get to state the Lions needed tight routines, bright smiles, and some freaking spirit.

Dad had a bunch of good ideas for Harrie to use, including a team sleepover on Friday to build spirit before Saturday. The two of them plotted and planned for an hour while they shared ice cream. At some point, they moved to the backyard so Dad could help Harrie with tightening her aerials.

When Remus returned home from work, he only sighed at the sight of Harrie and her dad in their matching cheer shorts and shirts from the competition in Panama last year. Dad even had a pink headband to hold his hair back that matched Harrie’s purple headband.

“You are thirty-seven,” Remus told Dad with an expression mixed between exasperation and amusement.

It was a common expression Remus made, really.

“I know,” Dad huffed. “I feel it. Come help us? We can’t practice the basket flip without you.”

Harrie made big pleading eyes at Remus - the same shape as her dad’s eyes but with her mom Lily’s color. Dad made sad eyes too and pathetic whimpers until Remus laughed and shed his cardigan.

“I thought once I graduated that I left this nonsense behind,” Remus said, an obvious joke. Even with his bad knee, Remus had the sparkle of cheerleading in his blood as much as Harrie and her dad did. Nobody could take the drug that cheer was for ten years of their life then just drop it.

Not. Possible.

“Then why did you ask me to put my old uniform on the other night?” Dad asked Remus with an innocent smile that sent Harrie in a disgusted fit of giggles.

“Focus, men!” Harrie cried. “We have glory to bring!”

“Go Lions!” Dad and Remus said before falling in place for practice.

On Friday, Harrie felt much better about the Lion’s odds at qualifiers.

The team had really put their heart and soul in practice all week and Harrie felt bad for being so bitchy about their efforts. Partly for team bonding, partly to make sure everyone got enough sleep and wasn’t late the next morning, Harrie had the team over on Friday for a sleepover.

The Black house had four bedrooms and it wasn’t the first team sleepover. Harrie, Ronnie, and Tessa would share Harrie’s room while Hermes and Gino took the guest room. Dad went all out with renting movies and laying all their mats across the backyard. Remus made like a stupid amount of food for them that Harry seriously appreciated.

“Eat up because it’s an early night,” Harrie told the others bossily after they watched Legally Blonde for like the fiftieth time.

Harrie freaking lost it every time she watched that movie.

“What? Like it’s hard?”

Iconic.

“I thought we were watching Bring It On next?” Tessa asked with a pout, looking up at Harrie from where she had been loading up a tortilla with grilled chicken and toppings.

“We can turn it on but you have to be asleep before it’s over,” Harrie said with her best threatening face. “This isn’t a game, Tessa. It’s the qualifying tournament.”

“And if you’re having fun then Harrie thinks you’re like cheering wrong,” Ronnie grinned.

“There’s no fun in champions,” Gino said with a teasing wink at Harrie. “But there is an ‘I’ in Harrie.”

It didn’t mean anything when Gino flirted with Harrie. Gino flirted as easily as he breathed. It was just something to do to pass time and make Ronnie squeal. Ronnie did squeal and the team took their time in teasing her while they ate.

Harrie was having the best time, really. Everything was going perfectly.

Their practice was on point.

Their uniforms and gear were packed neatly in Harrie and Hermes’ cars.

Hair straighteners, curling irons, and makeup were all laid out to be used in the morning.

And team morale had never been higher.

When everything went off with only a minor hitch - Tessa was so not a morning person - the morning of qualifiers, Harrie was over the moon.

Then she screamed when she went outside and saw her car. When she went to sleep, Harrie had four perfectly normal tires. And what she woke up to were three slashed tires, only the front-left one being left untouched.

“Tamara,” Harrie growled, knowing it was that little bitch. Harrie couldn’t prove it and Hermes was quick to say that it could have been anyone, but Harrie just knew it was Tamera.

“Boys, grab the bags!” Dad ordered, already in motion while Harry only glared at the tires with her fists clenched. “Remus, pop it in neutral and help me push. Tessa, steer!”

Ronnie gave Harry a look of sympathy while her car was moved so Dad could get his SUV from the garage.

“They’re just hoping we’re late so they have less competition,” Ronnie said. “We’ll show up, TKA, and see how smug those slimy snakes are then.”

Ronnie was right, Harrie knew that. If it was Tamara - and who else would be so annoying to think that Harrie cared about insurance claims with three cut tires? - then she did it because she was scared.

And they thought, more than anything, ignited a fire inside Harrie.

“T.T.T.K.A.” Harrie smiled her perfected cheer smile at Ronnie and knew that the red lipstick, high pony, and golden eyeshadow on Ronnie’s face was a reflection of Harrie’s own face. Ronnie put her hand in for a two-woman cheer.

“Time to totally kick ass!”

The Golden Lions stepped in the stadium being used for state qualifiers with their show smiles on and eyes set on the prize. Dad and Remus wished them luck before they carried the bags with emergency supplies to the stands.

Coach Al found the team while they were in their assigned spot and were running through warmups. Harrie liked Coach Al, but he was just soo out of touch with current cheerleading standards. Coach Al had been against their new uniforms, citing that the skirts for the girls were too short, the shorts for the boys too tight, and the glittering tops were too sparkly.

As if a uniform could be too short, too tight, or too sparkly.

Puh-lease.

Harrie only smiled when he said that and then offered him a bag of the sour candies he liked just before she made the executive decision to order the uniforms. If Coach Al was really worried about it, maybe he should be more involved.

“Good morning, Lions!” Coach Al cried when he found Harrie leading everyone through stretches. Harrie giggled quietly over the red and gold cheer bow tied in Coach Al’s long white beard.

What he lacked in leadership, he made up for in enthusiasm.

“Who’s ready to have some fun?” Coach Al asked. Only Tessa threw a hand in the air, the rest of the team were not there for fun.

They were there to finally get to state and…

Harrie narrowed her eyes when eyes saw Tamara smirking at her from across the practice area.

“You give the team one of your super great pep talks and I’ll be right back,” Harrie told Coach Al brightly before sauntering away, her eyes locked on Tamara.

Tamara looked great, which was soo annoying. The dark green and silver suited Tamara’s cool looks as much as the red and gold suited Harrie. Tamara had a better ass, but Harrie had bigger boobs. Harrie had been a late bloomer, Tamara was just flat-chested.

“You owe me about four hundred dollars,” Harrie said when she reached Tamara. Tamara didn’t look surprised by Harrie’s declaration, she just arched one of her damn perfect eyebrows. Harrie couldn’t get her eyebrows that shaped even when she had them done professionally. It was her dad‘s fault, Lily Potter had wonderful eyebrows in every photo and video that Harrie had of her.

“Why would I pay you that much money?” Tamara asked with a mocking tone. “If this is your idea of fundraising, you should take your top off. A-cups are only worth maybe $20 though.”

“You’re so funny.” Harrie laced her hands behind her back and knew that Tamara had to be jealous of her breasts that were at least double her size. “You know what’s not so funny? Slashing my tires so we couldn’t come compete. If you were scared, get a blankie, bitch.”

Tamara didn’t so much as blink, but Harrie saw the surprise in her eyes all the same.

Whoever slashed Harrie’s tires, it wasn’t Tamara. Not that Tamara would just say so, oh no, she had to be soo cool and totally aloof.

“If I slashed your tires, it would be to save you from utter humiliation, not because I was scared of you, babe,” Tamara said cooly with her eyes in the hooded-sleepy look they once spent weeks perfecting together.

“Sucks for you, darling,” Harrie drawled. Harrie stood up and had her face just an inch from Tamara’s, ensuring that her bubblegum flavored breath washed over Tamara’s smug face. “Because I came to win. So you can kiss my ass.”

With that, Harrie turned on her toe and strutted away, sure that Tamara watched her go. It wasn’t why Harrie swung her hips while she walked, that was just habit.

“When my team takes the top spot, you’ll be the one kissing my ass!” Tamara yelled at Harrie’s back.

Tamara always did want to have the last word.

“Bet,” Harry spat over her shoulder.

Harrie also liked having the last word.

The Golden Lions cheered their booties off that day.

Harrie didn’t know if it was enough to win, but she knew that her heart was bursting with pride in her team. All of them put in 101% and she just really hoped it showed to the judges.

They stood, hand-clasped, while the judging began after all the teams competed. The Silver Snakes went after the Lions while Harrie was being hugged to death by her dad and overly hydrated by her stepdad so she missed the performance, but she was sure they did great.

“And in third place, moving on to the State Championship Tournament… the BEACHSIDE BADGERS!”

Harrie watched as a group dressed up in black and yellow uniforms jumped up and down, squealing and laughing all the while. Their captain, a pretty girl with golden curls and pretty grey eyes, rushed up to the judges table to accept their bronze trophy and the folder with information on state.

“This is ours,” Ronnie whispered, squeezing Harris’s hand tight when the judge held his hands up for silence once again. “I just know it.”

Harrie held her breath and prayed hard for a win. It wasn’t just that Harrie wanted to prove herself - she was just as talented and dedicated as all four of her parents had been - but Harrie wanted her team recognized for their work.

Ronnie didn’t miss a single step. Tessa smiled so brightly as she did her flips. Hermes and Gino stood strong and confident when they lifted the girls for aerials. And all Harrie wanted was for that work - that perfect display of being a team - to just be acknowledged.

“Second place today goes to… the SILVER SNAKES!”

Harrie only kept her smile by pure reflex because her heart broke on the inside.

Tamara and her team yelled so loud and Harrie felt Tamara’s smug smile burning in the side of her head, but Harrie couldn’t bear to look at her. The snakes did good, they always did, but Harrie just really thought her team had won.

“It’s not over yet,” Gino whispered fiercely. He held one of Harrie’s hands and squeezed it while Tamara and Lucy accepted their silver trophy and folder. Tamara caught Harrie’s eyes and Harrie knew that her green eyes would be reflecting her heartbreak.

Tamara frowned at Harrie briefly before flipping on her crowd smile and she waved at the audience with the tall, blonde, model that was the older of the Malfoy sisters. Harrie was surprised Tamara let her accept the trophy together, Tamara didn’t like to share the spotlight.

Ronnie and Gino giggled when not a moment after Harrie thought that, Tamara tripped Lucy on their way back to the rest of their team. Lucy hit the floor and only saved smashing her plastic nose with her silicone breasts.

“I wonder what Lucy did,” Ronnie whispered to Harrie.

“Knowing Tamara? Probably used her shade of lipstick,” Harrie whispered back, grinning when Tamara smirked in her directly.

For a skanky bitch, Tamara wasn’t the worst archenemy to have.

Harrie kept up a positive pretense for her team, but she didn’t expect to be called for the first place position at qualifiers. It was why when she heard her team, Harrie was the last one to cheer.

“The first place prize goes to… THE GOLDEN LIONS!!”

Harrie stood stunned while Ronnie leaped at Hermes with a shriek and Gino and Tessa hugged and chanted their team name.

“Us?” Harrie said, looking automatically toward the stands. Dad was screaming his ridiculous head off while he jumped up and down in Remus’ arms. It was her dad’s unbridled joy that brought a genuine smile to Harrie’s face.

“Us!” Harry screamed. She jumped high and wrapped Coach Al in a hug before she ran toward the judges table with a whoop and her team on her heels.

The Golden Lions were going to State. It was the first time their school advanced that far in the competition since Jamie Potter had been cheer captain.

Harrie beamed and held the trophy high while photographs were taken.

And if Harrie tossed a smirk to Tamara as she brandished the proof of her hard work, it wasn’t as if Tamara had room to judge.

With six weeks until State, Harrie put her entire heart and soul in developing a new routine for the team to show.

State had more technicalities, legalities, and rules than any competition before and Harrie was so glad Dad was willing to help her plan a routine. They needed to show off every skill they had while not losing a single point for any sort of technicality.

It was such a pain to work out.

Harrie almost had it when Ronnie called her, freaking out.

“You’re going to scream, but like… don’t,” Ronnie said as soon as Harrie answered.

Harrie was alone in her room and didn’t see any reason why she couldn’t scream, but she agreed for the sake of getting information.

“We’re doing Everybody by the Backstreet Boys, right?” Ronnie asked.

“Yeah?” Harrie said slowly, a terrible feeling in her stomach.

“So I think Darcy’s team is too because, like… I just heard her singing it.”

“Oh.”

Harrie counted to eight and then she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Harrie didn’t bother with changing from her lazy Sunday clothes. It was a pair of leggings and Remus’ senior shirt from high school, perfect to kick someone’s ass in. Harrie just snatched her car keys and made a quick decision —

Gino or Daisy?

Daisy.

Someone might get the wrong idea if Gino helped Harrie kick some stuck up, song stealing, skinny, plastic asses. Plus, Daisy did boxing in her off seasons of softball. It would really hurt to be punched by Daisy Dursley.

Daisy waited outside her house for Harrie after getting her text. Harrie saw Petunia in the window of the house, probably making some horrible face, but Harrie was too furious to even flip her off.

“Whose ass are we kicking?” Daisy asked as soon as she climbed in the passenger seat.

It wasn’t the first time Harrie called Daisy for help. There had been a brief phase Harrie went through where she thought she might be bisexual and she went out with the football captain at the private school beside hers. Cormac was terrible though and Harrie had to call Daisy - a less mortifying person than one of her parents - when Harrie was drunk at a house party with Cormac, hiding in a closet from him.

Daisy had just absolutely beat the hell out of him when she pulled up with the girl she’d been secretly dating for months. And Persephone - which Harrie called her because she hated it - didn’t even have to help Daisy, Daisy just beat Cormac up all on her own.

It was really the day that Harrie decided Daisy might be a sweaty jock, but she was her sweaty jock and Harrie loved her.

Daisy was dressed to kick ass again in her baggy basketball shorts and black tshirt. Honestly, if it weren’t for the color of their eyes, Harrie would question if they were really related or not.

It was nice though, having a cousin so fully committed to kicking ass with Harrie.

“Tamara and her little team of bitches,” Harrie said darkly as she put the car in drive and spun her tires on the pavement. At least the scorch marks from the new wheels would give Petunia a tangible thing to complain about.

“Ew, Harrie!” Daisy huffed and slumped down in her seat with her arms crossed. “I didn’t know you were dragging me on some cheerleading bullshit.”

“It is not bullshit!” Harrie slapped her steering wheel hard. “They stole our song, I know one of them slashed my tires, and I’m so sick of it! If they’re going to fuck with us, we’re going to kick their asses.”

It took a minute of silence from Daisy before Harrie’s lips twitched.

Okay, that totally sounded like bullshit.

“Just shut up,” Harrie told her cousin with a crooked grin. “When we get there, you knock out that pug-nosed Peyton and Lucy, I’ll take Tamara and Darcy.”

And Harrie kind of doubted if Blaire would join a fight. Blaire wasn’t like the Malfoy sisters or Peyton, she actually had a brain of her own and didn’t let Tamara make all her decisions.

“Okaaay,” Daisy breathed, already more interested in the radio than Harrie’s battle plan. “Oh! Did I tell you? I told Dad that Uncle Sirius is buying you a convertible for your birthday this summer.”

“Um… He’s not?” Harrie said, very fond of the car she had. It was a Volkswagen Beetle Dad bought her for her sixteenth after making cheer captain. Remus took it to the college he worked at last winter and had the automotive students paint it as a project.

Harrie had the only pink car in at least like a hundred mile radius. A convertible wasn’t something she would trade it for.

“I know.” Daisy flipped on the terrible country station she liked before smirking at Harrie and laying back in her seat again. “But I think I’ll get one now.”

Harrie laughed freely at Daisy’s diabolical plan and decided she would let her keep the twangy crap on just for that.

At least until they pulled in the area of the house Tamara shared with the Malfoy family. Then Harrie flicked on AC/DC with her bluetooth to get them in the right state of mind.

Peyton’s black avalanche was in the driveway for the oversized house along with Blaire’s silver mustang. The garage was surely hiding the cars for Tamera, Lucy, and Darcy. Harrie could hear music when she killed her engine and drifted in a parking spot that she could peel out of in a rush if needed.

“They’re in there,” Harrie whispered to Daisy, getting a little to into the sneak attack vibe. There was a building on the Malfoy property size of a small house that Harrie knew they used for cheer practice. Darcy posted about it on her Instagram before and Harrie and Ronnie had almost died of jealousy.

Hermes tried to get them to just unfollow the others - ‘for their peace of mind’ - but Harrie wouldn’t do it. She had to keep tabs on Tamara.

She didn’t know why, but she had to.

“So we’re going to burst in there, accuse them of stealing a song, and then starting a fight?” Daisy asked, watching Harrie remove her earrings.

“Mhmm.”

“Awesome.”

That was almost exactly what the two cousins did.

Harrie threw open the door for the little cheer studio and she burst in as dramatically as humanly possible. Daisy stepped in behind her, less dramatic and more threatening as she cracked her knuckles.

“You stole my song, you bitch!” Harrie yelled. Harrie blinked at the inside of the building and lost her anger for confusion. “Wait, what?”

Tamara wasn’t practicing cheer, nobody was. The music Harrie heard was from a movie being projected on the far wall of the studio. There were five green bean bag chairs in the middle of the room, all aimed toward the movie.

Except it wasn’t a movie…

Harrie had her nose scrunched up as she took a step toward the screen, ignoring the indignant sounds from the Slytherin School Cheer Team.

“Who is that?” Harrie asked no one in particular, looking at the girls who were cheering on screen. The one with the golden curls was familiar, but Harrie couldn’t place her at first.

“That’s the team from the Hufflepuff Alternative School.”

Harrie looked down and saw that she had walked right up beside Tamara. Tamara didn’t look nearly shocked enough by Harrie and Daisy’s sudden presence at her home.

Tamara always did call Harrie impulsive back when they knew each other better than anyone.

“You have a video of their practice?” Harrie asked, struggling to understand what was going on. “Why?”

“Are you like brain-dead?” Darcy scoffed from where she was nestled between her older sister and Tamara on the floor. “We need to see the competition before the competition, Black.”

“That’s why you were singing Backstreet Boys!” Harrie laughed, thrilled by the turn on events. Harrie looked down and saw Lucy, Darcy, and Peyton were sneering at her in disgust, but Blaire winked and Tamara just seemed patiently annoyed.

Stealing a song was a bitch move, secretly recording other teams practices to study their technique was a boss move.

“I totally thought you stole our song,” Harrie told Tamara. Harrie sort of forgot about Daisy as she nudged Tamara with her sneaker. “Scoot over, I don’t want to catch your STD of the month.”

“Nobody invited you,” Lucy scoffed with a flick of her bleached hair —

It wasn’t bleached, Harrie knew that. But saying it was sort of made Lucy lose her mind so it was just funnier that way.

“Why don’t you shut up and get Harrie a drink?” Tamara asked Lucy coolly, apparently the faux-sisters had some drama brewing. Harrie didn’t care, Harrie just flopped down beside Tamara and got comfortable while she watched the yellow and black clad cheerleaders line up for their pyramid routine.

Lucy did get Harrie a drink because everyone knew that she was totally scared of Tamara. Harrie got comfortable and didn’t even blink when Daisy demanded the keys to her car, refusing to stay for ‘weird cheerleading cult activities’.

Some people just didn’t understand the intensity that came along with competitive cheerleading.

Harrie stayed at Tamara’s until it was nearly dark, watching videos for eleven of the twelve teams that would be competing. If Tamara thought Harrie was bothered when Darcy turned on Gryffindor High’s video, she was so wrong. It was brilliant watching the practice on the huge projector screen. It gave Harrie a chance to see every mistake in 4K definition.

Harrie even took notes, just like Tamara was doing beside her.

When the last of the videos was played, Harrie stretched out on the floor and grinned at Tamara, feeling more fond than usual of her archenemy.

“How did you record our practice?” Harrie asked curiously. “The gym is locked.”

“The gym is locked after school,” Tamara said evenly. “During school hours it’s entirely open and free for anyone to enter.”

“Brilliant,” Harrie hummed. She caught sight of a window and both her eyebrows flew up. It was already dark outside, Harrie had lost her entire afternoon to watching all the team practice videos. When Peyton left after the Blue Ravens cheered, Harrie didn’t even register the hour.

“Shit.” Harrie rolled on her right side to snag her phone and was stopped by Tamara grabbing her arm. Harrie looked up at her and waited for an explanation. “What?” she asked when one didn’t immediately come.

“Don’t call your father,” Tamara said, correctly guessing what Harrie needed her cell for. “I’ll drive you home.”

Harrie snorted and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and you’ll just sit on the tracks until a train comes and hits me, right?”

“I hope so,” Darcy mouthed over Tamara’s shoulder where Tamara couldn’t see but Harrie did.

Darcy was such an annoying hoe. Seriously like she spent half her time trying to be as cool as she thought Tamara and Lucy were and still wound up being a lame shadow of Tamara. Lucy was just… ugh.

F-A-K-E, that’s what Lucy got for free.

“Don’t be as stupid as usual,” Tamara snapped at Harrie, already gracefully rising to her feet so she could stare down at Harrie blandly. “I have an errand to run, you can ride with me.”

“Fine.” Harrie snatched Tamara’s hand and used it to pull herself to her feet. “But if you kill me then Daisy will probably bash your skull in with her softball bat.”

“So when I do eventually kill you, I should kill Daisy first?” Tamara asked, leading the way out of the cheer studio. “That can be arranged.”

Harrie began debating over if Tamara could even win a fight against Daisy and didn’t even notice Blaire holding her hand out at Lucy for a twenty that Lucy slapped in her hand bitterly.

“You know your team would be much better if you replaced Ronnie, right?” Tamara asked right after pulling out of the driveway.

Harrie rolled her eyes and prepared for a ten minute drive of Tamara being incredibly obnoxious.

“Ronnie’s got more spirit than any one of your little cheerbots,” Harrie said loyally.

Tamara glanced at her with an amused smirk. “She’s terrible with time, she’s clumsy, and her hair clashes with your uniform.”

It really did, actually.

Harrie laughed and waved it all off. Ronnie was dedicated to the team, one of Harrie’s besties, and she just has so much drive. Plus, Gino was soo talented and to lose one Weasley would mean losing both.

“Is that why we kicked your ass at qualifiers?” Harrie asked, fluttering her lashes sweetly. “Because I bet Ronnie scored higher than freaking Darcy.”

Tamara hummed and tapped a French tip against her steering wheel.

“It was my fault we lost three points,” Tamara admitted quietly, catching Harrie off guard. “I was annoyed with Lucy and let it affect the team.”

That didn’t sound like Tamara at all. It was one of the few common grounds the girls still had - cheer came first, always.

“What did Lucy do?” Harrie asked, thinking of how Tamara let Lucy accept the award with her only to trip her in front of all the spectators and other teams.

“Nothing that can be proven in a court of law…” Tamara smiled slyly at Harrie. “But I am quite confident that she was the one who slashed your tires.”

If Lucy did it, it was only because Tamara would have told her to. A thought that pissed Tamara off as soon as Harrie shared it.

“I don’t want to beat your lame team because of a technical difficulty,” Tamara said hotly, her pale cheeks gaining a pink tint like they always did when she was mad. “When I’m the best, I want it known that it’s because I’m just better than every single other competitor, not because they’re late to competitions.”

“I hope you like being second best then,” Harrie said, just as impassioned as Tamara was. “Because we’re going to win, Tam-Tam. We’re going to win state, go to nationals, and - and everyone’s going to know I set the bar.”

Tamara slowed to a stoplight and looked over at Harrie with her head tilted curiously as she studied Harrie.

“Is it hard?” Tamara asked slowly. “Always living in the shadow of your parents and desperate to best them?”

“Oh fuck you!” Harrie grabbed the door handle and decided she would just walk the rest of the way to her house.

Harrie was not desperate to best her parents, she just…

Jamie and Lily Potter were cheer goddesses, but they never made it to nationals. They went to state two years in a row, but never nationals.

The door handle wouldn’t open and Harrie reached past Tamara to try and unlock it. Tamara let her press the button before pressing the gas pedal to the floor and flying through the red light they had been at. Harrie yelped when the sudden speed slammed her against her seat and her plan on walking home was ruined.

“Child lock, babe,” Tamara said nonchalantly. “And it wasn’t an insult, you impulsive twat. I’ve always wondered.”

“How about you, Tam?” Harrie asked harshly, refusing to see Tamara’s question as anything except a jab at one of Harrie’s worst insecurities. “Is it hard living with the Malfoys? They won’t adopt you, but they’ll use you to make their daughters look good. Was it like a contingency of them taking you in to let Lucy and Darcy on your team? I can’t imagine why they made the team otherwise.”

Tamara stiffened in her seat and shot Harrie a venomous look. Harrie normally wouldn’t bring up something like Tamara’s status as a foster kid, but Tamara started it by bringing up Harrie’s dead moms.

“They took me in before I was even named cheer captain,” Tamara said with her jaw clenched. “You know that, Harrie. We used to be soulmates, or did you forget that too?”

“We were never soulmates,” Harrie said angrily. “I should have known you would turn in to some snobby, stuck-up, spoiled—”

“Spoiled?!” Tamara shrieked. She pulled the car over only a few blocks from Harrie’s house and turned to glare at her. “You’re kidding me, Black! Everything I have, I worked my ass off for! What did you do to deserve anything you have besides be born? You have- you have your parents and even the ones that are dead you know wanted you! I started with nothing, and every single freaking thing I have I had to earn. You wouldn’t know hard work if it slapped you in your spoiled face! Your life is perfect!”

Harrie totally blamed PMS for the way that her jaw had dropped and tears welled up in her eyes.

“You know how miserable I used to be,” Harrie said, hating that her eyes watered even when she was just freaking mad. “You - you were there for sixth grade! You know all the freaking therapy and hospital stays I had! I had to work harder than anyone just to make the team in seventh grade!”

Tamara jerked her head back like Harrie slapped her. It was just… how dare Tamara act like she didn’t know how much Harrie used to struggle? Tamara was the one who held Harrie’s hand and ripped labels off food so Harrie couldn’t count the calories before she ate it. Tamara told Harrie there wasn’t any shame in getting therapy and taking the medicine. Tamara had brushed Harrie’s hair off her forehead when Harrie relapsed and put herself in the hospital.

Harrie was spoiled with her dad and her stepdad. They were amazing. But that didn’t mean Harrie just woke up to a perfect life. There were days where Harrie wouldn’t get out of bed if it wasn’t for her team needing her.

“You know what?” Harrie reached past Tamara and opened her door. It was a pain to climb over Tamara, but Harrie did it without Tamara fighting her. As soon as Harrie climbed out, she glared at someone who had once been the best thing in her life.

“Whatever this is,” Harrie flapped her hand between herself and Tamara, “is over.”

Harrie thought she saw regret in Tamara’s eyes, but she blinked and they were closed off and cold.

“Fine by me, Black,” Tamara said, just as icy as Lucy always was.

Harrie watched Tamara pull away so carefully and didn’t move until Tamara’s car was out of her sight.

When Harrie did make it home - absently noting that Daisy left her car in the driveway for her - Harrie went straight to her room. And the very first thing Harrie did was unfriend, unfollow, and block Tamara on every piece of social media she could.

Maybe Harrie was a spoiled silly girl, but Tamara was cruel.

Harrie spent the next week in something of a fog. Tamara had hurt her, but Harrie hurt her as well and it didn’t make her feel good.

Harrie was also too stubborn to apologize, knowing Tamara never would, and everything just felt… meh. Even if Harrie wanted to apologize - at least for the truly mean things she said in the heat of the moment - it wasn’t like Tamara was showing her face anywhere near Harrie.

The Malfoy sisters still made sure to sneer at her in the mornings, but the other girls’ cars were gone by the time Harrie left practice every day. Harrie tried putting all her energy in practice with only three weeks to State, but her team saw her sinking slowly in what Dad kindly called ‘a Black family heirloom’.

“Listen, Frieda and Georgia are having a party tonight.”

Harrie blinked over at Ronnie, confused by her random declaration. The two of them were the last two in the locker room after practice, Harrie had been slowly brushing her hair in the mirror and didn’t realize Ronnie was even still in the room.

“Tell them no more fireworks,” Harrie said with a half-hearted smile. Ron’s older sisters, Frieda and Georgia, had graduated two years ago and gone on to complete an associates at the local community college in record time. When the school year started, the twins opened an amazing toy store downtown.

Harrie liked the twins, they were bubbly and funny and had been senior cheerleaders in Harrie’s freshman year. They brought Harrie on and were the ones to introduce her to Ronnie and Gino.

They were just also super irresponsible and once burned down part of the park when a firework display went wrong. Not that anyone like turned them in, they weren’t snitches, but everyone knew that it was the Weasley Twins.

“It’s at their new place, on Circle Drive?” Ronnie asked, reminding Harrie that they had moved recently. Ronnie’s family live on Circle Drive, Ronnie hated it. Harrie kind of liked the trailer park that she lived in, though she could totally see why a trailer for seven kids would have been a nightmare.

With Ronnie’s older sisters all moving out, leaving just Ronnie and Gino at home with their parents, Harrie thought it was a fun place to be. The twins clearly agreed since they bought the trailer on the other side of the lot.

Harrie hummed while she packed up her hairbrush with the sweaty practice clothes she had changed out of. The tampons in her bag were like mocking her, reminding her that her stress over State and general low mood had thrown her cycle off track.

It was just another way that Tamara had messed up Harrie’s life.

“Harrie? Are you listening?”

Harrie quit glaring at her tampons to look at Ronnie again and offered only a sheepish grin.

“I wasn’t, sorry,” she said. “I’m all ears, I swear.”

Ronnie huffed and crossed her arms, though her blue eyes were too soft to really be angry.

“I said- come over,” Ronnie said, bouncing some on the toe of her sneakers. “My parents won’t be home, Bailey and Florian bought them tickets for that spa upstate for the weekend. We can get drunk with the twins then black out at my house?”

Harrie considered it… it was a Friday night and it wasn’t like Harrie had anything else to do. They had practice at noon on Saturday, plenty of time for a hot shower and greasy brunch to wash away a hangover. Dad wouldn’t mind, he had been on Harrie’s ass about being a hermit the last two weeks anyway.

“Who all’s coming?” Harrie asked carefully as she swung her bag over her shoulder.

Ronnie knew that was Harrie’s acceptance of the invite and she linked their arms together to talk while they walked.

“So they invited like everyone from their year that still live around here, plus like a bunch of cute boys from their school. Oh, they don’t know we’re coming, but you should invite Daisy! And - andifyouwantedtoinviteHermesthatsfine,” she added in a rush.

Harrie laughed at Ronnie’s totally obvious crush on Hermes and it didn’t feel as fake as it had been lately.

The prospect of a good party with the twins, college kids, and watching Ronnie flirt shyly with their equally-shy teammate was too much to resist.

Harrie sang under her breath while she got ready that night. Dad and Remus had been too happy about Harrie going out to a party, though part of it probably came from the seconds Harrie had of Remus’ stir-fry. It was one of the best things about meeting Ronnie and Hermes after all the drama of middle school… they didn’t stress out when Harrie didn’t eat lunch or think she was missing meals every time she had a headache.

It was nice, having friends that just vibed with Harrie. But it also… Harrie missed the friendships she had that involved deep talks at three in the morning during sleepovers about how it felt to always be compared to her moms and how heavy the pressure to be perfect was.

Tamara had understood.

Then Tamara used all those things Harrie confided to her as ammunition in a catty argument.

Harrie had a much better appreciation for the simple friendships she had. The worst that Ronnie could ever use against Harrie was the time that Harrie caught gonorrhea after going down on a girl she met at one of Daisy’s traveling softball games.

Vicky Krum had the greatest set of abs and absolutely no basic consideration.

Harrie thought she was dressed to kill in the most casual ‘oh, there’s a party happening?’ type of way that night. Her jeans were cut to show more of her mid-drift that the subtle crop top she wore highlighted. Harrie also had her hair half up, half down. Her makeup was on point. Her boots were hella cute.

Honestly, Harrie thought she looked great. Not in a shallow ‘oh I’d fuck myself if I had a clone’ kind of way, but definitely seventeen and ready to party.

And Harrie just… was so over it as soon as her, Ronnie, Gino, and Gino’s date of the week (Harrie stopped memorizing their names when she realized they didn’t make it to week two) crossed the lot to the twins’ trailer.

There were so many people there, mostly college students which Harrie would find so exciting any other time. The twins had stereos set up on their porch and they even went full white trash party with half a dozen couches all over their lot.

Harrie thought it was a perfect touch, Ronnie called them embarrassing.

“Icky Bitty Vicky!!” Frieda had jumped at Ronnie as soon as they made it in the trailer. There were somehow even more people inside the three bedroom double wide than there were outside and Harrie was glad to melt to the background while the twins teased Ronnie.

Harrie absolutely was not going to let them ruffle her hair and mess it all up like they were Ronnie’s hair. It was hard enough to make Harrie’s hair look good, she wasn’t going to walk around a party with staticky poof-hair.

Instead, Harrie winked at Ronnie before sliding around through the living room to get to the kitchen where some girl with multicolored hair was handing out red solo cups of booze.

“Heyyyy, Harrie, right?” The girl had purple bangs that were hanging across her forehead and Harrie thought she looked somewhat familiar.

“Sorry, I’m like so bad with names.” Harrie flashed a perfectly nice smile at the older girl. “Have we met before?”

“I’m Tonks!” Tonks - Oh! Harrie’s cousin! - said as she held up two glass bottles to pour liquor from the both in one cup. “We met a few years ago, at my parents anniversary party?”

“Yes!” Harrie did smile more truly as she remembered. Dad had a large family, he was related to most of the town really. Harrie was pretty sure he told her once that Lucy and Darcy were his cousins, which made them Harrie’s second cousins and she purposefully pretended to never acknowledge that. But Tonks had been so cool when Harrie met her. That was back when Harrie had braces and Tonks had an Adam’s apple though, so it had been a while.

“That was the party where your dad’s brother got arrested, right?” Harrie asked. It was a little fuzzy because Harrie only got to watch the start of the fight, but Harrie thought she remembered Tonks’ uncle bursting in the middle of the dinner and screaming about homos and queers. It made Dad really sad and Remus really mad, which was probably why Harrie remembered it at all.

“Yup,” Tonks said, winking when she passed Harrie a mixed drink. “Good old Uncle Billy. You know he’s out of jail? I heard he’s staying with the Malfoys.”

“Hmm.” Harrie took a long drink and hoped that Tonks wouldn’t go on about anything to do with the Malfoys. When Tonks did just that - chatting about all the relatives she could name - Harrie looked around for a distraction.

“Oh, hey! I’ll be back,” Harrie lied to Tonks, spotting a familiar face headed out the front door. “It was soo good seeing you! You should come by, I know Dad would love to see you! Byeee!”

Tonks yelled something at Harrie’s back, but Harrie could hardly hear her over the mixed sounds from the party. Harrie chased after where she saw Hermes storming from the trailer and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why as Harrie passed the most annoying boy in the world chatting up Ronnie.

“Hermes! Wait!” Harrie cried, trying to keep her drink from spilling as she shoved through the bodies to catch her teammate. “Hey! Hermes!”

Hermes turned around all at once and Harrie nearly body-checked him. Hermes looked angry, but hurt too, so Harrie gave her a sympathetic look.

“Levi is a douche,” Harrie said, shrugging her shoulders. “Ronnie wanted you to be here.”

“She doesn’t really look like it,” Hermes said, his dark eyes flickering toward the door of the trailer even while he talked to Harrie. Hermes and Ronnie were like so gone for each other and it was so obvious to everyone except them.

Levi was like… obsessed with Ronnie. Levi had a whole image in his head… Levi played football, Ronnie cheered. For some reason, Levi thought that made them the perfect couple.

Because life was totally some cheesy high school romcom.

“Just go tell Ronnie that it’s an extension, round-off, pom pom emergency,” Harrie said seriously.

Hermes squinted at Harrie. “Is that a code?”

“No, it’s just enough cheer lingo in one sentence that Levi will be bored to death.”

Hermes laughed then, but Harrie laughed twenty minutes later when she was drinking on one of the couches in the yard and saw Hermes and Ronnie leaving the party together.

Harrie didn’t have any enthusiasm for flirting with the college boys at the party, but she didn’t turn down any of the drink refills they kept bringing her. Harrie giggled and twirled her hair and looked for Frieda and Georgia when some of the boys became pushy and annoying.

One drink became two, buzzed became drunk, red became blue.

Harrie was laying on a couch that was off to the side of the yard, a bit hidden in the shadows, and she scrolled on her phone screen above her face. Harrie planned on calling Dad for a ride, since Gino had been yelling about Ronnie and Hermes in his parents place and Daisy never made it, but she got distracted by a contact.

“Oh, Tam-Tam.” Harrie sighed sadly and took a long drink that had long since lost the bitter alcohol taste. “‘Hello thereeeee, the Angel from my nightmare! Something something something! Let’s be Jack and Sally! So many words! Where are you? And I’m so sorry!’”

“Harrie?”

Harrie looked around in surprise when she heard her name being repeated over and over. It could have been a ghost for as faint as it was… It took entirely too long for her to realize the voice was coming from her phone.

“Hello?” Harrie whispered, raising the phone to her ear. “Mom?”

“No, Tamara.”

“Tam?” Harrie pulled the phone away from her ear to squint at it blearily. Had Harrie called her or did Tamara call her? “You’re not a ghost. Did you call to apologize?”

“You called me. Are you drunk?”

Harrie giggled. “I’m like sooo drunk. Oh my god! I bet I called you to tell you that - that… do you remember our anklets? We thought we were so cool, Tam. Do you remember your birthday? You have the worst birthday.”

Tamara really did though. Like… New Years Eve? Harrie had kissed her at 11:59pm the night Tamara turned thirteen and they giggled about waiting sixty seconds so Harrie would be her birthday kiss and her New Years Kiss.

“Did you ever love me?” Harrie sighed, swinging one leg off the couch. “I just don’t know if I loved you or if I was just thirteen and so stupid. Do you miss me? Do you ever think about me? I bet you don’t. Why would you? I’m just- I shouldn’t have said that, about the foster care thing. I didn’t mean it, Tam. Remember when I asked Remus to adopt you? So that we could be sisters? Remember what you said? ‘Ew, we can’t be sisters and soulmates’.”

Harrie giggled and then the laugh broke off in a strangled sob.

“Everything is so stressful,” she cried, forgetting the phone call and just bemoaning her complaints to the stars in the sky. “I can’t embarrass everyone and let them down at state. And my chemistry score is so freaking bad, like… so bad. And - AND! My period is all messed up!”

It was one of many good things about being gay… Harrie never worried that she was pregnant when stress messed up her cycle.

“Harrie, where are you?” Tamara asked slowly. “Are you home? With your father?”

“I’m at a party and people keep flirting with me but they’re so boring!” Harrie cried. “I said ‘oh I’m in competitive cheer’ and you know what Boring McButt Face said? He said ‘that’s sooo hot’.”

The voice on the other end of the phone snorted and it was all the vindication Harrie needed to go off on a full tangent of all the things wrong with boys. Unfortunately, because Harrie had the worst luck, Harrie’s complaints about boys brought two of them to her.

Harrie was explaining how a female led society would be so much better than the patriarchy when someone began catcalling her.

“You’d look better if you quit talking.”

“Harrie? Who the fuck was that?”

Harrie squinted through the darkness - when did it get so dark? - to see two boys approaching her. They were —

“It’s monkey-men,” Harrie breathed, unsure who was on her phone but needing to fill them in all the same. “Look! Oh, I bet they’d be so good at baseball.”

The two boys that swaggered up to Harrie were both short, stocky, and had on the most hideous baggy jeans and tank tops. It was as if a gorilla bred with a human and then that direct descendant had a baby with Slim Shady.

That was their aesthetic.

“Harrie, Jesus. Shut the fuck up.”

Did Harrie say that out loud or just think it? But if she thought it, did she also think that she should shut up or was it a ghost that time?

“Bitch, are you serious?” One of the boys stepped right up by where Harrie had her head laid back on the couch and Harrie didn’t exactly like where her face was aimed and she tried to pull herself up to a sitting position.

Harrie dropped her phone when one of the Slim-Shady-Gorilla-Boys pushed her shoulder down, keeping her from sitting up. Harrie’s heart thumped in her chest and she started to call for the twins.

“Fried—”

A hand smacked over Harrie’s mouth and she whimpered when the boys stood closer to her, blocking Harrie from view of the rest of the party.

“You’re way hotter when you don’t talk,” said the boy whose hand wasn’t on Harrie’s mouth. Harrie tried to squint up at their faces and place them in her memory - they used to go to… Slytherin? Maybe? They didn’t go to Gryffindor…

Harrie kicked a leg out and tried to bite the thick hand covering her mouth at the same time. The boy by Harrie’s leg was quicker than a drunk seventeen year old girl thought and he twisted around and sat on Harrie’s legs, trapping them between his ass and the couch.

“You’re feisty, aren’t ya?” The boy covering Harrie’s mouth dropped to his knees in front of Harrie, thankfully replacing his crotch from her face-level. Not that his face was much better, his eyes were glazed with something probably stronger than booze and his face was dark red with anger.

Harrie had a taser that Dad made her carry… in the glovebox of her car… parked at Ronnie’s parents trailer across the lot.

“She’s bony, Greg,” the one on Harrie’s legs complained. He shifted around and Harrie tried to bite the hand on her mouth again. He was heavy.

“Sharp teeth too,” the other one said, pushing hard on Harrie’s mouth after she had tried to bite him. “Do it again, I dare ya.”

Harrie let out a keening sound when ‘Greg’ put his other hand over Harry’s throat. He didn’t squeeze hard, just hard enough for Harrie to take notice of it. Harrie was squirming as the one on Harrie’s legs started running his hands up her side, easily slipping beneath the baggy crop top she wore.

“Oh, found some curves,” he snickered as his gross sweaty gorilla hands stroked Harrie’s side. “Your skin’s soft.”

Harrie felt a tear leak out and it made the boy in front of her laugh.

“Not so tough now, huh?” he grunted. “Wanna go for a ride? We can go back to our place, have a private party.”

“Fuuuuck.” Greg slid a hand over Harrie’s breast and squeezed, causing more tears to fall down her cheeks and his friend to laugh again. Harrie struggled and squirmed and the hand on her throat tightened.

“We could just be doin’ a favor for our friend,” the boy choking and muffling Harrie whispered. “You’re drunk, needed a ride home. We’re nice guys, offered to help ya get there safely after you blacked out. Don’t want anyone to take advantage of a pretty girl.”

Harrie closed her eyes and tried to breathe through the slow strangulation she was experiencing.

It didn’t matter what Dad once said, being choked was not sexy and Harrie didn’t think she could take another second of it. Just when Harrie felt as if she were truly blacking out from a lack of oxygen, the hands covering her mouth and throat were ripped off immediately.

Harrie coughed and sputtered and opened her eyes so she could yell for Frieda and Georgia before she saw that the boys harassing her were being taken care of already. Harrie fixed her shirt and tried to sit up, only for her head to spin terribly.

It was like her mind was doing full twists over and over and over.

What Harrie could see when she tried just peeping one eye open was someone tall, thin, with dark hair and dark clothes standing between the boys and Harrie. Harrie couldn’t hear what they said, but the icy cold voice that washed back to her was comforting and so she closed her eyes again.

Harrie felt things pass by in bits and pieces…

“Harrie… Harrie… Jesus Christ, you freaking alcoholic. Wake up, skank!”

“‘M sorry.”

“Quit apologizing. You were rude, I was rude. This is just embarrassing.”

“You’ve got - hiccup - a great ass. Sooo not fair.”

“Can you shut up for like three seconds so I can get your dad to come carry your drunk ass inside?”

“Harrie? Lovie?”

“Dad! Look! ‘S you-know-who!”

“I apologize. Harrie called me and I—”

“Jumped right up to help her?”

“I was actually already in my car.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Harrie, what the hell happened to your neck?”

“Monkey-men.”

Harrie spent the rest of the weekend at home with her parents being ridiculously babied.

Supposedly Harrie got trashed, called Tamara, and Tamara interrupted what was like the beginning of an episode of SVU. That was the story Dad gave Harrie on Saturday morning. Harrie was skeptical about Tamara helping her, but the red mark shaped like a hand on Harrie’s neck was hard to ignore.

It was still there that afternoon when Remus called the police to take a statement from Harrie in hopes they would find the boys that had been at the party. Harrie only had maybe an hour of peace after the cop Dad knew left and the texts from her friends began.

Nobody was in trouble, but they were all visited by Officer Shacklebolt and asked about the party. Frieda called Harrie in like tears, apologizing for ‘losing her’. It was super embarrassing and only got worse on Sunday night.

Dad sat Harrie down at the table and Remus covered her up with a fuzzy blanket as if Harrie was too fragile for a conversation.

It was so sweet that her parents worried so much about her, but like… Harrie didn’t feel very traumatized about the whole thing. It pissed her off, but really it just strengthened her belief the world would be so much safer and more fun if all men were wiped off it.

Except for like… ten of them. Because Harrie would die if she didn’t have her dads, Hermes, and Gino. And there were probably six more men in the world weren’t terrible.

Maybe.

“Harrie, Kinley sent us a picture of two suspects, can you- can you see if they look familiar?” Dad asked her while Remus kept rubbing Harrie’s shoulders behind her.

“Yeah, okay,” Harrie said. When Dad passed over his phone to Harrie, it only took a moment for Harrie to look at the driver license photos of two boys before she felt a little sick.

“That’s them,” Harrie said in a heinously unattractive croak while she shoved the phone back to Dad. “They found them?”

“Well…” Dad looked up at Remus and frowned before fixing Harrie with a really serious look. “They’re dead, Lovie.”

“Oh.” Harrie wasn’t sure if she was supposed to be upset about that or not, but it was like really good news. “What happened?”

“Anonymous call this morning, I guess,” Dad said with a shrug. “A woman called and said that two men were trying to r—”

Remus cleared his throat pointedly.

“A caller said that two men were trying to hurt her and she had just escaped,” Dad said, his face burning at Remus’ super obvious and unneeded scolding. “The cops went to the address and I guess Asswipe and Dickhead had OD’d in the meantime.”

“That girl was okay, right?” Harrie asked. “She’s not like in trouble or hurt?”

“She was fine,” Remus said quickly, still rubbing Harrie’s shoulders. “They couldn’t find her, Kinley said it was probably a working girl. But it’s pretty clear the suspects,” Remus snarled the word, “tried mixing their drugs and died probably an hour after the woman called.”

“And that’s why we never mix drugs,” Dad quipped.

Remus sighed and began lecturing Dad about being sensitive, but Harrie smiled and winked when Dad looked at her. It was sweet how concerned Remus was, but Harrie was fine.

It sucked, men were terrible, and the bad guys were dead.

Harrie considered it a happy ending.

Dad kept Harrie home on Monday though and Harrie couldn’t complain, not when they just had a Daddy-Daughter Day.

Dad ordered so much takeout and was kind of annoying while he watched Harrie eat, but they snuggled on the couch and watched movies. They also talked a lot about Jamie and Lily, something they hadn’t done in a while.

It was nice.

They were watching Sugar & Spice and sharing an order of general tsos chicken when the doorbell rang. Dad offered to answer it and Harrie paused the movie while she waited. Officer Shacklebolt had been by that morning to basically tell Harrie what Dad did on Sunday so when Dad called for Harrie, Harrie assumed she was back again.

Except it wasn’t Officer Shacklebolt, it was Tamara.

Tamara stood on the porch, dressed down in practice clothes, and had her long hair pulled up in a slick ponytail. Harrie sighed at her own sloppy appearance and rolled her eyes when Dad ‘left them to it’.

“You’re alive,” Tamara said, looking Harrie over from her messy hair down to her bare feet. “I mean, you look like a really unattractive zombie, but you’re alive.”

“Duh,” Harrie drawled, leaning against the doorway and crossing her arms. “Did you think someone could actually die from embarrassment?”

Tamara’s red lips twitched like she wanted to smile but she didn’t.

“You didn’t go to school,” Tamara said casually.

“Dad’s being crazy,” Harrie shrugged. “I guess I’m supposed to be like traumatized.”

“Not you,” Tamara said, stating Harrie down intently. “You’re too stubborn to be traumatized.”

Harrie did grin then at what was totally a compliment.

“Oh, thanks, or whatever,” Harrie said, forcing herself to say the words she couldn’t text over the weekend. Tamara raised a brow and took half a step backward.

“For what?” she asked, a slight edge to her voice all of a sudden.

“Dad said you’re the one who brought me home?” Harrie reminded her slowly. “I was shit faced, so I don’t really remember calling you, but thanks for not like dumping me in a gutter.”

“Oh.” Tamara blinked and then smirked. “Yeah, well, nobody would believe me if I said you just accidentally died, so I guess I had to save your stupid ass.”

“You would kill me to win State,” Harrie scoffed.

“As if.” Tamara flicked her hair and stuck her nose in the air. “I need you there to watch me win. I’m hoping you’ll have like a nervous breakdown and my victory will send you to a psych ward.”

Harrie laughed but her reply was lost when Tamara’s car horn blared behind Tamara. Harrie leaned to the side to try and see who was in Tamara’s car, but the windows were too darkly tinted to see anyone inside.

“That’s Billy,” Tamara said, backing off the porch and heading back to her car. “Have fun looking like a zombie, don’t forget that brains are full of protein.”

“Fuck off,” Harrie said without any real anger. She was still squinting at the car trying to place the name. “Hey! Not Billy Black?”

“Mm? Yes,” Tamara said. She turned her back to Harrie and began pep-walking to the drivers side of her car. “Have fun being babied, babe. I’m off to be a grown up.”

Harrie didn’t even have a witty comeback to throw. Harrie only watched Tamara climb in her car and drive off with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Harrie brought Billy up to her dad the instant she was back inside. Harrie threw herself on the couch and landed with her head snuggled up in Dad’s side.

“You have a cousin named Billy, right?” Harrie asked. She could feel the muscles in Dad’s body tense and a quick peep up at his face showed his frown.

“Unfortunately,” Dad said, glancing down at Harrie while he began absently stroking her hair. “Why?”

“How old is he?” Harrie asked. She could remember Billy being older than her back when she was little, he totally was too old to be hanging around Tamara.

“Mm… twenty-five? Maybe?” Dad said. “I heard he’s out of jail, I want you stay away from him,” he said firmly. “Billy’s bad news. Last I heard, he was wrapped up in dealing heroin.”

Harrie didn’t say anything, but the bad feeling in her stomach got even worse.

Tamara was seventeen, she had no reason to be hanging around a twenty-five year old drug dealer. And if Harrie wanted them to be even, then she needed to warn Tamara about him. Like… pronto tonto.

After practice on Tuesday, Harrie and Daisy were waiting around the parking lot for the Slytherin practice to end.

Daisy really didn’t need to be there but she was being all ‘oh, Harrie, you were attacked by some ugly monkey-men and now I need to stay with you when you hang out in parking lots’. It was just as annoying as Dad while only being half as sweet.

“Wait here,” Harrie murmured to Daisy when the gymnasium doors opened on the school she had been watching. Harrie adopted a slow jog to get to the group that left together, Tamara in the front, and she refused to back down even when Lucy curled her lip up at her.

“Go away, Black,” Lucy sneered.

“Bite me, Lucifer,” Harrie said. She ignored Lucy’s sneer, Peyton’s annoyed huff, and even Blaire’s coy wink as she focused solely on Tamara. “Can we talk?” she asked her.

Tamara seemed to weigh Harrie up for a moment and Harrie kept her chin raised and her expression guarded. All Harrie wanted to do was repay an unexpected-kindness.

Karma, and all that.

“Fine,” Tamara said, stopping right in the middle of the sidewalk. “I’ll see you all later,” she said to her team.

Harrie stayed where she was while Darcy hit her hip with a gym bag and Blaire ran a hand down her arm. Tamara glared at her team over Harrie’s shoulder and Harrie only waited for them to be out of earshot before she spoke up.

“You know Billy’s a dirt bag, right?” Harrie asked Tamara, sort of blurting it out. When Tamara’s only response was to raise one of her annoying eyebrows, Harrie pushed on. “Billy’s twenty-five, he just got out of jail.”

“Fascinating,” Tamara said, tilting her head some. “Are you jealous, babe?”

“Jealous?” Harrie knew her face was red, but that was ridiculous. “I’m trying to warn you, stupid. Why’s he hanging around a teenager? He’s like really bad news, like Dahmer or something.”

Tamara giggled, a mocking giggle that had Harrie feeling even more defensive.

“Billy deals dope and suddenly he’s Dahmer?” Tamara asked, her teeth all on display as she smiled right at Harrie. “God, you’re so jealous. Don’t worry, babe.” Tamara raised her hand and Harrie didn’t move an inch when it landed on her cheek, her thumb swiping over the bone beneath Harrie’s eye.

“Billy’s a good time, but he’s just that,” Tamara said quietly, staring directly in Harrie’s eyes. “I use him, he thinks he uses me. It’s all like mutually profitable.”

“So you’re fucking him?” Harrie asked, causing Tamara to drop her hand immediately. Harrie stepped closer to her and without her heels on, they were once again the same height.

“Make sure he wears a condom, who knows what diseases he picked up in jail,” Harrie said.

“Mm, you would know, wouldn’t you?” Tamara hummed with a spark in her eyes. “Some of us know better than to go down on the first jock who says pleaseee.”

Harrie flushed, but didn’t back down.

“I was trying to be nice,” Harrie snapped. “If you just want to be a bitch, fine. I heard Planned Parenthood is having a special on abortions, unless you want to be cheering with a baby-bump.”

“Worry about your own cycle,” Tamara said, scooting closer to Harrie until they were face-to-face. Harrie hated when Tamara was right in her face, it was like… really confusing.

Harrie nearly licked her lips but with Tamara so close, she might have accidentally licked her lips that were always painted red.

“Have you ate today?” Tamara asked, causing Harrie to immediately step away from her. Harrie scowled and Tamara frowned. “You’re the one who called me singing Blink182, talking about my perfect ass, and saying your period was late.”

“That’s - I was - oh fuck you!” Harrie cried. “You know what? I hope Billy gives you AIDS, you stuck-up hooker.”

Harrie couldn’t believe she was trying to be nice to someone like Tamara who always had to take the sharpest jabs. Tamara was just… she was like so infuriating and Harrie hated her.

When Harrie spun around and began storming to where her cousin waited in the parking lot, Tamara once again had to have the last word.

“If you’re going to cry over your humiliating crush on me, can you at least cut your wrists when you do it? The whole cheerleader to emo-hoe spiral is fascinating! I want to post it on tiktok!”

Harrie turned back around and flipped Tamara off with both hands.

“Fuck you, Tam-Tam,” Harrie called.

“You wish, babe!” Tamara yelled back.

Harrie was fuming when she reached her car and angrily climbed in the drivers seat. Daisy had a stupid look on her face as Harrie pulled out of the parking lot too quickly.

“I totally thought you two were about to make out,” Daisy said.

“You know what? Just shut up,” Harrie told Daisy.

“Okaaaay.”

Harrie rolled her eyes and tossed her phone to Daisy, silent permission for her to kick on some music to play.

It only made Harrie feel a little bit better as Daisy immediately turned on the song Harrie once dedicate to Tamara during a long car ride.

“‘I hope you go broke and your iPhone breaks and your ex shows up on your next first date. Then your car gets towed so you show up late to your shitty ass job. I hope you have a bad daaaaay.’”

Harrie was relieved when the time began to speed up for State.

It was like all the bad and annoying things were out of the way and Harrie could focus on what was important again: cheerleading.

The Lions were kicking ass in practice and when they showed off their routine during a school assembly on Friday before State, it was flawless. Harrie got a B on her chemistry test, the team was perfect, and even her period that started that morning was another good omen.

Everything was so perfect that when Zariah Smith asked Harry out to see a movie together that night, Harrie said yes. Zariah wasn’t Harrie’s usual type, she was sort of boring looking, but she caught Harrie at the end of the assembly and Harrie couldn’t think of a reason to say no.

Ronnie of course laughed her stupid ass off when Harrie video called her while she got ready that evening.

“Zariah?” Ronnie asked, giggling on Harrie’s phone screen. “Harrie, she’s like… one more test away from being moved to Hufflepuff.”

“So she’s not winning any intellect awards,” Harrie shrugged. She had a curling wand in hand and twirled pieces of hair around it. “Oh! Ronnie!” Harrie smiled at her phone, struck by a great idea. “Why don’t you and Hermes come too? And see if Gino wants to bring Tessa? We can make it a triple-team-bonding-date.”

“Paaaaaass,” Ronnie sang. “Hermes and I have our own bonding activity planned. What time should we meet up in the morning?”

Harrie finished curling her hair while they planned the last bit of logistics for State in the morning. Technically, the competition was on Sunday, but Dad paid for a swanky hotel by the auditorium where the competition would be held so they could all be nearby and not have to compete after a five hour drive.

As soon as Harrie hung up with Ronnie, she applied some light makeup - nothing too heavy that would make her skin breakout before Sunday - and pulled on a cute top and skirt.

Harrie wasn’t expecting anything crazy between her and Zariah, maybe just a nice time with a cute girl, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to look her best. Or… the best she was willing to look knowing she had much more important things happening Sunday.

“Pepper spray?” Dad asked when Harrie bounced down the stairs with her purse over her shoulder.

“It’s attached to my keys,” Harrie said.

“Knife?” Remus asked.

“Also attached to my keys.”

“Your phone is fully charged?”

Harrie huffed and put one hand on each of her parents’ shoulders so she could address the mother-hens at the same time.

“Dad, Remus, I am fine,” Harrie stressed, smiling to prove her point. “I will have my phone and the very terrifying weapons you bought me.”

They weren’t really terrifying, not in the sparkly pink cases Dad must have specially ordered.

“I’m going to the movies,” Harrie reminded them. “What’s the worst that can happen at the movies?”

One day, probably in like a million years, Harrie would learn to just… like… shut up.

First off, Zariah was super boring. They met in the lobby of the theater and Zariah barely said three words while they bought their tickets. Harrie complimented Zariah’s shirt, it was hella cute, and Zariah like missed the chance to compliment Harrie back.

Then Harrie felt stupid when they bought snacks and Zariah made ‘a face’ when Harrie drowned their popcorn in butter.

“Oh, you don’t like butter?” Harrie asked guiltily. She didn’t even think about it, it was just habit.

“I’m trying to lose weight,” Zariah said, clutching her Diet Coke like a lifeline. “It’s fine though, I probably won’t eat any of it.”

Harrie subtly looked over Zariah’s perfectly normal sized body as they walked to their theater in silence. Zariah was short and her body looked perfectly fine. She didn’t play any sports that Harrie could remember, but she still had reasonably muscled legs that Harrie liked.

Harrie already knew the date was only going to be a one off before they even sat down. Zariah wanted to sit in the back and Harrie didn’t mind where they sat. But then Zariah acted like she had no idea what the movie was about even though it was her idea to go see it?

“It’s based on a book series I read,” Harrie said, propping her feet on the empty seat in front of her. “So there’s this kid who’s like homeless, right? And he’s supposed to go to this prestigious school…”

Harrie was in the middle of summarizing one of the best book series she ever read when a familiar laugh drifted in from the doorway. Harrie sat up all at once when Tamara freaking Riddle strolled through the door with some dude on her arm.

It shouldn’t have been surprising, Harrie and Tamara both loved the book series the movie was based on. Harrie didn’t even question Tamara’s presence, what she did question was the guy with the wild black hair and baggy leather jacket that guided Tamara up the stairs to the back of the theater.

“- then everyone thinks the boy is like, some hero, right? But then he just starts killing people and his guardian is like so — oh.” Tamara had been summarizing the series to the guy she was with when she realized Harrie was watching her from the row behind where Tamara was headed.

The two girls glared at each other before Tamara scoffed and smiled fakely up at the guy she was with.

“Here, Billy,” Tamara rubbed his arm while she said his name, “let’s sit here.”

Billy glanced at Harrie then glared harshly at Zariah by her side before he nodded and let Tamara pull him down the row just in front of Harrie. Billy had to be Sirius’ cousin, they looked something alike with their dark hair and sharp cheekbones.

Harrie had never been so glad that she looked more like her mom than her dad.

“You okay?” Zariah whispered to Harrie when the lights began to dim.

Harrie was glaring at Tamara and where she was snuggling in some twenty-five year old’s side like an obedient puppy dog. It was sick. Billy was an adult, Tamara was a teenager. And Tamara Riddle wasn’t a ‘quiet and cuddly’ kind of girl.

“I’m great,” Harrie whispered back heatedly. She snatched Zariah’s hand from the armrest between them and turned to give Zariah her most peppy smile. “I’m here with you, why wouldn’t I be okay?” she asked loudly.

Zariah was mollified by Harrie’s answer and she smiled right back at her before the movie began playing and Harrie didn’t have to talk anymore.

Harrie had half her attention on the movie and the other half on Tamara and Billy. The first few scenes of the movie were straight from the book… the little boy had parents that were cruel to him and Harrie flinched when the dad smacked the boy.

It hurt to watch and it was worse when Harrie remembered how upset it made Tamara when they read the series together back when the first two came out…

“It’s just… it’s not some romanticized thing,” Tamara huffed, slamming the book shut with red-rimmed eyes. “I hope he goes back and kills them, it’s what I would do.”

Tamara didn’t so much as wince during the film though. Harrie wondered if Billy knew about Tamara’s parents and the abuse that put her in foster care back when she’d only been seven.

When Billy started whispering in Tamara’s ear during the best part - when the boy met the man that would become his guardian - Harrie kicked his seat impulsively.

“Could you shut up?” she hissed. “Some of us are trying to watch the movie.”

Billy turned and fixed Harrie with a furious look. “Nobody was talking to you, little dyke.”

“Excuse you?” Harrie bristled and straightened up, glaring down at Billy with as much anger as she could. “What did you just call me?”

“Harrie, don’t…” Zariah pulled on Harrie’s hand but Harrie ignored her.

“I said…” Billy turned all the way around to glare right back at Harrie. “Nobody was talking to you, dyke.”

“Billy.” Tamara yanked on the sleeve of Billy’s jacket. “Shut up.”

“What? Look at her?” Billy was loud enough that the others watching the movie were soon turning to watch the argument breaking out. “It’s fucking unnatural.”

“You know what’s unnatural? Being so unintelligent while still able to breathe,” Harrie said. “Is it really hard, Billy? Breathing and talking at the same time?”

“Yo, I’d shut the fuck up if I were you,” Billy said, shaking Tamara off him. Harrie glanced down when Billy opened his jacket, she thought he was like flashing her and instead she saw a flash of silver inside the pocket.

Harrie knew her eyes went wide and Tamara looked just as shocked as Harrie was. Zariah squeaked and Harrie didn’t even look when she scampered down the aisle to get to the stairs.

“Billy!” Tamara hissed at Billy and slapped his arm, looking around quickly to make sure nobody else saw the gun he carried. “What are you doing? Let’s just go.”

“Go? Go?” Billy laughed and he sounded crazy, like he was messed up in the head or super high. “You wanted to watch the movie, Tam. So here we are! Watching the movie!”

Harrie didn’t think, she just moved when Billy wrapped an arm around Tamara too tightly and it made Tamara make a quick and uncomfortable look.

“Hey! Why don’t you ask before you go grabbing her?” Harrie pushed Billy’s shoulder from behind and was on her feet the same moment Billy was.

“Don’t ever put your filthy hands on me again,” Billy growled.

“Don’t put your hands on her,” Harrie said right back, unflinching. “She’s not some freaking pet poodle, you bum.”

“I’d watch it,” Billy said. His eyes looked crazy and they were burning directly in Harrie’s. “You think I won’t kill you?”

“Hey, nobody is killing Harrie!” Tamara was on her feet and pulling hard on Billy’s arm. “Let’s just get out of here.”

“Fuck you.”

Billy shoved Tamara and knocked her down as she tripped backward over one of the theater seats and Harrie swore she saw red.

“DON’T HIT HER!” Harrie pulled a hand back and then slapped Billy hard in the face, the sound ringing through the theater almost as loud as the movie on the big screen was.

“I WILL FUCKING PUT YOU SIX FEET UNDER!”

Harrie screamed when Billy - quick as a snake - pulled the gun from his pocket and shot directly up at the ceiling. Others screamed too and the theater was suddenly chaos while people ran and tripped over each other to get to the exit. Harrie began crawling quickly down her aisle, trying to get to where she could see a green wedge sneaker beneath a seat, and she screamed again when there was another gunshot.

“Not so brave now, are you?” Billy laughed crazily. “Where’d you go?”

Harrie bit her tongue to keep quiet and she yanked on Tamara’s ankle, nudging her head to the stairs that were still echoing with footsteps of people fleeing the theater. Tamara’s face was white, like super white, and Harrie tried to be calm to keep her calm.

‘Run’, Harrie mouthed, tilting her head again. Tamara shook her head and Harrie reached over to pinch her leg. ‘Now!’

Tamara stared at Harrie for a second and then jerked her chin in a nod. Harrie thought she heard boots in Tamara’s aisle going the opposite direction and it was their chance to get out. Tamara started crawling quickly to the stairs and Harrie followed. They both screamed at the same time when a gunshot blasted again and it made plaster rain down on them.

“Chicken shit!” Billy screamed, sounding too close. “I thought you were so tough! Why you running?”

“Go!” Harrie yelled at Tamara, not needing to stay quiet while she heard a metallic click echo behind them.

Tamara jumped to her feet and one of her hands shot out behind her, snatching Harrie’s, and they began running blindly. Harrie could practically taste her heartbeat as it hammered on too quickly. Tamara weaved in and out of people streaming from their theater and then they got turned around in the lobby that was in chaos.

There were women screaming names, sobbing them in some of the most feared voices Harrie ever heard. People were screaming to call 911, someone was yelling their head off about a terrorist attack.

“There!” Harrie pointed at the concession stand and couldn’t even appreciate Tamara’s gracefulness in the moment as she leaped cleanly over the counter and pulled Harrie down to duck beneath it.

“He’s crazy.” Tamara pulled her hand from Harrie’s and covered both her ears when there was another gunshot that set off more screams. A fire alarm suddenly sounded and Tamara pulled her knees to her chest and ducked her head while sprinklers began soaking them from above.

Harrie scooted to Tamara’s side and wrapped an arm around her, tucking her against her tightly. Tamara had never liked loud noises, it was something that Harrie learned when Dad took them to the museum and a science experiments explosion sent Tamara in a panic.

Harrie thought it reminded Tamara of her childhood before she went in foster care, but she never asked.

“It’s okay,” Harrie whispered. “Just be quiet, Tam. It’s okay.”

“He has a gun,” Tamara whimpered, almost too quietly for Harrie to hear. “He’s a fucking whack job.”

“I told you so,” Harrie whispered, only belatedly realizing it wasn’t the time for smugness.

Tamara picked her head up and Harrie hated the way her eyes darted around in panic, though the scoff she made was familiar.

“Your date ran away like a scared kitten,” Tamara whispered to her. “I don’t want to hear any dating advice from you again.”

“My date ran away because your date brought a gun!” Harrie hissed.

Tamara finally quit looking around and she stared at Harrie for a long moment. When Tamara grinned, Harrie nearly giggled. Then Tamara did giggle and Harrie huffed out a laugh she tried to stifle.

“We didn’t even get to see Susan!” Tamara laughed quietly, referring to their favorite character from the series. “That’s the real tragedy here!”

Harrie laughed shook her head, desperately trying to stay quiet enough to not be heard over the screams and sirens in the lobby.

“Shhh!” Harrie said, trying to not lose her mind in a fit of hysterical-giggles. “We can watch the movie when we aren’t being chased by my stupid cousin.”

“Oh my god. Billy is your cousin!”

The girls lost their minds in what Harrie assumed was some sort of traumatic breakdown. It was the exact breakdown that Dad had probably been worrying about for weeks, a thought that had Harrie giggling twice as hard.

When Harrie sucked in air for a deep breath, she found herself less than an inch from Tamara’s face.

“Harrie?” Tamara finished laughing as well and there was something nearly painfully intense in her eyes.

“Yeah?” Harrie breathed, her heart racing even faster with something that wasn’t fear at all.

“Next weekend do you want to come see the movie again?” Tamara asked. “Like, if we don’t die today, we could… you know… come talk shit about all the ways they’re totally going to ruin a literary masterpiece?”

Harrie felt her heart skip a beat and she opened her mouth to —

“Come out, come out!”

An explosion happened above the girls’ heads, one that shattered the giant glass popcorn maker. Harrie screamed and twisted around to stare fearfully over the counter. Tamara was crawling backward, evading the gun that aimed directly at her, and Harrie swallowed hard at the crazed look on Billy’s face.

“You think you can run?” Billy asked, his face twisted in fury with blood splattering his shirt. Harrie didn’t know whose blood it was but it made her feel cold inside, wondering what innocent person went to see a movie on a Friday night and lost their life for it.

It was sick, having someone like Billy ruin what was supposed to be a free and fun place for families, couples, children.

“Billy, let’s talk,” Harrie said shakily, raising her hands to show she was unarmed. She had pepper spray in her purse, but pepper spray versus a gun wasn’t really much of a fight.

“You don’t want to do this,” Harrie said, trying to sound calm. “Look, you should just leave, okay? Take off. You want my car? Nobody will be looking for you in it and you can drive to like Florida or somewhere. We won’t tell anyone who you are, I swear.”

“You think I’m scared of the cops?” Billy laughed and then tilted his face up to the ceiling to scream. “THEY CAN TAKE ME TO JAIL WHEN I’M DEAD!”

That… that didn’t actually make any sense but Harrie wasn’t actually stupid enough to say so.

Tamara was.

“Oh, God. We’re going to be killed by a delusional crackhead.”

Billy snapped his head down to look for where Tamara had wedged herself between the slushy machine and the busted popcorn maker. Harrie closed her eyes for just a second, cursing Tamara for her absolute stupidity.

“Bitch, you didn’t care about delusions before,” Billy said to her in a dark and threatening tone. “I thought you were different, I thought we were the same, baby. I thought you understood me.”

“And I thought you were like… sane,” Tamara said. “I guess we were both wrong.”

When Harrie saw Billy clench his jaw hard and a shadow filled his eyes, she knew. There was the click of a hammer, a quiet whimper, and Harrie was moving without even thinking about it.

Harrie threw herself between Billy’s gun and Tamara’s body and the last thing she saw was Tamara’s teeth all on display as she screamed at the top of her lungs. The world exploded in perfect timing with the scream and Harrie felt a soft hand on her face just before everything went black…

     Black…

          Black.

Tamara knocked lightly on Harrie’s hospital door and popped her head in when she was given permission to enter.

Harrie’s father was sitting beside her bed, holding on of her hands while his husband sat on Harrie’s other side, holding her other hand. The hospital room was filled with tokens from Harrie’s friends and classmates. There was even a vase with purple roses in it. Tamara narrowed her eyes at the card and felt an irrational urge to break the vase when she recognized Blaire’s handwriting.

Tamara was sure she explained to Blaire that Harrie was unavailable for her silly flirtations - Harrie was more than just someone to feel up at a party - but maybe they needed to talk again.

“Tamara, hey.” Sirius Black flashed Tamara a smile and Tamara pretended it didn’t make her feel sick inside as it looked so similar to Billy’s.

“Hello,” Tamara said quietly, her eyes trailing over to Harrie’s pale face. “Has she woken up today?”

“She woke up earlier for dinner,” Remus said softly. “It was… not great. You might want to try and visit tomorrow, dear. She’s not feeling great.”

Tamara hummed and then moved further in the room. Of course Harrie wasn’t feeling great, why would she be?

Harrie saved Tamara’s life and ruined her own in the process.

It was tragic.

Harrie moaned quietly, though only her arm that was hooked to a machine made any movement. Sirius was quick to cup Harrie’s face and whisper sweet assurances to her while Tamara only watched.

“Hey, Lovie. It’s okay, you’re okay,” Sirius whispered as his fingers stroked Harrie’s cheek lovingly. “You’re in the hospital, remember? You’re safe.”

Tamara’s heart soared when Harrie’s eyes began flickering open and that enchanting green was visible for the first time in a week.

“Tam…?” Harrie whispered. “Daddy, where’s Tam…?”

Harrie sounded drugged, likely from the the IV’s hooked to her arm, pumping her full of pain killers and sedatives to keep her calm. Tamara shifted over so she was at the foot of the bed and she cleared her throat to catch Harrie’s attention.

“I’m here,” Tamara said, slowly and clearly, watching Harrie’s glazed eyes roam up to meet hers. Tamara forced herself to smile, even if Harrie looked so weak and vulnerable in the hospital bed that was three times her size.

It reminded Tamara too much of the times that Harrie would be in the hospital when they were children. It was an image that was keeping Tamara awake at night, all her memories of Harrie blurring together.

Harrie when she kissed Tamara.

Harrie when she was bleeding to death on the movie theater floor.

Harrie when she was flying high above her pyramid, her limbs strong and her smile mesmerizing.

Harrie haunted all of Tamara’s thoughts until Tamara began to resent how much time she spent thinking about her.

“Hi,” Harrie whispered to Tamara, sounding too weak. Harrie Black was not weak, she was strong and brave. Impulsive and reckless. Harrie never needed protected, she only needed someone in control to clean up her messes behind her.

“Hello,” Tamara said, not looking away from Harrie’s gaze. “How do you feel?”

“High.” Harrie giggled and it made Tamara want to smile, as all Harrie’s giggles did.

“We’ll go grab coffee,” Remus said, standing up and offering his seat to Tamara. “Tamara, can we get you anything?”

“An espresso would be perfect,” Tamara said, flashing her parental-approved smile at Remus as she took his chair. It had been a long week filled with nights where Tamara did more journaling and driving than she did sleeping. Coffee was basically all that was keeping her awake.

“We’ll be back.” Sirius kissed Harrie’s forehead, right above the little lightning bolt shaped scar that Tamara once left on her. Tamara couldn’t remember exactly how it happened, they had been riding bikes and Tamara hit Harrie’s back wheel with her front wheel, knocking Harrie off and scarring her.

Tamara felt terrible about it at the time, but when they got older… Tamara liked the scar being there. It tied Harrie to Tamara’s history in a way that nobody else could claim they were tied to her.

As soon as the door closed behind Harrie’s fathers, Tamara put her hand on Harrie’s arm.

“How are you? Really?” Tamara pushed, the elephant in the room weighing heavily on both their chests.

It wasn’t Tamara’s fault that Harrie jumped in front of a bullet, just as it wasn’t Harrie’s fault that Tamara knew Billy was dangerous and kept him around solely for that purpose.

Billy had been useful when Tamara needed fentanyl laced heroin to sell the boys who attacked Harrie, but she should have cut off their ties then and there. Tamara thought she could control Billy, but he was too crazy to control.

He was lucky the police had to stop him with seven bullets to the chest, Tamara wouldn’t have been nearly so quick and painless if she was left in charge of his death.

Harrie’s lower lip quivered and she looked down to where her legs were only decorative lumps beneath the white hospital blanket.

“My life is over, Tam,” Harrie whispered brokenly, tears spilling over from her eyes. Tamara hated when Harrie cried, ever since they were kids.

“No it’s not,” Tamara said, fiercely swearing it to the God that didn’t care to watch over pretty cheerleaders when they needed him the most. “Hey, look at me.”

Harrie turned slowly to look at Tamara and Tamara forced herself to stare hard in the broken eyes that met hers.

“Your life is not over,” Tamara swore quietly. “Who cares if you can’t walk, Harrie? You can fly.”

Harrie could fly, Harrie was the best flier Tamera had ever seen. Tamara was too tall to fly and Darcy would never hold an eighth of Harrie’s shine when the team threw her up during their sets.

Harrie laughed then and the sound was hollow and unhappy, sending an ache in Tamara’s chest.

“I’m sure,” Harrie said bitterly. “My wheelchair might get me sympathy points at tournaments. And - oh yeah - the catheter bag on my side will really - really go - go great with my skirt!”

Harrie began sobbing in great heaving sobs and Tamara only hesitated for a moment before she climbed in her bed and pulled Harrie to her side. Tamara let Harrie ruin her favorite Hollister top, the one that made her a-cups look like c’s, with her snotty and messy tears.

Tamara’s eyes prickled uneasily while she ran her fingers through Harrie’s hair, saying nothing.

What could she say?

What could anyone say?

If Tamara was the one in the bed, she would rather be dead. But it was Harrie and Tamara couldn’t let her die.

Not Harrie. Not Tamara’s Harrie.

Harrie was the childhood memory that Tamara had to protect and cherish and keep forever. Tamara would kill herself in Harrie’s position, Harrie couldn’t be allowed the same mercy.

“You will cheer again,” Tamara swore absently while Harrie’s cries began to falter. “We will go to State together next year and you will get second place. I’ll win, of course, but we’ll win the college leagues together the next year. You’ll be an icon, Harrie. You’ll- you’ll change the face of cheerleading. Who will ever compare you to your mothers when you’ll be modeling for Inside Cheer as the player of the year?”

And Tamara would be there. Tamara would push Harrie’s chair to every meet. Tamara would make sure nobody ever called Harrie a freak or so much as said one unkind word to her.

Harrie lost the use of her legs for Tamara.

Tamara would spend the rest of her life making sure Harrie lost nothing else.

Harrie stopped crying and laid limply on Tamara’s chest. Her arm was wrapped around Tamara’s waist and Tamara held her tight.

“Even when you’re being nice, you’re a bitch,” Harrie whispered. Tamara smiled at the familiar tone they used for the last few years.

“I’m not going to let you win because of an accident,” Tamara said with a sniff. “It’s bad enough that Diggory won this year, imagine if neither of our teams show her her place next year.”

Tamara had been half-joking - Diggory was a thorn in her side and Tamara hated that Hufflepuff would be at Nationals because the two actually good teams had been a bit busy during State. But Harrie didn’t laugh as she was meant to, she only sighed tearfully.

“I was going to say yes,” Harrie said out of the blue. Tamara hummed to show her confusion and Harrie slurred her way through a longer explanation.

“About the movie… I was going to say yes,” Harrie said. It sounded as if her time-released pain medicine had kicked in again because she sounded more drugged and became heavier as she laid on Tamara.

“Oh.” Tamara remembered asking Harrie to go watch Obliviate with her when she thought they both might die. It hadn’t been a real priority in the week sense and Tamara already knew that Harrie was going to say yes.

Tamara knew Harrie as well as she knew herself.

They were soulmates.

“I’ll pirate a copy and bring it tomorrow,” Tamara promised. She tilted her head down and kissed the top of harrie’s head. Harrie didn’t smell right, her usual berry scented hair products were missing, but Tamara would recognize Harrie’s thick black hair in any world.

“You’re so annoying,” Harrie breathed, sounding as if she were moments from passing out again.

“I know,” Tamara said. “It’s a shame because you took a bullet for me and now you’re stuck with me.”

Harrie laughed softly and then snuggled in Tamara’s side.

“Worth it,” she slurred. “Kinda.”

Tamara scoffed and tilted her head back to close her eyes. Tamara was not worth being paralyzed over, but Tamara had the rest of their lives to make it up to Harrie.

Like… after Tamara kicked her ass in the tournament next year.