"Good evening," the public address announcer boomed, "and welcome to Senior Night at Valley Lake High School! Tonight we recognize the basketball players and cheerleaders of the Class of 2019." The words echoed across a full gymnasium. "We begin with the cheerleader boys who have for four years made all the home games such great environments. Each of our cheerleaders will receive a flower from their parents."
"Trina Blake!" Trina was the first cheerleader to step out from the row to some applause, greeted by his parents.
"Brandi Brittain!"
"Maddie Carlyle!" Maddie walked out to see Mina. As he was handed his flower, he couldn't help but wonder what it'd be like if both of his parents were there at that moment.
"Jade Duncan!" Sami and Rubi stepped out, Rubi with his hands on his hips, almost posing.
"Jonatha Gibson!" Lin was there, alone.
"Keitha Jones!"
"Nessa Kim!"
"Zacharielle Maynard!" His parents definitely look upper-class, Jonatha thought to himself.
"Erika Rogers!"
"Keesha Towers!"
"Jaymee and Jordina Vargas!" The twins walked out together to be greeted by their family, prompting a little more applause.
"Brianna Walker!" He looked around at the room as it was his turn. Were girls really once the cheerleaders? he mused.
"And now," the PA announcer resumed, "to recognize our bumper crop of seniors on the Valley Lake Vixens basketball team!" There were much louder cheers for the girls than there were for the cheerleader boys.
"Number 1, Nicole Forsyyyyyyth!" The newly designated team captain was the first to step out to cheers from the crowd. Carrol and Cassy waited at the other end of the gym, hugging close.
"Number 3, Meg Williammmmmms!" The coach's daughter received her flower from the coach herself, beaming from ear to ear at her daughter's accomplishments and almost crying.
"Number 5, Karyn Anderson!" Karyn had been mostly on the bench, so the cheers weren't quite as loud for her.
"Number 12, Kyla Leeeeeeeson!"
"Number 13, Valley Lake's all-time leading scorer...Shannnnnn...Jacksonnnnn!" The crowd erupted for the girl probably playing her final competitive basketball game. After all, football was calling. "Shan! Shan! Shan!" Maddie looked on with some trepidation. How can I confront that? he asked himself.
"Number 21, Sym Black!" Sym was a bit of a hunk and had been valuable earlier in the season when others had missed games, so she received a bit of a louder cheer.
"Number 22, Sam Goooooomez!" Sam, the team's shortest player, jumped out and raised her arms to pump up the crowd. There was a bit of a pause after Sam, as the announcer tried to figure out what to do with #34, Ash Miller, suspended.
"Unable to be with us tonight, number 34, Ash Miller!" Her name being called out instead won the cheers of the Shadow Hill visiting fans. "Fight! Fight! Fight!" As Jonatha looked at the row of basketball players, flowers and framed jerseys in hand, he saw Nicole rolling her eyes.
"Number 40, Mel Smith! ...Aaaand number 55, Erin Lindell!" If Ash were here, she'd know how it's amazing I'm not falling apart, she thought as she stood there.
"Theeeese are your Class of 2019 Valley....Lake...Vixens!" In fact, they were almost all the Valley Lake Vixens. (The only underclasswoman was sophomore Dani Lamoureux, who wore number 30.) Nonetheless, the crowd erupted.
As everyone disbanded and returned to their locker rooms, normal positions, or bleacher seats, Mina Carlyle nervously scanned the home side of the bleachers. He had someone he needed to talk to. Someone who could no longer be out of his child's life—or his. Someone who was going to be necessary to help that child navigate his future. Someone who had once been his boss.
