1. Perry

Chapter 1

Perry

Two months later

"Front handspring step out, round off back handspring step out, round off back handspring, full twisting layout," Kait shouts from the front of the gym.

Lexi, Gio, Luke, me, Wyatt, Hudson, Bradley, and Nate are all in a line ready to practice our element of the regionals competition choreo. Kait, being captain, is running the male cheerleaders' only session and I don't hate it. She would make a great cheer teacher. Same with Lexi, but he can't run a session he's taking part in.

"That sequence sounds really familiar," Luke says, eyebrows knitted in consternation.

"That's because it's a routine from the movie Bring It On," Lexi snickers.

I roll my eyes, because of course it is. Lexi and Kait have a shared obsession with old teen films and that movie tops the list. Don't even bother arguing that it came out in 2000. Apparently, the nineties didn't end until 2002.

Kait claps her hands together. "Let's do this, guys."

I get into position before taking a breath as she counts us in. As my hands hit the mat for the first handspring, I feel a buzz over my whole body.

I love this so fucking much.

Twisting my body and throwing myself through the air is the best feeling in the world. It doesn't just make my body light up, but my insides as well. My mom and sister gave me a lot of crap when I became a cheerleader in middle school, but it was the one thing I never let them take from me.

I snort to myself as I land. Well, cheerleading and my car, I guess.

"What are you laughing at?" Luke says, catching his breath next to me.

"Childhood trauma. Did you nail the moves?" I change the subject quickly, because other than me telling the Cheers Queers group chat my mom was useless when I thought I was a bout to be arrested, I haven't actually been open about my home life.

Or lack of one as it is now.

They have no idea how toxic my mom and sister are, and it needs to stay that way. No way am I going to become Pathetic Perry. Logically, I know they won't think that, but my brain isn't always logical.. I don't want anyone's pity, therefore they can never find out.

My Mom and Dahlia now not being in my life makes that easier.

And it's not like I'll ever see the hot guy who witnessed my mother disowning me again.

"You know you can always talk to me, Perry," Luke says, ignoring my question. "Childhood trauma is the worst."

"I don't know. It gave me a top tier sense of humor. Silver linings and all that shit."

"Perry-,"

"Next up, we're trying something a little different." Saved by the cheerleader. I always have loved Kait. "It's a sexy move, but thanks to the patriarchy, I think if you boys do it, it'll kill. If us girls do it, we will no doubt get docked points for being sexually explicit and get called sluts by online trolls."

Kait was smiling at us, but it looked more like she was baring her teeth.

"We'll do it. Whatever you say. Fuck the patriarchy in the neck," Wyatt says, looking scared as fuck. "As one of the two straight guys on the team, I want to apologise for all men everywhere."

"Thanks, but you know gay guys benefit from the patriarchy too, right?" Kait says looking at him questionably. "Wait, how do you fuck someone in the neck?"

Wyatt's eyes light up. "You shove your dick into their neck like this." He makes a fist and then quickly jabs it into his neck. Almost immediately, he starts coughing and spluttering.

"Dude, did you just punch yourself in the throat?" Hudson says, handing him a water bottle.

"A little bit, yeah. I'm totally fine," he rasps out. Hudson looks at him with a soft smile.

Yeah, I'm not sure there are two straight guys on this squad.

"Maybe we should see this move you've got planned before anyone else attacks themselves," Nate says with a smirk.

"Good idea. You all remember the song we're dancing to, right?" Kait starts.

Bradley raises his hand. "I don't."

"It's Tease by Caffeine Daydreams."

"I love that song," Bradley says. "I regularly jerk off to clips of them performing it in concert. Who hasn't nutted to Luca Weston pouring water over his chest and kneeling in front of his hot boyfriend in the crowd?"

Kait rolls her eyes. "If anyone goes off topic again, I am going to harness my inner Perry and put fish in your gym bags."

"I've never done that, but thanks for the idea."

"Okay," she says, ignoring me. "We are going to start the routine with all the guys dropping to their knees, then spreading them open about six inches. During the actual performance, the rest of the cheerleaders will do choreo in a V formation behind you. This will be for an eight count, so it isn't long. Sound good?"

Kait smiles at our chorus of yeses. "Great, there isn't much for you guys to practice solo, but get into position so I can make sure you are all uniform and we'll do it with everyone next week."

Ten minutes later, we were all kneeling on the mat, performance ready.

This really is my happy place.

I don't mean kneeling. Actually, that is a lie. I love kneeling for a guy and giving head. It's been too long since I've got off with a guy instead of a toy. I love the feel of a real life, warm cock pulsating in my mouth. Sadly, I always seem to attract the assholes. Not even the hot assholes with a heart of gold, like Luke's boyfriend. The regular assholes who try to convince you not to stretch too much because it will feel better for them. A break from men and bad sex was needed.

I'll never need a break from cheerleading. It is my happy place. Whether we're cheering for the football team or ourselves in a competition. I don't care; I love this happy shit.

"You all look great," Kait says with a clap, breaking me out of my thoughts. For someone who has a boyfriend, she looks way too happy about having eight men kneeling in front of her. "I think we're going to nail this part."

Of course we are. It's kneeling on a mat to an eight count.

Maybe I should treat myself to a hot chocolate on the way home? I am being a massive bitch today and I love Kait. At least it's indoor thoughts, I guess.

"Is that us over for today?" Wyatt asks, looking hopeful.

"Yeah, normal practice with Coach Phillips tomorrow."

I flop on to the mat. I don't want to go. If I do, then I will look at my phone and see that my marketing professor has posted the marks for my last assignment. I know I have failed because the guy hates me.

It at least feels like it, anyway.

I should stop being pessimistic and check.

"Perry, are you okay?" Luke says quietly. I look up and see concern swimming in his green eyes.

Out of everyone on the squad, I am closest to Luke. We have a brother like relationship where I definitely fell into the role of big brother. Luke has an absent dad and a mom who died when he was a baby, which definitely bonded us even if he doesn't know my mom and sister are toxic. Luke has his two actual older brothers. Maybe surviving my childhood would have been easier if Dahlia and I were close. Instead of being encouraged to resent each other.

"I've got a grade being posted today by one of my really tough professors," I tell Luke. Being honest with him about a class won't make Luke think less of me. "I'm hoping for an A, but I'll probably get a C- knowing Professor Gordon."

"What a dick. Want me to see if Corey can get him fired?" Luke looks way too excited at the possibility of his boyfriend using his power of intimidation.

"Thank you, but I don't think we're there yet," I say with a smile. "I will check the results and if he's given me a C, then I will be super mature about it."

"Fuck maturity," I say two hours later as I dump a bag of keys, colorful keyrings that you're able to write on, and a pack of sharpies on to the dining room table.

Hudson, Wyatt, and Luke all look at me like a shoal of confused trout.

Weirdos.

"Dude, we're going to need some context," Hudson says, eyeing my loot.

I pull out a chair and sit next to Luke. "It's pretty simple. My professor gave me a D+ on a paper that was clearly an A minus at worst. So we are getting revenge."

I'm fairly positive this plan isn't illegal.

Wyatt picks up a key and stares at it intently. "What does your art project have to do with getting revenge?"

"I don't think it's an art project, Wy," Hudson says with an indulgent smile.

"It could be, though," he says excitedly. "We could hot glue the keys together to make a cool light feature. Maybe even spray them with different colors. I'm really into pink at the moment."

He pulls out his phone and starts tapping away. "What are you doing?"

"Seeing what paint works best on metal." Wyatt mumbles, not tearing his eyes from his phone.

"Can we bring this back to me, please?" I whine. Wyatt keeps looking at his phone, but Hudson and Luke nod in agreement. "Thank you."

I grab a sharpie, write my professor's number on a post it note, and slam it on the table.

"I need this number written on every single key ring. Then we need to add a key to the key rings."

I sit down and open the bags. I decided to be a bit on the conservative side and only bought five hundred of each.

"Um, Perry?" Luke says nervously. "Are you going to be planting these on crime scenes?"

Hudson and Wyatt both look up, matching looks of nervousness etched on their faces.

"That is dark, Luke. Absolutely sinister." I put my hand to my neck as if I'm clutching my pearls. "I'm so proud of you. Sounds like Corey is corrupting you in the best way."

"What? No!" Luke splutters.

Wyatt cocks his head at me. "You didn't deny it."

"Aha, yes." Luke nods furiously. "I just want to know if we are aiding and abetting a felony. That's not too much to ask."

I roll my eyes. "No felonies or anything sinister. We are simply going to drop the keys where people will find them. Then said people will call the phone number and it will annoy the shit out of Professor Gordon."

"Oh my god, that is genius."

"I know, Luke," I smile at him serenely. "The best part is I'm not going to drop them all at once. I plan on dropping a few a week until they are all gone."

Hudson looks at the piles on the table. "That could be years."

"I know."

The three of them look at me in awe and I revel in it.

These guys, all the cheer queers, they are the only ones who love me unconditionally and don't put me down. I might never tell them how much confidence they give me, but I will always try my best to show them. Whether it's relationship help or doing something petty for them.