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I have to drop my gaze when I say, “Thanks.”

“Uh, do you have, uh…” He clears his throat.

My eyes return to Khaos. No longer stationary, he’s moving all around like he has the jitters.

“Do you have any…” Another throat clearing. “Things coming up I could see?”

“Things?”

“Cheer things. Performances.”

“Oh.” That well-lubricated lip gets bit between my teeth. He wants to see me cheer?

“I mean, I already saw the recorded version. I’m just wondering if it’s different seeing it live.”

“It is,” I assure him.

“So? When can I see you in action?”

“Um, well…as of right now, football games in the fall are the next time I’ll cheer with my team but that’s not really performing.”

“What is it?”

“Crowdleading.”

Khaos’s laugh triggers my own.

“There’s a difference?”

“Yeah, sorry. I forget you’re a cheer virgin.”

“You’re gonna take my cheer virginity?”

“If I’m the only cheerleader you know…”

“You are.”

That smugness from before returns.

“Then it’ll be my honor.” Onyx and I cover my heart.

Khaos briefly looks at Onyx. “You like him?”

“Love him.”

As his eyes lock on to mine, Khaos doesn’t so much as blink, saying, “Just give me a date and I’ll be there.”

Lowering Onyx to my lap, I start pulling at his paws.

“I can’t imagine you at a Lit U football game.”

“Why? Because I don’t look like I can afford college?”

“No.” I release a strained chuckle. “That’s not…it. Um.”

Why is he looking at me like that? Why are his arms crossed? I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just the thought of tatted Khaos in the stands at a Littoral football game, eating a boat of nachos is ridiculous to me. Don’t get me wrong. He would look so hot grabbing each chip with his long fingers, licking the excess cheese off his fingertips, his lips…but the rest of it, the sitting among my obnoxious classmates is just ridiculous. It’s not like he would cheer for the team or anything. Would he?

“You…uh, you know… You look like you don’t care about, like, organized sports.”