A seed has been planted in her mind

Despite sleeping most of the weekend, cuddling with Erik after her rave, having sex with Erik while she tells him all about her antics. Vi could barely focus in class, her mind racing with the pressures being exerted onto her from her father. Text after text, reminder after reminder, she needs to do an extra curricular.

She sighs to herself as she walks through campus, tote bag hanging off her shoulder, comfortable loose track pants, a loose hoodie, her hands shoved into her pockets, fiddling with a small fidget toy, and her headphones covering her ears, Erik walks alongside her, silent, watching her.

“You okay?” Erik asks from besides her, accompanying her between his own classes.

“Yeah,” She sighs, “it’s just all this stuff with my dad.”

Erik puts an arm around her, squeezing her affectionally, “I’m so sorry, I can’t even believe he treats you so badly.”

Vi rubs her head on his arm, nuzzling as best as she can as they walk on the concrete, “It’s not bad per se…” She sighs in exasperation, “He’s coming from a good place, he’s just… like intense.” She looks up at Erik and sighs at his expression.

“Okay. Fair point. He’s pretty bad, I just don’t know why he got so much worse.”

“Well, I don’t want to sound gross, but he probably saw you… blossoming and without your mum around, he over corrected.”

Vi laughs, grabbing onto his hanging wrist, “Eeew, ‘blossoming’?”

He laughs back, “You know what I mean!”

She nods and accepts his point, “I mean. Probably. It’s just… Oh, he’s such a dick!”

Erik kisses her on the forehead, “I can’t wait to meet him.”

“I would be happy if you somehow never had to.” Vi’s voice wavers with worry, worried about how her dad will react to him, worried that he won’t approve, and meddle, like only he can.

Erik lets go of her and gives her a sad smile, “I gotta go to class.”

Erik squeezes her tightly as she rushes into his arms, kissing her at crown of her head, holding her for a moment before separating themselves, she waves and slides her headphones back on, Erik turning to enter the building that hosts his class.

—

Vi walks aimlessly, for some reason wanting to avoid her dorm room, not because Sai and Ari are probably fucking in there, but stopping, sitting in her room means taking a proper look on her phone, coming down and acknowledging her father, it means having to make a decision, interacting with him, she groans loudly, grateful no one is around her as she collapses on a bench outside the gymnasium.

“I could join the football team.” She laughs to herself, watching the football team filter out of the gymnasium, she assumes they must’ve jus finished practice, or a group workout, she smiles at some of them, her eyes going over their pumped biceps, some of them smile back, but continue on their way out.

“I mean, be the only female quarterback, win the game, touchdown,” She laughs again, someone from the building across the grass exits and glances concernedly at the schizophrenic girl talking to herself, “Erik would call me a traitor though, choosing yank ball over the world game.” She grins, her thumb going to her mouth instinctively, the bad habit from her childhood never quite leaving her, her teeth digging into the soft skin around her finger nails.

She looks down and pouts, another habit her father used to yell at her for, ‘it’s unladylike’, ‘you won’t get a husband like that’, ‘you look like a disgusting feral’. She sighs.

Another group start to filter out of the gymnasium, not men this time, but lithe, toned women instead. Their arms and legs sexy to her in different ways. She knows them of course, the cheerleaders. It all feels so cliche, but she’s seen them at the soccer games, the basketball games, the football games, they exist.

She half watches them, half zoned out, she makes eye contact with one of them and smiles politely, the girls waves at her as she walks past.

…

“Hey! Sorry!” Vi speaks without thinking, letting her instincts take over.

The girl turns, “Yeah?”

“Uhm,” Vi says, a unusual sense of nerves washing over her, “Are you girls like, recruiting?’

The girl pauses, looking her up and down before grinning, “No… But, talk to Ophelia, she makes exceptions sometimes.” She points towards the door.

Vi looks over as the cheerleader walks away, the door opens and a tall wasian girl steps out, holding hands with one of the buffest men Vi has ever seen.

What a cliche, head cheerleader and the quarterback.

“Hi, sorry, are you Ophelia?” Vi stands up, feeling like she needs to, Ophelia giving off a somewhat regal vibe, which Vi is not necessarily unused to, but, still, a cheer goes down her spine.

“Hmm? Yes. Do I know you?” The head cheerleader responds, her boyfriend looking between the two girls.

“Uh no, my names Vi.” She holds out a hand, half a second passes as Ophelia looks down at her hand, she reaches out and shakes Vi’s hand delicately, barely grabbing her fingers before letting go.

“Ophelia.”

“Uh I — I wanted to ask if you were looking for - or like, recruiting? More cheerleaders?”

Ophelia chews the minty piece of gum moving around in her mouth as she appraises Vi, her eyes going from her face down to her feet. Vi feels that she’s not being bitchy, she’s just… better than you.

“She’s hot, and Amanda did just quit.” Her boyfriend chimes in, grinning at his girl.

Ophelia glances at the man, giving him a pointed look, he bites his lip, trying to hide his amusement, but he backs off, not even looking at Vi he shrugs, “Why not?”

“While I don’t love that my boyfriend called you hot,” Ophelia looks back at Vi, her face softening, “come by next week Monday. You have any experience?”

Vi shakes her head, “Wish I could say yes, but I’m a fast learner, and I’m strong.” Vi tries to be playful, flexing her bicep for Ophelia.

She’s surprised when Ophelia reaches out and verifies her claim, “Yeah. You do,” She smiles, “yeah, come by next week, we’ll see, nice to meet you.”

The beefy brown haired bloke gives her a thumbs up as they walk past her.

Vi bites her lip, a weight falling loosening from her shoulders, short skirts, sports bras, having all those eyes on her, Erik will fucking love it, she thinks.

And the best part of it all.

She’s joining a club, she’s being an obedient daughter, and her dad will absolutely shit himself when he hears about it.