Chapter Text
Dani’s alarm went off at 5:45 a.m., but she had already been awake long enough to be aware of it before the sound even fully registered, it wasn’t unusual anymore because her body had adapted to the rhythm she imposed on it so well that it rarely allowed her to fully shut down, even rest had rules and even sleep followed a pattern she had built and reinforced over time: waking before it was called, anticipating the day before it had the chance to begin.
For a few seconds she stayed still, staring at the ceiling and letting that brief pocket of silence in the house exist before everything else in her life demanded her attention, because it was the only moment that belonged entirely to her, no expectations, no eyes, no performance and no reactions to manage. That brief pocket of silence before stepping back into a role she had been playing for so long it no longer felt separate from who she was.
She grabbed her phone, silenced the alarm, and got up.
“Emmy,” she called and the reply came immediately, a quiet annoyed groan that made Dani exhale softly through her nose.
“I’m up…” followed by the sound of something clumsily falling and a muttered “Okay, now I’m awake.”
By the time she stepped into the hallway, she could already hear movement downstairs, probably their mother.
Dani stepped into the bathroom, already moving through her routine, quick and effective as her mind could wander without affecting the result like muscle memory. Shower, brush, skincare, hair pulled into a high ponytail, makeup light and not overdone so it would look effortless, which in her experience, required more effort than people realized.
By the time she finished and returned to her room, her cheer uniform was already laid out. She got dressed, smoothed the fabric and adjusted small details that most people wouldn’t notice but she always did. Everything was in place in Dani’s room in a way that made it easier for her to breathe and focus on the version of herself she presented to the world.
Clothes were organized by color, trophies lined up without a trace of dust, framed pictures arranged perfectly. At the center of her desk sat a photo of her cheer team, all of them smiling, identical uniforms and identical posture.
Dani stood in the middle, of course, because that’s where she always ended up.
Talking about trophies, she was sure a new one was on its way. East High had qualified for the National High School Invitational — a multi-division event that brought together athletics, performing arts and academic teams from across the country.
For most students, it meant a few days away from school, but for others, like Dani, it meant everything.
She headed downstairs with her bag already slung over her shoulder.
Downstairs, the house was still quiet except for the humming of the coffee machine and the faint sound of movement from the kitchen. Dani grabbed a granola bar while already moving through her schedule for the day: practice before first period, classes, event committee at lunch, extra training after school, pack for the trip.
“Big day?” her mother stepped into the kitchen, glancing over with a small smile.
“Always, mama,” she replied, leaning against the counter.
“You don’t slow down, do you, corazón?”
Dani shrugged, “There’s no reason to, mom.”
The older woman placed two lunchboxes on the table for both her daughters, with chopped fruit. Dani finished her granola bar, sighing just slightly.
“Emmy!” she called toward the hallway, “We’re leaving in ten.”
“I’m already up, Daniela!” a muffled response came back.
Dani didn’t fully believe it, but she didn’t check either. At least not yet, not until they had only five minutes. Her mother, watching as she leaned against the counter too, shook her head as the side of her mouth twitched.
“I see someone is nervous about the big week.”
“They’re all big weeks,” Dani replied, adjusting the strap of her bag again.
“You’re going to burn yourself out one of these weeks.”
“Not this one,” she placed a kiss on her mother’s cheek and was already moving toward the door.
Emmy was halfway down the stairs when Dani opened the front door, her bag slung messily over one shoulder, hair not fully cooperating with whatever she tried to do with it.
“You said ten minutes!” Emmy complained.
“It’s been ten minutes.”
“It has not.”
Dani gave her a look that made the younger stop mid-step, then roll her eyes and grab her shoes on the way out, waving at their mother clearly in a rush. Dani didn’t smile widely, but something in her stressed expression softened.
“Seatbelt,” she said as soon as they got into the car.
“I know.”
“Every time.”
“I said I know!” Dani waited until she heard the click before starting the engine.
Before pulling out of the driveway, Dani looked at her, really looked this time, her gaze moving quickly over her outfit, her bag, the way she was sitting, everything.
“You’re not ready.”
“I’m literally sitting right here,” Emmy replied, not looking up from her phone.
“You forgot something.”
“I didn’t.”
“Where’s your jacket?” Dani raised an eyebrow.
Emmy sighed dramatically, reached down and unzipped her bag, digging around for a few seconds before looking up at her big sister with an expression that was equal parts annoyed and amused.
“Okay, I forgot something.”
“Go get it.”
“You’re so controlling,” Emmy muttered, but she was smiling when she said it, taking off her seatbelt.
“Move faster, we’re going to be late!”
“It’s barely six,” she said before she got out of the car and ran inside.
It took less than a minute for the younger Lopez to be back, exhibiting her jacket to Dani as if saying ‘happy now?’ and earning an eye roll.
Dani jerked her chin, signaling Emmy’s bag, “Put it inside properly.”
“You’re so annoying,” but there was no real heat in it.
The drive to school passed in a familiar silence that wasn’t uncomfortable. Dani kept her focus on the road, mentally running through the day ahead, while Emmy shifted in the passenger seat and occasionally glanced between her phone and Dani, as if deciding whether to say something and then deciding against it.
By the time they pulled into the parking lot, the quiet started to dissolve. The school parking lot was already filling up despite it being incredibly early. Dani stepped out of the car and people noticed her instantly, not all at once but in small ways that added up, one person at a time.
Heads turned and some people even called her name from across the lot.
She didn’t stop walking, didn’t need to, because others always adjusted. When she reached the entrance, she was already responding to people, smiling at the right times, nodding when necessary, answering quick questions and ignoring slow or stupid ones, slipping into conversations and out of them just as easily. Emmy walked beside her for a moment before drifting slightly behind, then off to the side when her attention catched up on a group near the theater wing.
“I’ll see you later,” Emmy said, already angling in their direction.
“Stay with your group,” Dani replied automatically, glancing at her.
“I am with my group,” Emmy shot back, nodding toward Carlos who was already waving her over.
Dani followed the motion with her eyes, checking without making it obvious because Emmy was in 9th grade and knew how to take care of herself… but was her baby sister anyway. Lopez made sure she recognized faces and that Emmy wasn’t just drifting into a random group of people.
“Text me if you need anything,” she said.
“I won’t.”
“You will.”
Emmy grinned and slipped away, her energy shifted almost instantly into something lighter as she joined the others. She wasn’t popular, at least not like Dani, I mean you could say she was known — because of her sister, and Dani allowed her to conquer her own space without demanding it for her. Without necessarily turning Emmy into the next big thing of East High once she left.
Popularity wasn’t really Emmy’s thing.
As soon as she reached her theater friends, Carlos, Kourtney, Nini and Big Red, Dani could see her posture loosening.
Then she faced forward again, heading to her locker, where her best friend Gina found her minutes later.
“You’re early,” Gina said.
“Am I not always early?”
“No I mean it, today you’re annoyingly early. And made me do it too.”
“And you still managed to be late.”
“I’m fashionably on time.”
Dani huffed a quiet laugh as they walked. Around them, the hallway was filling quickly with lockers slamming, voices overlapping, the usual East High chaos as the day had fully woken up now, still, everyone seemed to shift around them as they passed, people made space without being asked and conversations paused enough to acknowledge their presence before continuing normally.
The gym was still empty when Dani stepped inside with Gina, it smelled cleaning supplies and rubber flooring. It was one of the few places where she felt fully grounded in a way nothing else really did and the expectations made sense to her because she knew what to do, her body knew what to do. She set the music, adjusted the volume and started warming up without waiting for anyone else while Gina headed to the locker room to change.
By the time Gina came back and the rest of the cheer team arrived, she was already in it, already focused, already warmed up.
“As always,” Gina said, dropping her bag to the side, “You don’t know how to not be the first, do you?”
“Gotta keep the standards high,” Dani replied without stopping, “Warm up, guys.”
The team fell into place around her quickly without needing direction spelled out, Dani didn’t raise her voice ever, it was always a look, a gesture, a word and it was enough.
Gina joined in beside her as always, matching her pace easily.
“You’re doing too much already,” she said, laughing softly.
“It’s never too much and just enough,” Dani winked at her, not slowing down.
They moved through the routine, stopping and restarting when needed, adjusting positions and correcting small mistakes before they could become bigger ones. When something came out uneven Dani stepped back, watching the formation so her eyes could catch the smallest misalignment.
“Again,” she said when a formation came out slightly off.
There was a collective groan, but they reset anyway.
Ashlyn Caswell lingered half a second longer than the others. Ash was a theater girl at heart, she was still part of the group and one of Miss Jenn’s favorites, but for some reason there was something about being a cheer that challenged her and proved that she could do so much. Basically everything she put her mind to. Like Martha Cox.
“Sorry,” she murmured.
Dani nodded once, “You’re good, Ash. Just watch the timing.”
They adjusted again.
“Hold it. Again.”
They held again.
“From the top.”
Gina was already resetting beside her, rolling her shoulders back, expression unreadable in that way that only means she’s completely focused. Across the mat, someone stumbled back into position too quickly, nearly colliding with another girl. Dani watched it happen without reacting, cataloguing it instead.
Sloppy. Distracted.
“D, count it in,” Gina whispered, glancing at her.
Dani nodded, “Five, six, seven—”
She moved with them, but she’s not thinking about the routine this time, she’s thinking about the girl on the left who’s half a beat behind, about the formation tightening too much on the second transition because it’s never just about hitting the moves for the sake of it. It’s about knowing exactly where everything is at all times, and adjusting before anyone else even realizes something is wrong.
By the time the music cut again, this time on purpose, her lungs burned just enough to feel earned.
“Better,” Dani said, stepping out of formation, “but we’re still rushing the second eight-count. If we rush it,” she continued, walking backward and gesturing with her hands as their eyes instinctively followed, “then we don’t have time to hit the transition clean.”
A few of them exchange looks.
“And if that’s off, the lift looks messy. And if the lift looks messy—”
“We look bad,” they muttered in unison.
“Who?” Gina asked.
“Left side,” Dani didn’t even hesitate, “Again one last time. And fix it.”
Gina bumped her shoulder lightly as they moved back into place, “You’re terrifying today.”
Dani doesn’t look at her this time, but there’s a faint smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.
“Only today?”
“Oh, please! You live for this!” and that she didn’t deny.
They ran it again, the last time, and it came out right. Not perfect but close enough that no one outside of that gym would see the difference.
By the time the bell signaled the start of first period, Dani’s muscles were on fire and her mind was so clear in that way that only came after pushing her body into motion. She grabbed her things and headed out with Gina.
“I wonder how we’re gonna manage to practice after school, because damn—my muscles are all loose.”
“We have to, the trip is in two days.”
“Yeah, but we have to get there first, you know?” Gina raised her eyebrow mockingly, “Alive.”
“You’re my best girl, you’ll live!” Dani rolled her eyes at her playfully.
“You’re in a mood, Dani.”
“I’m always in a mood.”
“Yeah, but today it’s worse.”
And Dani legit smiled, somehow really proud of herself.
She took her usual seat in History class, first row, left side, with Gina sitting behind her on the second row. As the lesson started, Dani really tried to focus, she really did, she even followed along first, copying notes and tracking the general direction of the discussion, but her mind kept slipping to everything else she had to do that day, the upcoming trip, the list she had already built in her head of things that still needed to be handled.
“Miss Lopez.”
Dani looked up immediately.
“Yes?”
“Can you explain how economic instability affected social class divisions during that period?”
She knew that topic. Or at least she should have, but the answer didn’t come together fast enough. Instead her mind pulled fragments, incomplete thoughts, pieces of information that didn’t connect at all, it’s like it was there but not ready.
And even though no one laughed or reacted loudly, even though no heads turned when nothing came out of her mouth, she felt it, the disruption in the perfect flow she was so used to maintaining.
Before it could stretch any further, a voice from the back of the room filled the space steadily.
“Because it increases the gap between classes,” Dani turned slightly just enough to see Gabby, “People with resources can protect themselves while those without fall further behind and it creates long-term imbalance.”
Gabby Lewis. She sat on the last row, near the back, and her eyes were already back on her notebook like she hadn’t just stepped into the moment and taken it over.
The teacher nodded, satisfiedly impressed, and moved on.
Gabby didn’t look up, it’s like it didn’t matter to her. The acknowledgement.
Dani faced forward again and her attention returned to the page of her notebook even though the words didn’t fully settle this time.
When the bell rang and the noise of the hallway rushed back in immediately, she stepped into it with Gina falling into step beside her again as they made their way toward the cafeteria. Lunch unfolded the way it always did, their table filled quickly with people joining, coming to talk and leaving, making the conversation shift constantly.
At some point, Mack Alana, captain of the basketball team who was so-into-her, dropped into the seat across from her and leaned forward like he had something important to say.
“I know that with the competition and all, we’ll all be very busy with our teams doing our own thing, but do you think you’ll have time to watch me play?”
“If there are no scheduling conflicts between our competitions, sure why not?” Dani replied, “My first priority of course is to nail our choreo.”
“Figures. As always.”
“Attaboy,” she winked at him, “you know what to say.”
The rest of the day moved quickly after that, classes dragged and blended into each other and everything followed the same pattern she was used to. By the time the last class before last period finished, the focus turned toward the upcoming trip again, more specifically on the fact that they had to practice. More.
After school, practice picked up where the morning left off, but heavier this time, more demanding, something close to strain.
“Don’t you ever get tired?” someone asked between runs.
“I do,” Dani said, already resetting as she stepped off the mat and grabbed her water bottle, “I just don’t stop.”
“Dani!”
She didn’t need to turn to know who it was.
Emmy was leaning against the door stop with her phone in hand, one of her legs was bouncing slightly out of habit.
“Give me five, guys.”
“Please take as long as you need!” Ashley said, laying down on the floor with her arms opened.
The cheer team laughed and Lopez gestured for Emmy to enter the gym properly. As the younger one approached her, she took a slow sip of water.
“Did you skip lunch today? Did you eat? Did you eat your fruits that mom prepared?”
“Why are you acting like you’re the older sibling?” Dani raised an eyebrow.
Emmy rolled her eyes, “Mom asked.”
“Mom always asks.”
“Yeah, well, I’m the one who has to answer her about you because she knows you wouldn’t, and you’re… intense. I was watching.”
“You say that like you’re surprised?”
“I’m not and mom isn’t too, that’s why she asked me to make sure.”
“She’s worse during competitions,” Gina approached them, stopping beside Emmy and pulling her into a hug.
“See? That’s what I’m talking about,” Emmy muttered in between the hug, before they pulled back, “So?”
“No, I didn’t skip lunch, no, I haven’t eaten my fruits yet. Happy?” Dani rolled her eyes.
“Delighted!” Emmy smiled sarcastically.
“Did you skip your last period?
Emmy grimaced, “I had a free actually.”
“You told mom she didn’t have to pick you up because you had Math.”
“Okay, well—” she hesitated, “I was in the library.”
Dani gave her a funny look with a raised eyebrow and Emmy rolled her eyes immediately.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“That thing where you look at me like you already know I’m lying.”
“I do know you’re lying.”
Emmy huffed out a laugh despite herself, “Whatever. It’s not important.”
She was in fact lying, there was this cute 9th grader guy from her class that played soccer and she kind of had a crush on him, and apparently spending her free period on the stands watching him practice while pretending she wasn't was better than going home early.
So that was totally not true, but Dani didn’t say it, instead she took a sip of water, watching her over the rim of the bottle.
Gina appeared a second later again, dropping down on the bench on Dani’s other side without asking, “I’m sure she’s been staring at that guy for, like, an hour,” she said, completely unbothered.
Emmy turned to her instantly, “I was not—”
“You were.”
“I was watching practice!”
“Yeah,” Gina said mockingly, “Him.”
Dani exhaled softly, amusement flickering through her expression as she almost choked on water. Emmy groaned, dropping her head into her hands for half a second before looking back up.
“You’re annoying, Gina,” she muttered.
“And you still spend two hours watching her when we rehearse because she’s your favorite…” Dani whispered, covering her mouth with the bottle again.
Yeah, funnily enough, Gina Porter was Emmy’s favorite since… because she was enchanted and absolutely bonded with Gina as soon as she became friends with Dani after what felt like Porter’s hundredth move.
Luckily, in Utah Gina had found friends—sisters, Dani and Emmy, and got to stay and finish high school at East High.
“I love you, Em…” Gina said cutely in a baby voice, pinching her cheeks in front of the cheer team.
Emmy shifted under that much attention she got almost immediately, blushing hard.
“Gosh, no, I have to go,” she said quickly, filling the silence and freeing herself from Gina’s squeeze, “see you later.”
Dani lowered the bottle automatically, frowning.
“Wait, where are you going?”
“To Carlo's, I’m meeting them in the lot now. We’re running lines before the trip.”
“Text me when you get there.”
“I will.”
Emmy was already moving before Dani finished the sentence.
Gina watched her go too, “You track her like she’s going to disappear.”
“She’s fine,” Dani said.
“Exactly, I didn’t say she wasn’t. That’s what I’m talking about.”
Dani didn’t answer, but she looked once more before turning away and walking toward the girls.
“Come on.”
“God, Dani, do you ever rest and sleep?”
Gina groaned tiredly and stepped onto the mat beside her, stretching like she was just here to exist rather than actually train more, but Dani knew better. Gina always caught up faster than anyone else.
“From the top, ladies.”
(...)
After practice the gym emptied quickly, as if the girls were running from Dani before she could demand a last round of training, they grabbed their things and filtered out in small groups. Dani stayed a moment longer, finishing a stretch before straightening up and reaching for her bag. Gina was already waiting by the door, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and watching the last few girls leave.
"You’re going to kill yourself one of these days," Gina said as Dani approached.
"Well it can't be this week," Dani replied easily, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
They stepped out into the hallway together as the late afternoon light filtered through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor as the building emptied.
"Do you think they’ve released the list of the room assignments yet?" Gina asked.
"They hadn’t before last period," Dani said, “but we’re probably together."
"Oh we better," Gina smirked, "I’m not rooming with random people."
They walked toward the parking lot, their pace was unhurried now that the day was just winding down after a lot of practice. A few students lingered in the halls yet, enough to keep the space from being emptied completely.
Just before they reached the exit, someone called out to them.
"Hey," E.J. caught up quickly, slightly out of breath but smiling like it didn’t matter, "You guys heading out?"
"What does it look like?" Gina said, though there was no edge to it.
E.J. laughed, running a hand through his hair, "Just making sure. Coach said final confirmations for the trip are locked in. Everyone’s good."
Dani nodded, "Good. I suppose we’re seeing only the best there."
"That’s optimistic," Gina muttered, “Do they have the room assignment yet?”
"Yeah, you guys are together,” E.J. said and both of them high-fived, “Emmy is rooming with Kourt and Nini, and I’m with Ricky.”
“Your ex’s ex?” Dani bit her lower lip to keep herself from laughing.
“Tough break…” Gina, on the other hand, didn’t even try.
“Don’t piss me off,” E.J. shifted his weight slightly, glancing between them, "It’s going to be good, though. The showcase, the games, all of it."
Gina snorted softly, “Translation: we’re going to win.”
"Yeah yeah," Dani said, her tone easy but certain, "It will be great!"
“Come on. If we don’t leave now, you’re going to find another reason to stay,” Gina nudged Dani lightly with her shoulder.
"That’s not untrue," Dani admitted.
“You’re coming over later to dinner, right?” she asked.
“With your family?”
“Please. I’m not subjecting you to that.”
Dani snorted softly, “Then whose?”
“Mine, obviously.”
“We have a Biology test tomorrow, I have to study. Why not tomorrow night?”
“You have to what?” E.J. raised his eyebrow at her, while Gina gave her an annoyed look.
“Because my auntie will go out with her boyfriend tonight, and tomorrow night my mom will be in town.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Well, yeah, you’d expect her to come home after three weeks before her daughter leaves for an important trip,” Gina shrugged, “She wants to wish me good luck in person and have dinner, so it’ll be fun.”
“That’s great, G,” Dani smiled softly, nodding, “I’ll think about it.
“That means yes.”
“That means I’ll think about it. I really have to study.”
Dani wasn’t unintelligent, she knew that, but academic intelligence had never been the center of her identity, never what defined her position in school. Academics were… secondary. And deep down, she knew the world around her didn’t primarily see her for that either for academic intelligence wasn’t at the top of East High’s hierarchy. Popularity was. Influence was. Presence. And on those three invisible pillars Dani was flawless, because she had learned with time how to sustain each of them without appearing to try even when, in truth, she tried harder than anyone realized.
Her intelligence existed in leadership, performance and presence. She knew how to command a room, how to motivate her cheerleaders, her girls, and that mattered more than memorizing anything academic wise.
But she couldn’t depend on Gabby Lewis to save her again.
Gina tilted her head, studying her like she was trying to find the edge of that thought. Then she let it go.
“Fine. But if you don’t, I’m texting your mom.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me,” Porter blew a kiss in the air, facing E.J. next, “You coming, right?”
“Of course,” E.J. smiled. "See you guys later. Dani, don’t be late."
"I’m never late," Dani said automatically in response to his joke.
And that’s how they knew she was showing up.
"That’s the problem," Gina added.
They pushed through the doors and into the cooler air outside, the last sunny stretch of the day settling warmly around them as they headed toward the parking lot and the trip had become part of everything, mentioned in passing conversations, in half-made plans and present in every small detail of the plans, it had taken over everything.
And the weight of everything ahead of them was still distant and unknown.