The Audi rolled into Peak University nearly twenty minutes behind the buses.
Stan guided the car through the evening traffic around the athletic complex and brought it to a smooth stop near the cheerleaders' drop-off area. The engine settled into a quiet idle as the three women began the slightly reluctant process of gathering their things.
No one seemed particularly eager for the ride to end.
Sophie was the slowest to move.
She turned in her seat to face him properly. Her cheer uniform was slightly rumpled after the long day, and her ponytail had loosened into something softer and less carefully arranged.
"So."
Her eyes were bright despite the exhaustion beneath them.
"What's next?"
"Zack mentioned some kind of team dinner at the dining hall. They're hosting it for everyone involved with the game."
He glanced at her.
"Did the cheer captain invite you?"
Sophie nodded.
"Bria invited the entire squad about ten minutes after the final buzzer. Every cheerleader is going."
