Always Upbeat / All That by Stephanie Perry Moore Page B

friendship,” Randal said. “It basically says that you have to understand how people show their love, and you can’t love on them in your love language, but you gotta love on them in theirs. And they have five basic languages that we all fall into.”
    â€œWe probably have all five in us. When you find out what your predominate love language is, your friends need to know so they can show you love in the way you need it, not in the way they want to give it. You can’t push the way you feel loved onto others and expect them to respond,” Eva said. “But you also have to know theirs so you don’t become selfish. If you know how they need love, then you can give them just what they need. For example, my love language is treasure.”
    â€œYeah, we know that,” Hallie said. “We can’t just come to your birthday party and bring just any old thing. It’s gotta be thought out.”
    â€œYeah, that’s right. Y’all know it and it’s coming up,” Ella said. “And mine is touch.” She kept rubbing my shoulder.
    â€œMine is talk,” Hallie said. “You gotta tell me I’m doing okay. You gotta tell me you care. You know I wanna hear it. So when you say I’m doing bad, it really, really affects me.”
    Randal said, “And mine is time. Just all five of us being together means so much to me. And, Charli, you were task.”
    â€œOkay, I’m task. What does that have to do with you guys coming in here saying I need to stay captain? I am still confused. I was horrible, and I deserve for you all to never ever be my friends again,” I confessed honestly.
    â€œYou’re right. You do deserve that,” Eva said, keeping it real. “But I think it was you who said we all need grace from time to time. It just wasn’t the same first day of school without our girl with us.”
    Ella took my hand and said, “You know the word is out that somebody got a cool kiss today.”
    Randal chimed in and said, “Because we were not with you, we missed it. It just wasn’t right.”
    â€œAnd because you’re task,” Hallie said. “We learned it’s a part of your nature for things to get done. You wanted us to be on time, and you wanted us to know the cheers. You wanted us to do all the moves right because you love us. You care, and you went a little overboard, but you didn’t want us to sink. Whitney is being a brat. She wants power and control. We know now that was not your issue. We feel like if we stay on you and make sure you stay in line then we can help you be balanced.”
    â€œYeah,” Randal said, “but still be a task manager and get things done. There’s nothing wrong with time management.”
    â€œYou guys forgive me?” I sniffed.
    â€œDo you forgive us?” Eva stepped over to me and asked. “I told them we needed to just drop you. Instead of getting so mad, all we should’ve done was come and talk to you until you listened, not cut you off like that. That was wrong. That’s not what best friends do. That’s not what we do to each other. The five of us are more than friends. We are sisters. We gotta make sure that’s never broken.”
    â€œSo you captain or what?” one of the senior cheerleaders said from the door.
    â€œIf you guys want me,” I said, still overwhelmed by their gestures.
    â€œWell, Whitney’s out there running her mouth, and I’m speaking for the all seniors out there. We want you.”
    I didn’t deserve a second chance, but the fact that I was getting it made me all mushy inside, like mashed potatoes. Getting a group hug from the girls, I knew I wouldn’t change anything. Yeah, I was out of control, but I really learned to appreciate others. When I was on the outs, I learned so much about me and how to treat people. Now, things were looking up. My mom and I were bonding. My girls were back