The impact wasn't as bad as she expected.
It still hurt like hell of course when she hit the floor, landing awkwardly on her hip.
But she knew it could've been a lot worse. Jessica didn't feel or hear the sickening crack of a breaking bone. She'd broken her arm when she was eleven, after falling off Clair's borrowed skateboard. She'd never forgotten the horrible sound.
Time had returned to its normal speed. And all she could hear was a jumble of voices.
Girls calling out and asking if she was alright. One of the cheerleaders who'd been helping hold Jessica up, screaming at Lauren for her carelessness.
Clair yelling for everyone to get the fuck out of her way. She shoved aside the girls who'd started crowding around Jessica and crouched in front of her.
"Jess, are you ok? I'm going to run to the coach's office and call you an ambulance."
"No, no! Don't do that!" Jessica tried to smile through the pain in her side. "I mean, I'm fine."
"No you're not! That was a hard fall. I'm amazed you reacted quickly enough to avoid it being worse." Clair shook her head in disgust. "I'm going to wallop that sneaky little tramp so hard, she's going to regret the day she ever joined the squad."
That made Jessica laugh, even though the pain was radiating through her left hip and up her rib cage.
"Are you sure you don't want an ambulance?"
"Yes, I'm positive. It looked worse than what it was. I'll just have some fairly dramatic looking bruises for a few days." Jessica tried to sound chipper. Her pride would never let her admit the real reason she didn't want the paramedics involved. Especially around the other cheerleaders.
Her mother couldn't afford a luxury like that. Plain and simple.
Suzanne Heath didn't have any health insurance. Both of the jobs she worked were low skilled ones that offered her no health benefits.
She'd have to pay the cost of calling out the paramedics, directly from her pocket. And the Heath household budget was already tight.
When Jessica had broken her arm in the unfortunate skateboard incident, the worst thing hadn't been wearing a cast for six weeks, in the middle of a stinking hot summer.
It had been listening to her mother complain bitterly for months afterwards, about the expense. About how getting her daughter's broken bone set had wiped out all her savings, and what the hell was she supposed to do now?
Eleven year old Jessica had had no real answer for her mother.
All she knew is that the whole sorry episode had left her feeling like nothing more than a financial burden. One that her mother wasn't exactly thrilled at being stuck having to pay for.
So, no. There won't be any ambulance today, she thought grimly. Not even if I'm on the verge of death. Because even death would be better than having to hear Mom bitching for weeks on end about how my selfish carelessness impacts her.
Clair still looked dubious, but she held out her hands. Jessica grabbed them, trying not to groan out loud as she let herself be slowly pulled to her feet. The pain didn't get any worse, at least. She took that as a good sign.
The other girls stood, wide eyed, in a little circle around the two of them.
"Oh Jess. I'm soooo sorry." a voice oozed fake remorse, breaking through the silence.
Jessica turned very slowly to face the insincere apology and the bitch who'd spoken them. What she really wanted to do was give into her rage. She wanted to pounce like a wild tiger onto Lauren and rip every single strand of carrot coloured hair from her head.
Sadly, she knew she couldn't do that. Partly because it was the kind of behaviour that would get her expelled.
But mostly because Jessica know she was definitely too sore to tackle another girl to the floor and scalp her.
"What the hell, Lauren? Are you deliberately trying to take half of us out?" a cheerleader called Holly Tate was shouting as she cradled her wrist. "You moved your hand on purpose! All four of us could've gotten injured!"
Lauren blinked and tried to look offended. "That's a really hurtful thing to say. You really think I'd do something like that on purpose?"
That was when Clair leapt into action. Jessica watched her step forward, getting between Holly and Lauren.
Here it comes, Jessica thought. Clair's going to let her have it. She felt like jumping up and down, and breaking out into excited applause.
"Shut your lying mouth. We all saw it. You deliberately made Jess fall because you're mad at her. You're mad that your ex boyfriend who dumped your desperate needy ass, is interested in her." Clair's tone was ice cold. "You could've gotten someone killed, just because you can't handle Tom moving on with someone else!"
Lauren's face turned bright red. The other girls started to whisper amongst themselves.
"Well shit, captain! This has nothing to do with Tom. It was an accident, alright? My hand slipped."
Holly opened her mouth to challenge her but Clair beat her to it.
"Pathetic! You're so pathetic, Lauren. Who can blame him for wanting nothing to do with you? You're so lucky no one was more seriously injured just now. Otherwise I'd be calling the cops as well as an ambulance."
"The cops! What are you on about? Didn't you hear me? It was just an accident. Sometimes those happen in sport, you know!" Lauren shrieked.
Clair turned to face Jessica. "If the police got called here, what would you tell them?"
"That I saw her deliberately loosen her grip on my ankle once I was in the lift." Jessica replied without hesitation.
"That's assault. If my dad were here, that's what he'd tell you." Clair nodded confidently and looked over at Holly. "Would you back up Jess's version of events, if the police asked you questions?"
"Yes. I saw Lauren do it." Holly winced as she massaged her wrist, which had already started to swell. "She moved her hand at exactly the right moment and didn't say a word. Not only that but as soon as she did, she stepped back. It means she knew Jessica was going to fall and she didn't want to be caught under it."
"I guess someone's gonna get arrested soon." Clair said in a singsong voice. "Enjoy explaining that to your folks when the cops come to put the cuffs on you. Their precious baby girl is going to be thrown in the clinker."
"You're bluffing. You're not going to get me arrested!" Lauren balled up her fists at her side. "The cops aren't going to waste their time over a tumble at cheerleading practice!"
"They will. And so will the court. There's witnesses here to what you did, who'll testify against you." Clair cast a hard stare over the other girls, practically commanding them with her eyes. "So you'd better apologise this instant to Jess and make it the most sincere fucking apology of your life, or I'm calling the sheriff."
Lauren's gaze darted nervously around the gymnasium, making her look a bit like a cornered animal. She tried to make eye contact with the other cheerleaders, to see who might be willing to take her side.
No one would. The girls all just stared at their feet in guilty silence.
Jessica could almost hear Lauren's heart sinking in that moment. It was clear no one was willing to go against the most popular girl at school's wishes. Cross Clair McKinley at your own peril.
Oh dear. Ain't peer pressure a bitch like that? Jessica had to smirk.
"So are you going to say sorry?" Clair kept taunting. "Or are you going to end up in front of a judge, awaiting sentencing?"
Lauren crossed her arms in defiance. "What makes you so sure this is going to end up in court? Cases get tossed out all of the time."
"Not this one. Not with Jess having my dad as her lawyer. He'll make sure this ends up in front of a judge." Clair said softly, menacingly. "Daddy's friends with all the local judges. I think one of them was even at our house for dinner a couple of weekends ago."
Lauren went pale at that. And who wouldn't? Greg McKinley was by far the richest man in town. If anyone could turn a judge to his favour, through legal or illegal means, it was him.
Jessica had no idea if there was any actual truth in what Clair was saying. Did her father share meals with local judges? Would he really agree to take her on as a client if she decided to press charges?
Pro bono, of course. Mr McKinley probably charged more in an hour than her mother made in a week.
Maybe the truth didn't matter though. Because she could see Lauren clenching her jaw and fidgeting.
Eventually she pushed the words out. "Fine then. I apologise, Jess."
"Apologise for what?" Clair prodded.
"For accidentally loosening my grip on your ankle and messing up your balance."
Jessica snorted. "That has to be the lamest apology I've ever heard. Whatever. I'm kind of sorry I didn't fall harder, actually, and land on you." All she wanted to do was go home and curl up with an ice pack.
Clair however, was far from satisfied. She stepped forward until she was right in Lauren's face. "Let's try that again, bitch. Say it like you mean it before I have you kicked out of squad myself."