Rivals (A Jelsa Story)

Chapter 8 - Cheer and Spirit

A/N: I didn't intend to copy the cheer here for this chapter, I just though I'd add a video to set the mood in case you guys like watching cheer routines as much as I do. :)

Drawing is from PNGwing. All credits go to the artist. (This is what Elsa changes into in this chapter.)

Elsa's POV

Rapunzel, Merida, and I decided to change before going to the pep rally, so Anna waited outside the locker room for us. I quickly slipped out of my dress and put on some low-waisted jeans, a soft teal long-sleeved shirt, and some light blue high-tops, re-tying my hair into a somewhat messy ponytail. I stepped out to join Anna; Merida and Rapunzel walked out soon afterwards. Merida had changed into a gold crop top, light blue sweatpants, and white tennis shoes, and Rapunzel was wearing a super cute purple sundress.

We joined the stream of people heading to the gym. Pep rallies were always very popular at our school – our cheer team had won first place at various competitions all around the country, and they were capable of doing some pretty incredible stuff.

"Let's try to get something over there," Merida said, pointing to the middle.

We climbed the stairs and snagged some seats a few rows up. Kristoff and Flynn joined us before the seats started to fill up too much.

I looked up and saw that Hiccup, Astrid, and the DreamWorks student council had sat in basically the same spot across from us on the other side of the gym. Jack and I accidentally made eye contact, and I quickly looked away.

The debutantes slipped into the seats around us. I said hi to some of them and chatted a bit before Coach Parr picked up the live mic and we all started to quiet down.

"Good morning!" She smiled broadly. "Are you guys ready to get pumped up?"

We all cheered.

"From Disney Prep, please welcome the incredible DISNEY PIXIES!"

Everyone started screaming as the cheer team ran out onto the mat. I only knew a few of them: Silvermist, Iridessa, Rosetta, Fawn, Vidia, and the cheer captain, Tinkerbell. Her brother Peter, the team mascot, zoomed around the floor of the gym and did an aerial flip in front of the bleachers on our side, making everyone scream even louder. I looked over to where his girlfriend Wendy was sitting with her friend Alice, and we made eye contact. I smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. She laughed.

"And from DreamWorks Academy, please welcome the spirited DREAMWORKS FISHERS!"

The DreamWorks side of the gym erupted into cheers as loud as ours as their team ran out onto the floor with their mascot.

"I heard they're really good," Merida said next to me, almost having to shout for me to hear her over all the noise.

I'd heard they were too.

The DreamWorks cheer squad cleared off the mat to let the pixies start their routine. They got in formation and stood with their heads down. It felt like the whole gym was waiting with baited breath.

Suddenly the music blasted out of the speakers and they sprung up. It was amazing. They were doing flips and jumps and all sorts of awesome pyramids. It ended with a bunch of the flyers getting thrown up while the other cheerleaders did toe-touches, and then they formed a pyramid. We all screamed and clapped for them. Tinkerbell's boyfriend Terrence let her down and she ran to the front and jumped up and down, waving to the crowd.

The DreamWorks routine wasn't any less of a marvel. I'm pretty sure they did some moves that were illegal in competition, but hey, this wasn't being scored. I clapped and cheered for them too – they deserved it.

Then they did something no one was expecting: the pixies ran out while the fishers were still on mat and wove in-between them, and they all did a routine together. We all jumped up and started screaming. The two head coaches looked like they were bursting with pride.

The cheerleaders did a final pyramid while the two mascots ran out to the middle and did a fancy secret handshake. Then they were all lowered and ran out which I was thankful for since I was about to go hoarse.

"Give it up for the Disney Pixies and the DreamWorks Fishers!" someone said on the microphone as the cheering continued.

Merida nudged me as we started walking out of the gym. "Pretty-boy silver is looking over here."

"OMG you should talk to him!" Rapunzel said, bouncing.

I groaned and grabbed their wrists, dragging them out after me. "Nope. Not dealing with that right now. No thank you."

Jack's POV

I followed Tooth into the gym, whining about how cheer was for girls and that I didn't want to be there. All I got was an annoyed "sh."

Tooth didn't cheer anymore, but apparently she'd been one of our school's best flyers before her other extracurriculars got to be too much and she'd dropped it. She still loved watching their routines though.

"Hey, lighten up," Bunny said to me. "We get to watch girls in short skirts do flips."

"Oh, shut up," Tooth said.

We sat basically in the center of our side of the bleachers because Tooth said that was where you got the best view. I looked across the room and saw that Elsa and the Disney court were sitting opposite us on their side. Elsa looked up and we made eye contact. She quickly looked away.

The cheer routines started, but I wasn't paying attention to them – I was looking at Elsa. I watched the way her eyes lit up during the stunts and how her whole mouth opened whenever they did a particularly cool move. She smiled and clapped and cheered so loud I was able to pick her out from the other voices. After how nervous and upset she'd looked all day, I was glad to see her finally happy and relaxed.

"You're staring," Tooth said. I started and then gave her a confused look. She nodded over to the Disney bleachers. "Pretty blonde snow queen catch your eye?"

"No," I lied.

She didn't look convinced. "Mhm."

"Believe what you will." I tried to sound casual as I watched the performance.

Soon enough it was over and we were getting up to leave. "You should go talk to her," Tooth said.

"Yeah, I don't think she wants to talk to me," I replied, half-joking.

"Alright, suit yourself." Tooth broke away from us to go talk to the blonde girl on the Disney cheer squad who was probably the captain. I saw them both get really excited as their conversation progressed and was happy for Tooth that she found someone to talk about cheer with.

As we walked down the stairs and onto the floor, I saw Elsa also walking out with her friends. Merida looked at me and smirked, nudging her. Rapunzel said something excitedly. Elsa just rolled her eyes and grabbed their wrists, dragging them out of the gym.