Survive

Chapter Five

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

August 8, 2022.

Madison Stone's Point Of View.

We enter the court and I see some girls, including Emily, sitting in the bleachers talking. They all seem to be very civilized and nice, but after what Ashley told me, I am not going to trust what they appear to be, because as they say... "appearances can be deceiving".

Emily sees us and says something to the other girls, causing them all to turn their faces in our direction.

"Hi," I say as soon as we get close to them.

"Hey girls... have you signed up Madison yet?" Emily asks as the rest of her friends look me up and down, like they are analyzing me.

"No.. I came here for this."

"Oh, so wait a minute, I will get the paper from the board and come back with it for you to sign and join the team," I agree with what she says and she leaves the bleachers, heading towards the door, but just then she stops and turns around. "Uhm... I forgot to tell you, but you will no longer be Andrey's cheerleader because Sarah," she points to the blonde girl, who is sitting in the bleachers with the other girls and continues talking. "She will be, so you go take her place. Okay?"

"Um... but we didn't have..." I go to answer her, but Ashley interrupts me.

"Madison is going to be Andrey's cheerleader and that's final."

"Ashley, you don't get to decide that," Emily says as if trying to keep her cool.

"Andrey said it would be a pleasure to have Madison as his cheerleader, and by halftime, we had already decided that she would step in in place of Alisson, who left the school. So, Sarah is still cheerleading for who she is, and Madison is going to be my friend's cheerleader," she speaks calmly, emphasizing when she says "my friend" and I can sense a heavy mood where we are.

"Can you switch places with Sarah, Madison?" Emily ignores what Ashley says and asks me a question, which I do not even know what to answer, because I just want to be on the team, not caring whose cheerleader I will be.

"I really don't care, but if Ashley makes a point of it, I want to be Andrey's cheerleader." I speak and can feel fervent glances on me.

"I will get the paper then." She says it in a forced way and this time actually leaves the court, leaving everyone in a somewhat tense mood.

I just got here and I've already had a disagreement with someone. That is great.

"Come on Madison, let's go change while she is gone," Ashley says already heading for the exit door of the court and I follow her. "If Emily arrives and we are not here yet, let her know that we just went to change clothes and will be right back," she shouts to the girls and then we leave the court, heading to the locker room.

"I do not even think they will pretend to like me," I say and give a sideways smile.

"Don't worry about it. Their 'liking' will not change anything in your life.. if they treat you well, you treat them well too, but if they treat you badly, reciprocate with the same as you were given," she gives me a comforting smile and then speaks again. "And remember, it is better to walk alone than badly accompanied."

"Yeah.. that is true." I speak and we are silent for a few seconds. "Umm... why were you so keen for me to be Andrey's cheerleader instead of that Sarah?" I let my curiosity speak louder and ask.

"Because first, Sarah is Emily's best friend, she is that girl I told you about who is in love with Andrey and I do not think she is a good person, so I do not want her having any kind of bond whatsoever with my friend, who is such a nice and good-hearted person. And secondly, because I am right now walking and talking with you, so you are closer to me than she is... and besides, knowing Andrey well, I am sure he thought you were pretty." And a little smile breaks out on my face as I hear her last sentence.

"Oh, I get it now." I say and can already see the locker room door. "Uhm... I just got to school and I still don't have a locker in the locker room, meaning I do not have any clothes here with me except the ones I am wearing."

"No problem, I will lend it to you. We should wear the same sizes," she says, and we go into the women's locker room, which is right next to where we were.

"Thank you for helping me so much," I say as I follow her into this large locker room.

"No need to thank me," she opens her closet, which by the way is well organized, picks up some clothes and looks at me. "Here, I think they will fit you like a glove and if they do not look so good, do not worry, you will probably have your closet with your clothes by tomorrow." She hands me the folded clothes and I thank her, heading toward some box to change. "And oh, just in case you are a bit of a cleaning maniac like me, you can rest assured that all these clothes are washed and smelling good, ready to be worn." She speaks a little louder and I laugh.

"Okay, thank you!" I say with my tone of voice a little higher as well.

I take off my sneakers and my clothes and get the clothes that were borrowed from me. I put on the leggings and the tight regatta, both black, and put on my sneakers again, then I take the clothes I was wearing before and put them in my backpack, leaving the box right away.

I see that Ashley is still putting on her sneakers, so I sit down next to her on the bench. "Can I leave my backpack in your closet while we rehearse?" I ask as I watch her start to tie the lace of one of her sneakers.

"Sure, you can put it there. Enjoy and close it after you put it on, please," and I agree, getting up from the bench and putting my backpack next to hers, but before I put it away, I grab my cell phone and my water bottle, then closing her locker and going to sit back down on the bench. "See, the outfit looked great on you, and it also enhanced your body."

"Thank you!" I say and she gives me a smile, finishing tying the lace of the other sneaker and getting up from the bench.

"Shall we go back to the court?" And I agree, getting up again from the bench I had just sat on.

"Yes, but first I am just going to call my driver and let him know that I am leaving a little later than the normal departure time because of rehearsal."

"Okay then, I will wait for you outside to give you more privacy," she says and then leaves, leaving me alone in the locker room.

I take my cell phone, turn it on and look for Anthony's contact, pressing it when I find him and putting the cell phone to my ear after doing so, being answered a few seconds later.

Call On

"Hi Miss Stone!" Anthony says as soon as he picks up and I am annoyed that he uses the term "Miss" with me when I've already told him we are friends enough that he does not have to treat me like that, but I decide not to say anything about it, because I know he does not speak out of spite, but out of respect for me.

"Hi Anthony. Where are you?"

"I've been in the school parking lot for a few minutes now. Where are you? I'm seeing several students leaving, but I do not see you."

"I am not leaving now, because I joined the school's cheerleading squad and I am leaving a little later because I am going to rehearsal. So I think you better go home, because I think it is going to be a while, then when rehearsal is over I will call you. Is that okay?"

"How cool that on your first day you've already made it!" He speaks and I can feel the joy in his voice, which makes me happy, because I like it when the people I love are happy and proud of the things I do and accomplish, no matter how small or big they are. "How long do you think it will take?"

"I was told that we will rehearse two hours a day until Friday, which is when we will perform at the back-to-school game."

"Okay. I will go home, then when you are done rehearsing, you call me and I will come get you. Right?"

"Right."

"Good rehearsal. See you later."

"Thank you. See you later."

Call Off

I hang up the call, turn off my cell phone screen and walk out of the locker room, seeing Ashley waiting for me outside as she talks to someone via message on her cell phone.

"Now can we go?" She looks at me and I nod, then we start walking back to the court.