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AMARIA JULY 21ST, 2022 2:30 PM MONDAY TAMPA HIGHSCHOOL
I dragged the last box of practice pom-poms onto the field before sitting in one of the folding chairs I had previously set out for Coach. My back ached from the heavy lifting I had done. The sun blazed down on the field and I watched heat waves radiate from the turf before me. I glanced at my Apple Watch, awaiting the arrival of Coach Mayah and the team.
When I entered highschool, I didn't expect to take on the role of manager for the cheerleaders. Shit I didn't even know that cheerleaders could have a manager. I originally wanted to be a cheerleader, but my fear of performing in front of people stopped me from auditioning for the team.
"Would my high school experience be different if I had taken a leap of faith three years ago?" I questioned myself.
Being cheer manager, I heard all the stories about boys and drama that the cheerleaders experienced. Sometimes I felt jealous that my life wasn't as interesting as theirs. The only affection I ever received came from the warm embraces from my mother. And the only drama I experienced was etched into the pages of the numerous books that sat on the bookshelves of my room.
Shouts from the other end of the field broke my state of focus and I turned my gaze towards the source of the noise. From the locker rooms, a group of boys dressed in practice Jersey made their way onto the field. One of the boys carried a large speaker in one hand. Dreams and Nightmares blasted from the speaker, carrying the sound waves so far I could make out the lyrics from where I sat.
As more people made their way onto the field, I scrambled for my tote bag. Prepared to plug my headphones in and scroll through tumblr in order to seem busy to those who may look my way.
It felt like hours had passed before the cheerleaders finally began making their way onto the field.
I sighed in relief as Coach Mayah walked towards me. She seemed to be having a heated conversation with whoever was on the other end of the call.
"No I don't think you're listening. I need those uniforms shipped to me no later than thursday." She spoke in a harsh tone. She held her temple and rolled her eyes in annoyance.
Coach Mayah has always been my favorite coach. She's the youngest of the three coaches our team has. Not to mention she's drop dead gorgeous.
My eyes trailed down her tracksuit clad body. Admiring her curves and how her pants fit her body perfectly. The bracelets on her wrists jingled with the hand movements she made while arguing with the customer representative on the phone.
After a few more moments of bickering, she pulled the phone from her ear and pressed the red button. She sat next to me and I caught a whiff of vanilla coming from her.
