The Night Tournaments

11 - Arielle

~ One Day Ago ~

My heart thumped in my chest as I hurried to the gymnasium on Tuesday morning. All of the other girls who had tried out for the cheerleading team were probably already crowded around the results, so I needed to get there fast.

Sure enough, I had to hold my breath and fight through the tight mob of female students until I reached the sign indicating the names of the successful candidates.

Please . . . please grant me my wish . . . I thought, barely being able to endure the suspense for any longer.

My vision felt blurry as I hopefully searched for my name on the list, and I gaped at the sheet of paper in shock when I saw that I had been appointed the vice-captain of the cheerleading team. 

What. the. actual. HECK?!

I blinked and looked closer, not being able to believe my own eyes, and I learned that Olivia Hazel, the talented competitor with the auburn hair, had been selected to be the captain. My name was next on the list (it still felt SURREAL), and the girls below were Amelia Scarlett, Isla Mark, Lily Blondeau, Emma Golding, Sophia Lee, and Kiara Bailey. Exactly eight members.

"Hey. You're Arielle, right?" a girl suddenly asked from behind me. I turned around and came face-to-face with a girl with long blonde hair in a high ponytail and blue eyes - I recognized her as the candidate who had cheered me on during the cheerleading tryouts last Thursday. "I just knew that you would make the team."

"Hi; I remember you," I replied, giving the girl a grateful smile. ". . . I'm assuming that you got accepted, too - what's your name?"

"I'm Amelia," she told me, grinning back. "As nervous as I am, I'm so excited that we're both part of the team now!"

"I know, right?" I exclaimed, blissfully shaking my head. "I still can't believe it - all of this feels like a dream."

"Well, I guess that it's time to start living it," Amelia pointed out, laughing. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as she did . . . and that was when I knew that being on the cheerleading team this year was going to be a blast.

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~ A Few Hours Later ~

"Archer!" I called, reaching out to grab his arm. Since it was lunchtime now, I had just passed by him in the hallway, but he looked so anxious that he probably hadn't even seen me.

"Oh, Arielle," Archer said, exhaling. "I'm on my way to check the tryout results for the rugby and swimming teams in the gym now. I - I'm not ready."

"You will be," I told him, smiling reassuringly. "Everything about you screams that you're a great athlete, so if I were you, I wouldn't be doubting myself so much."

"Easy for you to say," Archer responded, playfully rolling his eyes. "You're the new vice-captain of the cheerleading team."

"Jealous much?" I retorted, laughing. "Anyway, I'll come with you and wait outside of the gym until you see your results."

"Couldn't hurt," Archer assented, shrugging, and the two of us made our way downstairs.

When we finally arrived, Archer took a deep breath before blending into the crowd of hopeful jocks while I remained outside to wait for him. A few minutes later, he reappeared with a strange look on his face.