A Lab Rat and A Cheerleader: An Epic Bionic Love Affair

Crush, Chop, and Burn Pt 1

Chapter 1

I'm a strange character. I don't mean that I'm in that awkward transition from kid to adolescent. Although I am going through that as well. My parents were high school sweethearts. They were captain of the football team and the head cheerleader so you know how that story goes.

Now they expect me to follow in their footsteps. I'm already a let down. I'm only the choreographer and lead stunt girl on the cheer team. Apparently, still not good enough for my mother. And I am now dating the linebacker for the football team. I can't stand Trent, the quarterback. No matter how much I want to make my parents proud, I could never date him. Plus he's like five years older than me.

To be honest with myself, I would rather be doing anything else. But I don't even know who I am outside of this person I've built to appease my parents. I could be the greatest singer for all I know. But I don't even have the courage to sing in the shower if someone is home.

Today at my high school here at Mission Creek there is a pep rally, forcing me to wear my cheer uniform with my hair in pigtails.

I survey the halls while at my locker. Just trying to kill time before I want to blow my brains out listening to the "cool" kids moan about their perfect lives.

In walks Leo Dooley with three other kids with unfamiliar faces who all look too excited to be here.

I see one of the footballs players give Leo a wedgie so I step over there to help him.

"Steve, just leave him alone. What'd Leo ever do to you?" I ask.

"He stood partially in my way." He says before walking off.

"Jerk." I mutter quietly before turning back to Leo. "You okay?" I ask.

"Yea same old same old." Leo shrugs off. Leo is the kind of guy I would like to hang out with instead. He's cool, funny, and adorable. He could be like the brother I never had.

"Who're your friends?" I ask interested.

"I'm Adam." The tall one says holding his hand out. I shake it but I scream in pain at his grip.

"Wow, powerful hold." I say in a pained voice.

The girl excitedly sticks her hand out at me and says, "Hi, I'm Bree! What's your name? What's your favorite color? Do you wanna be besties?" She rattles off and I can tell she has more so I cut her off so I try to answer the current one a to my best ability.

"Viola Winters. Tiffany blue. Sure." I answer. I like her; she's different. A good different. The girls I'm forced to hang out with are emotion free except for boy angst.

"Yay!" She squeals and hugs me. I hug back until she squeezes too hard.

"Ow. Okay, ow." I say. She apologizes but I quickly forgive her.

"Must run in the family." Leo says with slight panic in his voice. Why is there panic in his voice?

"But if that's so, what happened to Chase?" Adam jokes.

I turn toward this Chase. He looks really cute even with the annoyance evident in his face. He quickly but gently shakes my hand.

"Let me guess, you're the youngest." I say.

"Technically yes. How'd you guess?" He asks.

"My cousins are the same way toward their youngest sibling. Now I have the radar for it." I reply. I miss them. I haven't seen them since they moved to Germany.

"Cool." Bree compliments.

"I'll see you guys later?" I ask knowing if my parents could see me now they'd smite me. "I'd love to stay and chat but I have a stupid cheer meeting to get to. Go team." I say unenthusiastically.