My high school cheer coach Libby sends out the email with team positions two days later. Briana is team captain. The defeat stings me. How could I lose to her, when cheer is my entire life? It might be a sympathy vote. Her cousin died in a car crash over the summer.
Next paragraph: Alison is center flyer. What? Anger lights up inside me, hard and bright. I've been the heart of my team for my whole time at Allen, and now this?
The next day at school, I leave lunch early to talk to Libby. In addition to being the cheer coach, she's also a math teacher. Her classroom is decorated with geometry posters and colorful numbers. She's sitting at her desk, grading tests.
"Coach?" I say.
"Jamie!" She smiles warmly, as if completely unaware that all my hopes for senior year at high school have been crushed. "What's up?"
"I thought I was going to be center flyer this year. Did I do something wrong?"
"Not at all, sweetheart. It was just, after seeing Alison's skills, I thought she deserved a chance. It's only fair."
"How is that fair?" I said. "I've been dedicated to this team for years."
"Exactly. You've had your chance. Now it's time to let Alison have a chance. Sometimes, in life, we have to swallow our pride and share."
*
Sharing. I hate that word. Nothing good ever comes of it. Not when my cousins wanted to drive my car and hit the mirror off on a mailbox. Not when Peyton shared some of my frappuchino last spring and got me sick. I smile, thinking of Peyton. I pull out my phone and text her.
Hey, u up 4 a Starbx run? need 2 talk 2 u!
Petyon texts back right away.
Can't! so sorry, have 2 do this thing w mom.
I sigh. This stupid day has brought me to a new low: getting coffee by myself.
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Cheerlebrity Confessions
FanficJamie Andries and Peyton Mabry have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Afraid they'll be separated in college, they plan on making senior year on Cheer Athletics their most memorable yet. But one of the new fliers on the team, Ali...
