Chapter One
“Hayley. Hurry up. We’re going to be late!” Aubree called to her sister in annoyance. They were going to be late for cheer practice. Again.
“UGH I can’t find my other pom pom!” Hayley shrieked frantically running around the girls’ locker room. “I’m leaving. Bev isn’t going to get pissed at ME just because YOU lost your- oh my GOD Hayley, your pompom is right there!”
“Where?”
“Underneath that bench.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Now c’mon!”
“I’m coming! I’m coming!”
Hayley ran after her sister quickly when Aubree stormed out of the locker room, her ponytail swishing back and forth.
Aubree walked quickly across the football field to the group of girls in their cheerleader outfits and red pompoms shaking around excitedly. “Sorry we’re late Bev. Hayley was taking forever. She keeps loosing one of her pompoms. Can we like tape them to her hands or something?”
Aubree smiled nervously at Beverly McClain. Head cheerleader. The girl that everyone wanted to be friends with and the girl that all the guys wanted. “Aubree Evans, if you weren’t one of my best friends I’d be so pissed at you by now. Please; just try to be on time next time. Hayley can find her own pompom.” Beverly hugged Aubree and glared at Hayley, but ended up laughing. “Oh Hayley. You are just like most girls. But worse.” No one quite knew what she meant but they all sort-of-laughed anyways. No need to get on Beverly’s bad side.
“So girls!” Beverly grinned, and smashed her pompoms together; she had a certain glow that sunny Friday afternoon. “The big game is next week!” Beverly cheered. All the girls squealed, and turned to each other to laugh and talk about how excited they were about it. “Girls!” Beverly had a sweet tone but annoyance was biting into her sweetness.
“I wasn’t finished talking. So, anyways, our very own Chestnut Creak Cougars are going to verse the Rockwell Ravens next week.” She paused. “And all of you know how I feel about the Rockwell Ravens.”
“We don’t like them, to say in the least.” Hayley butted in.
“Exactly. Thank you Hayls.” Beverly smiled at Hayley, who was standing to her left. Hayley beamed.
“So…. we have to come up with a killer routine. We HAVE to beat the Ravens. Those Ravens are bad news.” Beverly said matter-of-factly. Her glowing gaze turned a bit sinister. No one knew exactly why Beverly hated the Rockwell Ravens so much. Well. Except for Felicia Furrman. She was the badass of the school. But of course. It WAS just a roomer that Felicia really knew what happened with Beverly and the Ravens. “So…. most of us know how to do the Arabian by now right?” Beverly couldn’t keep herself from grinning. The Arabian was something her whole cheer team had been working on for quite some time. “Right girls??” Beverly encouraged her girls to cheer.
“YESSSS!!” All eleven girls, including Beverly jumped into the air, their feet popping up into a fun little girly kick, and they clapped their pompoms together twice. They all grinned and when they got done jumping a couple of times. They all laughed, and made sure that their red hair ribbons were still tied in a perfect bow. “So shall we put in the Arabian?”
“I say, Georgia and Tiffany do their back flips, twice, then Felicia and Hayley cross the other way in their back hand springs. Josie and Catlin can get Beverly and Yvette and Aubs can get Hayls. We can toss them up, one, two, three, ARABIANS. Then we cheer. GO COUGARS BLAH BLAH BLAH GO COUGARS BLAH BLAH. Ya know” Joelle stepped in. She pretty much made up all the choreography, with tweaks and help from Beverly.
“Oh Joey. You’re brilliant.” Beverly rushed at her and swooped her up, swinging her around. Everyone laughed. “Calm down Bev.” Aubree laughed. “Hayls, can you do the Arabian perfectly? I mean…I know you’re good. But it’s the first time we are performing the Arabian and I think it should be-“ Beverly clasped her hands together and looked up at the sky. “Perfect.” She said in a rushed, hushed soft voice. “Okay girls! Line it up!” Beverly shouted. She stood up more straight, her hands on her hips, and one pompom in each hand. Coach mode.
The girls stood in three by three rows, Aubree and Beverly stood staggered in front of the front row of three. “One, two, three!” Aubree shouted. “There goes Georgia, and Tiff. Hayley and Felicia.” Beverly muttered. She was meant to be a cheerleader, she could tell when the girls were going and when just hearing the soft taps on the grass of the white cheer sneakers they were done with what they were supposed to be doing.
“STOP!” Beverly screamed. She turned around quickly. “Felicia? I know what you’re doing.” She sounded incredbily irritated. Everyone turned to face either Felicia or Beverly. Beverly’s face was slightly more red than it had been two minutes ago. Felicia looked exasperated. “Oh my god Bev. I wasn’t doing anything. How would you even know anyways? You’re turned the other way!” Felicia exclaimed. The twins, Joelle (Joey) and Joslyn (Josie) snickered, and someone snorted. Probably Hayley.
Georgia Dodgegan kicked Joelle and Joelle poked Joslyn and Joslyn nudged Caitlin, and Caitling dropped down to “tie her shoe” but flicked Yvette in the ankle instead. Yvette pinched Tiffany, and Tiffany did sign language to Clementine who made eye contact with Aubree. Aubree tapped Beverly’s shoulder.
“Bev.” She whispered. Beverly was having a stare down with Felicia. Beverly ignored her. Aubree tapped her again, and said it louder. “Beverly.”
Again. Nothing. Aubree put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot, getting some mud specks on her white shoes. “Beverly Rose McClain!” She said, her voice level rising. Beverly turned. Before she could ask Aubree what all the fuss was about, she figured out why Aubree had been tapping her in the first place.
“James.”
