Real

1.

'What would you like to have for breakfast dear?'

'Sweet pancakes I guess.'

'Give me two minutes.' Mamma says.

I give my dad a kiss on the cheek and sit next to him on the table.

'So today's the big day for my little girl, huh?' Rusty voice.

'Yeah daddy, but someone needs to take some cherry flavoured cough syrup.'

'Keep it low, don't let your mom know.' He whispers and we both giggle.

And I'm served with pancakes.

I finish eating and tie my favourite pair of boots. Put on my coat and my back pack and head out. As I go out a rush of ice cold wind hits my face. Bless us Canadians. It's March and it's and there is snow outside. I get into my car. But now let me just say. Yeah it is mine and only mine but not what they think. Not a brand new car, it is a second hand Mazda for starters.

I start driving to the school.

And here I am to what I think is the best school in Hamilton. Lockwood Secondary. We are the Wolves.

As I walk down to my locker, I once more like everyday I admire the picture of me and Jackson walking on the beach from my birthday last summer. I close my locker and find Jackson leaning on the locker beside mine. His lips coming towards me but I pull away my cheek facing him and he rolls his eyes as we start walking.

'Hey, gorgeous!' He says.

'Hey handsome! Big day for both of us today huh?'

'I mean it's the championship game babe.'

'I know right.' We start walking.

'Good luck to you too. Its not easy for someone stand on the top.'

'Yes, you are right it's not.'

'We are going to win because you are going to be on the top of all those cheerleading wolves and I'm just here because you are one of them.' He says and walks away.

The second part hurt me a little.

As I walk into Math, I find Bree sitting beside my seat.

'Hi!' She says.

'Hi! Are you excited?'

'That's an understatement.'

'I know right. I feel like I'm a nervous wreck right now.'

'Do you know that one of the judges from the national cheerleading championship is gonna be here?' She asks me and I feel like puking.

'WHAT? Who told you this?'

'The underclassmen were talking. They would know as they are "under".'

Somehow I want to laugh at this but I can't.

It's just four hours away. I have literal butterflies. I have never been so nervous. We are renowned for our cheerleading program and team in Ontario. While I'm a senior, I'm also the captain. I cant lose this, just can't.

In the transition time I go to my locker and get my lucky charm that I forgot.

As I reach to class, I realize that I'm already late. The though of getting scolded by my Tech teacher tenses me up but now I get reminded that I have much more important things to deal with. I enter the class, everyone staring at me.

'Hello Ms. Stephens. What brings you here late again?' Like he mocks me every time.

'Nothing interesting. Just grabbing the stuff I forgot for your class from my locker.' I speak in a tone of taunt and disgust.

'Yeah it better be. Now go and take a seat.' He says approving my win, his defeat.

I sit in like the middle row trying to concentrate and focus. I have such a feeling that I'm gonna blow it real bad today. I know thinking positive and stuff but I just can't really help it. Repeating the thought in my mind is just making me sick. Maybe I'm thinking too much. Maybe I should be happy that it's going to be amazing and I'm gonna be amazing and the judge is gonna be amazing and accept my our amazing performance.

Calm, calm, calm, calm, calm, calm. I guess my Math teacher is probably and very right about my behaviour during near a big event. Not only near a big event but also when panic takes over me. Look at me. This morning I was all jolly, happy and acting, imagining like I had the rights to brag all around the world. And now as the time is coming closer I'm just becoming a wuss more and more.

'Phew!' I say as the bell rings for lunch and as I get some more time to I don't know do what but just meditate and what not to calm me down.

Just grabbing my lunch I go to the cafeteria and I see our group sitting on the table and the seat reserved for me. My eyes in the search of Ms.Lilly, our cheerleading coach. She is usually on lunch duty but I cant find her anyway. I want to ask her to confirm the rumour of some judge coming or trash it out of my system.

I walk towards the table and take my usual seat.

'Who were you finding?' Bree asks me.

'No one, just Ms.Lilly.' I say making a grumpy face.

'Oh really, don't you know?' Now what.

'What do I not know now?'

'She's caught up with some kind of flu. You know that she is a little weird right, she went to the beach in this cold weather with her husband and they are both up with some kind of aquatic flu.' She says nibbling her muffin.

'This is great!' I say with my mouth full of sarcasm.

Aquatic flu. Wow. I don't think thats its even a thing. Bree is just making up some stuff that she doesn't even know I guess. How encouraging is that?

I walk up finishing my lunch, hands held with Jackson.

'Hey babe, I gotta go and talk to Brett for a second, meet you after school?' Do I take that as a question?

'Sure. Good luck!'

I say it but I don't really feel like meaning it and...

'AHHH!'

Reality just hit me.