The Outsiders: Dally's little sister

A Romantic

SOPHIE'S P.O.V.

I sat in math, bored and not paying attention. I remembered why I did so bad in school back in New York: I hate school. I never have liked school and I was never very good at it. There was one thing I wanted to be good at, though. Cheerleading. I wasn't super concerned with the sport itself, but I wanted to make to team to show all the soc girls that they aren't the big deal they make themselves to to be. I also want to make it for Johnny and Pony. I know they will make the team, so if I'm there cheering them on, they might do better. It's a good way to  spend more time around Johnny. If I don't make the team, then I'll almost never see him. 

That was the kin of thinking that got me through the day. Finally when the last bell of the day rang, I quickly made my way down to the locker rooms. I changed hastily, then made my way out to the bleachers. Some of the girls were already there, talking with there light, giggly voices. I saw Johnny and Pony on the other side of the track stretching and I jogged over. "You sure you wanna be seen with us miss big cheerleader." Johnny asked, chuckling. 

"I'm not a cheerleader yet." I smirked. "Don't worry 'bout them, they can't cut me unless I don't do the set. As long as I get it right, I should make it-no matter their opinion of me."

Pony raised his eyebrows as he crossed his arm over his chest and stretched. My lips twitched as I heard Cherry yell for everyone to gather. I clenched my jaw and rolled my eyes. "Well queen bee is calling, you better answer." Pony half smiled sympathetically.

"Don't get smart with me Ponyboy." I said coolly as I jogged back over to the bleachers. 

I sat by myself on the first row, and listened to Cherry. She had her hair back in a high ponytail and a ribbon tied in it. Her tight grey long sleeve shirt clung to her as a gust of wind blew by. She was wearing a short skirt that looked like a cheerleading uniform from a few years ago. It had shorts under it so she could do all her tricks. I stared at her as she explained formalities. She was really pretty. Prettier than I was for sure. Her complexion clear and light and her lips naturally delicate and colorful. I felt a pang of jealousy in me, but it was pretty much gone when she started to talk about the things that I actually cared about. 

"The next set we will give you will be much harder than the last." She explained, standing on her toes. "We are trying to get tryouts over by today so we can start practicing tomorrow for the first track meet on Friday December 3rd. There are only thirteen of you guys left, and we are only taking eight, so we will have only about two more rounds."

December 3rd is this Friday. I thought to myself. I raised my eyebrows. They really wanna start cheer leading as fast as they can. I looked around at the other twelve girls around me. All of them were pretty, all dressed in nice clothes with tame, brushed hair and manicured nails. All of them kind of blurred together, none of them different than the one before. They were just.. socs. A girl two rows behind me glanced at me and caught me staring. She flashed a disgusted face and scoffed like she was better than me in every way possible. I swallowed hard, then looked back foward.

Margret stepped up as Cherry fell back towards the mats. "Cherry will now demonstrate the next set. Do not be discouraged if you can not perform the next set, it is very difficult."

I winced slightly at her saying that. I'm not even that good. Cherry tightened her ponytail as she does, then put her hands in the air. She took a deep breath, then started. I don't even really know how to tell you what she did, but she started off with several flips, then spins, then finished with two cartwheels into a somersault. My eyes went wide and my palms started to sweat. I remembered my elbow and how it hurt yesterday. I pressed my lips together and wiped the hair that blew into my face away. I found myself rubbing my elbow subconsciously, and I immediately stopped.