Lesson by Her [Book 1]

Chapter 1

Black Dusty-Rose gave her brightest smile as she pivoted around in her red and white cheerleading outfit. With the sun shining and her blonde halo of hair bouncing around in a ponytail, she looked every inch the American teen dream. But no one watching knew of the anguish she was feeling inside.

Dusty had gotten good at keeping her past well hidden. "W!" she exuberantly yelled out the letter with the other girls, using her arms to make the "W" shape. Out in the afternoon sun, the cheerleaders of Woods High practiced hard.

They spun, jumped, and kicked around in a small corner of the football field. A handful of male admirers seated themselves nearby, enjoying the show. The team was renowned throughout the state for its high energy and perfectly choreographed performances. After an hour of practice, the girls disbanded, clapping their sign-off chant in happy unison. They fanned out, each going their own way.

"Dusty, that routine was great," Cora Fitz complimented after the rehearsal.

"Thanks." Dusty smiled modestly, picking up her water bottle from the side of the field and taking a long, refreshing drink.

"I like the new direction you are taking the team. You make a great captain," Cora continued.

"Thanks." Dusty blushed.

"We still need to work on the pyramid, and there are a few girls out of step," Farah Xael said with her arms folded as she sat down on the nearby bleachers.

"Yes, I know." Dusty forced a smile.

"Well, as captain, that's the sort of thing you need to figure out," Farah said as her dark eyes bore into Dusty's blue ones.

"As vice-captain you could always help out more," Cora suggested, raising an angered, perfectly shaped eyebrow at Farah.

"I wouldn't want to step on any toes," Farah replied coolly. She finished her drink and headed away from the field, loosening her ponytail, so that her dark hair cascaded down her back.

"She's still sore about not making captain," Cora apologised to Dusty.

"It's okay. I can handle Farah Xael." Dusty shrugged.

"You never sweat the small stuff, do you?" Cora noted.

"Life's too short." Dusty smiled.

In the locker room, Dusty changed out of her cheerleading outfit into some skinny jeans and a white T-shirt. Cora changed into her Juicy Couture velour tracksuit, carefully tucking away her beloved cheerleading outfit.

"It's a shame we can't wear these home anymore," she noted as she zipped up her duffle bag. "How can a cheerleading outfit attract negative attention?" She sighed in dismay. Wearing her cheerleading outfit
around school had been one of Cora's proudest moments in her eighteen-year lifetime.

"Yeah, it sucks," Dusty agreed, though she wasn't nearly as bothered with the latest rule enforced by the school board. "I guess everyone got jumpy after that sex scandal at North High." Dusty shrugged.

"You're right," Cora agreed. "But just because that girl was wearing a cheerleading outfit, don't mean it had some- thing to do with what happened."

"Try explaining that to the school board. They're just a bunch of crotchety old men blaming short skirts and tight tops for rape. Talk about sexist."

"Mmm,"  sounded bored by the conversation and was typing furiously into her cell phone. "Apparently Colin Baker broke up with Hayley Tork earlier today."

"Oh?" Dusty feigned interest. The politics of high school dating didn't interest her in the slightest.

"I never thought they'd last," Cora continued, shaking her head. "I mean, he's totally a music geek, and she's in the drama club. Clash."