The Amazing Adyson

Four

"Cheerleading? You're nuts!"
Connie shakes her head. We're on our way to orchestra when I mention it to her. Connie has a huge disapproval of cheerleaders as one of her cousins (not Angie) became a cheerleader and tends to diss on everyone she sees.
"I think it sounds fun," I say. "Waving colorful Pom-poms in the air, showing school spirit,-"
"And repeating those little school spirit chants that nobody really cares about," Connie interrupts.

I roll my eyes.
"You really do hate cheerleading don't you?" I asked.
Connie doesn't answer. She just keeps walking with her violin case jumping up and down in the rhythm. Connie and I have played the violin since the 1st grade. I was interested because I had seen many famous people play, and Connie's mom suggested that she'd actually play the violin since she played as a little kid.

When we arrive to orchestra class, the little sign up sheet is standing outside the entrance. Already 4 girls had signed up, Katie, being one of them. It turns out Katie has been doing cheerleading since the 4th grade, and was always chosen captain of the team. She also takes gymnastics and plays the violin, too, expect she's been playing that instrument since 4 in a half.
I walk over to the sign up sheet.
"Here, use my pen," Connie says, giving me her the Little Mermaid pen. The pen had sparkly liquid that was aqua green like the color of her hair. A little flower was stuck on and glows every time you wrote with it. Connie had some other Disney princess pens that she had since Kindergarten. All pens expect for Aurora and Cinderella, which she gave to me. I still have them, expect I need to replace the ink in the Aurora pen.

I sign my name on the list.
Adyson Johanne Bentson.
That was a name I got from my great grandmother, but her name was Anita Bentson, who was known to be an actress during the 1940's.
Anita Johanne Bentson.
Adyson Johanne Bentson.

"Perfect," I say.
I give Connie back her pen, and she gives me a funny glare.
"Thank you for not walking off with my pen this time," she says playfully.
I did actually forget to give Connie back her Finding Nemo pen last year. It's still with me, expect Dory no longer lights up or says, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming."

"Tryouts is right after school," Connie remarks. "Be prepared to be in pain and sweat, Ms. Adyson."
I playfully roll my eyes.
"Oh please, Ms. Oakley. If I can do front flips in the yard then I can cheerleading," I brag.
Connie rolls her eyes.
"Whatever you say, buddy," she says, slapping me on the back.

*********
School ends and the cheerleading tryouts begin. Over 20 girls appear, wearing the school colors, orange and blue. They're full of energy, and they use that energy to cheer on their friends.
"Go Shelby!" A girl next to me yells. The Shelby girl has long blonde hair. She approaches the field with a happy expression.

The judges, Ms. Connelly (the music teacher) and Mrs. Audburn give her an approval to start. Shelby didn't do so much of what we expected. She just hops around and kicks her leg high. She came up with this crazy cheer lyric that nobody understood because she was out of breath.
She then finishes by kneeling on the ground and holding both poms up in the air. The judges clap and Shelby skips of the field.
Katie is next and the teachers smile.
"Back on the team again, this year, huh?" Ms. Audburn says with a smirk.
"I like your team spirit, Ms. Warren."
Katie smiles.
"Makes me want to quit already," one of the girls whispered.
The judges give Katie an approval and she begins. She does front flips and back flips while coming up with a cheer lyric. She adds in cartwheels and hands stands and ends her routine on a big split.
The judges clap.
"I like to thank my Aunt Millie for all the gymnastic lessons! If it wasn't for her, I would never make it to level 9!"
Katie skips off the field and sits with her friends, who already tried out. They give each other high fives and post their selfies on whatever social media they were using.

"Adyson Bentson?" Ms. Connelly calls.
I felt sick already.
Connie hugs me and sends me off onto the field. Katie and girls glare at me as I walk by.
"Break a leg, Bentson," Angel says. "Literally." The girls burst out laughing. I ignore them and give it my best shot.

"Hello, Ms. Bentson," Ms. Connelly greets me. She's wearing bright red lipstick that complements her smile.
"Hello," I say nervously.
"First time on the team. Give it all you've got!"
I nod. I take a deep breath in and remember all the flips and cartwheels I've done in the past. Mom enrolled me into tumbling classes at 5 but stopped doing them because I broke my arm trying to do a backflip. Most kids I knew from there still go there. (Landon and Ava being two of them).

I start by running around in a circle singing,
"Are we Birch?
No!
Are we Sycamore?
No!
Are we Elm?
No!
Who are we?
Good question,
We are call the Oaks!"
I do a backflip and the teachers are approving.
"Go, Oaklands!
Go go, Oaklands!"
I'm doing find until I slip and fall and land on my back. I quickly kick one foot in the air and smile.
The teachers clap.
Connie clears the sweat off her head. She was really praying for me this whole time. A few other girls after me tryout. Some amazing and some not so good.

After the tryouts, we were all aloud to take a water break. Shelby was complaining that the teachers were giving her weird eye contact.
I was fixing my hair until Katie walks up to me. Mandy and Ginger are behind her, but Angel is nowhere to be seen. Sadly from what I hear she got picked up the second after she tried out because of her fingernails touching the grass.
"Nice dance," Katie says. "You look like a 5 year old out there."
Ginger and Mandy nod in agreement.
"I've been on the team longer than you have and have more experience than you. Why join the team now?"
I shrugged.
"Seems fun," I answered.
"Excuse me, Ms. Benny!" Ginger snaps. (No Strawberry Shortcake pun intended).
"It's Bentson!" I say right back.
Ginger rolls her eyes.

"Look Addy," Angel says, leaning in close to my face. "You mess up our squad, and we'll mess you up. No little kid is gonna bring us down and humiliate the team."
Then Mandy says something.
"You're such a little kid, Addy. No one wants a little kid on the cheer team. We girls work hard, and we won't let a tomboy ruin our reputation. My best guess is that you quit the team while you can."

The girls walk away.
Katie looks back at me and smirks.
"She's such a loser," I heard her say.
I frown and I feel my fist clench.
These girls aren't gonna stop me.
They've never brought me down before.
I'm strong.
And I know it.