A Cliche Teenage Story

Chapter 12

       I head towards cheer-leading practice after school, heading towards the football field where practice is going to be held until it gets cold enough to go inside. I have no idea when that will be though, considering its less then 55 degrees out here, not my idea of t-shirt and shorts weather. Which is exactly what I'm wearing, shivering outside, waiting for practice to start in like 4 minutes. About 5 other girls have arrived, but none of my friends. Or enemies.

        Ms. Scarlett is already here, in a jacket and sweat pants of course. She doesn't have to wear these outrageous clothes!

        Selena arrives, her arms crossed and hopping up and down, trying to be warmer. "Brrr, it is freezing! The school board is crazy!"

        Lisa is also with her, also dressed in the ridiculous attire for this kind of temperature. "I am so cold! Why can't we practice inside? Or at least wear decent clothes. Oh, look at that, even Holly is shivering. Shocker there, she usually tries to be so perfect. But it is so freaking cold!" She complained, rubbing her hands together.

        The cold hasn't seemed to effect Lisa's mouth.

        "Ladies! Gather up, practice is starting!" Ms. Scarlett bellows, even though were already gathered. Everybody shuffles a bit closer though.

        "Welcome, new Haven View Middle School cheerleaders!" She goes over the rules, and it starts to feel as if I'm in school again for the first day. A very cold school.

        After 5 minutes of the expectations of cheerleaders(Who knew there were so many?), she actually gets on to the practice part of cheer-leading practice. "Run 4 laps around the field, ladies! That's one mile, move it!"

        We move it. I start running, around the football players who are now heading out to the edge of the field, also running. It's like the coaches planned this or something, running at the same time so that there's a bunch of middle school people running. Although I suppose running is a pretty typical warm up.

        Nobody's talking, were all to busy breathing hard from running. At least in my case.

        Josh passes me, and I stare at him, going much faster then I am. I try running faster, to catch up, but he's too fast, and now I have a side ache. I slow down. It's useless, and even if I did catch up to him, what would I say?

        I really regret having called him a player.

       The practice continues, long and hard. You wouldn't think cheer-leading would be all that exhausting, but trust me, it is. We learned all kinds of moves for cheerleaders and we did a lot more running. Ms. Scarlett says it is to "get us in shape", but I prefer to believe she likes seeing us being tortured.

       The football players don't do half as much running on their first day, their coach preferring to work on their passing skills. They're not half as tired as we are. And the practice is only halfway done!

       "Christy! Get your butt moving, you have 1 more lap to go!" The never lenient Ms. Scarlett screams at me from where she is perched on a bench.

       I sigh and run faster, while my brutal coach finds her next target.

*****

        By the end of practice I'm sweating like crazy, and extremely hot. I can't believe I thought it was cold outside earlier! I'm at the drinking fountain with Lisa, waiting for her mom to pick us up. I'm taking a much needed refreshing drink.

        I finish my long drink, and turn to see someone behind me. And not Lisa.

        Holly.