The Word Boy {Jughead Jones} DISCONTINUED

04 ||CHEER SPIRIT||

CHAPTER FOUR - CHEER SPIRIT

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The rest of the school day had been pretty uneventful. Kyla had ended up with Jughead's phone number before Betty had appeared and dragged her to the gymnasium for cheer try outs. Kyla was not impressed when she is handed a white and yellow shirt and black shorts up her rear. She changes in a toilet and stares at the large scar on her right knee from one of the numerous surgeries she had to have after the cheer accident and a frown works its way onto her face.

She emerges from the toilet, heading back to her bag where Betty and Veronica continue to change into their gym clothes. Kyla remains silent as whispers fill her ears and eyes stare at her knee as well as her left elbow where another nasty scar sits. The blonde pulls 2 supports from her bag, pulling one over her knee and the other over her elbow. She finishes tightening the supports to find the pair staring at her.

"That's from the cheer accident isn't it?" Veronica asks her quietly, Kyla remains quiet as she grabs her sneakers and pulls them on over the knee high socks, "I'm sorry that happened to you" she adds, a frown on her face.

"Well it happened and I got stuck with two ugly scars and they got stuck with three years in juvenile prison, so I guess I got off luckier than them" she tells her as she rises to her feet and heads out of the changing room and into the gym, she pulls the hair tie from her wrist and grabs her hair, pulling it up and out of her face as she joins her sisters side.

Mack doesn't have to turn to know that her older sister is stood beside her, "wanna do that routine?" She asks her sister, a smirk playing at her lips. Six years of dancing together and she knew for a fact that Kyla would not be comfortable auditioning with anyone but her. Cheryl seems to materialise from no where and calls for warm ups, stretching and other such basics.

"Rolling acres from cheer comp when we were twelve?" Kyla asks her in confirmation, turning to her sister as they stretch. Mack turns to grin at her nodding. "Mack we haven't done that since we were kids, I haven't even flipped since before the surgeries" Kyla tells her and Mack turns to grin at her older sister.

"So? You have not once failed to do a flip Ky, even when you broke your ankle when you were ten, you still landed that flip, not even caring that you re-broke your ankle" she points out to her and Kyla can't help but smile at the memory before nodding. Kyla moves herself into a split before she rises to her feet.

"So, Matthews siblings, let's see what you've got" Cheryl's peppy voice announces, Kyla turns to find a giant throne like chair has appeared with Cheryl herself sat in it. She bites her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing, it was all very comical in her opinion.

"Say less" Mack grins as she grabs her sisters hand, dragging her to the front of the pack. The rest of the cheer team and the other try outs stare at them. Kyla closes her eyes, allowing her mind to go over the moves from the years old dance routine. Mack nods and music fills Kyla's ears and she allows her body to be overtaken by the music.

Cheryl watches the pair, eyeing them. Of course she had heard of the infamous Matthews siblings from the cheer world. They shared captainship back in middle school before Kyla's accident and surgeries. To have them on her squad would mean ultimate power. Eyes widen as they watch the older Matthews girl step forward, jumping into a set of hand springs, ending with a flip and landing gracefully on her feet, her arms raising as the music comes to an end.

Several years without dancing and Kyla could still pull off all her old moves. It was amazing.

Cheryl beams at the pair of them as they slowly approach her, "congratulations ladies, welcome to the riven vixens" she beams at them, nodding to a couple of girls who hand them cheer uniforms, "now step aside and lets see Veronica and Betty" she calls, turning to the brunette and blonde who seem to still be gawking at Kyla.

After switching places, Kyla pulls her sister in for a tight hug, a huge smile on her face as they stand to the side as Betty and Veronica do an old fashioned cheer with pom poms. "Thank you Mack, thank you for having faith" she whispers to her sister who grins at her as they pull apart.

"All I did was give you a nudge Ky, you killed that last flip. It has to be the best you've done yet" Mack tells her before looking at the blue and yellow uniform in her hands, "honestly not too keen on the colours but I don't care, we got on the cheer squad!" She exclaims happily, hugging her sister again.

Kyla smiles, as the pair pull away and watch as Betty and Veronica continue their cheer. She had not felt this close to her sister in years, it felt nice. Kyla turns to look at Veronica and Betty to find them kissing, "what the hell did I miss?" She whispers to Mack who merely shakes her head, shrugging.

Cheryl rises from her seat and starts talking, telling the pair how gay kissing was so last year before announcing that she was going to question them as the second part of the audition. But, before either can point out that Kyla and Mack weren't questioned, Cheryl begins bombarding them with questions. Specifically asking Betty about her sister Polly.

Kyla winces, the back of her head beginning to hurt at the mention of the name Polly. There was a certain familiarity about the rang. Kyla reaches up to touch her scar and mack watches her, "are you okay?" She whispers to her as Cheryl continues.

"Yeah, the scar just hurt for a second" Kyla mumbles, her eyebrows creased in worry and confusion as she puts her hand back at her side. She doesn't notice the concerning looks her sister gives her because she's too busy watching Cheryl announce Veronica as a new river vixen, telling Betty better luck next year.

Then Veronica snaps on the red head, and Kyla shakes as the old Veronica seems to surface. Mack grabs her sisters wrist, remembering everything that the brunette did to her, and hating herself for not being there to support her. Veronica finishes and Cheryl takes a moment to compose herself before turning to Betty with a smile, "congratulations Betty, welcome to the river vixens" she tells the blonde, nodding to her girls to give them cheer uniforms.

Cheryl quickly wraps up the try outs, telling the squad when the next practice is before dismissing them to the changing rooms. Kyla grabs her water bottle from the bleachers as the red head approaches her, "I must say, you pulled off quite the stunt earlier" Cheryl tells her with a smile.

Kyla smiles at her nervously, "thank you, I look forward to seeing you dance too" she tells her and she smiles back to the blonde.

"Oh Ky we must go for milkshakes again soon" she smiles at her before turning on her heel and following the river vixens into the changing rooms. Kyla stands there for a moment, staring at her retreating figure. Milkshakes again? Had she met Cheryl before?

"Ky come on!" Mack calls from the changing room door, waving her sister over with a smile. Kyla hurries over to the changing room and changes into her new cheer uniform. She stares at herself in the mirror for a moment, a smile tugging at her lips before Veronica appears behind her, a guilty look on her face.

"I've been trying to find a way to apologise for what I did to you back in New York, but I know that my words can only do so much" Veronica tells her softly, a frown on her face. Kyla studies her, remaining silent, "I am truly sorry for being the bitch I was Kyla, I want to put the past behind us and hopefully in the future we can be friends" she explains a small smile on her face.

Kyla watches her, remaining silent. The brunette looked sincere and Kyla sighs before turning around to veronica, "I accept your apology but us being friends will take a while" she tells Veronica whose face lights up like a Christmas tree and she beams.

"Of course, as long as it takes"