Cheer Angels

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

September 1 came as soon as it could. Everybody was ready for the road trip of a lifetime. All of the girls went home and got prepared for 20 weeks of traveling at the least. 20 weeks worth of snacks, clothes, money, entertainment, etc.

The whole team got on the bus, Florence driving. The bus was a little bit old, but it goes far, and that's what they would need, nothing fancy to do the job.

Sheila and Cristina were Backup drivers, they took the first row respectably as they were the only 19 year olds on the team.

There were 2 15 years old too, making them the youngest.

Before Florence started to drive, she got everyone's attention.

"This is going to be a long drive, 18 and a half hours to be exact. If you need anything, Sheila and Cristina are in the front of the bus."

Everyone understood.

The drive to Philadelphia wasn't too bad, they got there at 6:52 am on September 2. Sheila and Cristina both drove for at least 4 hours.

In Philadelphia, there were two recruiting events, September 6 and September 7, and September 13 and September 14. The Angels were going to the September 6 event. What happens is that there is a competition for money, the best team wins a cash prize. Before the competition, a girl could walk up to any team and make a bet with them. If they win, then that girl will join their team.

The days before the competition were a combination of sightseeing and practice. Wake up, breakfast, warm ups, sightseeing and lunch, practice, dinner, and some more practice before going to bed.

September 6 was the day, the day a new girl would join the team. Angel Star Arena was packed, with girls from the northeast scattered all about, all ages, all sizes, all personalities.

Before the Cheer Angels were going to perform and practice, a girl with short black hair, tan skin with a black, yellow, and green uniform approached the team.

"Hey, Wait a second, Ai? Is that you?"

Ai came out from the crowd.

"Yeah?"

"Oh my god, you were on Cheerleader America, and you, and you, and you, and all of you! I rooted for all of you on the show, and I want to join your team!"

"Wow, that's fast."

"If you win first place in your division, that is."

"Knew it."

"Trust me, you guys can do it! I'm rooting for you guys!"

After meeting with that girl, they started to practice. The song that they chose was a song that nobody has ever heard of, but it was catchy nonetheless. Florence's rules for a routine: make it a memorable one and make it fun.

"You can't have a routine that's all work and no play. You need a mix of both."

This routine was a little bit more on the fun side, but it had some competitive aspects, such as the layout, and hip hop moves.

"Coming up next, The Cheer Angels!"

The sound of applause filled the stadium as the Angels went onto the blue mat.

I say Hey by Kinky plays.

The routine was a memorable and enjoyable one to learn and watch. Florence has a knack for making her routines so out of the box, yet so traditional at the same time.

From the introduction of the circles, to the beat of the drums, the routine fit the girls perfectly. All of their personalities seemed to combine in this song.

It was so mesmerizing to look at alone, every move was smooth, and it looked so easy and fun to learn.

And the center? Florence picked Ai to be the center of all of the routines. Ai has a cute charm to her, and her smile wins hearts.

Once the routine was over, everyone waited for the results. Did they do their best? Did they mess up on something? Money and a new girl are on the line. The money could help continue the girl's dreams, while a new girl could boost the spirits of the team.

The voice of the announcer called everyone up to him.

"Third place is......"

"Team Renover."

"Second place......"

"Fuchsia Cheer and Dance."

"And finally, the winner of the $10,000 cash prize and the September 6 competition is....."

"The Cheer Angels!"

A win, their first win. In a professional's eyes, this would be nothing, but practicing three times a day really does pay off, right? Although these scouting events aren't really competitions, they are a good way to get your team known in the cheerleading world.

After the award ceremony, that same girl from earlier walked up to the team.

"Hey Angels, congratulations on your win! I see that you all are such a great team, and your routines are so elegant yet fun. Can I join your team? I think I would be a great addition?"

"What's your name?"

"I'm Jackie, Jackie Alejandro from Pittsburgh."

"You drove all the way here from Pittsburgh?"

"It was nothing bad, where are you all from?"

"Iowa."

"What? Iowa?"

"We did a road trip."

"I love road trips!"

"Wait, how old are you?"

"I'm going to be 17 in late October."

"And what position are you?"

"I am a base, but I can backspot."

"Nice, Jackie, you are a great addition to our team, in fact, you are the first new member."

"Awww, really? I'm honored."

"And with you on our team, I believe you will do great things. You have a vibe, and it fits with us."

"Nobody's ever said that to me before, but thanks. It's never been easy whenever I cheered. You see, the uniform that I'm wearing was from my old cheer squad, and I got kicked out because I cut my hair."

"Oh no."

"That's kind of stupid."

"And I think 'Why do you need a cheer squad with girls wearing sky high ponytails with an ugly bow?"

"We don't get bows, some of us have our hair up and some don't."

"Your team is very diverse."

"And you would fit right in."

"I can't wait!"

"Trust me, you will love being a cheer angel, it's a team effort, I just started this team. Our team is going to grow, and you helped us plant a seed."

The last day in Philly has arrived, and everyone got ready for the next destination. Jackie went home before today, and brought stuff for the trips ahead. What's new is that everyone has a row, and their row has a custom made sign of their stuff. Jackie got used to becoming an angel super quickly.

"We're going to our next destination, it's going to be another long ride."