Cheer Angels

You Ready for This?

"I hate this, Nadia."

"Don't we all?"

"I have to be the center for this stupid dance that makes no sense. Coach just said 'Oh! Zoe! You'd be a good center for this routine! And I'm here wearing a stupid wig."

"And stupid uniforms too."

Flashback to a few days ago....

"We are no longer doing squad challenges because you guys suck and are always always always off beat! Scratch that, you know what? We still have time to fix you guys, so you guys would look... presentable. We're doing a swap team challenge."

"A what?"

"Yeah Mike, you heard me. Some of the Angels will be on your team for this routine and vise versa. For this challenge, the following people will be out. Greg because you are ugly and nobody likes you. Ling and Iris because you both are horrible at everything and you both are terrible centers. And that's it. Ai and Jackie will join our team for this challenge and Mike will replace Greg's positions because we need exactly five guys, I don't know why either. The song we are doing is Get Ready for This by 2 Unlimited, you all better be ready for this sick routine that I made! Hit it Greg!"

Greg turned on the stereo.

Phoebe started to dance.

If there was anything worse than Beat It, then it was this dance. The whole dance itself was either awkward or a whole bunch or hand movements. Everyone looked at her like the odd kid out in a dance battle or that kid that boasted about their dancing skills but has none. There was like a toe touch in the beginning, but the dance itself had no flavor. Nothing that would make you go "wow!" or "That was so cool!" It was more like "What is this routine and who made it? God bless the soul who made this."

Phoebe looked back at the team when she was down.

"So, what did you think?"

Zoe and Rachelle quickly looked at each other. Everyone else was speechless, and not in a good way. This was going to be a long practice session.

They practiced the routine day after day after day. All with Phoebe's words cutting into their tired souls like a knife to butter.

"More energy! You all look dead!"

"Why are you guys so off beat? It's not that hard to do the routine!"

"Point your toes! They look like French baguettes."

"The song is called Get Ready for this! Not Give up!"

"Again!"

"Again!"

"Again!"

"You all drain my patience like a shower."

Up until the routine was going to be unveiled, Phoebe did this over and over and over. She gave up the day before.

"Honestly if you all are going to make mistakes like this, why do I have to stand here and give you criticism for the same five things that you all aren't fixing? I'm going to watch and see if you do better without me yelling at you over and over and over again."

Phoebe sat down on the bench.

"Again!"

Now on the wings on the stage, Zoe looked over and heard the screams of the crowd.

"Now we are going to embarrass ourselves. All because of all this stupid stuff."

"I feel you."

"WELCOME ON THE STAGE! THE TEAM!"

"And we don't even have a team name."

"We are pathetic."

The team got on the floor and prepared to get into position.

First in the routines were 4 girls doing round offs, followed by guys doing aerials and girls doing front walkovers. They proceeded to do the hand motions that they had to do and then into a tow touch. Overall, the motions did not fit the song at all. The moves looked lazy and dull and Phoebe must have been having a fit looking at the routine right now.

It's not the team's fault that you gave them a bad routine.

The whole routine could have been a lot more energetic and entertaining, but Phoebe failed to do that. Get Ready for This is a powerful and catchy song, it was a mess overall. It was even hard for the whole team to keep a smile on their faces because of the monstrosity of that so called "routine".

Once it was over, there was uncomfortable applause coming from the crowd and the team looked even more uncomfortable as well. Phoebe watched from the sidelines, enraged and she looked like she was ready to give a mean yelling to her team.

In the Locker Rooms, Brooke and Vicky started to cry.

"We did so bad and we had to look stupid too! Nobody would ever take me seriously as a cheerleader after that!"

"We looked stupid, we did. From our uniforms to our makeup, who even let us?"

Florence came in just as she saw Ai and Jackie comforting Brooke and Vicky.

"Is everything alright?"

Florence's soft voice caused everybody to turn around.

"No, everything is terrible! I hate everything!"

Brooke sobbed into Ai's shoulder, Ai pet her on the head gently.

"Well, I might be seen as a pro, but I could tell that nobody had a good time doing that routine. But I know what will make you feel better, a nice hot shower. It cures headaches and migraines too."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am."

"Thanks. You know, you care more about us than our coach. You have coach material."

"Thank you Brooke. I think you all should hop in the showers, take off the wigs and bad spray tans and hair dye, because you know, the best person you can be is yourself."

"Can you burn these uniforms too?"

"On it Vicky."

"You are the best."

The team got into the showers and washed off their sweat from nerves and embarrassment. Florence took their uniforms and threw them over into a garbage pit through a window.

After the locker room, Ai and Jackie were talking with Florence in her room.

"So, you're saying she was that bad of a coach?"

"She yells at people for no reason."

"More like she makes a routine that is stupid and or lacks energy that is also offbeat at the same time and then she yells at her team because they can't get the moves right."

Florence smirked.

"Sounds like we have the case of somebody who has clearly never danced in front of a mirror before."

"She is bad, Florence. Jackie and I have to say that."

"I would have to take my words back about you. Because what you have done is nothing compared to what she does to her team."

"Interesting, and she calls herself a coach."