Chapter 6
1000words
"Aww, are you missing him?" Nina teased me.
"Jevan?" Sophia asked.
"Yeah. She had Mrs. Smith switch them."
"You really did that because of Brooke?"
"Is that a stupid thing?" I asked.
"Yes," Sophia said.
"What?" Nina and I asked together.
"Come on you two, Brooke is a bully and if someone doesn't stand up to her, she'll continue doing this because we're afraid of her. She needs someone to knock her off her high horse for once," Sophia told us.
"Good luck with that. I'm not crossing Brooke and her minions. And you shouldn't encourage Blossom to stand up to her."
We ate in silence. Jevan and his friends were sitting on their usual table. I looked at him and he looked at me too then he quickly looked away.
I heaved a sigh and walked out of the cafeteria.
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"Blossom!" someone called. I turned and saw Gary, my new partner, running towards me.
"Hi there."
Gary was a skinny guy with straight black hair that hang down his neck.
He handed me the doll and rushed off.
"What? You didn't even tell me her name!" I yelled after him but he continued on his way. I stared at the new doll, my new 'child' and she started crying.
"It's going to be a long day," I said to myself. I took the doll home that night and she kept me up for the whole night.
_____
'I wonder if Jason kept Jevan up the first night like this?' I thought when I prepared for school the next morning.
For the remainder of the week, I avoided Jevan. We would glance at each other in class and at lunch but that was about it.
On Friday, Mrs. Tisdale sent for me.
"Have a seat Miss. Wright," she gestured when I walked into her office. I complied.
"I've been looking at your extra curriculum activities.. and.... You don't have any.
A new position is open on the squad and I think you should join. You did do gymnastics in Africa, right?"
"Yes ma'am, but which squad are you talking about?"
"The cheer leading squad."
I gulped.
Blossom's POV
After school the next day, it was my first cheerleading practice. Mrs. Tisdale ushered me into the gymnasium where the others were gathered and already doing cartwheels and poses.
"Brooke! Meet the newest member of the squad," Mrs. Tisdale cut right to the chase then she turned on her heel, leaving me to the pact of wolves.
"Well.. well.. well, look at what the cat dragged in," Brooke gnarled as she approached me, "You're not going to make this squad because it's only for the best of the best but I'm interested in seeing what you can do. Cartwheel and Toe-Touch!" she finished.
I immediately did a cartwheel and finished with the perfect toe-touch.
Brooke smirked and I spent the rest of the practice doing hand springs and cartwheels until I couldn't feel my hands anymore. It was torture.
"That's it," I spoke when at last, I couldn't bare it anymore.
"Everyone, what's the motto?" Brooke asked to the others.
"If you don't cheer for us, you're against us!" everyone recited.
"You'll be given a uniform tomorrow and there's a game on Friday so you have a lot to catch up on. I don't want anyone making my squad look bad. Clear?"
"Vivid," I responded and Brooke allowed me to leave practice or my try-outs or whatever you'll call what just happened to me.
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The following morning, I was a bit sore in muscle aches. Nina and Sophia meet me in the halls.
"Damn, Brooke let you had it, huh?"
"Those practices are the worst."
"New girl," we heard Brooke's voice. The other students cleared the path and she walked down the middle like a queen on a high horse indeed.
"Uniform." She shoved a uniform against my chest before leaving. It held the same colors of our actual school uniform. Baby blue and grey.
"You'll look so cute," Nina said with a wide smile.
"And you get to rock that uniform to all your classes," Sophia added.
"For real?"
"Yes, so I suggest you change really quickly." We headed for the washrooms I got changed into my uniform.
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At Practice, I picked up the moves quickly. Pyramids and cradles and basket tosses were easy for me to comprehend and execute to perfection. And as the days went by, I felt more and more confident for the game.
________
At last, It was Friday and the whole school was buzzing about the game. Brooke had us run the routine one last time before our classes started.
In Mrs. Smith's class, Garry was standing in front of the chalkboard with a worried look on his face.
"What's going on?" I asked him softly but he ignored me. Then Mrs. Tisdale walked in with Mrs. Smith behind.
"Garry, come with us please," Mrs. Smith told him and we watched as he followed them out the classroom.
I tapped Nina on the shoulder to get her attention. "What's going on?" I asked her.
"Garry is in serious trouble. Something about selling drugs out his locker to freshmen."
"What!" I was in shock. He was my new partner to this project. Who's going to be my partner now?
After several minutes, Mrs. Smith walked back into the classroom.
"I'm very sorry for the delay. Today, I'll just give you the time to catch up with your partners on the baby project. Also, Cindy isn't in the best of health and she wouldn't be with us for a while so... Blossom, I don't have a choice but to ship you back with Jevan. It's too late to give you someone new, unless you wish to do this on your own."
I looked behind me but Jevan was absent. Being as it was game day, the footballers were meeting with their coach.
