Stranger Things Imagines

Cheerleading

Chrissy this, Chrissy that. It's always about Chrissy Cunningham. I have been working so relentlessly hard on every move in the book to get that top spot. With the championship game coming up, and the amount of work I've been putting in, I thought I might have a chance at being the main star of the routine...

Who was I kidding? I never stood a chance with favouritism at play. Who do you think got it? Go ahead, guess. I give you 1 guess. Yeah, exactly. Chrissy fucking Cunningham.

I found out this expected outcome all of 5 minutes ago. I pretended to be happy for her but I was - and still am - dying on the inside. Still in my uniform with pom poms in hand, I storm out after cheer practice and head straight to the woods. As I approach the familiar picnic bench, my frustration turns to tears and screaming.

"I hate cheerleading! I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!" I scream bloody murder as I launch the pom poms onto the ground several feet away from me.

"Woah, woah, woah. Okay, let's backtrack for a second." Eddie jumps out of his skin and slowly walks over to me. "What's going on?"

"Why can't I just win for once?" I look at him with tears still in my eyes - then it hits him. He gestures for me to sit down.

"Chrissy got the lead?" He looks at me with sympathy.

"Of course she did." I scoff. "They fucking love her. I worked my ass off and I get nothing - I have nothing to show for it."

"That's not true. You've mastered everything you need to know."

"What difference does it make? I'm always second place. Chrissy always wins. I wouldn't be surprised if her daddy is paying them to make her the star every performance." I sigh as I prop my head up on my hand in defeat. "Do you have any food? I'm starving."

"Yeah, but-" He opens his lunchbox but I cut him off before he can explain.

"Thanks." I quickly grab a brownie and take a bite. Man, it's pretty good - but Eddie's giving me a strange look. "What?" Oh, I get it now. "Are these weed brownies?"

"Yeah..."

"You gonna make me pay for it?"

"No, I'll let it slide - this time. Even though you're robbing me blind right now." I give him an appreciative smile before continuing to eat.

"I want to hate Chrissy but I can't. She's never done anything wrong and she's the sweetest person there is so she deserves it. She's just better than me."

"Both of you are amazing. Nothing good comes from comparing yourself - so don't torture yourself like that."

"I know, I know. I just get tired of being second best, you know." I sigh. "All I wanted was just a moment to shine. You know, part of me actually thought I had a chance. That was very naive of me. Deep down I knew I wouldn't. Now I'll never get to prove myself."

"You don't have to prove yourself to anyone. Besides, there are no small roles, only small actors."

"What are you getting at, Eddie?"

"When it comes to acting, having a small part doesn't mean you can't be a scene stealer. Often times the side characters become the favourites because the actors rise to the challenge and make their reduced screen time memorable." He explains.

"Somehow, I forgot you were in the drama club." I chuckle.

"I am. But it works on a lot of levels."

"Go on..."

"You see, in D&D, a good DM will include everyone. A lot of the time, newcomers are scared to interact with everyone and everything around them. A good DM will find a way to make them feel welcome and supported. Make them want to come back and give them a sense of achievement - because all they want is to be useful and accepted into the party."

"So, how exactly does this relate to me?"

"You have to rise to the challenge. You may not be the center of attention, but you are essential to the success of the routine. You have to put your heart into it and make sure Chrissy is supported. She'll be doing the same thing to make sure you succeed too."

"That was honestly a beautiful speech."

"Thank you - I'm quite proud of that one." He smiles.

"You should use that to motivate your players."

"I'm sure I will. I'll continue to be proud of that for a while. Now, make me proud and be the best damn cheerleader Hawkins High has ever seen."

Eddie has done the unthinkable. I don't feel so down in the dumps anymore. Let's do it.