flashback - two years ago
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"That's the buzzer. The score is now 37-35, your Trojan Warriors in the lead! Up next, your half time show. Please give a warm welcome to your Trojan Varsity Pom's!"
The crowd cheers, and so do I, as Charlie and her team come out on the basketball floor. I sit on my knees with the cheerleading team and cheer on the girls. "Let's go Charlie!"
Charlie glances at me and smirks as she waits for their music to play. Hey Mama by Nicki Minaj blasts out and her team behind to dance, their gold and silver pom's moving along with them. The song transitions into a hip hop song and I instantly know that Charlie made this routine.
"Nice work ladies!" A few of us cheer out to them.
"Go Charlie!" A deep voice from behind me shouts. I turn and see Jack, Matt, and some guy sitting on the bleachers behind me.
I turn back and continue watching the girls dance. There's about thirty seconds of their dance left. They do a fast arm routine to an upbeat, techno dance song. They end their routine with jumping into a right split, their pom's resting on their sides. The crowd cheers and they sit down next to us.
"Get ready, girls," our coach says to us.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for you Trojan Varsity Cheerleaders!" The announcer announces us. We stand up and the crowd cheers as we take the floor. I face the visiting section, my back to the home side as we wait for music.
Instantly, Blow by Beyoncé - a clean, and upbeat version of it - blares through the speakers of the gym. I do a back bend and then lead it into three back handsprings and to a double twist before landing and facing the home crowd.
"Can you eat my skittles it's the s-s-sweetest in the middle," I go to my stunt group and instantly I'm tossed up into the air. "P-p-pink is the flavor." I do a toe touch before properly and safely landing in the arms of my group.
"Go, Jasmine!" Matt shouts from the stands. I smile and get ready to do my double toe touches before doing more tumbling. The skirt of my uniform keeps riding up as I jump and get the crowd hyped up.
I go into my round off and do handsprings across the floor before running to the very back of the stunt group. "Ready Jasmine?" A friend asks me. I nod before stepping onto her hands. I'm lifted up into the air by my right leg as I do a scorpion with my left leg, then turning and falling back into the basket.
The routine finishes after me and two other captains do a simple round off and land in a split - except I land in my middle split.
"This concludes your half-time show! Give it up one more time for your Varsity Pom's and your Varsity Cheerleader's!"
"Good job ladies! Five minute break, then get ready for sidelines." Coach Ashley tells us. Charlie gets up from the floor and runs to me.
"Wanna get water?" She asks me.
"Hell yes," I say, nearly out of breath.
Charlie and I walk out the main gym and to the concession stands. "Good job! That was a really good routine."
"Thanks," Charlie smiles. "Your stunts were really good today."
"Thanks."
"Good job, bitches!" Paige says, running up to us. She embraces us both and the boys - including the unfamiliar one - are behind her.
"Thanks, bitch," Charlie replies.
"You looked so good out there." Paige tells me.
"Thanks! I almost didn't get to perform tonight."
