The Last Cheer (Book 1 of the Cheer series)

Four

"Now, when I get in the football team, you have to get into the cheerleading squad. So that means that mom and dad get to watch us both at the same time." The seven year old Steven, dressed in his little football jersey and training shorts explains.

"Honey, you might not make the team." His mother warns her determined son. She doesn't want him to be disappointed.

"I will mommy. Trust me. I have practiced and practiced! I know Mel will also make the team!" The seven year old argues.

"I can't Steven. My legs will go all floppy and then everybody will laugh at me!" The seven year old Melissa objects, as she looks at her brother.

"You will Lissa! Who told you your legs are floppy? They are not floppy! Plus you shout really loudly!" Steven roars and throws the football to his father.

It was always my brother's dream for him to make the football team and for me to be a cheerleader, cheering him on. He told me that that way, our parents could watch the both of us in action. However, I could never commit to something like that, I always told him. I was too much of a nerdy tomboy to ever make the team. Not to mention the fact that I can hardly even touch my toes, let alone do the splits or fancy tricks along that line. But, as I stare at my brother lying on the bed, almost like a corpse, I realize now that desperate times call for desperate measures. Would I even have a chance of getting in? Maybe he would wake up? Maybe if I tell about my sceme, his blue eyes will stare into mine once more? It's worth a shot.

~~~~~~~~~~

The bell rings the next day at school, noticing all that it is break. I find my feet moving on instinct, walking in the direction of the sign up table for cheerleading tryouts. Before turning into the corridor, I have a despair urge to run far, far away. However, the very desperate Melissa takes over and guides me to the table.

Try outs for cheerleading, Friday, come if you think you have what it takes!

I walk up to the sign up table, biting my lip as I see the popular cheerleaders sitting on the other side of the table, the same ones who flirt with my brother when they get a chance.

"Look what the cat dragged in!" I hear, and I keep quiet. 

"You don't have a chance! You don't have what it takes. I mean, to be a cheerleader, you actually have to have a nice body." I roll my eyes. They always try to break down the competition, and try to make you feel inferior, and I will not let them win.

"Why don't we let the tryouts decide?" I retort, and sign my name on the sheet. I turn to walk away, but stop suddenly, "Oh, and actually," I pause, tossing an eyebrow, "Why were you looking at my body? That's freakin disgusting!" I say in disgust, and walk away from the table before I get a response.

~~~~~~~~~

Friday, the day of the tryouts comes before I could even click my fingers. I have worst ice and warmed up every day since I signed up. I was pretty confident about the trials, but now that the day has come, the confidence feeling has disappeared completely and I can feel my heart beating like I am running a freakin marathon. I have to make the team. Not for me, for Steven.

"Melissa Daniels." I hear from inside the gym and my heart sinks. Deep breaths. Deep... I walk inside the gym

"Oh." I hear a cheerleader say, "It's you." She snarls, and then precedes to burst out laughing, and a few of the other cheerleaders join in. "You will never get in. Good luck. You will need it." She scoffs and I roll my eyes.

"I'm fine thank you. You can keep it." I say back. I will not  be bullied by an idiot blonde.

"Alright. It's time to show us what you have got. Begin when you are ready." The cheerleading captain orders.

"Go tigers!! Going for the win!" I shout, while doing the routine to go with it, ending it with a perfect cartwheel. I practiced that cartwheel everyday, and I have fallen so many times it's not even funny.

"Thank. We will think about it. NEXT!" the cheerleading captain screams and my heart skips. Well oops. I turn to walk around, but I hear the cheerleading captain say, "The list will be up by the end of the day."

The rest of day went extremely slowly. All I could think about was getting on the team for Steven, so that this could be his deciding reason to wake up. I hardly got any work done at all with my mind constantly drifting over to Steven and the cheerleading tryouts.

Finally the bell rings, marking the end of the day. I run out the class, pushing past many students on my way to the notice board. I search for the list and I finally find it and take a deep breath, too afraid to look.

The Cheerleading team:
Head captain: Jessica
The team:
Carly
Kira
Debbie
Candice
Georgia
Bianca
Sarah
Nicky

My eyes scan the list a thousand times. I'm not there. I don't care who else made the team, unless it was Allison, who has tried out for the team before. Stupid cheerleading. I didn't even want to do it anyway. I keep trying to convince myself that I didn't actually want to do it, but it doesn't help.

I mourn as I carry on scanning the list. At the bottom of the list, it says that the first practice will be on Tuesday.

I check the list again incase I somehow didn't see my name and it comes back blank. It's definitely not there.

"Maybe you weren't so bad after all." I hear a familiar voice behind me.

"What do you mean?" I look at the cheerleader behind me, confused.

"You made the team, idiot. That's the old list." She explains, and puts the new list on the board.

"Yes!" I punch the air above my head. I never actually believed that I would really make it. I though I was too much of a nerd to be in the team, but I did it. A sense of hope flows through me, and I walk away with a wide smile on my face.