What You're Not | ✔

11. The Guidelines

"I can't believe it's finally finished," Kimber squealed.

The uniform took a little over a week to complete the sample.  A few things from my original design had to be tweaked because apparently there were guidelines for these things. In the end, though, the red, gold and white uniform looked almost exactly like the sketch I drew up.

I used the red top—or shell, according to my extensive research on cheer uniforms—of the original uniform, giving it an asymmetrical neckline and leaving the spartan mascot front and center. The red skirt was lined with the gold fabric I spotted on that first day I joined the fashion club.

It was surreal seeing it materialized. The only thing left to do now was get approval from Coach Sanders.

Chelsea, being the ray of sunshine she is, drilled the fact that the coach was a hard ass in my head. I couldn't help but picture Coach Sanders ripping us a new one when we revealed the design to her.

"She's going to love the design," Jem assured me as we walked towards Coach Sander's office.

"I still don't see why I had to wear it," Riley complained. She covered the uniform under a tan trench coat in order to do a surprise reveal. It caught the attention of pretty much everyone we passed.

"Because," Chelsea told her, "when Coach G hulks out on us you're the only one who can take her." She laughed, showing that it was only a joke. Still, it was not helping my nerves.

We reached the office, which was located in the girls locker room. The room was a bit small as the five of us filed in. Coach Sanders was at her desk looking over some papers as she munched on her breakfast of what looked like avocado toast.

She looked harmless and not at all what I pictured. I expected her to look like a female body builder or something. Instead, she was a young, petite woman. Not at all terrifying.

"Hey, Coach," Kimber greeted cheerfully.

She looked up at us as she finished the bite of toast she had in her mouth. "What's this?" she asked, motioning to the group.

"We have a proposal for you," Jem told her.

Suddenly, I was being pushed to the front of the group, coming face to face with the infamous coach.

"Who are you?" she questioned coldly.

Despite her looking harmless, my mouth went dry as I tried to remember my own name.

"Uhm, I'm Loren," I replied. "Reed. Loren Reed."

"What do you want?"

We went over what I would say to her during the meeting a million times, but my brain turned into mush and I couldn't remember my words. Or any words for that matter.

Then I remembered Mom and how proud she was when I had finally shown her the completed uniform. Coach Sanders might hate the new design, but I didn't do it for her. I did it for Mom and she loved it. That's all that really mattered.

I was a little less nervous now as I stood before the coach. I told her the full story of how the design came to be. When I finished, Riley stepped forward, dropping her coat.

The room was still as we waited for the coach's reaction. Did she love it? Hate it? Her facial expression didn't give any hints towards her feelings on the uniform.

And then in an almost robotic-like voice she said, "I'll think about it."

That's all she gave us before turning back to her toast and paperwork. Maybe she wasn't scary looking, but she wasn't exactly the warmest person I've met. Which was weird because I always thought cheer coaches were supposed to be peppy.