Dreaming of Cheers (Standing Up to Life Book 3)

Chapter 37:

"TEACHERS PLEASE EXCUSE this interruption, but would you please release the girls that are on the dance squad to the locker room at this time?" Mrs. Henry said over the intercom. After a pause she added, "Students please wish them luck at their state competition tonight and tomorrow." Amy and I had been talking to Coach Holt at her desk while her sub had been working with the rest of the class in Home Ec. The three of us walked together to the locker room.

"Okay, I know it's going to be cold outside, but please go ahead and get your outfit for the pom routine on. Once you get dressed please come see me or Kristina's mom so that we can get your hair done..." the smell of hairspray was thick in the locker room by the time all we were all ready. As soon as Amy and I had our hair set we started helping with everyone's makeup. It was a long process, and before we knew it the bell rang for the end of school and the girls' PE classes all marched past the locker room to go home.

"Ladies, you're going to do well tonight, I know it!" Coach Holt told us. "Just make sure you focus and do your best!" She smiled at all of us seemingly for the first time in a week. "Check your bags and make sure you have everything you need – then head out to the bus!" She said with a note of excitement in her own voice. That morning had been a waste of time for all of us on the squad, none of us could concentrate. The teachers all commented on it to us and gave up. They were also fighting the hyperness that having had a snow day the day before had wrought.

On the bus Coach asked us to sit quietly and focus on what we had to do. It was tough though, all I wanted to do was talk nervously to Amy who was sitting next to me. Amy looked at me with the same look I knew I had to have in my eyes. We ended up holding hands through the trip into town. It was the first time I'd ever been to where they were hosting the tournament. The Pit in Albuquerque is at UNM, and is exactly that, a big deep 'pit' of an arena where they hold basketball games. We pulled into the parking lot at four and were given fifteen minutes to go pee and get a drink before being led to a warm-up area. I needed most of the time just to remove all my layers...

After a lot of stretching, we went through the routine by counts once, and then with the music before Coach Holt had us come sit down around her. "Ladies you're doing an incredible job, just make sure that you do that well out there and I think we'll make the finals."

"Captains, anything to add?" She asked Amy and me.

This was kind of unexpected, but I felt we had to say something, "We've worked really hard for this, its' ours to do well. Just don't get distracted by anything else and we'll be back here tomorrow!" I forced a smile, even though my stomach was doing flip-flops.

Amy went next, "Look, this is our first year ever of having a dance squad! Look how awesome we're doing! Like Tiff said, just focus, do your job, and it's going to go great. Coach Holt has taught us well, we're going to do great!"

At that point our guide said, "It's time," to us. We quickly gathered in a circle with our hands and screamed, "Coyotes!!!" at the top of our lungs before lining up to go out to the floor.

We walked through to an opening where we could see stands that were filled here and there by different colors of squads. The competition actually started the night before for high school, and had continued through this afternoon when they had the junior high squads go. I think the idea was that junior high school students shouldn't miss as much school, and that we didn't have basketball games to cheer at that night. From my vantage the arena looked huge! I could see the performance mat in the middle of the floor that we would be using for our performance.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Please welcome, from Holden Junior High, the Coyotes!" the announcer came over in a big voice and announced us as we marched to our starting marks. I knew that I had my pom-poms in both hands put together, with my arms at the same angle as everyone else without looking. I kept the smile on my face even though all I wanted to do was throw up as I looked at the stands of people. We all fell into our starting spots and waited for the music to start.