Not Just Another Cliché

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I lazily throw my arm over my bed and hit my irritating alarm and then cover my head in my pillow and groan

Eventually, I get up and go to my closet forcing on my cheerleading uniform and white converse then brushing my hair and throwing it over and gathering it in a messy bun.

I quickly put my red cheerleader hoodie on and then I apply my regular amount of make up: a really light amount of eyeliner and a small flick of mascara.

I run downstairs and join my parents at the breakfast table.

I pour coffee into my mug and dig into the fruit salad my mom made.

"Are you doing anything after school tryouts?"My mom asks not so subtly.

Today the SV cheerleading squad has to hold try outs to make a JV squad and since I'm the head cheerleader, I've to go as well as Amber and Holly.

"I don't know but I have to babysit Meg at 5:30." I say taking a drink of coffee.

"What about you and Casey?"

"What about us?"

"Don't make me spell it out Em. The kiss. Last night. Don't tell me it meant nothing because I could see it in both of your eyes." My mom says.

"I don't know what's going on between us either but I'll let you know as soon as I do." I quickly finish my breakfast and look at the time.

8:40

I've to be at the high school for 9 and I've to collect Holly on the way.

I brush my teeth and get my phone then leave my house and pick Holly up.

"Hey Emma." She says sitting shot gun.

"Why do you always call me that?"  I ask reversing back into the highway.

"Emma-lee. And because it irritates you." She chuckles and I roll my eyes.

"You buzzing for chirpy freshmen teenage girls who think cheerleading is basically "give me an H give me an E give me an L give me another L" because that's exactly what it's going to be today. Hell. And adding Amber to it  won't make it any better." I say.

"I know. I'd honestly be impressed if they could pass the cart wheel stage."

"Exactly." I chuckle.

We quickly arrive at our school and I pull into the empty car park and then we walk into the building and into the gym where we are met with a bunch of teenage girls.

I smile at the memories of us once doing it. Except, me and Holly were the only girls trying out along with Haley, Ashley and Claudia Bishop.

At the first pep rally, everyone believes I was the one who brought all the other JV girls in.

"Okay girls line up." A voice orders.

"Now!" She yells.

I look over at Amber and I shake my head and take the megaphone out of her gritty hands.

"Hi girls. I'm Emily Hunter, head cheerleader and this is Holly Collins and Amber Banks. Okay not everyone will be able to do certain things today but that's okay. Just go at your own pace and we'll see who makes it in the end. As you all know, we are unfortunately only able to take 20 of the 40 students here." I begin.

"First of all, we are going to do a group routine and see where we go from then. Any questions?...... No? Okay let's do it." I smile.

All the girls split up into 4 different lines and Holly turns on some music and me Holly and Amber begin doing the routine we did for Friday's game and they all try catch up with us.

One girl catches my eye and I smile at the dedication she was putting into the routine even if she couldn't keep up, she was trying so so hard.

About 5 minutes later, we move on.

"Okay now we are going to do single auditions with Selena Dermon starting off in 5 minutes." I say and then take a seat on the bench.

I take a hold off my ankle and start massaging it.

"Ankle bothering you B?" Holly asks.

"Yeah it's just a bit stiff. I'll be fine. We aren't doing anything active now just sitting down and judging." I sigh.

We sit down in the seat, me in the middle.

I look through the names of the girls trying out to see if any stood out and a few did.

"Okay Selena." Holly calls out.

She walks in all preppy and I smile.

"Best of luck."

She starts out with a cart wheel and then continues doing them finishing off with a handstand into a bridge.

"Thank you Selena." Holly says as I mark off her score on my paper.

Girls go on and on doing their rehearsed routines until the girl who I noticed earlier come on.

"Hi I'm Ava." She smiles shyly.

"Hey Ava. Good luck." I smile.

She takes a deep breath before jumping into a front spring and then a one handed cart wheel flipping into a back flip and then landing into splits.

She stands up awkwardly and pulls the hair out of her face then runs off after saying thank you.

More girls continue to go by but none of them really catch my attention.

I notice out of the corner of my eye Amber texting people and I elbow her in between girls routines.

"I could easily ask Haley or Ashley to take your place here. You're only here because it was planned weeks before the pyramid accident. The least you could do is pay attention. We'd rather not be here at 11am either."

A girl walks on and she wasn't exactly in the best shape but she wasn't huge either just not VS ready.

"Hey I'm Julie." She introduces.

"Good luck Julie." I smile.

"Oh this should be good." Amber says sitting up in the seat and I send her a disappointed look.

She does a handstand into a bridge and pushes herself back over and then stretches her legs over to reach her head and then jumps up and falls into the splits.

"Thank you Julie." Holly smiles.

"Okay that was it." I say as Julie walks off as I sit back in the seat.

"So who's the 20?" Holly asks.

"We'll definitely not hugey Judy." Amber chimes in and I continue writing on the sheets in front of me and reply to her.

"First of all her name is Julie. Second of all hugey isn't a word and third. It's not about looks, it's about talent and that girl had loads. It was different than the others. Others did cart wheels and hand stands she did balances. Nobody else did that so if we chose the exact same girls for JV, the squad would be boring. We need something different."

"I think Nicole, Selena, Katie, Mollie, Leanne, Shelby, Rebekah, Hazel, Jessica, Alexis, Julie and Ava. There's something courageous about Ava and she seems really dedicated. I think she could be perfect." I say.

"There great but we still need 8." Holly says.

"I'm getting out of here." Amber says standing up and I follow her out of the gym.

"Listen Amber, if you want to be a cheerleader, you have to prove you aren't just in it for the reputation because I care about it and you seem to be the only problem in my life so whether you're in a pissy mood because of me and Casey kissing last night or whatever but don't bring it with you to cheerleading." I say but Amber steps closer to me.

"I told you to stay away from him. Not fucking kiss him." She says and then her hand collides with my face.

I put my own hand up to my stinging cheek while Amber sashays off.

I stay there for a minute then walk back to Holly cautiously.

"Okay how about your 12 and Charlie, Chanel, Ella, Callie, Ariana, Sky, Asia and Kayla." She suggests as I look at the scores I gave them and nod.

"Sounds good." I mutter.

"Okay, let's get them in." Holly says and I smile lightly.

They walk in and I stand up and walk to the front of the desk and lean up against it and smile at the girls.

"Firstly, you were all amazing. I see real talented and ambitious minds here but unfortunately, only 20 could get through." Holly says.

"When the 20 girls are called out, if you could please go over to the corner so we could take your size for uniforms."

"Okay here we go, Katie, Selena, Nicole, Mollie, Rebekah, Shelby, Chanel, Charlie, Ella, Callie, Hazel, Jessica, Alexis, Ariana, Sky, Asia, Kayla, Ava and Julie. Congratulations girls and the rest of you shouldn't give up, there's always SV which is 100 times better. Sorry." I say smiling sympathetically.

Me and Holly walk over to the excited teenage girls and we smile.

"Congrats girls." Holly smiles.

"I'm gonna pass this sheet around with all of your names so just write your sizes and your uniforms will be shipped in by next Tuesday. Any questions?" Holly explains.

A hand raises and I smile at them.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Are all cheerleaders like Amber?" She asks.

I hate JV cheerleaders picking up on Ambers attitude towards them. It completely puts them off trying out.

"Not when you have head cheerleaders like Bay." Holly says resting her hands on my shoulder making me chuckle.

"You are so not a cliché." Another girl pipes in.

"Unless you are dating Casey St Cloud, the quarterback." She giggles and I begin to blush and chuckle lightly.

"She's not dating him, but she is his best friend." Holly explains.

"Luckyyy! He's so hot." Someone whines and I chuckle.

"I'll let him know. You can all go now, I don't want to keep you here on your Saturday. Bye." I say.

They all clear out except for Julie and Ava stays behind a bit.

"Bay can I talk to you?" Julie says and I smile and nod.

"Why did you choose me? I know I'm not skinny like you and all of those other girls and I'm clearly not as good as them. I'm shocked that you chose me. I didn't think I was that good."

"Julie I chose you because you had potential. Its not about looks, it's talent and people who use their looks and cheerleading uniforms as an identity to who they really are, make me sick."

"Okay thank you Bay." She smiles.

"No prob Julie." I say and she begins to walk away.

"And Julie," she turns around and I tilt my head and smile,"you're beautiful."

She smiles and walks away and I see Ava about to walk away too when I call her back.

There's something about this girl that's too familiar.

"Ava?" I call and she turns around.

"Do I know you?" I question.

"Um yeah, I'm Ava Laverty."

Then it clicks.

"Ava Laverty? I taught you the double full when we were kids." I smile.

"I never did get it down." She jokes shyly and I chuckle.

"Well your determination today was winning you a spot so don't stop doing what your doing. Good job."

"Thanks Bay."

"See you."

*******

Filler chapter much?

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Maddie!