“Are you nervous?” Corky whispered to Bobbi, her eyes on the cheerleaders huddled against the wall.
“Who? Me?” Bobbi replied with a peal of nervous laughter. “Hey, come on. Why should we be nervous, Cork? We know we’re good!”
“Tell that to my shaking knees!” Corky exclaimed.
Their sneakers squeaked as they hurried across the gleaming wood floor. The gym suddenly grew silent. The air felt heavy and hot.
“Show us whatever you like,” Jennifer told them, flashing them an encouraging smile.
Corky and Bobbi each took a deep breath, glanced at each other for luck, stepped to the center of the floor, and huddled together.
“What should we do first?” Corky asked her older sister.
“Let’s start with some synchronized walkovers,” Bobbi suggested. “Then let’s show them our double cartwheel.”
“Why are they staring at us like that?” Corky asked, glancing over Bobbi’s shoulder at the silent cheerleaders. “Like they hate us or something.”
“Let’s give them something to stare at,” Bobbi replied, grinning.
“Break a leg,” Corky said.
Chapter 3
First Scream
“Ohh!”
The cry from one of the cheerleaders told Bobbi that her spread eagle was as spectacular as she had planned.
Up, up, she leapt until she felt as if she could take off and fly. And then she shot out both legs, raising them up until they were perfectly straight. And then in her most startling move, Bobbi kept her legs outstretched as she gracefully floated down, hands high above her head like a diving bird, into a perfect split.
Then, before her stunned audience had recovered, she and Corky were into a powerhouse chant:
“First and ten,
Do it again!
First and ten,
Do it again!
Go Tigers!”
It’s going okay, Bobbi thought. At least they’re not glaring at us anymore.
She glanced at her sister, gave her a quick nod, their signal for their big finish, and jumped.
Onto Corky’s back. A perfect pony mount.
Then one swift move. Up. Arms up. And up again. Into the shoulder stand they had practiced day after day until their shoulders and backs were red and sore.
Good, Bobbi thought, standing straight and tall on Corky’s shoulders, feeling Corky’s hot hands lock onto the back of her legs. She smiled confidently, hands on hips. Then, without losing her smile, she suddenly dived off Corky’s shoulders.
The cheerleaders gasped as she plummeted straight out. She completed a perfect flip and landed, standing on both feet. And then the sisters moved into a repeat of their double cartwheel. Corky grasped Bobbi’s ankles as Bobbi grasped Corky’s ankles, and the two girls rolled across the floor. They stood up with a final shout: “Go Tigers!”
The two sisters ran off clapping. Bobbi smiled at Corky as they leaned against the wall, catching their breath.
“Wow! They’re incredible!” she heard one of the cheerleaders exclaim.
“How’d they do that?” she heard another ask in a loud whisper.
“You’re putting on weight,” Corky grumbled, rubbing her shoulders.
♦ ♦ ♦
“Wow, that was great!” Jennifer said, smiling warmly, her dark eyes lighting up with genuine excitement.
“Thanks,” Corky and Bobbi said in unison, smiling back at her.
They were standing awkwardly in Miss Green’s office, a small glassed-in enclosure in the corner of the gym. Seated at the wooden desk, Miss Green was searching the top drawer for some forms.
The routine had been one of their best ever, Bobbi thought. Sometimes she and Corky just clicked, and that day had been one of those days.
All of the cheerleaders had been really excited and impressed. Except for the one named Kimmy and her short, blond friend. They had remained stone-faced, even when all the other girls had burst into appreciative applause.
“That was fabulous!” Miss Green had called out in her husky voice. “Of course your shoulder dive is impressive, but I also liked the height you got on those spread eagles.” She turned to the squad members along the wall. “I’d like to see everyone work on the new routines, now. I hope Bobbi and Corky have inspired you to keep your energy up. Up!”
“Let’s go!” Kimmy had yelled, clapping and running past Corky and Bobbi, avoiding their eyes as she led the squad to the center of the floor.
As the girls started to chant one of their new cheers, the two sisters had followed Jennifer and Miss Green into the corner office.
Jennifer motioned for the sisters to sit down on the folding chairs against the wall. Corky glanced quickly at Bobbi as they sat, a questioning glance.
“Do you mean we made the squad?” Bobbi asked Jennifer.
“Ah, here they are,” Miss Green interrupted before Jennifer could reply. “You’ll need to fill out these forms. This one’s a health form,” she said, pulling out a green sheet of paper. “And this one is the release form. Your parents have to sign that one.”
“We made the squad?” Bobbi repeated, to Jennifer.
“Yeah. You were amazing!” Jennifer gushed. Then she added: “I used to be the star around here. But no one’s going to notice me with you two around.”
Bobbi couldn’t decide if she was kidding or not. The girls reacted with embarrassed laughter. “We’ll show you how to do the shoulder dismount,” Bobbi offered.
“I think we can all learn something from you two,” Miss Green added, shuffling through the sheaf of forms.
Jennifer’s eyes flared just then, and Bobbi suddenly felt uncomfortable. Jennifer was making it clear that she was jealous of the Corcorans.
“Where did you get that double cartwheel thing after the dive?” Jennifer asked, leaning back against the yellow-tiled wall.
“We sort of made it up,” Corky told her.
“Some other girls were doing something like it at the state finals back in Missouri last year,” Bobbi added, “and we kind of adapted it.”
“I hope we can get to the state finals,” Jennifer said wistfully.
“With these two on the squad, it’s a lock,” Miss Green said, smiling one of her rare smiles as she handed the forms to Corky and Bobbi. As she stared at the girls, her expression changed to one of concern. “Uniforms. Uniforms,” she muttered. “This might be a problem. Quick.” She pulled a pad of paper from her top drawer. “Write down your sizes. This will have to be a rush order.”
A short while later Bobbi and Corky were thanking Jennifer and Miss Green; with the chants of their fellow cheerleaders ringing through the gym, they hurried out of the building, eager to congratulate each other.
Jennifer and Miss Green continued to confer over the low wooden desk, their expressions serious, concerned. Miss Green spoke heatedly, her eyes turning occasionally to watch the practice on the other side of the glass partition.
“The squad is supposed to be six,” she told Jennifer. “I suppose we can squeeze one more girl on. But not two. We don’t have the funds for eight cheer-leaders.”
Lowering their voices, Jennifer and Miss Green continued to discuss the problem.
“Hey—what’s going on?”
Startled by the intrusion, both the captain and the advisor whirled around to see Kimmy standing in the doorway, hands on hips, her cheeks pink, breathing heavily.
“Can you ask Ronnie to come in?” Jennifer asked Kimmy. “We can only make room for one more girl, so Ronnie will have to—”
“Huh? You’re putting those sisters on the squad?” Kimmy demanded, her voice rising several octaves.
“Of course,” Jennifer replied. “You saw how good they were. They’re awesome!”
“But I thought—” Kimmy stopped, letting the news sink in.
“We’re very lucky they moved to Shadyside,” Miss Green added with unusual enthusiasm.
“And that means—Ronnie’s out?” Kimmy asked, her voice revea
ling her outrage. “She’s off the squad? Just like that?”
“Kimmy—” Jennifer started.
But Miss Green took over, climbing to her feet as if prepared to fight. “Ronnie is only a freshman,” she said firmly. “She’ll be an alternate. She’ll practice with the squad. And she’ll go on if one of you gets sick or something.”
“Oh, she’ll love that,” Kimmy said bitterly. “I really don’t think it’s fair. I mean—”
“Kimmy—you saw how good Bobbi and Corky are!” Jennifer cried. “We need them. We really do.”
Kimmy started to reply, thought better of it, and uttered a sigh of exasperation. Glaring at Jennifer, she turned away from the office and called to Ronnie.
“You wanted to see me?” Ronnie hesitated in the doorway, nervously pushing back her curly red hair with both hands. She had small brown eyes, a tiny round stub of a nose, and a face full of freckles.
She almost collapsed when Miss Green told her of her demotion. Angry tears formed in the corners of her eyes, which she quickly wiped away with the backs of her hands.
“We really don’t have a choice,” Jennifer said softly.
“Yes, you do,” Ronnie snapped back, her dark eyes flashing.
“We have to think of what’s best for the squad,” Miss Green said, twirling a pen nervously between her fingers. “You’ll have plenty of opportunity—”
“Yeah. Sure,” Ronnie interrupted, and fled toward the locker room.
“She feels bad,” Jennifer said, staring through the glass as the other girls stopped their practice to watch Ronnie run off.
“She’ll get over it,” Miss Green said flatly.
♦ ♦ ♦
“I’ll never forgive them!” Ronnie cried. “Never!”
Kimmy and Debra huddled around the freshman, trying to ignore the steamy, junglelike air of the locker room. The other girls had showered and left. These three remained, talking, commiserating with one another, trying to decide what, if anything, they could do.
“Those sisters had no right to try out,” Kimmy agreed heatedly, putting a comforting hand on Ronnie’s shoulder.
“Not them,” Ronnie insisted angrily. “Jennifer and Miss Green. It was their idea to kick me off.”
“We should all get together,” Debra said heatedly. “You know. Sign a petition or something. I’m sure Megan and Heather would sign it too.” She sat down on the bench and began to pull off her sneakers.
Kimmy removed a white towel from her locker and mopped her forehead with it. “Wow, do I need a shower! Yeah, maybe you’re right, Deb. If the whole squad protests, if we all stand together, I’ll bet we could get them to change their minds.”
Ronnie groaned and rolled her eyes. “What dream world do you live in?” she muttered. “The Corcoran sisters were all-state, remember? Did you see the look on Miss Green’s face when they did that shoulder stand and all those double cartwheels?”
“She was practically drooling,” Debra said, shaking her head. “She could probably see the championship trophy on her shelf.”
“But what’s Jennifer’s problem?” Kimmy demanded, pulling her heavy sweater over her head.
“She’s your friend,” Ronnie said bitterly.
“I can’t believe her,” Debra added. “Maybe being captain has gone to her head or something. She thinks she’s such a big deal.”
“My parents are going to be very upset,” Ronnie said with renewed sadness. “They were more excited about my making the squad than I was. And now—”
Kimmy and Debra continued trying to comfort Ronnie as they undressed, tossing their clothes onto the benches. They carried their towels over the concrete floor to the shower room.
“I don’t want to be an alternate,” Ronnie complained, her voice breaking with emotion. “That’s just stupid. I’d rather—”
“If only the Corcorans would just go back where they came from,” Debra said. “With their long blond hair and their big eyes and phony smiles.” She put a finger down her throat and pretended to puke. “Yuck.”
“They’re not that bad,” Ronnie muttered. “It’s Jennifer. She had no right—”
Kimmy stepped under the chrome shower head. She turned the knobs on the wall with both hands.
The water burst out in a loud rush.
Kimmy froze openmouthed for a brief second.
Then she started to scream.
Chapter 4
A Tragic Accident
Kimmy staggered back until she hit the tile wall.
Panting loudly, she pointed to the water rushing in a broad stream from the shower head.
“Kimmy—are you okay?” Debra cried in alarm. “What is it?”
“The water—it’s scalding hot!” Kimmy told her.
The three girls turned off the taps and hurried out, clutching their towels.
“Ow, that burned!” Kimmy declared, starting to breathe normally.
“Should we get the nurse? Are you all right?” Debra asked, staring at Kimmy’s chest and neck, which were scarlet.
“I think I’ll be okay,” Kimmy said, relieved, covering herself with the towel. “It was just such a shock.”
“We’ll have to remember to tell Simmons,” Debra said. And then she added sarcastically, “Maybe he’ll get around to fixing it in a year or two.”
Simmons was one of the Shadyside High custodians. He also drove a school bus. A laid-back young man with a blond ponytail and Walkman headphones that seemed to be permanently glued to his ears, he wasn’t terribly reliable in either job.
“Hey—did you drop this?” Ronnie asked. She bent down and picked something shiny off the floor.
“Oh. Thanks.” Kimmy reached out for it. It was her silver megaphone pendant. Her parents had given it to her for her sixteenth birthday. She struggled to put it back around her neck, which was still red from the scalding shower. “The clasp is loose,” she said, frowning. “I really have to get it fixed. Don’t want to lose it.”
The three friends hurriedly got dressed in silence.
Hoisting her backpack onto her shoulder, Ronnie sighed and headed for the door, her sneakers thudding heavily on the concrete.
“You feeling any better?” Kimmy called after her.
“No” was the sullen reply.
♦ ♦ ♦
“This is so exciting!” Bobbi declared.
It was a Friday evening, two weeks later, and the cheerleaders were boarding the small yellow and black school bus that would take them to the Tigers’ first away game.
Corky followed her sister onto the bus. She said hi to Simmons, who was slouched in the driver’s seat, fiddling with his ponytail. He grunted in reply.
Raindrops dotted the windshield. A light rain had started to fall. The sky was a gloomy charcoal color, but not gloomy enough to darken the sisters’ moods.
They had been working hard for that night, practicing the new routines after school and at home, learning the cheers, working up a few new wrinkles of their own.
“Go, Tigers!” Bobbi yelled, tumbling into a seat near the back.
“Go who??” Megan yelled.
The bus quickly filled with loud, excited voices, happy laughter. Simmons leaned forward and pulled the handle to close the door.
“Hey—where’s Miss Green?” Debra called.
Jennifer turned around in the front seat. “She’s driving in her own car tonight. She had to take some friends.”
Kimmy sat in the window seat next to Debra. She rubbed her hand over the glass, trying to clear the thin film of steam away so she could see out.
“Hey, Simmons—how about some air-conditioning?” one of the girls yelled. “We’re melting back here!”
Simmons, obviously lost in his own thoughts, ignored the request, as usual. He started the bus up and clicked on the headlights.
Corky, seated in the aisle beside her sister, turned to stare out their window as the bus backed out of its parking space and headed out of the student parking lot. Rivulets of rainwate
r ran down the glass, distorting her view.
The rain picked up, drumming noisily on the roof of the bus. A gust of wind blew water through the window, which was open an inch or two at the top. Bobbi raised herself up and, with great effort, pushed the window shut.
“Now we’ll suffocate,” Corky complained.
“Take your pick—suffocate or drown,” Bobbi told her.
“Tough choice,” Corky replied.
“Go, Tigers!” someone yelled.
Someone started a cheer, and everyone joined in.
“Tigers are yellow,
Tigers are black.
Push ‘em bach push ‘em back,
Push ‘em waaaaay back!”
Bobbi smiled at her sister. She settled back in her seat, happy and excited.
The past two weeks had been difficult. The other girls were aloof at first, even resentful. But Bobbi was confident that she and Corky had won most of them over. Kimmy and Debra were still cold to them, still acted as if they were unwanted intruders. But she felt sure that she and Corky would eventually win those two over too.
As the bus rattled down Park Drive away from the school, the rain pounded harder. The trees and shrubs exploded in a white flash of lightning. The thunder seemed to crack right above them.
Heather and Megan began chanting, “Rain, rain, go away.”
Jennifer turned in her seat to face the rest of the cheerleaders. “It’s not going to last,” she announced. “It’s just a flash storm. They said on the radio it’s going to pass quickly.”
Another loud thunderclap made two girls scream.
Everyone else laughed.
The big wipers scraped noisily, rhythmically, across the windshield, which was covered with a curtain of white steam. Simmons didn’t seem to mind—or notice—the poor visibility.
Holding on to the seat-back, Jennifer stood up. “I have a few announcements to make,” she called out, shouting to be heard over the driving rain.