by JIrwin
State Cheerleading Championship
April, Sophomore Year
“........oh my, are you serious?” The first judge was in disbelief.
“Uh yeah, completely.....” The youngest of the three exacerbated.
“....we counted it three times!” The other holding the microphone gushed.
The state judges discussed the vote right there in front of the entire cheerleading ensemble all the while holding a hot microphone. The one holding the mic finally turned her attention back to the gymnasium filled with anticipated and hopeful cheerleading squads from various counties.
“Well ladies and gentlemen, cheerleaders, captains, supporters, friends and families......it seems we have new State Champions by mere fractions of a point, but winners none the less…….and that new squad is none other than Edensville High School!”
Cheers erupted from all over the sports center stage and arena. The Edensville team jumped up and down, hugging each other and celebrating like never before. They had worked so hard to just get to be among the 75 schools that had qualified for the State Cheerleading Finals this year, and out of the 75 teams competing Edensville High had just won! Miriam and Eve were among the few that were trying to lift the 6 foot tall trophy to show their excitement, but it proved more than they could lift so they lowered it back down. Coach Deborah Jordan made her way to the stage to join in their enthusiasm and celebration and started the chant that they were famous for:
You don't know our name?-What?! -Er'body knows our name-Yeah?!
'Cuz the Eagles don't come to play-NO! -Now er'body knows our name!-Yeah?!
As the weekend had progressed throughout the competition, supporters and fans alike had began chanting the cheer showing their support for the Edensville team. The girls kicked, jumped, somersaulted, tumbled and shouted with backhand springs all over the stage! Eve and Miriam
found each other again through the chaos of excitement, music and confetti falling from the ceiling and hugged just as Sarah Walker, the head cheerleader, grabbed Eve and turned her around.
"Ahhhhh!!! I can’t believe it! We did it!” Sarah gave her a playful shake and yelled over the noise.
“Me either!” Eve was in total awe of the moment. “I mean we actually did it!” Eve exclaimed.
Sarah shook her head. “No girl, you did it, do you hear me? This was because of your persistence and drive. We could not have done this without YOU!”
Suddenly the moment was broken as the two were lifted high upon the shoulders of a couple of the other cheerleaders and paraded around the stage in celebration, but for Miriam Marah the excitement had just turned to bitterness when she overheard the exchange between Sarah and Eve. For the rest of the squad may think little Miss Golden Haired Sunshine might have been the one to pull this off but it wasn't her doing. It was Miriam's. She had been the one to choreograph, teach and execute the dance that had won them the competition. She rolled her eyes as Eve waved to everyone like she was on a friggin' beauty pageant float.
The rest of the day turned into a blur as they took photos with the trophy and did interviews for the newspapers and television. It was like nothing any of them had ever experienced before, and Eve was right there in the midst of it all. Front and center like she was little Miss Popular. Miriam was nauseous, but for Eve St. Clair it was a great day to be an Edensville High Cheerleader.
***********************
Back in the hotel as Eve and Miriam were getting ready for the celebratory meal at the expense of the State Cheerleading League, Eve ventured thinking aloud.
"You know we vote for the new cheer captain tonight, right?” She stopped putting on the lip gloss that she had borrowed from Miriam to look at her.
"Yeah, I know. So?" Miriam gave her a sarcastic look.
“So? Awe come on, M. Who do you think is gonna get it?"
"I don’t know, you know I'm only on this squad to keep up my dancing skills. I really don't give a flying…..”
“Meeting in the coach’s room in five, ladies!” Sarah Walker stuck her head in the door and called out. Both girls jumped and exited their shared room to follow Sarah down the hallway to the coach's room where she and a few other girls were already waiting.
“Come on in, we'll wait until everyone is here. Press on in around the room 'til there's no more room if you have too." Within five minutes the room was completely full. “Alright, everybody in or are there stragglers? No? Okay good. Well ladies, what you all did this weekend was ah-mazing, and I am so proud of you!”
The room erupted with applause for their hard work. “Alright, alright.....settle down......” Coach Jordan smiled with great pleasure as her team celebrated their win. She didn't fuss when they didn't settle right away. They had earned this win, so she let it go for once. When the room eventually settled, which took a few minutes, she continued.
“....okay, so now that we are finished with this year's school year and our exiting seniors are leaving us....” Several girls hugged Sarah and a few more of their graduating seniors. “....we want you girls to know that while we are going to miss you so very much as you all move on to college, vocations and families. So once again here we are at the fork in the road that is the departing and beginning of another road to travel. Where we must say a very sad goodbye to those leaving us, but decide with great joy who is going to be our leaders for the next year!”
The applause was a little less than enthusiastic as the first one. “So without further adieus, I’ll open the floor for nominees in our election for our new cheerleading captain, and when we get back to school on Monday we will take a vote!” The team's excitement increased as with a show of united claps they began to chant one name.
“St. Clair! St. Clair! St. Clair!” Eve blushed and shook her head.
“No, I can’t. I’m only a junior! No really!” She tried to dissuade them with the aid of Coach Jordan. “Coach, you have to tell them I can’t be Cheer Captain, I’m not a senior!” She called out over their chants of her last name, but the cheerleading coach shook her head and shrugged.
“I’m afraid there's nothing that says you must be a senior to be the Captain of the Edensville Cheerleading team, Eve. It seems the qualifications of those that have been picked in the past showed signs of maturity and great leadership ability, just so happens they were seniors, until now. Just to let you know, there is nothing written in the bylaws that you have to be a graduating senior, only that you have served on the team for two years and your grades are exceptional.”
With that being said she made a mocking frown. “So I guess that means your team has nominated you!” She held up her hands as if it were out of her hands and in the team's now.
Eve smiled and waved her hands in the air. “Okay! Okay! I accept the nomination!”
One of the other girls called out. “No, we want you as our Captain, there is no other nominee, we’ve already decided hands down that YOU are next year's Cheerleading Captain!”
The girls went wild with excitement. Eve blushed and covered her face. It embarrassed her that the team had obviously been talking about her behind her back, in a good way though. Coach Jordan held her hands up.
“Alright, alright I need a little less cheer for a moment.” That was her way of telling the girls that she needed them to be quiet, and out of respect they did. “So what you are telling me is that you all have already made your decision and you want Eve St. Clair as your new Cheerleading Captain for the upcoming school year? What about other nominees?” Some of the girls shook their heads in agreement, all but one. Miriam Marah.
Coach Jordan waited for a response. “So there are no other nominees this year?”
Sarah Walker spoke up. “No, Coach, I took a vote this afternoon in my room after the competition and it would seem that everyone agrees that Eve St. Clair should be the one that takes my place.”
That explained why Miriam didn't vote. She was Eve's roommate, so they didn't invite her or Eve would have known about the vote.
They must have just assumed that she would be for the vote. Wrong.
“Okay, okay, well…Eve St. Clair…. I guess your team has spoken and since you have no one else to run against you…." She paused and waited for someone to speak up, and when no one did she continued. "Well I guess it's unanimous then ......Eve St. Clair, do you accept the position that your fellow team mates have bestowed upon you?”
Eve looked at the faces of her squad and was overwhelmed. “Yes! I accept! I accept!”
The Edensville High cheerleading squad broke loose in cheer, chanting her name over and over again. “St. Clair! St. Clair! St. Clair!”
Miriam stood just far enough behind the rest of the team and against the wall that no one noticed that she wasn't quite as enthusiastic as the rest of her teammates about Eve's nomination and election. They were too busy congratulating Eve and too brainless to remember that Miriam was the one that had choreographed the routine and taught them the dance portion, and it had been the dance that had given them that fraction of a point advantage over the other squad that they beat out for the win.
‘Ugh…..why were some people such sheep?’
END OF SAMPLE.