“But does that really matter? This isn’t a contest! We’re talking about the safety of our children!” Principal Barlow exclaimed, looking down at Brittani, her eyes filled with worry. Detective Simms stuck out a hand to stop her.
“I understand that, ma’am. But if we cancel the game, then it will simply encourage the perpetrator. He or she will do it again when the next game comes around. And the next game. And the next. And so on.” Principal Barlow looked defeated.
“I’ll bring several deputies with me to the game tomorrow night. We’ll keep an eye on all of you girls, and everyone that attends.”
He turned to us. “We will keep you all safe. But in the meantime, I want all of you to be cautious and aware of your surroundings at all times. Report anything strange or any other incidences to me directly.” We nodded, all of us wearing masks of confusion.
Walking out of Principal Barlow’s office, I should have felt better. Safer. Instead, I was becoming more and more convinced that we were all in grave danger.
Chapter
Fifty-Seven
By the time I went to practice at the end of the day, I’d nearly forgotten about my new uniform. It was lying draped over the bleachers when I walked into the gym. There was also a new bodysuit underneath it and a brand new set of sparkly pompoms beside it. I thought my first uniform looked great, but this one was ten times better. The color of the fabric was bright and bold; it was obviously brand spanking new. I have the nicest uniform on the squad, I realized, suddenly feeling excited for the opening game tomorrow, despite Detective Simms’ concerns.
The other girls’ altered uniforms were also waiting for them. I saw one with Monika’s name on it and another one for Tally. Then I saw Genevieve’s freshly altered uniform lying on a section of the bench by itself. My stomach filled with dread, and I was overcome with feelings of remorse for saying so many bad things about her when, as it turns out, she was a victim of this crazy person too.
“Sydney, you’ll be wearing Genevieve’s uniform tomorrow at the game. She’s taller than you, so it may be a little long on you,” Coach Davis explained. I jerked around to look at my former best friend.
“It will be fine,” Sydney replied, pushing past me and walking over to the bench to retrieve her uniform. She held it against her front side, smiling. When she saw me still looking at her, she narrowed her eyes and set it back down on the bench.
I still couldn’t shake my suspicions of Sydney. “It was her. I’m sure of it,” Amanda whispered to me.
“I don’t know. We jumped the gun when we suspected Genevieve. We need to be careful not to do that again,” I warned. I was also warning myself when I said it.
Coach Davis had us stretch first, and then we practiced our back tucks for the halftime routine. We went through all of the cheers again, mainly for Sydney’s benefit. She caught on quickly and had no trouble learning the cheers. That didn’t surprise me. Sydney was a good cheerleader, even if she didn’t make the main squad.
Maybe she’s mad because she feels like she got the shaft, and that’s why she poisoned Genevieve, a little voice nagged. It still seemed a little extreme, even for Sydney.
We reviewed the halftime cheer. Sydney replaced Genevieve in the back of the lift. It was her job to make sure that I didn’t fall backwards, which was a pretty important job, if you asked me. I was worried that she might drop me on purpose like Brittani did to Teresa, but she performed her role as a spotter perfectly.
I looked at her, my old best friend, as we gathered up our items to go home. I just couldn’t believe she’d do something like that, I really couldn’t. “See you at the game tomorrow, girls!” Coach Davis shouted, letting us know that practice was over.
I followed Sydney out of the gym. She turned left down the west wing hallway, and I knew she must be heading to her locker. I followed closely behind. Finally reaching her locker, she turned the dial to enter the combination.
“What do you want, Dakota?” she growled, without even looking back over her shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Syd. We were such good friends. Best friends. Maybe I have been a little paranoid lately,” I admitted.
“Maybe?” she said, giving me a crooked smile.
She swung her locker door open. When she did, dozens of white fliers fell out to the floor.
They were the fliers with the pictures of Amanda and her dad on them. I looked up at Sydney, stunned. I took off running down the hallway, trying to put as much distance between me and her as possible.
Chapter
Fifty-Eight
I told Amanda and my mom about the fliers in Sydney’s locker. I also told my mom about Genevieve being poisoned. The look of terror on her face made me uneasy. If my mom was this worried, then I knew it was bad because she usually stayed pretty calm in most situations. I felt bad for causing her to worry so much.
“Honey, I know you’re trying to help, but just because Sydney had some of those fliers in her locker, it doesn’t necessarily mean that she was responsible for what happened to Genevieve, or the cat incident. You know what I’ve always told you about jumping to conclusions. It sounds like you need to let Detective Simms do his job and try not to figure out who’s doing this.” She gave me a stern look in the rearview mirror.
“But Mom…”
“No, Dakota. I’m serious. You don’t need to get involved any more than you already have to be. I don’t want you drawing any more attention to yourself than you have to…I don’t want the sociopath to fixate on you.”
We rode home in silence, her terrifying words hanging in the air like a black cloud. I could tell that my mom was a nervous wreck. Amanda looked anxious too, chewing on her lower lip, deep in thought. She’d barely spoken since I’d shared the story about the fliers with her.
“Do you need help carrying your gear inside?” I asked as we pulled up in front of her house to drop her off. She shook her head. She was weighed down with her cheerleading gear and that monstrous-sized backpack.
“I’ll call you later,” she said, a blank look on her face.
“I can’t wait to see you try on your new uniform,” my mom said as we pulled into the garage. I knew she was just trying to cheer me up. Honestly though, despite everything, I couldn’t wait to try it on either.
My mom waited downstairs while I went up to my room to change. I pulled on the body suit and a pair of bloomers, and then I slipped the top on over my head. I pulled the skirt up over my hips.
The uniform fit snugly and was pretty skimpy, but it looked fantastic. My curvy figure filled it out perfectly. I picked up the pompoms and stood in front of the full length mirror. I took a deep breath. I was hit with a feeling of unexpected joy. All I could do now was hope that the sociopath didn’t try to screw up my happiness on game night tomorrow.
Chapter
Fifty-Nine
The morning sun shone down through my open curtains and I could feel its heat on my skin. For a day that was supposed to be filled with impending doom, it sure was beautiful outside. The skies were cloud-free and it was unseasonably warm. I wore a Harrow Dragons tank top over black capris to show my school support for game day. I glanced at the uniform hanging up in my closet and the pompoms lying on my computer chair. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let some crazy person ruin my first game as a Harrow varsity cheerleader, I decided firmly.
When I went downstairs for breakfast, my mom was packing my lunch. “I don’t want you eating at school until this person is caught.” She was slicing a ham and provolone sandwich in half, just the way I liked it. I’ll never understand why sandwiches always taste better when moms make them.
I thought about Amanda and her mom, who was God knows where, and her crazy Grandma Mimi. “Mom, would you mind packing a lunch for Amanda too?”
“Sure.” She pulled out more lunchmeat and cheese.
My mom made a good point. If Genevieve was poisoned at school, it probably was best to avoid cafeteria food for a while. Amanda and I rode to school with
our lunch sacks in silence, both of us feeling an odd mixture of excitement and fear for the day ahead.
“Did you try on your uniform last night?” She nodded, and her lips formed a tiny smile.
“It looked great. Fit perfectly,” she admitted.
“Mine did too. Let’s just try to enjoy today.”
She nodded, taking her arm in mine as we walked through the entrance of the school.
Andy was waiting for me.
“I want to stick by your side today,” he said, his face etched with concern.
“I guess I’ll allow that,” I joked, unable to hold back a grin.
“He’s a keeper,” Amanda said, and she was right. I felt lucky to have such an amazing boyfriend and best friend.
Speaking of best friends, Sydney passed by, walking alone as I headed to Biology. She tried to catch my eye, but I ignored her. If she was the sociopath, I didn’t want to be anywhere near her. I was going to take my mom’s advice and just try not to get involved. Hopefully, Detective Simms would eventually be able to catch the person who did this, and then we wouldn’t have to worry anymore.
Chapter Sixty
Throughout the day, I recognized several police officers patrolling the hallways. Seeing them brought the butterflies back to my stomach, but I was grateful for their diligence. Perhaps making their presence known was what prevented the sociopath from striking again because the day went by with zero incidents.
I’d grown so accustomed to having practice after school that I nearly headed down to the gym when the final bell rang. But then I remembered that it was game night, and I had to go home and get ready for it.
Amanda and I got ready together at my house. We had to be there by six o’clock—tip off was at six-thirty.
“How does my hair look?” She looked up from the mirror to face me.
“Beautiful,” I answered honestly, admiring her short, trendy hairdo. She had gold barrettes pinned on the sides to hold back her bangs, and the back of her hair was sprayed into a stylish poof. My hair was pulled into a tight, high ponytail with curls and a gold bow.
“You look great too.” She smiled back at me.
We painted our faces with makeup and glitter, smoothing lotion over our legs before slipping our uniforms on.
“Let’s take a selfie!” Amanda stood up, positioning her phone in front of our faces.
“Say ‘Go Dragons’!” I cried.
“Go Dragons!” we squealed in unison.
I looked at my Hello Kitty alarm clock. It was quarter ’til six. “Time to get going!” we cried happily. Gathering up our pompoms and bags, we headed out to my mom’s car.
Today’s the day!
Chapter
Sixty-One
When we entered the gym, I immediately knew something was different. This place, where we’d been practicing for weeks now, looked and sounded like a whole new world. The boys were on the floor, but they looked serious now in their red and gold uniforms. The sounds of that round ball pounding the wooden court and the sweet swishing sound of the net made it unmistakable—it was game night!
The boys were warming up and the bleachers were still mostly empty, but I could feel the tension and excitement in the air. I saw Andy practicing layups. He looked gorgeous in his uniform and Jordan high tops. I waved at him. When I caught his eye, I shouted, “Good luck!”
Monika and Tally were stretching on the sidelines. Amanda and I joined them. “Are you guys excited?” Monika asked sweetly.
We both nodded. I’d nearly forgotten that this wasn’t Monika and Tally’s first year at this. They were pros—this was their fourth year cheering for the Harrow Dragons.
“Have you guys seen Coach Davis?” I looked around the gym.
“She’s right over there.” Tally pointed to an area by the concession stands. Coach Davis and Coach Purnell were talking to Detective Simms and two other officers I hadn’t seen before.
“Is everything okay?” Amanda asked.
“I think so. I think they’re just discussing safety procedures,” Monika reassured us.
“Does anyone know how Genevieve is doing?” Amanda asked.
“I spoke to her mom last night. She’s still in the hospital, but she’s doing much better. She was dehydrated after vomiting so much, and they had to give her an IV for fluids.”
I cringed at the thought of Genevieve lying in a hospital bed with a needle in her arm on game night instead of being here with us where she belonged. Genevieve and I might have had our differences over the years, but she was a member of our team and I didn’t want any physical harm to come to her. Based on the worried look on Amanda’s face, she felt the same way.
“Hey, team!” Brittani squealed feverishly, running across the floor to join us. I guess I have to be nice to Brittani since she’s my teammate too, I thought with a sigh.
Even though I wanted to simply forget about what she did to Teresa, I just couldn’t. Actually, I could see her being the sociopath, if she had not been a victim herself. Brittani got down on the floor and started stretching with us. She smiled at me and I tried to smile back.
People were pouring into the gym now and taking their seats in the stands. I recognized several of my classmates and some of their parents. I waved to Mr. Thompson, my Spanish teacher. “Buena suerte!” he called out to me from his spot in the stands. I had no idea what that meant.
“It means good luck,” Brittani whispered behind me.
“Gracias!” I waved back to him.
“Thanks, Brit,” I said, flashing a grateful smile at her.
The scoreboard lit up and the opposing team, the Crimson Cougars, came out onto the floor to warm up. Their cheerleaders also came out of the locker room area and took their place on the sidelines opposite us. They eyeballed us, and we did the same. My mom came in with my baby brother in tow, and found a spot close behind me. I looked at the clock. The game would begin in five minutes. Where the heck is Sydney? I wondered.
Chapter
Sixty-Two
Coach Davis took a seat on the bleachers. “Get ready to start the cheers, just as we practiced, girls!”
I noticed Detective Simms standing near the exit doors. On the other side of the gym were two more officers, scouring the crowd for anything suspicious. The game was starting in one minute.
“Where’s Sydney?” I asked Coach Davis. Her eyes widened as she realized what I already had—there were only five of us. Suddenly, Ashleigh came running into the gym at a full sprint. Her quick pace put the officers on guard and they were looking our way.
“Sorry, guys!” she said, getting in line beside us. She was out of breath from running. “Sorry I’m late.” She was dressed in Genevieve’s uniform—the same uniform Sydney was supposed to be wearing tonight.
“What are you doing here, Ashleigh?” Coach Davis demanded.
“You don’t know?” Ashleigh looked from Coach Davis to us with a confused expression.
“Know what?” Coach Davis made a ‘hurry up’ motion with her hands as she looked up at the clock.
“Sydney called me an hour ago, asked me to pick up the uniform from her house,” Ashleigh explained.
“Oh my god. Please tell me she hasn’t been poisoned too!” Amanda’s eyes widened.
“No. All she said was that she couldn’t cheer tonight. She said she had to deal with a family situation. Her exact words were ‘I’m stuck and I can’t go to the game.’” Ashleigh shrugged.
“Okay, girls. We’ll discuss this later. It’s time to cheer!” Coach Davis announced just as the buzzer rang.
Chapter
Sixty-Three
I cheered my heart out during the game, loving every minute of it. For a while, I almost forgot about the sociopath. Our boys were playing beautifully, leading at half time by nearly fifteen points. We kept the crowd excited, chanting cheers as loudly, and with as much pep, as we could muster.
Ashleigh did a great job filling in for Genevieve. I was a little worried about her doing t
he lift at the halftime show, considering the fact that she’d never fully practiced it, but the routine went perfectly. We nailed all of our back tucks and the stunt was fantastic. At the end of the routine, our audience roared with cheers and applause. It was the greatest feeling in the world.
I loved the way my mom smiled as she watched me. I could see the pride just pouring out of her in waves. I’d hoped to see my dad tonight, but I knew that if it were possible, then he would have come.
The final score was 51 to 42, Dragons. I was excited for Andy as he raced across the floor at the sound of the last buzzer. We’d won our first game of the season!
The opposing players smacked palms respectively, and then Andy ran toward me, gathering me up in a big bear hug. Coach Davis had said no flirting during stunts, but she didn’t say no flirting on the court.
I leaned in and placed my lips on his. He was surprised, but happy, and kissed me back lovingly. The sociopath had tried his best to ruin this night, but nothing could take away from what Andy and I shared.
Chapter
Sixty-Four
After the game, my mom dropped me, Andy, and Amanda at Pete’s Pizza Palace. She said she was going home to change and feed my little brother, and then would be back to pick us up. What she was really doing was giving me some space with my friends, and I appreciated her effort.
I’m going to miss her driving me around when I get my license next year, I realized for the second time in weeks.
We were still revved up from the game as we took a seat in a booth near the back of the pizza parlor. Dozens of our other classmates were pouring in through the doors of the restaurant. I guess this is the after game hangout, I realized. I saw Monika and Tally with their boyfriends sitting at a corner table. I waved.
Cheerleading Can Be Murder (Horror High #1) Page 12