9781250209153

And then the buzzer blares. It’s halftime and my teammates come
running off the court, frustrated and tired. But none of them heads for the
locker room. They gather around me instead.
“You got this,” Danielle says, smacking my arm. “Leave it all on the
court, right?”
I take a deep breath and wipe my sweaty hands on my sweatpants. And
then, using my teammates’ bodies to shield myself, I pull off my jersey and
sweatpants. Now it’s time to wait for the signal from Honey-Belle.
The cheerleaders gather at the half-court line, ready to begin what
everyone thinks is a normal halftime show. Irene stands at the front, strong
and proud, ready to lead them.
Until Honey-Belle strides up beside her, grabs Irene’s pom-poms, and
throws them aside.
“What—?” Irene says, looking scandalized.
Honey-Belle says something to her. She tugs on Irene’s hands, pulling
her away from the squad. Irene is resistant, looking for backup, stubborn as
all hell. Honey-Belle drags her to the bleachers and seats her in the front
row. By this point, the whole crowd is whispering urgently. No one knows
what’s going on.
Honey-Belle spins around, wiggles her hands above her head like
antlers, and sprints back to join her squad in the middle of the court.
I take one last deep breath and wait for my cue.
Suddenly, deafening music blares from the sound system. Kevin came
through with the audio.
Now I’ve had the time of my life …
I break through the wall of my teammates and run toward the
cheerleaders. They part down the middle, giving me center stage. The
crowd is suddenly screaming. They’re putting the pieces together in one
swift, dizzying moment: the Dirty Dancing theme, the routine we’re
starting up, and me, dancing like a fool in a regulation Grandma Earl
cheerleading uniform.
But I’m only looking at one person.
Irene is flabbergasted. Her eyebrows are practically up to her hairline,
her mouth hanging open, her arms flopped at her sides. For one horrifying