Chapter 6: Cheerleader

Maria's POV

It’s Saturday morning yet I am in school. Most clubs are getting ready for the Club Festivals which will be happening in three weeks. The festival is a yearly event of the school that showcases the different clubs and their skills and talents. It is also for promotions and recruitment. If we perform an outstanding performance, surely more students will be joining. For us graduating students, it is also for our future. Several artists and performers, not to include talent agents come watch and scout. It’s such a hassle the date was announced late yesterday so we had limited time to party last night.

I have been the cheerleader since my sophomore year. I never actually wanted to. I just haven’t joined in any club during my freshman year and cheerleading seems easier than most clubs. Then, it just kind of stuck to me in the later years. I’m actually taking it seriously than I used to. After all, it will be my last year. I wanted it to stick on the mind of the viewers.

We are next to practice on stage after the school band. I saw Sunny and Jack along with their members. The two are really great at harmonizing. There are two male guitarists, one female behind the keyboards and Breana is also there. She’s in-charge of the drums.

After our activity in science last time I wouldn’t have thought her to be the insightful yet soft-spoken type of girl. She actually gives her all when she’s behind the drums. If only one would actually look, you would definitely notice her at the back. Yet, of course, most, if not all couldn’t see that because they wouldn’t care to see past those drums.

“Oh c'mon!! Breana, get a hold of yourself! You’ve been off-beat for the fifth time now.” Jack scolded. He seems irritated at the poor girl.

Breana released a heavy sigh. She does not really look okay. I had observed. Maybe because of what happened last night. I saw her really drunk at the party.

It reminded me of Liam. He hasn’t contacted me yet after the party and I actually thought we had a great time partying.

Is he playing hot-and-cold with me?

If he is, I’m not actually a fan of mixed signals.

He’s charming and cool and he admitted to have a crush on me. Pretty childish but I thought it’s cute. I like cute things, really. I might look intimidating to most like I might crush their poor souls with my nails but I’m so soft for small, cute and cheeky things. I even have a stuffed toy I treat like a pet.

“Why don’t we take a 10-minute break? Surely, everybody is tired.” Sunny suggested to diffuse the tension.

Other members mumbled their approval and descended the stage. Breana just stayed sitting on her spot, spacing out.

I grabbed a bottle of water and climb upstage.

“Hey! Here.” I handed her the bottle. She turned her head upwards and saw me. I offered her a small smile,

“You look like you needed it.”

“Thanks.” She took the bottle and drank. I crouched by her side.

“Had too much fun last night?”

“How’d you know?” Her voice was hoarse.

“I saw you at Liam’s. I was upstairs when I saw you down in the living room.”

“You must have seen my awkward dancing then.” She face palmed herself but made no effort to remove her hand on her face.

I laughed at her cuteness. She's like a puppy.

“You’re not making things better.” She said.

“Sorry, you just looked so cute hiding like that. Also, your dancing is not that bad. You know all it has to take is guts. You have confidence then you can do things whatever others may say.”

She removed her hands from her face revealing her flushed cheeks.

“Easy for you. I mean look at you. You’re the cheerleader. You’re fatally sexy and charismatic. Then look at me.” She tried to reason.

“I am looking at you and I see an amazing person.” I smiled.

She doesn’t seem to believe what she’s hearing. She just stared at me.

“You want me to enumerate some of the good things I see in you?” I continued.

“At first, in our class I realized you are insightful, you actually know a lot but I had to ask to know your opinions. Also you’re really good at drawing. You put your best in it that’s why it took us the whole period just so you could perfectly draw those disgustingly awful specimens. Ugh. You didn’t have to get all the details but ughh.” I rolled my eyes at the last part.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

“Okay, okay. I don’t know if you’re actually cheering me up or criticizing me.”

“Hi, Ari.” Sunny approached us, holding her own water bottle.

“Hello, Sunny. Your band is amazing. You’re definitely going to recruit fresh members.”

“Of course, we are all working hard for this and I see that you are too.” She said to me.

“Breana, I’m sorry for how Jack reacted a while back. Are you okay?” she inquired to the drummer.

Sunny is really a thoughtful person. We have known each other since freshman year. It was through me that she met Jackson. I am friends with him and eventually they became friends too and that progressed to their romantic relationship now.

“No, it is okay, Sunny. It’s actually my fault for messing up numerous times. Im just experiencing a little hangover so playing drums kind of made the headache worse.” Breana apologetically said.

“It was not right for Jack to snap at you. He’s just stressed ‘cause it’s our last fest and he wants to make it perfect. He really wants to apply for music school or get scouted.” Sunny explained in defense of Jack.

“Maybe you could practice with whoever’s available and let Breana go rest. I’m sure she can make up for it.” I suggested.

Sunny considered my suggestion and Breana eventually left after extending her apologies and thank you's to me and Sunny. After an hour, the school band was done practicing, meaning it was now our time to use the stage.

“Okay everyone, attention.” I clapped my hands together. “We are going to work our asses off because we can’t let people just treat us like we’re just a bunch of nice asses and titties. Sorry for the language but it’s the truth. We gotta slap in their faces that we are more than that. We will flly if we have to, just to show them that.”

“How are we going to fly?” A member asked.

“It’s an exaggeration but yes, we can throw some of you so high you migh feel lie flying. Who wants to volunteer?”

They looked shocked and afraid. I guess they took my words at face value.

“I’m kidding.”

After a few hours I explained to the group our plan of action. There are still lapses so I had to ask for their inputs then tried some of the cheers and dances. By the time we were finished, it was lunchtime but I still need to furnish the plans.

“Selena, can you stay a little longer? I still need some ideas on the dance steps and do revisions on some. You’re the best when it comes to choreography.”

“Uh, I actually have work at 1pm but we could talk about it while we’re going there and you can also have lunch there since it’s a café.”

“Okay, so where is it?” I said while packing my things to accompany her.

“It is just around the corner, we could just walk. We actually own it, the SK Café.