Cheer Squad Tryouts 2008

[Brianna Landers]

Brianna grimaced as she ripped down the poster. Someone had taken to vandalizing the Cheer Squad tryout posters with sharpie and highlighter. As she tacked up another in it's place she looked over her shoulder at Maureen and Ingrid.

"Okay, all we need to do now is get my stereo from my room and head to the gym. Maureen, you got Biff and some guys to set up the table and chairs, right?"

Maureen smiled brightly and nodded, obviously proud. "Oh, yeah! And they got the really comfortable chairs from the science department too."

"Perfect!" Bri turned on her heel, the two cheerleaders in tow. Shoulder to shoulder they sauntered down the hall, their bright blue pleated skirts swishing as they made their way to the gym. Looks to be an interesting day.

((Okay! This is it people! Anyone wanting to tryout for the Cheer Squad, go ahead and post a thing getting ready and then when Franky and I think everyone's had a chance to get ready and get to the gym, we'll open it up for you to do your routines! Have fun! Don't let Bri scare you too bad.))

[FrancisCross]

So this was hell.....

and there were cheerleaders in it.

Figures.

The clock wasn't helping. Neither was the mirror. Franky stared into the image in front of her. The angry, fushia-haired teenager that glared back at her didn't show much sign of lightening up. The old cheer uniform that she had finally managed to pull on was starting to show it's age and use. A little tear here, a smudge there...In all, she wondered if she looked like the token goth in The Sunny Pines Camp Massacre. After the psycho killer came through the first time.

Brianna and her attachments would almost certainly be on their way to the gym by now. The old, battered, card table would certainly be faithfully standing in its proper place. The sign-up sheet would have a fresh pencil taped to its clip-board. The gym would, no doubt, still smell of sneaker rubber and sweaty socks.

But it was going to be different this time. No longer alone at the head cheerleader's table, Franky would be one of the group. One of the popular girls. One of "them".

And, by god, were they going to pay for it.

With a snort she tossed the Sharpie in her back pack and pulled out the new bottle of peroxide and blonde dye she had managed to get after class.

If she was going to hang out with an after-school special...she might as well look like it.

[Kara]

Kara, pathologically incapable of being late, pulled hard on her ponytail to make sure that it was as tight as she could get it. No reason to screw this up thanks to being blinded by her own hair...

She paid similar attention to the rest of her ensemble (her favorite green t-shirt, shorts, ankle socks and sneakers), gearing up as if putting on armor for a battle with Tyrant. She was aware that she was nervous, but she did her best to push that emotion down deep where it couldn't bother her for a while.

She marched to the door of the gym, a place that she wasn't very familiar with. A gray wave of panic swept over her for just a moment. What the hell was she doing? She was a science geek, not a cheerleader! She leaned against the wall and took some deep breaths, thankful that no one was around to see her.

Finally she stood, squared her shoulders, and pushed the door open. She nodded to Bri and Franky and took a place on the bleachers.

[Winterfrost]

Abigail Morgan was not a sports person. Baseball was boring, Hockey was somewhat barbaric, and Football might as well be an elaborate ritual of a foreign culture with how much she knew about it. Really, most sports boiled down to elaborate ways to fight over various balls (or pucks, in Hockey’s case). Add into the fact that there usually seemed to be entirely too much grunting and sweating involved, and Abby was generally content to regulate sports to her list of things she could safely ignore, like quantum physics and comedies involving the Wayan’s brothers.

Which was why she was genuinely mystified that she was now on the way to the gym, clad in sweat pants and t-shirt and gym shoes with her white hair pulled back in a ponytail, with the intent of trying out for Cheerleading. She still wasn’t sure why she said she would try out in the restaurant with Kara and Kat. Or it was more to the point that she knew why she had said yes- the after parties sounded fun, she was friends with Kara and Kat, and the uniforms were cute. They just didn’t seem like very good reasons now.

Still, she had said she would. Add into the fact that she had mentioned it to her mother over the phone, who thought it was a fabulous idea, and well… how could she not go? It would look good for college, and it couldn’t be worse then fighting crazy mages and crazy robots and crazy Nazis. A lot less bullets, anyway,

She ducked into the gym and managed to flash a bit of a smile to Kara as she joined her on the bleachers, butterflies suddenly forming in her stomach. “Why did I say I would do this again? This is all your fault, Kara.” Abby managed a bit of a nervous chuckle as she took a seat.

[Kara]

Kara nodded in Abby's direction. "I do not recall anyone twisting your arm," she said with a smile.

Kara seemed totally relaxed, but for two things. She was sitting bolt-upright, even straighter than she usually did...and her left hand was gouging tiny splinters out of the bleacher seat. Her fingers would break the splinters into tiny pieces and then try to find another one. A small pile of near-sawdust testified to her nervousness.

[Elly]

And there I was in a pleated skirt. This time willingly.

People who know about my "job" and where I'd like to shove it were probably shocked to see me willingly wearing a skirt. But I'm not allergic to them like Dutchman is. I've got no issues looking female, now that I don't live in the Row, where drunk Skulls think a skirt is an invitation to corner me in an alley and try to see what's underneath. Hell, the school uniform doesn't bother me at all, so long as they look the other way when I alter the hemline. Now, make the skirt pink, and then add braids and hairbows and frills, and you're crossing the line from "female" to "goody gumdrops". But any cheer squad with Saint Joe's current roster is never going to be childish or cutesy.

Moltar had looked at me like I'd sprouted win... well, actually, I do that all the time. So let's just say she'd been pretty damn stunned when I asked her what cheer squad might do for my probation. Christ, don't blame me for the idea! Franky had planted it in my head when I ran into her and Bri talking about the new uniforms. Then I'd mentioned it by the firepit, mostly as a joke, and Kat said she could help me train, and Tony had said I'd look hot in the uniform, and then even Dutchman joined in with "the worst they can say is 'no'" (though I have to wonder if she was picturing me in the uniform too). And Moltar didn't say no, she gave a dumbfounded explanation of how "extracurricular participation can indeed be taken into account for" (blah blah blah), so I asked where I signed up.

Yeah, I might have fit better in an actual sport instead, but none of them were any more appealing to me, and I'd have to wait until they held their tryouts. Cheer squad was taking new members right now. Besides, it would force Bri to share more than two words with me every day, and I was getting a little tired of a roommate who barely admitted I exist.

That's how I wound up getting dragged out of bed early several times this week so Kat could put me through the basics. I'd made far crazier flips and loops and whatever before, but that was with wings for help (and no way was I going out onto the field as the Princess, thank you), so it was a few days practice before I wasn't falling on my ass nine times out of ten.

And there I was. I hadn't actually told Bri that I was trying out, so I admit I was looking forward to the look on her face when she spotted me among the newbies.

...it was probably similar to how I looked when I spotted Kara waving nervously at me.

[Lagomorph]

It had started as one of those jokes between him and Nova, one of the ones that could have ended up being not a joke because it sounded like they were really gonna do it. And he was fine with that, after all, it meant getting to do something fun and getting to do it with Nova, and Matt was all kinds of interested both in having fun and in having it with Nova.

But then when the time came and he asked Nova about it, one last time? Nuh uh. Didn't sound like he was going for it anymore. Of course, he was upset about Kierin at the time so maybe that was some of it, but Matt had the distinct impression that Nova had teetered back over into the side of letting the joke stay just a joke and not really going through with it. And that was fine, Matt wasn't even sure he wanted to try out anyway. Sure it could've been fun, but really, what on earth would people think of a rabbit on cheer squad? A guy rabbit on cheer squad? Even Matt realized that was crossing the line into critical absurdity.

Later though, when it came up in Shenanigan's, everybody thought it was a great idea. Even the cheerleaders were telling him he should give it a try. Seriously. What the heck? They were probably just overly short in supply of guys but still, they really seemed to think he should do it and well it did sound fun. But what would Nova think if he did it? At this point, he'd be doing it not because of a joke but... but for why? He wasn't even sure.

But there he was, stepping into the gym wearing sweats and a t-shirt, still not sure that he actually wanted to do it but he'd walked all this way so why the heck not? He looked around and spotted Kara, Abby, and Elly on the bleachers. Kara he knew would be here and Abby too, but Elly? Okay, maybe he wouldn't have to feel silly about it after all. Not that he did. Though he honestly probably wouldn't have come if it weren't for knowing that friends like Kara and Kat would be there, too.

Of course, none of that showed to anybody except maybe Kara, who got to peek beneath the surface. He grinned brightly and hopped across the gym and took a seat on the bleachers near Kara. "Hey, you ready to show 'em what we're made of, ya?"

[Thorn Hawk]

God this was embarassing....Thorn had never been a religious person in his life, but there was no better phrase to sum up what he was about to do than that. He stood outside the doors to the gym, looking like a complete fool with his hand on the door, ready to open it. Why was he here again? Oh yeah...because he never backed out of a dare...even when the dare was like this. Now Yuki and Alex Dutchman were both terrors to him in the game, actually making him afraid to accept dares from the two of them...but when a complete stranger dared him to do something akin to what they normally dare him to do...well...it starts the mind's gears rotating and askin' questions.

Well...better to get it over with, he supposed, girding himself as best he could. With luck he might be able to live this down. With a miracle, it'd pass with just a laugh and no one would think otherwise. Most likely however, Thorn'd be cursing Layla for months to come. &#@! it. Just have fun with it and let it pass over like it was nothing. Exhaling shakily, he pushed the door to the gym open and walked in.

Spotting Matt almost instantly gave him a little relief of not being the only guy in the room. However, Matt was nowhere close to being in his situation. While Matt wore a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, Thorn was decked out just like Elly or Kara on the bleachers. He was in the pleated skirt and blouse of a female cheerleader from last year. Yep, you correctly guessed the dare. He had to wait for Yuki to get the outfit first and check to see if it would fit over his frame which he had to begrudgingly admit did fit with less difficulty than he had thought. Not to say that it was easy by any means though. Grumbling, he made his way towards the sign up table, waiting for the preverbial shit to hit the fan and eagerly waiting until he could head to the men's locker room to change into the spare sweatsuit he had stashed there earlier. Layla only said to sign up for the practice in the outfit after all.

God this was embarassing...

[Brianna Landers]

((Okay! You have until Tuesday when OH starts to post then we're moving the thread along!))

Bri watched the hopefuls trickle in and sign up, eyeing each as they approached the table. Some had some real potential. Others... she nearly choked on her water when Elly walked in the door. What the heck was she doing here? Did she really think that she would be able to do this? Sure enough, Elly grumbled and signed her name on the clipboard on the table before Bri. The look of disbelief on Bri's face as she watched Elly walk to the bleachers spoke volumes about her thoughts. She rolled her eyes and nudged Maureen, gesturing at Elly, receiving the snicker she had hoped for. Oh yeah. No way the punk reject was getting on this squad.

But all those thoughts were banished when Michael showed up, garbed in last year's cheer uniform. Last year's girls' uniform. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him hastily scribble down his name and take a seat. She stood up, grabbing the clipboard and stalked over to the bleachers.

"Michael right? Michael Pecna? These tryouts are not a joke." Bri could feel Maureen at her back, arms crossed, glaring over over Bri's shoulder. Good, she needed the added effect. "If you are not serious about trying out for the SJS cheer squad, I'm going to have to ask that you leave." She paused to let all that sink in. "Now." She raised a finger at the door and stared down the boy for a moment before turning to the rest of the hopefuls. "That goes for any of you. If you are here on a dare or to embarass us or yourselves, save us the trouble and just go now." She scanned the crowd and settled her eyes on Elly and stood before the gathered students, eyebrows raised, waiting for any response.

[FrancisCross]

As if on cue, the newly platinum blonde head of Francis Cross made its way to the head cheerleader's table.

"I suppose you should count me in on that one, Bri."

With an exaggerated grin and an equally exaggerated twirl, Franky made it a point to wave to the assembled crowd.

She gave a wink to Elly, a smirk to Matt, and regarded Michael's dress with a tongue cluck and a thumbs up.

"Nice dress, Thorny. Better hope I don't keep you in it permanently."

A heavy plop later, she was firmly seated in the chair next to Bri, sneakered feet landing neatly on the edge of the table.

"So....what's the scoop, Skipper?"

[Elly]

Bri was looking right at me, I was sure of it.

Well, fine, if she wanted to let her bitch side out for all to see today, that was her business. Bri'd never been willing to give me the time of day since she first saw the stupid Princess outfit, though I wasn't sure if it were just that or also because I'd seen how weird she got in a fight. Not like I cared about her quirks, or really had the right to, which made it all the more annoying that she didn't feel the same. But honestly, I'd be fine staying in her "I don't give two shits about you" zone if she got insistent about keeping me there. I just wouldn't be me if I didn't fight for at least a little respect first.

I had Kat and, judging by that wink, likely Franky on my side. Maybe Ingrid too if she wasn't going to chose to stand by Bri without fail. So if I didn't give Bri an obvious reason to punt me (say, stinking up my tryout), I was probably in. Certainly ahead of Thorn anyway, who (hopefully) was there as a joke.

I met her eyes and smiled pleasantly. And remained firmly seated next to Kara. Here to embarrass myself, hell no. Embarrass Bri, maybe, but that would just be a bonus.

[Thorn Hawk]

It was true, Thorn only came to the tryouts as a joke and as part of a dare. Hell, everyone could figure that out by looking at him. He was all set to just pick up and leave after he had signed his name and had a laugh, but after the calling out Bri just gave him, he was a little more than irked. Part of him wanted to just lean back and tell Bri to either lighten up or get...well let's just leave it at that.

With a chuckle, he looked over at Matt who gave him a smirk in response. Well, Matt did say that the squad needed more "girl-chuckers" and cheerleading in general was very physically demanding, requiring strength, dexterity, balance and focus. All qualities which Thorn sought to improve himself in. That...and if Bri was going to be stuck up as she was, it'd be funny to apply in earnest just in spite. Thorn gave a brief glance towards some of the other girls and mentally shrugged. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Thorn leaned over and whispered to Matt to hold on a moment. Getting up, he headed to the locker room. The sweatsuit he had stashed away in his locker came out and in short order, Thorn returned, vaulting back to his position next to Matt with a quick beat of his wings and a rustle of black and white Yankees sweats. "Can't get rid of me that easily." Mike muttered under his breath and playfully elbowing Matt in the side.

[Winterfrost]

Abby had been tracing random patterns on the wood of the bench and trying to calm the nervous butterflies in her stomach when Thorn had come in. She hadn’t been able to help her giggles, her shoulders shaking as she tried to contain her amusement. It had to have been a dare, and a brilliant one at that.

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes as Bri stormed over. Way to get all bent out of shape over a silly joke. She leaned over to Kara, her voice low. “She’s taking this way to seriously.”

[Kara]

Kara leaned back and whispered, "It is what she does. This is important to her." She looked around at the assembled students. "But they might just surprise her."

[JadeRooster]

He was almost late. Again.

Rooster all but burst in through the gymnasium entrance, having obviously stopped from a full run. Still in his uniform and with backpack in tow, it was clear he had departed from his previous location in a rush.

With a foolish grin and a iconic thumbs-up to any lookers-on, he made a bee-line up the rafters to the top row, earning himself a better vantage point and enabling him to discard his jacket and knapsack.