Cheryl went along to the cheerleader tryouts determined, but not really expecting, to win the spot. It wasn't that she didn't have the skills, she did. She knew she was every bit as good as, or even better than, the other two girls trying for the unexpected vacancy.
The killer where she was concerned was that the other two girls were way more popular than Cheryl and Cheryl was that little bit older. At eighteen, Cheryl would only be on the team for a year, whereas the other two girls would be there for two or three years, if they made it. Also, Cheryl didn't have the knack of making friends easily. One of her reasons for wanting to become a cheerleader was the hope of meeting and getting better acquainted with some of the other girls.
Peeping out from backstage while Marie did a series of backflips, Cheryl scanned the audience. Half the current cheerleaders were there, as was to be expected. While the cheerleading captain and vice-captain would make the final decision, all the other girls would be having their say, nominating why their favourite should win.
Having the girls there watching her didn't bother Cheryl. She'd been expecting that. What did take her by surprise and make her just that little bit more nervous was that Tony Jenson, the quarterback, was sitting behind the captain and vice, muttering to them as Marie performed.
"What" she wondered, "was he doing there? Did he have a favourite he wanted in the team?"
Marie had finished performing and was now being grilled by the captain and vice. And they weren't holding back just because she was popular.
Then Marie was withdrawing, sweating and smiling, and Cheryl was on.
She'd practised this. She knew her routine by heart. She was not going to be distracted by the audience. She sailed into her routine, her confidence building as she went, knowing she was performing flawlessly.
Finishing with a back-flip and twist that left her facing the audience, Cheryl bowed. And then the grilling started. They must, thought Cheryl after a few minutes, have been holding back on Marie. She was sure that they hadn't been so hard on her. She struggled on, gamely answering all the questions tossed to her.
"That routine you did," Stella, the captain, said. "I haven't seen that done before. Where did you learn it?"
"Ah, that was my own composition," admitted Cheryl. "I've been studying choreography and I applied a bit of that to create a couple of routines of my own."
"Hmm. It was certainly different," said Stella. "That'll be all for now. We'll let you know what we decide. Who's next?"
"She hated it," thought Cheryl dismally. "Why didn't I stick to one of the routines they currently do?"
The eternal why hammered loud in her brain as she watched Janet, the third contender, doing exactly that, springing and flipping all over the stage as though she was already in the team. And, Cheryl noticed, her grilling was the lightest of the lot.
The three girls waited, watching the team chatter, discussing the pros and cons of the three contestants.
"Why," asked Marie, "is Tony there. He's a player. Not a cheerleader."
"That's because he's a very good judge," said Janet. "He doesn't actually have a say on who gets into the team but if he gives a thumb's down then that person won't be selected. But from what I've seen he hasn't given any of us a thumb's down. So it's up to Stella to decide who's best, which will be me, naturally."
A short while later the girls were summoned back on stage.
"Thanks to all of you for trying out," she said. "You all provided excellent performances and I'm sure each of you would be a credit to the team. Unfortunately, we can only choose one person today, as you know.
Cheryl, we were most impressed by you doing your own routine. It was really well done. The biggest problem we have on the team right now is the sort of imagination that can devise new routines and make them actually work.
Your demonstrating that talent has swayed the decision in your favour and I'd like to welcome you to the team.
Marie, Janet, you both gave excellent performances and we will call on you without further auditions if we get any more vacancies in the team. Thank you for coming."
Marie and Janet departed. Marie disappointed, but hopeful for the next time, and Janet disappointed and furious.
Cheryl was stunned, but moved forward to receive the congratulations of the team. And from Tony. He gave her a wink, said well done and vanished.
"You owe Tony a vote of thanks," Stella told her. "We had just about decided to flip a coin to pick the winner when he pointed out that with Barbara gone we'll need additional choreography. And the routine you did was good. Very good. We're hoping you can expand that sort of thing into a team effort.
But don't panic over it. We do have an official choreographer. You'll be a sort of unofficial assistant and we'll see how things develop. Your acrobatic skills alone will keep you on the team."
Cheryl was floating on air for the next few days. When she received her cheerleader uniform she promptly put it on and posed in front of the mirror, gloating. She didn't quite go to the extent of taking some selfies and posting them, but it was close.
On the night of her first full practise for the squad, Cheryl was at the auditorium almost half an hour early, wearing her new uniform and a smile that just bubbled up out of her. Too early, she knew, but she was quite happy to wait, just excited at being there.
Cheryl was somewhat startled when Tony, the quarterback, wandered into the auditorium.
