5.

  This was Tiffany’s year. After the first practice in August Mrs. Belding, principal Belding’s wife, who he hired so he could keep an eye on her allowed the cheer team to huddle up and vote for who would be the captain of the cheer team. The vote was clear, Tiffany by a landslide. She was the perfect successor to Stacy. The senior, who last year, helped cheer the football team to a playoff season, and the baseball team to their record-breaking second undefeated season.

  Tiffany looked as if she was close to tears as the girls cheered her on. “Oh my god I can’t believe it!” she said, “I have been on the squad since my freshman year, and I can’t believe you all believe in me so much,” she put her hand on her heart and gave her most emotional performance as she accepted the honor from the sycophantic freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who all looked at her, imprinting their fantasies on her and living through her vicariously.

  “I will bring so much honor, and so much pep to our squad, every team we cheer will win,” she said, giving a heartfelt rally to the other girls. “The Baseball season is in its second half, we are undefeated for going on three years, that’s because of us, and what we do, we need to give our team the motivation, we need to give our team the rally and pep that will get them to state,” she said, as the rest of the team cheered.

  This would be the pinnacle of her high-school career. The baseball team would have their third winning season, and Tiffany had her eyes on the Brian. Of course, if he won, he would be a shoo-in for prom king. That meant if she dated him, she would be a shoo-in for Queen. The ultimate title. Of course, she could date Brian whenever she wanted, but that would be for later. She wouldn’t want the passion burning out before prom. She was going to have some fun first. She couldn’t wait to have an open card to date the hottest guys in the school. She was Capitan of the cheer team now, and she had to provide an example to the up and coming freshman and sophomores. A girl on the cheer squad could do anything she wanted, and she wanted the younger girls to know that. The plan was simple, after getting her fill of the bad boys, Brian and she would finally start hooking up, and it would the talk of the school. They would be the golden couple, exemplifying the greatness that Reagan High could give anyone, anyone so long as they were hot.

  It was going to be perfect, no matter where her life went, she would always be able to look back on her high school years and know that she did everything right.

  The practice was intense. Tiffany pushed the girls even harder than the coach did. “Remember girls, we all have to be on point, especially if we’re going to be able to pick up the slack for when you know who comes back,” Tiffany said.

  Tiffany was talking about April. The girl who would have been cheer captain had her left leg not been severed below the knee over winter vacation in the Bahama’s in an unfortunate family boating accident.

  April and her Step-mother were standing on the docks as April’s father wanted to have one of those classic father-son bonding moments. He let his son, April’s eleven-year-old half-brother, drive the boat out to the beautiful Caribbean Sea. What April’s dad forgot to do though, was pull in the anchor from the side of the dock. When her half-brother revved up the engine just a bit too much, the boat rushed forward, pulling the anchor with it hard enough to jump in the air and slice through the top of April’s calf and sever her leg off and send into the beautiful blue ocean making it unsalvageable even if someone was to find it.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Of course, the school couldn’t just kick her off the cheer team, that would be a cruel and sick punctuation on the tragedy that had befallen her life. They definitely couldn’t do it after the news piece on it went viral. All of Channel Seven’s viewers saw a strong, brave, and resilient young April swear that she would overcome this, and she would cheer again.

  After practice, the girls were gathered around outside earshot of the cheer coach. They were enjoying the most expensive brand of bottled water available at the local Sam’s Club. Water Coolers were for the jocks. The cheerleaders knew they were much more important than some boys throwing their balls around. Eliza, a cute little blonde freshman who always cut her hair one style behind Tiffany’s, looked up at her captain, “So umm, Tiffany, are you going to be at Alec’s party next weekend?” she asked, biting her lip and looking at Tiffany with eyes longing for approval.

  “Alec, oh I think I’ve seen he’s pretty cute,” Tiffany winked at Eliza, “Pretty cute for a sophomore at least,” she smirked, then turned her head up and grinned wider. “I’m going to see my boyfriend that weekend, see him play a show at The Black Hole,” she bragged.

  “That’s an adult club,” Eliza said, in awe of her role model, “How are you going to get in?” she asked.

  “Oh, sweet little Eliza, so innocent, you still are yet to understand your true power,” She gently ran her fingers through Eliza’s hair, “Girl’s like us don’t need silly I.D.s to get into clubs, also it doesn’t hurt when your boyfriend invites you,” she smiled.

  “Your boyfriend,” Eliza asked, blushing and looking at the rest of the freshman cheer squad as they all giggled, “But I thought you were dating Brian?” She asked.

  “Yeah, you two flirt like, all the time,” Kimmy, the squad’s token cute Asian girl who always wore her hair in pigtails said.

  “Oh, Brian’s a great catch, don’t get me wrong,” Tiffany put her hand to her heart and nodded her head, feeling so matronly as she instructed these precious young minds about the ways of being a woman, “But he’s more your girl’s speed,” she looked up, “I need a man who’s more…” she paused, “…Mature,” she looked back at the squad and smiled, “He’s in college,” she bragged.

  “College? Where does he go?” Eliza asked.

  Tiffany paused for a second, “He goes to Cal-Tech, he studies astronomy, he knows so much about the universe,” He goes to Denero community college, he studies Music Theory and is failing at it, failing hard.

  “He’s the lead singer in this awesome band called Army of Vandals, if you haven’t heard of them you will soon, I’m seeing his show,” Tiffany said crossing her legs sitting so smug and proud in front of the impressionable young minds in front of her.

  “What’s his name?” Kimmy asked.

  “Edward, not Eddy, Edward,” She said.

  “Oh my god just like Twilight!” Kimmy laughed as he put her hands to her mouth, giddy with excitement about him.

  “And he looks just like Robert Pattinson, it’s uncanny,” Tiffany said, as she swooned at the thought of her brooding, artistic genius love interest.

  “Oh my god, He sounds so cool, oh you’re so lucky Tiffany, you’re so great,” Eliza said, studying every contour of Tiffany's hair. After all, Eliza was due for another trim.