WANTING YOU

The Routine

Astrid's POV

I am a cheerleader. It felt like a dream and I had to pinch myself a couple of times to ensure that it wasn't.

Keri's excitement was over the moon. She and I were both instructed to follow behind Annalise to the Cheerleaders' locker room. Once there, we were handed our uniforms and a rule book each.

"Practice is this afternoon after school. There's a game next weekend and you two have to know the routine by then. No expectations, no excuses and no screw ups. I hate a screw up," Annalise said, her last sentence slicing off like a threat.

"We'll be here," Keri said to her and I nodded yes in agreement.

"Excellent. Now, you're dismissed. Get to class," she ordered and we complied.

_______

After school, Keri and I met up and headed to the cheerleaders' gymnasium that was located at the back of the school next to the football field. We changed into our uniforms and I frown upon mine as I looked at myself in the mirror.

The skirt was so short that if I was to bend over, one can see my s****s and the top showed off the cleavage I didn't even know I had.

"Mom would freak if she sees me in this," I said to Keri whose eyes popped with surprise when she saw me.

"But you look great," she complimented.

"So do you," I returned the compliment.

"Come on. Let's join the others," Keri said, taking me by my hand and leading me out of the changing room.

~

We managed a few minutes of stretches before Annalise's arrival.

"On your feet. Form the lines!" she instructed as she stood in front of us. The squad consisted of twenty cheerleaders. Eight being males and twelve being females. They won every single cheer competition since Annalise took the throne as its successor. She was passionate about it and everyone knew it.

"Keri and Astrid. I need you next to me," Annalise spoke and Keri and I went to the front to join her, "Watch. Learn."

An upbeat song blared from the surrounding speakers and the squad broke into their dance routine. Flips and leaps and stunts made me felt dizzy just by looking at them but Keri was eager to join in. In one lesson, she had already captivated the routine and was able to join and fit in by the next time around.

I, on the other hand, kept messing up. My moves were sloppy, my pace was slower than the others and I kept tripping over my own two feet.

Annalise cut the music for the umpteenth time and everyone groaned in frustration before staring at me, knowing that it was my fault that I couldn't pick up the routine.

"Damn it.. my grandmother can move better than you," Trisha bellowed at me. Keri joined my side, placing a comforting palm on my shoulder.

"She's trying. May I remind you that she's new to this," Keri said to her in my defense.

"So are you Keri Lee, but I don't see you flopping like you friend," Trisha said back.

"Enough!" Annalise cut in, "Practice is over. I'll see you all back here tomorrow at noon."

"Thank you," the squad agreed and filed out of the room.

I reached for my bag but Annalise slapped it right out of my hands.

"That's not the Astrid I saw at try-outs," she told me. I looked in Keri's direction and she was looking back at me and the commotion.

"I'm sorry.. I.. I don't know how to do the choreography routine," I told her truthfully.

"I can see that," she spat. She held me by my arm and placed me in front of the body long mirrors against the wall. The music started and Annalise began the dance routine. Keri joined in to the her and as I observed, my body took on a mind of its own and broke into dance mode.

"One.. two.. three.. four. Step left. One.. two.. three.. step back. One.. two.. three..shimmy.. one.. two.. three.. hurkie," Annalise directed.

Keri, Annalise and I spent the afternoon practicing and by the end of it, I thought I was going to pass out. Everything ached but I managed to hobble my way out of the gym and towards Keri's car in the parking lot.

Trent's car was also present and as I casted my eyes around to find him, I spotted him with his arm around Annalise's waist. As they got closer to his car, his eyes caught mine looking.

"Oh, I wasn't aware you got yourself new cheerleaders," he said to Annalise.

"Barely," she answered as she rolled her eyes. She got into his car and Trent stole one more glance at me before he got into the driver's seat. He drove off.

~

"What I don't understand is, why would she add me to her squad knowing that I wouldn't have fit in?" I asked in frustration as Keri drove me home.

"She doesn't know that. You executed your try-outs so I guess she wanted to see more of that energy," Keri responded.

"But that was my routine, from my own head. I was doing my own thing so obviously I would be great at that. But nailing her routine, upbeat routine at that, it's difficult for me," I stated.

"You're getting better. The extra one on one practice with Annalise helped a lot. I'm sure by tomorrow you would stand out."

"Yeah. Stand out as the embarrassment."

"Would you stop thinking so negative. I don't want that rubbing off on me," Keri said, "Let's talk about something else."

"About?"

"I saw the way Trent looked at you in that uniform."

"Uhhhgh! Please, not that again."

"He practically gawked when he saw you. He'll be wanting to see more of you in that."

"You need to stop. He's Annalise's boyfriend."

"So?"

"So I wouldn't dare cross her and you should know better than to encourage me to."

"Fine."

________

It was Saturday morning and I was already in the gymnasium for practice. I recited the routine in the mirror like Annalise showed me and when I paused for a break, a low clap started sounding.

I looked over and Trent had been looking on from one of the chairs.

"Spying on me?" I asked him.

"Nah. Just observation," he answered. I scoffed and he approached, "It fits you though."

"The sloppiness?"

"The ambience of cheerleading."

"And what do you know about cheerleading?"

"Hmm..I can see that you're very new to this but you want to great at it. Something is holding you back. Your body wants to take control and your mind is fighting it on that."

"Okay. You need to stop looking at me," I said, flushed from his precise judgment.

"You can do this. Your mind has to get involved also. Have a great practice," he told me then I watched him walk away, football in hand.

~

Several minutes later, it was noon. Trisha and the squad arrived. Annalise wasn't going to be in. We fell into our respective spaces and started the routine. I was better but not as polished as I should be.

I heaved a loud sigh before drinking from my water bottle when we were given a break. Keri came over.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"No. All that practice from yesterday and I'm still a mess," I answered.

"Give yourself some time, Astrid. This is why we practice."

"You better get the routine before the day's over or I'm telling Annalise to release you both from the squad!" Trisha butted in. She then bolted over to the others and made a few changes with the flyers.

"She cannot do my part!" someone protested.

"She can and she will!" Trisha shouted back at her, "Annalise put me in charge today and we're going to execute this new add on routine!"

"But it's dangerous," someone else said.

"I didn't ask for your input, did I? Get your tails in formation and do this!" Trisha yelled.

She was beginning to be more of a terror than Annalise, and when the new flyer fell and hurt her arm badly, practice was dismissed early once again.