Blue Crescent

A Dream Turned Into Nightmare

Maddison

“Hurry! Hurry! The contest is about to start. Where’s Harper?” Coach Sean said while the girls were excitedly preparing themselves.

The girls had nothing to give as an answer and continued doing their makeup and checking their uniforms. The coach noticed me approaching, but I averted my eyes. I still felt awkward after what Hannah did last time which ended in absolutely nothing. I silently sighed as I opened my locker. Heaven knows how much I wanted to dance.

I put my books and arranged them neatly and pretended I didn’t exist while the girls were behind me, feasting on their dream of winning the competition. The girls chanted before giggling and laughing. “Go dragons, go dragons, go, go, go dragons. Here we come!”

“Alright, that’s enough. Where is Harper? We only have ten minutes, she should have been here an hour earlier,” Coach Sean said as I slowly walked away from them and headed to the gym where Hannah was waiting.

The gym was already occupied with participants and students, including those from another school. I couldn't find Hannah, but I tried my luck climbing up the benches. As I was looking for a spot, my phone rang.

“Hey! Where are you?” I sounded screaming in the crowd. “Hannah, I can’t hear you. Our phones have a feature called texting, you might want to take advantage of that.” I grumpily ended the call.

I immediately went up when I saw a perfect area at the top where I could clearly see the whole view of the gymnasium. The gym was filled with chanting and shouting as the students cheered for their team. “Go dragons! Go dragons!” I shouted, clapping my hands.

“Yeah, go dragons! Wohooo!”

“Hannah? How did you—” I was distracted when Hannah suddenly appeared beside me.

“Get here? I’m a witch, remember? I can go anywhere without anyone noticing me,” she answered.

“Whatever.” I shrugged.

“Welcome to the annual inter school cheering competition. Let us call on . . . The Dragons!” the announcer said, followed by the audience’s deafening screams and shouts.

“Yeah, Harper baby! Get it on!” a student hollered.

“Go dragons! Beat them!” another one followed.

“Wohooo, dragons! Scare those butts away from our territory, we have already won! This is our house, yeah!” That came from the one in front of me.

“Go Maddie! Go, go Maddie!” Hannah shouted.

I nudged her. “Oh, come on Hannah. Stop it.”

“Wohooo! Today is your lucky day, Maddie.” She winked.

“What?”

“Harper is not coming.” She grinned. “So you gotta prepare yourself to take over and win it!’ She tapped my back.

“Second and last call for The Dragons, second and last call for The Dragons,” the announcer said as the chanting got louder.

“Where are the dragons? Are they done laying their eggs?” one student said aloud. I bet she was from another school based on her shirt that read: Pink Cheetahs.

The crowd grew impatient as they waited for the first participant to march in. The crowd’s excitement intensified as the girls in their white top and red skimpy skirts came in towards the center. Coach Sean approached the announcer and took the microphone.

‘We would like to apologize for the delay. Due to unwanted circumstances, our cheerleader is—”

I was nervous at the backstage but as a gymnast, I confidently gave a series of stunts as I made my way to the center. The girls’ eyes widened as they looked at me, including Coach Sean who nodded and smiled lightly.

“Alright everyone, presenting the thrilling entrance of . . . The Dragons!”

I looked at the crowd and led the girls. The whooping and cheering became louder as we danced, and I was hyped with excitement—minus the "throwing me into the air" part—I haven’t practiced that. At the end of the competition, the announcer took a piece of paper from the judges, while we were all waiting for the results excitedly and anxiously.

“And the champion for this year . . . the Centerville Dragons!”

The court was filled with the loudest hurrahs and applause. I could see Hannah jumping and clapping at the top among the benches as I took the trophy. The girls flocked around me and carried me up as we chanted. Raising the trophy overhead, my heart was overwhelmed with the smiles around me. The confetti added to my heavenly moment as I waved my hand at the audience.

“Go Maddie! Go go, go Maddie! Go dragons! We are the dragons!” The crowd chanted with us in unison.

Carrying me towards the locker area, our hearts won’t stop chanting and singing our victory.

“Thank you, Maddie. You saved us big time,” one of the girls said, hugging me.

“Yeah, if it wasn’t because of your special entrance, we could have lost the competition,” another one said and threw her arms around me, making the three of us share the warmth of each other’s embrace.

The rest of the girls joined us as Kelly said, reaching her arm towards the center with an open palm. “To the dragons.” Another one reached her arm and placed her palm on top of Kelly’s. “To the dragons,” she added.

“To the dragons,” the rest of the girls followed, looking at me.

“Maddison?” Kelly looked at me with a smile.

I reluctantly reached my arm. “To . . . the dragons,” I said awkwardly, realizing the strange feeling of sudden acceptance.

“To Maddison Greene,” someone said with a slow clap. Coach Sean joined us and reached her arm. “To Maddison Greene,” he said.

“To Maddison Greene,” everyone chorused, overloading me with happiness.

“You bi***!”

My day was just ruined by who I happened to see unexpectedly. Harper grabbed my hair, dragging me as she mumbled. “You . . . were not supposed to be in . . . the team,” she said through gritted teeth.

She pushed me with such force, making me fall onto the floor. I could see her eyes flaming with anger as she kicked my body repeatedly.

“Harper, stop it,” Coach Sean said, pulling her away.

“Let me go! Let me go!” she shouted. “How could you replace me! No one replaces Harper Mason. You . . . are just a nobody!” she said, pointing at me.

The girls were shocked and couldn't say a word while Coach Sean was holding Harper and trying to calm her down.

“Listen, Harper. We were already called to present, but you did not come. Our team was close to being disqualified, but Maddison saved us. She did not replace you. She only took over the responsibility that you were supposed to do. Where were you?” Coach Sean said.

“And you didn't wait for me? It isn’t my fault getting a flat tire, is it?” Harper responded aloud.

She took her shoe off and threw it at me, hitting my head in the process.

“Take this for being such an ambitious, ugly bi***!”

“Harper, stop,” Coach Sean said.

“And this . . . is for ruining my moment!” She grabbed my head and shoved my face on the floor before the panic-stricken audience.

Coach Sean was about to take Harper away from me when I felt my nails turning to claws. My head and body felt a throbbing pain that I was struggling to control. I breathed in and out, trying to stop the strange commotion inside me. My jaws were thickening, and I could feel my fangs coming out.

“Harper, stop it!” Coach Sean said.

“Harper, stop,” I begged, but she wouldn’t listen.

She stepped on my head, pushing my face harder on the floor as the coach struggled to pull her away. All of a sudden, Harper flew against the wall and hit her head. She slid down unconscious as everyone froze.

“Let me do the honor.” Someone said in a familiar voice, walking towards me. I raised my head to look up.

“Hello Amara,” she said.

“Olivia?” I uttered.