I'm a stripper, doesn't mean I'm a slut

That's what she said

It's after school, and - accounted to Lex's constant begging and my unwillingness to complete my task of laundry duty - I have decided to come to cheerleading practice. Thankfully, I survived the remainder of the school day, despite being slightly more heard of than my usual invisible existence (I didn't bump into James, so that was a plus).

"That's okay - just wear what you're wearing now." Lex says as she stretches her left leg so that it touches the top of her head with the tip of her toe. "Your clothes look pretty old anyhow - doesn't matter if they get a bit sweaty, eh? Just buy some new ones."

"Hey!" I say, looking down at my worn maroon sweatshirt/leggings attire. "My clothes aren't that bad!'

"Sure!" chirps Lex. "Now c'mon - I want you to meet the squad." And with that, she drags me along by the arm, towards the middle of the gym.

With her free hand, she uses two of her fingers and lips to make a sharp loud whistle sound which immediately draws the scattering of cheerleaders to her beck and call.

"So guys." Lex says as the cheerleaders group around her in a casual circle, "I'd like you all to meet our new member - Kales."

"Hi." I say awkwardly, giving a little wave, looking up at the girls, then at my shoes in a sequential pattern. 

"Aww, she's shy - that's so cute!" I heard a girl say. I look up to see a coffee skinned girl with dark brown curls smiling at me.

"Cute or not - Lex, is it really fair that Kales gets to join the squad even though she hasn't tried out?" A brunette with cropped hair and a nose piercing says, voicing the thought that I had secretly been harboring.

"If you haven't already heard of how Kales totally whooped Ashley Jones' ass in PE the other day, you'd know that she more than deserves to be here." Lex says with certainty.

"Omergawd that was totally epic!" says a short raven haired girl who was in my PE class (Marley, I think or Macy) . "Stacey, you toates should have been there!" she says to the brunette next to her - the one with cropped hair and a nose piercing.

"Mmm, I am absolutely gutted that I was not there." Stacey says dryly.

"Actually, there's a video circling around of what happened." A girl with frizzy blonde hair says. "Does anyone wanna watch it?"

"Really?" the short raven haired girl says excitedly. "Give it to me, Ally!"

"That's what she said." The coffee skinned girl coughed into her hand.

"I heard that, Sam!"

"Heard what, Marely-bear dearest?"

"You - oh, never mind." Marely scowled.

"Shhhh! The video's starting, guys!" hushed Ally as she held out her phone while the rest of the girls crowded round her.

I stood awkwardly to the side while they watched, not wanting to interfere with their group dynamics.

Oh, what the hell. Curiosity got the better of me, and I edged closer to them, wanting to see just how "good" I had done at PE yesterday.

I was pretty good.

I looked like a freakin' ninja - like some kind of teenage American girl Jackie Chan.

But more graceful.

The video stops, and all the girls look at me in silent awe.

"Woah, Kales." Marley says finally. "I was there for the live show, but that recording just made it even more epic!"