𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠 𝐌𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 (𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏)

5

Song: Me too - Meghan Trainor

..............................

I landed on my feet after my last jump with double twist and looked Paris, triumphant. I was sweaty, tired and my breath was coming out like pants at this point, but I was proud of what I'd just done.

Some applause and shouts from the other cheerleaders filled my ears and my chest seemed about to collapse. I nailed it. And everyone knew it, even Paris and her frustrated face.

"Girl," Sadie appeared by my side and hung on my arm while hanging me a bottle of water, "I guess there's no doubt of the verdict. Am I right, captain?"

All the girls looked at her, waiting, and our gazes locked. She knew she had to let me join the team. After my perfect performance, she couldn't make up any excuse to refuse me without it being too obvious and we both knew it. Maybe that's why she seemed so in rage.

I held her gaze, lifting a brow.

"Whatever." she snapped finally and I grinned widely. "Enjoy yourself."

"Oh, I will."

Paris rolled her eyes turning to the rest of the squad. "Okey. We're done for today." she clapped hands dragging everyone's attention to her. "Good job everybody, now go change. I'll see y'all tonight's party." that earned her some joyful shouts in agreement before storming away, leaving the field and the other cheerleaders hugged me and congratulated me along with the other couple girls that also made it.

I'm in! It was almost ridiculous how such a simple thing could make me that happy, but it did. Actually, I was beyond happy. I was euphoric!

"You did it, Ari!" Sadie voiced my thought, high-fived me and we hit our hips together. "Now we're cheer-sisters."

I laughed. These were the times when I genuinely liked Sadie Braham. This cheerful girl who likes to joke around and manage to make every situation a light one. This is the girl I was friend of.

"Absolutely! But as my big sister, I guess you should buy me an ice-cream to celebrate this. What do you say?"

She smiled and throw an arm over my shoulders as we enter the changing rooms. "Only for you, girl, only for you."

An hour later I'd eaten enough ice-cream to sink a boat, and not a simple boat; a huge transatlantic like Titanic. I leaned back on my bench.

"I guess I'm done for today."

"Bet you are." she chuckled. "I don't get how you are so skinny when you eat like that."

"Good luck?"

"Sure." Sadie snorted.

"Hey, you're not the one to talk. You've just eaten practically a whole cake on your own and you're still looking like that." I pointed her and she grinned naughtily.

"Touche. We don't exactly fit in the cheerleader diet cliche."

"Well, we know how to enjoy our life."

"Damn right." and then she chuckled. "I bet Paris will faint if she had seen us five minutes ago."

I couldn't help a laugh. "Oh, she will." and let out a sigh, absentmindly fiddling with the plastic spoon of my ice-cream. "She's become, um, more picky since I left, hasn't she?"

"Yeah", she shrugged. "She'd work harder than any other, I give her that; but she ended up being just annoying. She's too obsessed with winning." Sadie bent over our table, looking like she's got a secret so I mimicked the gesture. "I've heard some nasty things, though." she whispered, stirring my curiosity.