Sweetheart, This is High School

Tryouts

Cassandra Matthew

"And in the end, we were all just humans... drunk on the idea that love, only love, could heal our brokenness."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

---

Freshman Year.

"Hi, its.. Cassandra, right?" I looked to my left seeing a table full of freshly manicured, long Blonde hair, blue- eyed, girls with cheerleading outfits on. I smiled and nodded letting them see my face fully. "And, Riley?" She asked referring to my bright red headed friend to my right.

"Yeah that's me!" She chirped. They all gave us a once over before retreating into a huddle, having a breef chat. While they were doing so I glanced at my bestfriend and she was grinning like and idiot.

"What's going on?" I asked her. She looked over at me and grinned even wider. Her bouncing red curls shaping beautifully around her face.

"Can't you see? The Head cheerleader, Carrie Jamison knows our names, our names! Do you know what that means?" I shrugged, obviously confused. "They know you were Captain and I was co captain of the cheerleading team in middle school so they-" She was cut off by the bouncing brown eyes brunette sitting closest to us.

"Ok we've made a decision." She beamed.

"We," The head cheerleaders Carrie, said motioning towards everyone at the table. "Have decided that we want you two girls at Cheerleading tryouts after school, k?"

I was about to object, seeing as I have Volleyball practice, but Riley beat me to it. "Ok!" And we're waving goodbye and sitting at our usual table. Just the two of us. "Oh my God, I, like, Cannot, believe that just happened." She practically yells.

I laugh looking at myself in my little mirror, fixing my brown hair, letting it fall around my light brown face. "I know right? I cant believe we were asked, personally, to go to tryouts."

"We practically made the team already!" She bouncing around in her chair now, smiling at everybody that passes.

I guess we really should be thanking our mothers for all those years of cheer camp. I think.

---

Xavier St. Clair.

I remember the day you left.

        Tying rocks to your ankles, you said,

     "I'm going to find a new world, under the ocean."

I guess you must be enjoying yourself,

           I haven't seen you since..

    - Elizabeth Pfeffer

---

"Dude, X man, are you coming to the party later?" I still don't understand why I need a nickname. like, X, or, they all just call me St. Clair. Why not just call me Xavier, like my mother intended for them to.

"Yeah, where is it?" I asked, even though I really don't care. Even though i'd rather stay home and watch Tv with a bowl of popcorn propped on my lap, instead of going to some stupid party.

"The one at the bay." He simply says and I nod, because everybody knows the bay is the place all freshman trying out for any sports team goes for, like a hazing ceremony. Me and my friends just tried out for the football team, so we have to go.

"Oh look at her." Oliver said pointing to the girl who just did a front Aerial, she'd been doing a full routine, that she made up (I know because i've been watching tryouts all week with the team) to a fast song, then the required flips, and finally a split. "That's Cassandra, I think." He said fully checking her out. I rolled my eyes standing up with my bag in hand.