Chapter 2: Girls Can't Play Football
I spent the whole next day thinking about the kicker conundrum, partially for Ryan and partially for me because who wants to cheer for the losing team. I went through my classes barely even paying attention. At lunch I didn't even noticed that I almost sat in bird poop, luckily Holly, was watching and yelled at me just in the nick at time. As the bell rang and all the cheerleaders and football players got up to go to P.E. I decided to forget about it and try to enjoy my favorite class. I may be a cheerleader, but I could've have been a track star if I'd wanted. I pulled my brown, straight hair up into high pony as I changed into my uniform. 7th period P.E. was for athletes so when we walked into the gym we all split up by sports. Running in the corner, aquatics next to them, tennis and golf by the bleachers, wrestling by the mats, basketball and volleyball on their respective courts, soccer by the door, and cheer and football in the center. Our cheer coach doesn't teach P.E. so Coach Jones is in charge of our group. We all follow him out the door and to the football stadium while cracking jokes and catching up on the gossip. Upon arriving at the stadium we sit down in the bleachers. "Alright, listen up everyone. Cheerleaders roll out your mats and work on stunts and boys warm up your feet cause you're all going try to try to kick a field goal. Break!" Coach Jones gruff, yet gentle voice commands. Everything was going great and we are all completely fine rolling out the mats and warming up. The trouble came when Coach Jones had called a huddle and it was perfectly quiet all over. I didn't realize and called out stunt sequence quite loudly to my bases. As they pushed me up into the air and I pulled my leg up into scorpion Coach Jones voice rang out, "Bradley you get down here right now!" The loud noise scared me and all of a sudden I saw the blue mats coming up fast. I screamed realizing any second I would probably be done cheering forever and need face surgery as soon as I smashed into the mat. But that didn't happen. Holly, my front spot, luckily got a grab on my waist and saved me from needing to end my cheer career. "That twice today I've saved you Jordan. I think I'm your good luck charm," Holly laughed as she helped me upright. I looked up and saw Ryan's face. I realized I had been real danger and had truly scared him. In fact, everyone looked shocked that there was no need to call 911, everyone but Coach Jones, "Bradley I'm waiting!!" I walked over to him glumly. "I see you feel the need to interrupt my lecture on the proper elements of kicking," he says sternly. Almost anyone who didn't know Coach Jones would've argued that it was an accident, but I knew better. I would just take my punishment in silence. "Since you seem to know so much about kicking that you interrupted why don't you kick a field goal." I gulped, this was going to be so embarrassing in front of all my friends and worst of all our best wide receiver Adam Rivers who I may or may not have a crush on. I glanced over at Ryan for help, but he just shrugged. I closed my eyes and tried to remember what Justin Tucker, the kicker for my favorite football team the Baltimore Ravens, looks like when he kicks. I take a few steps back and watch as Coach Jones holds out the football for me to kick. After running a few steps, I try to connect with the football with as much force as I can muster. Everyone seems to be holding their breaths as we watch the ball fly through the air. It soars through the uprights with room and power to spare. I would have bet one million dollars that at that moment every single football player's and cheerleader's eyes were one me. Coach Jones looks up and down at me pausing on my right foot, "Well fellas, I think I solved our problem. Jordan Bradley welcome to the South Pacific High football team." "Coach this is ridiculous! I'm a cheerleader not a football kicker! That probably was just a lucky kick," I yell in complete and utter shock. At this point I didn't care about the team, but Ryan's, Adam's, and a few of the other boys pleading faces convinced me halfway. The point when I finally decided I was going to be the best kicker I could be was when Bobby, probably the most annoying person in the whole 12th grade, but the best offensive linebacker, said, "It doesn't matter anyway, girls can't play football." I looked up fiercely at him just as I saw Ryan smirk. He knew that now I had to be the kicker, but not just any kicker a great kicker. I stared Coach Jones down and said with the same intensity, "I will be the kicker, if I can still perform with the cheerleaders at the games and rallies." He glanced around at the boys clearly weighing his options and finally he said one word that changed my life forever, "Fine."

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The Day the Boys Cried
Teen FictionJordan Bradley was the head cheerleader at South Pacific High School. She was perfectly happy to wear a cheer uniform and watch the football game from the sidelines, until she kicked a football.