Camouflage

1 - New Beginnings

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." -Helen Keller

*****

When I was eleven I met Scarlett Robbins, my middle school best friend. We met in dance class on her first day at the studio after having moved from Florida. Dance class had ended for the day and we were the last ones from our class waiting in the lobby for our moms so we started talking to each other. Scarlett offered me a ride home since I had told her my mom was picking up my brother up from football practice and from that day on we were best friends.

We were duet partners at dance competitions and danced on the same competition team, we did everything together. So, when Scarlett told me she wanted to tryout for the cheerleading team at our middle school at the start of seventh grade, we both did. We cheered together, both of us flyers, in seventh and eighth grade until she moved during the summer before high school.

Even though she was gone, I continued cheering in high school. I tried out for the team sophomore year and have been on the team ever since. Despite having cheered for several years, I always get nervous during the first rally of the season.

As I feel the knot in my stomach slowly growing larger, I see Jade walking down the hallway towards me.

"I still can't get over seeing you in that uniform," Jade says laughing at me.

Normally I dress very conservatively but unfortunately the words conservative and cheerleading uniform don't quite go together. The uniform while having a short skirt is fortunately not hideous. Thankfully the yellow is tastefully mixed into the white and black uniform without making us look too much like bananas.

I pull at the white sleeves, my nerves getting the best of me. "Yeah me neither," I say laughing.

"You'll be amazing, you always look amazing out there. Oh, you'll never guess what's happening today besides the football game! Evan Miller is transferring to our school today!"

"But it's Friday?" I ask, confused about who would want to start attending a new school on a Friday. I feel like a fresh start demands a fresh week, not the end of the week.

"He's Evan Miller, he can do whatever he wants," Jade says, giving me a look like I'm being stupid.

"Evan Miller? He's that guy from that cover you showed me right, it was a Coldplay song?" I ask, trying to remember when she told me about him.

"Yes! It was Fix You by Coldplay! I bet he's even hotter in person than online," she says, swooning a little.

I give her a questioning look. "Sure. Right now though we have more important matters than how hot Evan Miller is."

Jade raises an eyebrow in question. "We do?"

"Did you finish the psych assignment? I fell asleep on my laptop while doing homework last night. I woke up with keyboard marks on my face this morning," I recount, laughing.

"Yeah," she says laughing. She rummages through her backpack and pulls out the assignment and hands it to me.

"Cheerleading season, school, and swim practices are going to kill me at this rate. Thank god I have you."