sorry its so short! i'll make up for it with the next one :)
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Laila smoothed her skirt down as she made her way to the field. Musical theatre had been fun, as had helping Bonnie at lunch. The girl was a lot sweeter than she had initially expected, and they’d actually gotten along extremely well.
“Lalaaa!”
She turned and smiled as Caleb caught up to her. “Hiya sunshine!”
“So did you guys find a monologue?”
“Yeah, we got one from my book and she wrote it down so she has a copy. I really like her,” Laila gushed, “I think she’s gonna be my new friend. You should try talking to her in class tomorrow.”
“Are you replacing me?” He joked. She laughed and shook her head.
“Of course not, you’ll always be my mostly gay best friend.”
“I better be!” He dumped his bag on the bleachers as they reached the rest of their squad, and Laila followed suit.
“Okay girls,” Katie waved her hands for everyone to come forward, “Today’s gonna be a little different. No laps today, we’re just going right into it and we’re splitting into groups. Ramani and Laila, you guys start choreographing your tumbling routine for the game. Caleb, you can work with the other fliers and bases. And I’ll be teaching the rest of you guys two new cheers for the game this friday. Got it?”
“So we’re the only ones tumbling this game?” Laila asked, gesturing to herself and Ramani.
“Yeah,” Katie replied offhandedly. “And one other thing.. We got our pom poms today!” She picked up one of the three large boxes at her feet as the other girls cheered.
“Do I get pom poms too?” Caleb asked hopefully.
“Duh,” Ramani opened the second box and retrieved the first two, “Just because you’re a boy doesn’t mean you can’t wave pom poms with the rest of us.” She shook them enthusiastically before tossing the fluffy things his direction.
“Thank you!” He happily caught them and waved them around, grinning like mad.
Laila was the second to get hers, and from there everybody else came forward to grab their own. She easily liked these better than the ones they’d gotten the year before. Those had been a bland white mixed with dull purple, while these were a rich black combined with a vibrant shade of lavender. They matched the uniforms perfectly.
“Hi guys!”
She looked up to see Wes passing on his way to soccer practice. “Hi Wes!”
He stopped when he reached her and ruffled one of her pom poms. “Nice frilly things. These look fun,” He ruffled it again and she laughed, holding it out to him.
“It’s called a pom pom, we use them for cheers.”
“Oh, right! Those things. You used them at the games last year,” He remembered.
“They look more like mops to me,” Jace came to a stop beside Wes, “Have they finally demoted you to team janitor?”
“You’re just jealous that you didn’t get any,” She waved one at him and he pushed it away, “We all know you wanted to make the squad. You don’t have to lie anymore, it’s okay.” She laughed at held them against her sides.
“You’re acting different today,” He speculated, “It’s making me like you even less than usual.” He walked away without another word. She called out his name, and he reluctantly looked back. “What?”
“Will you at least call me,” She held her hand to an ear as a fake phone, “Maybe?” She winked and smiled on the last word, when he finally caught on to what she was doing. “Hey, I just met you! And this is crazy, but here’s my number, so-”
“Call me, maybe!” Caleb joined in from somewhere behind her, and they once again broke into perfect harmony.
“Your singing is getting worse everyday,” Jace shouted back at them. He was already halfway across the field, having started walking the moment she started singing.
Wes started laughing and ran to catch up. He glanced back at her and mouthed ‘I love you,’ and she smiled and yelled “I love you, too!” before continuing her duet with Caleb.
“This isn’t a musical,” Katie came up behind them and gave Laila a gentle push, “Go help.”
“Yeah, come help me!” Ramani placed her hands on her hips as she waited, and Laila waved bye to Caleb before walking over. “So what should we do? I’m so excited we’re the only ones tumbling for this one. Do you know how much more attention we’ll get?”
“Yeah,” Laila smiled to herself as she glanced around at the other girls. There was one in particular who seemed blatantly jealous, but the girl quickly faked a smile and looked away when their eyes me.
“What’re you staring at?” Ramani asked, coming up beside her.
“Do you know her name?” Laila gestured a pom pom toward the girl.
“Umm.. I think it’s Carry. Or maybe Carol? I dunno, something that starts with a C. I wasn’t paying attention when all the new girls introduced themselves,” She shrugged carelessly and dropped her pom poms. “So what do you think we should do? We’re doing one right before halftime and the other one after we win the game.”
“Since we’re automatically gonna win,” Laila agreed, trying not to laugh at her friend’s never ending optimism.
“Or course we are,” Ramani smiled and tied her curly hair up in a loose ponytail. “So I say for the first one we should do some flips or backflips, and then the second one we should do more flips, but with a cartwheel and add some kicks or something at the end.”
“Okay. I’m good with whatever looks good,” Laila agreed easily.
They set to work, and for once she didn’t worry about what Jace was doing across the field. By the time practice was over they’d come up with two full routines, and from what she could tell both of the other groups had made just as much progress. She gathered her stuff and followed Caleb to his car, where Amanda was waiting for them.
“Guess what guys! I picked my monologue for auditions on Monday and it’s awesome and I’m totally gonna get a callback,” Amanda didn’t pause for a single breath, and she grinned before diving in the back the second Caleb unlocked the doors.
“What show is it from?” Laila asked.
“I don’t remember the name, but it’s really a good show. I’ll look it up when I get home.”
“You should really know these things already,” Caleb advised.
“Did you choose yours yet?” Laila glanced at him as they veered onto the freeway.
He shook his head. “Not yet, but whatever I choose is gonna be amazing. I’ll be playing Amos for sure,” He bragged. “What role are you trying for?”
“What kind of a question is that?” Laila was appalled he’d even have to ask, “Roxie, of course. She’s one of my biggest dream roles.”
“You wouldn’t wanna be Velma?” Amanda leaned her head on the side of Laila’s seat.
“No,” She’d never even considered playing anyone but Roxie, “I don’t think I could pull her off. I’m way too..” She trailed off as she searched for the proper word.
“Tame,” Caleb found it for her, “You’re not fierce enough.”
“Hey,” She shot him a genuinely offended look but he stuck to his opinion.
“I’m just saying,” He shrugged. “You know it’s true. You can be feisty and all that but when it comes down to it you’re too bubblegum for Velma.”
“Bubblegum?” Amanda repeated. “What does that mean?”
“It’s like you’re teenish,” He slowed the car as they neared the exit for the Coronado bridge, “Not like a little kid but kinda PG thirteen. All innocent and cutesy, you know? I bet you’d get cast as Sandy over Rizzo every single time.”
“Your bluntness is too much sometimes,” Laila wasn’t quite mad yet, but she was growing undeniably annoyed by his brutal honesty.
“Kinda like Britney Spears!” He went on, completely oblivious to her change of mood. “Before she grew up, back in the Oops I Did It Again stage. It’s like you’re sexy but in the innocent school girl way. You’re not to the level of Toxic or I’m A Slave 4 You yet. I’d be surprised if you ever actually pulled it off.”
“Okay, I get it.” Laila’s voice came out harsher than she’d intended, and Amanda gasped at her hostility.
“How dare you, being compared to Britney Spears is an honor! I’d love to be like her.”
“Nah, you’re more like Brenda Song or someone from Disney Channel,” Caleb surveyed Amanda in the mirror before deciding, “Yeah, definitely Disney Channel. Hey Laila, you know what else I noticed? You’re kinda like-
“Okay, you can stop.” She cut him off, “I get it.”
He laughed and glanced at her as they neared her street. “No need to get offended. When you make it to Broadway you’re gonna have directors telling you this stuff all the time.”
“That doesn’t mean it has to start now,” She argued.
“Bye guys!” Amanda unhooked her seatbelt as they came to a stop outside her house. She grabbed her backpack, then waved and shut the door before prancing up her walkway.
“Sorry if I made you mad.”
“It’s okay,” Laila looked in the mirror to consider her routinely high ponytail and equally preppy cheerleading uniform. “I guess you’re kinda right. It’s not bad to always be type cast though, right?”
“Not at all. Look at Jennifer Aniston, she gets cast as the same character in every movie and everyone loves her. Except in Horrible Bosses,” He said thoughtfully, “She was completely different in that one. I doubt you’ll ever do that though, you’re too-”
“Bye Caleb,” She grabbed her stuff and opened the door before he could finish.
“I love you!”
“Love you too,” She smiled dully, then shut the door as he started laughing. She watched him drive off. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew he was right.