Read Online Stacey And The Cheerleaders by Ann M. Martin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ann M. Martin
Ads: Link
out some homework from her bag. She was thrilled. Tiffany would be occupied for awhile. More important, she, was happy.
That was a major triumph.
Chapter 10.
"Okay, let's try it again," Jessi commanded. "Chasse left, chasse right, step, kick, step, kick. Don't forget your arms, Stacey — elbows straight up, that's it, now turn, turn, pump those arms, jump . . . jump . . . split!"
I sank to the ground with a gasp. I clutched the ground for support. My right leg was bent at the knee. My hair was hanging in front of my face. The only thing I could say was, "Ugh."
It was Tuesday, one week from tryouts. I'd been practicing with Jessi every day. She had worked out a routine that looked spectacular when she demonstrated it.
The only problem was, she wasn't the one trying out. I was.
And I still wasn't getting it.
"That was almost perfect!" Jessi exclaimed. "Except for the final tableau. Remember, it's like this."
She sank into a perfect split, reaching to the sky, her head tilted back with a great big smile.
I swear that girl must have rubber bands instead of bones.
"How do you do that?" I asked.
"The same way you do!" she replied. "Sta-cey, you look good, I promise. You're just thinking too much about the routine. Don't worry, you know it. Just trust your body — and smile!"
"Right." I smiled. My left leg barked at me. (Well, that's what it felt like.)
I was having second thoughts about trying out. (Can you tell?)
We worked and worked until I was ready to collapse. Needless to say, that night I slept like a rock.
The next morning, Wednesday, I literally fell out of bed. My legs did not want to uncurl. I sprawled on the floor and did long, slow, stretching exercises, just the way Jessi had taught me. After a few minutes of that, I was ready for the school day.
Believe it or not, as I walked to school I felt better than I had for a few days. Over the weekend my legs had been like Jell-O. Now they felt stronger and more solid.
Guess who was in front of school as I arrived? Robert and Marty.
They were deep in conversation, but I caught Robert's eye.
He stopped in midsentence. "Hi, Stacey!" he said.
"Hey, Stace," Marty echoed. With a mischievous smile, he added, "Well, I guess I should leave you guys alone. See you!"
He loped away from the school with long, gliding steps.
"Where's he going?" I asked.
"Emergency basketball drill," Robert replied in a flat voice.
"What?"
"Well, that was what he told his homeroom teacher, Mr. Blake." Robert shrugged. "Blake's a big fan, so he lets Marty go."
"But that's not fair."
"Yeah, I know. That's what I was trying to tell Marty."
I was shocked. But it made me think of the time Penny and Darcy had met me outside my homeroom. They had giggled about going to a "practice."
Sheila hadn't gone with them. Ms. Levine would never have fallen for that excuse. Obviously Penny and Darcy were luckier.
"I can't believe teachers let stuff like this happen," I said.
"Mm-hm. It's as much their fault as the kids'." Robert sighed and put his arm around
me. "But don't worry. Some of us are okay."
I supposed so, but I felt pretty funny about the situation. Robert had told me this kind of stuff happened. Still, seeing it was creepy.
Robert walked me to my locker. There we met Mary Anne and Logan.
"Hey, we were just talking about you," Logan exclaimed.
"Yeah?" Robert replied.
"We're going out Saturday night," Mary Anne said. "And we thought you might want to make it a double date."
I thought it was a great idea. But Robert looked a little disappointed. "Well, I was going to ask Stacey to go out with me on Friday."
"You were?" I asked.
Robert nodded. "Is it okay with you if we go out two nights in a row?"
"Yes!" I blurted out. "I accept and I accept!"
Boy, was I psyched. That evening before the BSC meeting, I really threw myself into my cheerleading practice.
That was when I had a breakthrough. I don't know how it happened. Everything just seemed to click. My kicks were sharp, my
That was a major triumph.
Chapter 10.
"Okay, let's try it again," Jessi commanded. "Chasse left, chasse right, step, kick, step, kick. Don't forget your arms, Stacey — elbows straight up, that's it, now turn, turn, pump those arms, jump . . . jump . . . split!"
I sank to the ground with a gasp. I clutched the ground for support. My right leg was bent at the knee. My hair was hanging in front of my face. The only thing I could say was, "Ugh."
It was Tuesday, one week from tryouts. I'd been practicing with Jessi every day. She had worked out a routine that looked spectacular when she demonstrated it.
The only problem was, she wasn't the one trying out. I was.
And I still wasn't getting it.
"That was almost perfect!" Jessi exclaimed. "Except for the final tableau. Remember, it's like this."
She sank into a perfect split, reaching to the sky, her head tilted back with a great big smile.
I swear that girl must have rubber bands instead of bones.
"How do you do that?" I asked.
"The same way you do!" she replied. "Sta-cey, you look good, I promise. You're just thinking too much about the routine. Don't worry, you know it. Just trust your body — and smile!"
"Right." I smiled. My left leg barked at me. (Well, that's what it felt like.)
I was having second thoughts about trying out. (Can you tell?)
We worked and worked until I was ready to collapse. Needless to say, that night I slept like a rock.
The next morning, Wednesday, I literally fell out of bed. My legs did not want to uncurl. I sprawled on the floor and did long, slow, stretching exercises, just the way Jessi had taught me. After a few minutes of that, I was ready for the school day.
Believe it or not, as I walked to school I felt better than I had for a few days. Over the weekend my legs had been like Jell-O. Now they felt stronger and more solid.
Guess who was in front of school as I arrived? Robert and Marty.
They were deep in conversation, but I caught Robert's eye.
He stopped in midsentence. "Hi, Stacey!" he said.
"Hey, Stace," Marty echoed. With a mischievous smile, he added, "Well, I guess I should leave you guys alone. See you!"
He loped away from the school with long, gliding steps.
"Where's he going?" I asked.
"Emergency basketball drill," Robert replied in a flat voice.
"What?"
"Well, that was what he told his homeroom teacher, Mr. Blake." Robert shrugged. "Blake's a big fan, so he lets Marty go."
"But that's not fair."
"Yeah, I know. That's what I was trying to tell Marty."
I was shocked. But it made me think of the time Penny and Darcy had met me outside my homeroom. They had giggled about going to a "practice."
Sheila hadn't gone with them. Ms. Levine would never have fallen for that excuse. Obviously Penny and Darcy were luckier.
"I can't believe teachers let stuff like this happen," I said.
"Mm-hm. It's as much their fault as the kids'." Robert sighed and put his arm around
me. "But don't worry. Some of us are okay."
I supposed so, but I felt pretty funny about the situation. Robert had told me this kind of stuff happened. Still, seeing it was creepy.
Robert walked me to my locker. There we met Mary Anne and Logan.
"Hey, we were just talking about you," Logan exclaimed.
"Yeah?" Robert replied.
"We're going out Saturday night," Mary Anne said. "And we thought you might want to make it a double date."
I thought it was a great idea. But Robert looked a little disappointed. "Well, I was going to ask Stacey to go out with me on Friday."
"You were?" I asked.
Robert nodded. "Is it okay with you if we go out two nights in a row?"
"Yes!" I blurted out. "I accept and I accept!"
Boy, was I psyched. That evening before the BSC meeting, I really threw myself into my cheerleading practice.
That was when I had a breakthrough. I don't know how it happened. Everything just seemed to click. My kicks were sharp, my
Similar Books
