Read Online Two Steps Back by Belle Payton - Free Book Online

I’m doing the story about you even though you didn’t want me to. But I just told Marcy I’m not going to do it. I sent her away.”
    â€œWas she mad?” asked Ava.
    Alex nodded. “Yeah, she was furious. But I told her you’re more important.”
    â€œThanks, Al,” said Ava.
    â€œThe thing is,” said Alex, “I don’t know how all these other reporters found out. I did not tell anyone besides Marcy.”
    Ava looked at all the TV vans lined up in the parking lot. She shrugged. “I guess this game is big news in this town.”
    â€œI guess so,” said Alex. “Anyway, I had another idea for a story, and you’re not in it, I promise. I’ll tell you about it after the game.”
    Ava smiled. “Okay. Thanks.”
    â€œGood luck with everything,” said Alex, and they touched knuckles with each other through the fence.
    Ava returned to the bench to watch the last few minutes of warm-ups, feeling relieved that Alex had finally listened to her, although still a little angry that it had taken her this long. Corey came over and sat down next to her. “Did you see the Briar Ridge cheerleaders?” he asked her, gesturing toward the other side of the field.
    Ava leaned out from the bench and looked past him. There they were, a line of cheerleaders dressed in the Briar Ridge colors—crimson and white—but what were they doing ? They were just sitting there, literally. Sitting on the ground, their pom-poms carefully aligned in a neat row in front of them, with their hands in their laps, watching the warm-ups. They seemed cheerful enough, chatting and laughing with one another, but they weren’t cheering .
    â€œWhat’s going on?” asked Ava. “Why are they just sitting there? And since when do cheerleaders wearing crimson and white sport huge pink bows in their hair? Even I know those colors don’t go together.”
    â€œThey’re staging a demonstration. I guess it’s what you might call a sit-in,” said Corey. “To protest the fact that their team won’t play against a team with a girl. They’re on your side, Sackett,” he added with a grin. “The pink bows are for you.”
    Ava stared harder. This was a revelation of sorts. For the first time, it occurred to her that maybe not everyone from Briar Ridge School felt the same way.
    Bryce trotted over to where Corey and Ava were sitting. “Hey,” he said. “Did you see what’s on their helmets?”
    Ava looked. Her eyes widened. The Briar Ridge team had pink heart stickers stuck to the backs of their otherwise crimson-colored helmets.
    â€œâ€˜Pro-girl,’ their kicker told me those were,” said Bryce. “Seems like the kids all wanted to play against you. I guess it’s the parents and the administrators that are the problem. The kids couldn’t have cared less.”
    â€œWhat’s your sister up to?” asked Corey.
    Ava looked. Alex was making her way down the bleacher stairs. Ava knew her sister well enough to recognize that Alex was on a mission. Ava watched her run over to Lindsey and Emily, who had just finished a cheer routine. Alex and Lindsey and Emily and the rest of the Tiger Cub cheerleaders formed a huddle.
    â€œShe and Rosa are heading toward the Briar Ridge cheerleaders,” said Bryce. “What for?”
    â€œNo clue,” said Ava. They watched Alex and Rosa Navarro, the Ashland cheerleaders’ seventh-grade captain, stoop down to speak to the Briar Ridge cheerleaders.
    Alex beckoned to the AMS squad. The rest of the AMS cheerleaders approached the Briar Ridge cheerleaders, who all began moving over. The AMS squad sat down among them. Alex did too.
    â€œOur cheerleaders are joining the protest,” said Corey, chuckling. “Good for them.”
    It didn’t surprise Ava that Alex would be part of the mix. After all, she was the public relations director