A/N: If you guys like this, I'll continue to post chapters. Pls review! It means a lot :)) And yes, I brought Tessa's parents back to life for this one story...
~Two Weeks Before~
Tessa Gray wasn't popular. In fact, she was a "geek," just because she liked books. It was an unfair title, really, but she was labeled one easily.
It didn't help that she always seemed to have her nose in a book, or that she was friends with self-proclaimed geeks.
Life just wasn't fair sometimes, and life was being pretty unfair to Tessa at the moment.
She was in the library, her best friend, Sophie Collins, at her side. They were discussing boys, like every high school girl does.
"Tessa, I really like Gideon Lightwood," Sophie Collins said to her best friend, who was running her finger along book spines.
"Soph, I know that already. You've told me that about a million times," Tessa said, not unkindly.
"I know, but he won't EVER NOTICE ME," Sophie threw her hands into the air. "God, it's because of this hideous scar, isn't it," she said, gesturing to the white line on the side of her face.
"Oh, Sophie," Tessa said, "I don't think it's that. You're pretty, really." And it was true. Both girls were pretty, actually, with nice hair, straight teeth, and fair complexions.
"Well, then, why doesn't he like me?" Sophie exclaimed, clearly exasperated. "He's just so... hot. Hotter than Gabriel." She sighed. Gabriel Lightwood, Gideon's fraternal twin brother, was cute, but Gideon, Gideon, was hot.
"Face, it Soph. We're geeks," Tessa said brightly. "His types don't like girls like us," she muttered, pushing a chestnut coloured curl off of her face.
"So," sputtered Sophie, "we can change, right?" She looked at Tessa hopefully. "We can be like the Shadow Squad," she squealed excitedly.
The Shadow Squad was the most popular group of girls in the whole L.I Academy (London Institute Academy). They were cheerleaders, and flirted with all the star athletes: the Shadowhunters.
Tessa snorted. She and Sophie could never ever be like the cheerleaders. Sure, she could do high kicks, but the uniform? No way. Not to mention the pom-poms. She absolutely hated pom-poms.
"Sure, Soph," she said sarcastically.
~Present Day~
Tessa scrawled her name on the sign up sheet. Cheerleading. Ugh. Not once did she think she would be signing up for tryouts. Sophie had convinced her, though, so there she was, standing in front of the hot pink piece of paper, pen in her hand.
Sophie, who was standing next to her, let out a satisfied sigh. "There, Tessa, I knew you could do it."
Tessa grimaced. "You sound as though I just memorized the dictionary or something."
Sophie didn't have a chance to retort, however, when somebody spoke to her. Gideon Lightwood.
"Sophie, right?"
She blushed. "Yeah."
"Are you signing up for cheerleading tryouts?" Gideon smiled at her. Sophie couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or serious.
"Uh huh," she replied, her face turning a bright shade of red. Gideon had never spoken to her before. Ever.
Gideon laughed. "Good for you. Trying to show Jessie who's boss, hmm?"
Her flush deepened. "I hope not," she mumbled weakly. Gideon laughed again, ruffled her hair, and left.
Sophie turned to Tessa. "Did you see that? Look what cheerleading has done for us. He touched me. He actually touched me, Tessie!"
Tessa snorted, but grinned. "Calm it, Sophie! We haven't made the squad yet," she said with a tiny laugh. Putting the pen back in its slot, she grabbed Sophie's hand, and the two headed towards their Maths class, the last one of the day.
When they arrived, whispers rushed around the classroom. Tessa groaned. This was also one of the reasons why she was wary about signing up for cheerleading. The gossip.
Did you hear? Omg. No way, cheerleading? Sophie Collins, you said? Tessa. Tessa Gray. Them? Not pretty, no way. Huh?
Sophie clutched Tessa's arm. "Are they talking about us?" Tessa nodded, rolling her eyes.
The two took their regular desks in the middle of the classroom, and took out their books. The whispering ensued.
One girl, a dark brunette, smacked her hand down on Tessa's desk. Jessamine "Jessie" Lovelace.
Jessie narrowed her eyes at Tessa, keeping her hand firmly placed on the wooden desk.
"How dare you." Her voice was icy cold. "How dare you sign up for cheerleading? Do you think you can make the Squad?" She sneered.
Tessa looked up. "Sorry, Jessie, but you can't stop us," she said, calmly. "We're just trying."
Sophie, who had been looking very worried, relaxed. "Yeah, Jessamine," she offered.
Jessie flipped her dark brown ponytail over her shoulder and frowned at Sophie and Tessa.
"We'll see about that, losers." She flipped her middle finger at them, turned on her heel, and stalked away to her desk at the back.
Sophie cast a look in Tessa's direction. "Okaaaaay then," she said, trying to sound nonchalant, but failing. Instead, she sounded unsure. Just like how Tessa was feeling.
The rest of the class passed by in a blur of equations, and when it ended, Tessa and Sophie stuffed their things back in their bags and left the room very quickly. They, of course, were trying to avoid Jessamine.
"So, I'm getting a ride home with you, right?" Tessa looked expectantly at Sophie, who nodded her head.
"Great, thanks. My car's still broken, sorry." Sophie waved her hand, as though to say it's nothing at all.
Not bothering to stop at their lockers, they ran out to the parking lot, found Sophie's white Volkswagon Beetle, and hopped in.
Sophie started up the car, and the two of them sped away from the school before anybody else.
~Same day, Sophie's Bedroom~
"Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Tessa, help me please." Sophie flicked away her cheerleading manual in disgust. She couldn't find a perfect set of cheers that would be just right for their tryout audition.
"Fine," Tess grumbled, and gently set her English Lit homework down on Sophie's desk. "Hand me the manual."
Sophie tossed Tessa the light 100 page manual, and flung herself onto her bed. "Go on, then. Look through it."
Tessa thumbed through the manual. Star jumps, high kicks, splits. Tessa sighed. She began to write down a series of jumps.
Fifteen minutes later, she was finished. Setting down the manual, she handed the piece of paper to Sophie.
The other girl glanced at the paper and smiled. "This looks great, Tessie," she grinned.
Tessa rolled her eyes. Careful choices were her speciality. Even though she couldn't care less about cheerleading, she knew it was really important to Sophie, so she carefully put together a series of jumps, kicks, and cheers that she felt were perfect together.
"Don't worry, Soph. Even though I don't like cheerleading, I'll try. For you. Heck, I'll even practice."
Sophie smiled, her grin lighting up her face. "Thanks, Tessa! If we make it, maybe I'll have a chance with Gideon. And maybe, you'll have a chance with a Shadowhunter. They're all so cute," she gushed.
Tessa shrugged her thin shoulders. The Shadowhunters were cute, but most seemed like womanizers and flirts. Some were just plain rude.
Will. Will Herondale. He was rude. And hot. But rude. With his black hair and midnight blue eyes, not to mention his six-pack, he was an object of every girls affection. But he treated every girl like dirt. Sure, he flirted. But then he broke their hearts.
"Sophie. I don't really think I belong with a Shadowhunter, not to disappoint or anything."
Her friend looked at her with a smile. "You say that now, Tessa, but maybe you'll change your mind. Some aren't that bad. What about James Carstairs?"
Tessa considered this thoughtfully. James was nice. And good-looking, and didn't seem like a flirt or a creep. Maybe she could consider him...
Her thoughts, though, were interrupted by Sophie's mother, who called the two girls down for dinner.
"Sophie, Tessa! Tessa's parents have arrived for dinner, so please come down the stairs!"
Tessa smiled at Sophie. "Time to tell our parents the news, I guess." They left Sophie's bedroom and ran down the stairs, entering the cheery dining room a minute later.
"Tessa, Sophie. How was your girls' day?" Mrs. Gray smiled at the girls tenderly.
The Collins Family and Gray Family were sitting around the big glass table, chatting over dinner.
"It was good, mom," Tessa said, spearing a bite of roast beef on her fork. "I've got some news. Well, Sophie and I have some news, actually.
Both sets of parents looked on encouragingly. "Alright. What is it?" Mrs. Collins looked at Tessa quizzically.
"We, uh, have decided to tryout for cheerleading," Tessa mumbled, looking down at her potatoes.
"Sorry, honey? Can you repeat that?" Mr. Gray smiled at his daughter.
Tessa looked at Sophie. "Uh, cheerleading," Sophie said loudly. "We have decided to try out for cheerleading."
Both mothers clapped. "Wow, I'm surprised, girls. I never thought you girls would be cheerleaders." Mrs. Gray grinned widely at Sophie and Tessa.
"Mo-om," Tessa groaned. "We haven't made the Shadow Squad yet!"
The table laughed. "Not yet, but you will," Mrs. Collins gave them a thumbs up.
Tessa looked at all the smiling faces around her and sighed. Damn. They all looked so happy. She was going to have to make the team. Making her parents proud would be nice. And not letting Sophie down would be great as well.
Damn. Tessa was hooped.
