No guarantees
Chapter 1
Dear diary,
Today is the first day of school and to be honest. I cant hardly wait. I know this is going to be the best year of my life. Its going to be wonderful. Senior year. I'm going to make it something to remember for the rest of my life. Sarah and I are trying out for cheerleading squad today after school. I ought to have a good shot at it- I've practiced enough for it, that's for sure. I wonder if Ray will come over to watch the tryouts. I hope so. If I do say so myself. I'm pretty darned good. I mean, it would be kind of fitting for Landsale's star football player to want his girlfriend make the squad. Not that I'm officially Ray's girlfriend, not yet anyway. But I'm working on that too. I've already got a bet going with Sarah that Ray will take me to the winter ball in January. If I make the squad and go with him, we're a sure bet to be crowned king and queen.
Hillary smiled at the words she had written and closed her diary. She leaned in over and tucked it in her bedside table. She glanced at her watch, and realized that it was almost eight, and picked up her backpack. It wasn't one of those huge, ugly numbers that most of the kids had, but was small, dainty, and the perfect color blue to go with her outfit. She examined herself critically in the floor-length mirror on the back of her door. The white skirt with a navy tank top with its matching white blouse was perfect. Not too sexy, but cute enough to show her petite figure and good tan.
She looked around her room and her gaze flitting from top of her oak dresser to the open closet to the bed. She hadn't forgotten anything. Hillary didn't like forgetting things. It made her feel out of control.
She hurried out of her room and down the stairs. Just as she reached the bottom she heard a car horn." Bye mom" she yelled at the direction of the kitchen. She didn't wait for a reply, but flew outside the double front door and down the red-tiled walkway.
Sarah's cute little red compact was waiting at the curb. Hillary climbed in and grinned at her best friend." Hi you ready for today?"
" I don't see what your excited about" she replied" its only school"
" yeah but its going to be the best year we ever had" Hillary exclaimed" Besides I don't know about you but summer was getting pretty boring"
A tall slender girl, Sarah had a wardrobe that wouldn't quit. Hillary didn't think she'd ever seen her wear the same outfit twice. A pink T-shirt overlaid with a cream colored spaghetti-strap top and a matching colored short, pleaded skirt showed off her long tanned legs to perfection.
" yeah right. Going to the beach, shopping, and partying with our friends was getting really boring" Sarah said sarcastically
"you know what I mean" Hillary said, waving a hand for emphasis." This is going to be a super year for both of us" she reached into her backpack for her compact.
Sarah started to pull away from the curb and then stopped" oh, I almost forgot, my mom wanted me to find out what gardening service she you use. She drove by here last week and saw your front yard. She's green with envy. Those flowers in front of your house are gorgeous"
" we use Lopez's service," Hillary muttered, peering in her mirror." But my mom lets them only to mow the lawn; she takes care of the rest by herself"
" she does her own gardening?" Sarah asked in surprise.
" yeah she wouldn't let Mr. Lopez near one of her flower beds for all the tea in China. Thank god she has a hobby. If she didn't garden, she'll be a nervous wreck." Hillary sighed silently. Her mom was really fine. Just a little high-shrug and nervous. She tended to nag, too.
" hey" Sarah hit her brakes again. " there's your brother coming out of the house. Should I offer him a lift?"
Hillary glanced up from examining her face in the compact. Kai, her sixteen-year-old brother, was already heading up the street, his tall, thin, frame moving quickly, as though he couldn't wait to get to school. Not that Kai was going to have the kind of Hillary was going to have. He was a nerd-boy. He actually liked studying . " don't bother," Hillary said " he'll only like a lump at the backseat glaring at us. We're to intellectually shallow for the likes of my dear brother"
" he's a junior this year right?" Sarah pulled away from the curb.
" right" Hillary thought that her brother was the most boring subject in the whole world. She wondered why Sarah was so interested.
" is he still shooting for admission in Harvard?"
" so he says" Hillary shrugged" and with his grades he ought to have a shot at it. But even if he does get in next year. He'll be a nerd."
" he looks good since he got the blue tattoo." Sarah said as they drove past him." But he's still too skinny."
Hillary was tired talking about his dumb brother." Just think, Sarah, next year this time we'll be in San Francisco. It'll be so exciting."
" only if Prior accepts us", Sarah cautioned" they might be a private school, but they still do have some academic standards."
" Our grades aren't that bad" Hillary shot back
" they're not that good either. I've barely got two point five GPA and yours isn't much better."
" mines two point seven" Hillary protested. " that's close to B average. That's good enough for Prior and yours is too. At least we don't have to go to Lansdale Junior College. Even if we don't make it to Prior, we're both applying to other places and our parents can certainly afford to send us somewhere else."
" what's wrong with Lansdale JC?" Sarah said." It's a good college. A lot of really smart kids go there. Not everyone can afford to go away for College."
" there's nothing wrong with it" Hillary said hastily. She cringed, realizing that she sounded like a snob. Darn, she was explaining it all wrong. She was just so excited about this year, so sure this was going to be a wonderful time of her life.
" I only meant that college isn't just for getting education. Its for having fun and expanding your horizons and all kinds of great stuff. Lansdale is okay, but we wouldn't be doing much horizontal expanding in this town."
They drove up the hill and around the high school, waving at theirs friends as they went past. Sarah parked in the student lot. The girls hurried into the open quad in the middle of the school and joined a group of kids standing around one of the benches. They spent the ten minutes before the bell rang laughing and catching up on the latest gossip.
" there's Jen" Sarah whispered in Hillary's ears as they filed in for their first class." She's lightened her hair. It looks good. I think she's trying out for cheerleading too."
Hillary frowned. " she'll be pretty tough competition. Jen always plays to win."
" sort of," she admitted as they came to the main hall." I'll see you in the gym after school," she said as she turned to her right and Sarah went in the opposite direction." Maybe by then the butterflies in my stomach will have settled."
But the day passed so quickly for Hillary, she didn't have time to be nervous about the cheerleading tryouts. She was too busy enjoying herself. Her classes this year were going to be a breeze. She and Sarah had both taken most of their really tough college prep courses in their sophomore and junior years. They'd planned it this way deliberately, so they could really enjoy their senior year.
But Hillary was disappointed when she went to the gym and saw that Ray hadn't come.
When it was her turn to do the routine she'd been practicing all summer, she pushed thoughts of Ray out of her mind and concentrated for all she was worth. She was determined to make the squad. By the level of applause after she'd finished, she was pretty sure she'd done a good job. She sat on the front bench with the other candidates, waiting for the rest of the girls to complete their routine.
" I'll post the names of this year's squad in the locker room in the fifteen minutes," announced Mrs. Medrano, the p.e. teacher who ran the squad. She looked at the other three teachers on the tryout committee and smiled." This isn't a SALT treaty we're negotiating, so it won't take too long."
" what the heck is a salt treaty?" Sarah whispered as they trudged back to the locker room to change.
" I think it's some kind of political thing," Hillary muttered." I don't know why Mrs. Medrano always uses stuff nobody's ever heard of when she's trying to make a point."
"some of us heard of it," a voice from behind them said, but the tone was nice, not snippy.. They turned and saw Susan They fall into step behind them. She laughed." I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist having a jab at you two. How do you did today?"
Hillary shrugged." I did my best. That's the most anyone can do. If I don't make it, it wont be the end of the world." But it would be; she'd die if she didn't make it.
" me too" Sarah echoed. " I'd love to be a cheerleader, but I wont slit my throat if I get edged out. You did real good, Susan, you've got a good shot at it too."
" thanks" but Susan's bright smile seemed slightly forced." I only tried because Mrs. Medrano insisted. Its really not my kind of thing. Well at least, not anymore. Anyways I'm going to hit the showers and then take off."
" aren't you going to stay and see who made it?" Hillary asked. Something weird was going on with Susan. Hillary knew that Susan had practiced cheerleading all summer." Mrs. M said that I would take only fifteen minutes."
" Nah….I've got to get to work," Susan replied," all the best to both of you."
" haven't you heard?" Sarah said as she turned to her locker and began to dial her combination." She cant be on the squad even if she makes it."
"why?" Hillary sat on the bench in front of the rows of lockers and started unlacing her shoes.
" she cant afford the uniform or the camp" Sarah pulled out her towel and sat next to "Hillary." Her dad got laid off last month."
" how awful," Hillary said sympathetically." Poor Susan."
" I don't know why she even bothered to try out" Jen Steadman, who was sitting on the bench directly across them, chimed in." its not like she's got a chance at it."
" her routine was really good." Hillary said defensively
" yeah, so what?" Jen sneered." She cant even afford the uniform."
Hillary felt a wave of pity for Susan. She was a nice person. She tutored Hillary and Sarah for French last year." But isn't there some kind of fund for all that?" Hillary asked" I mean it just doesn't seem right because her got laid off she cant make it in the squad. She practiced the whole summer, you know."
" yup, it's a tough break" Sarah muttered. She pulled off her shoes and socks.
" get real" Jen snapped ," if you ask me its just one person less to compete with. Mrs. M knows about her problem so she is off the squad."
" but isn't there PTA money or something like that?" Hillary persisted. It just didn't seem fair." There must be, otherwise wouldn't waste her time practicing."
" its not just the uniform money" Sarah said quickly," it's the fact that Susan has to work now, even if there was a way she could get on the squad."
" then why the hell did she tryout?!?" Hillary asked with irritation.
" because the big M made her" Jen laughed," she's always pushing for stuff like that.
You've heard her lectures on how school activities should be for everyone, not just the rich. Seems to me, though, that if you haven't got the dough, you shouldn't waste everyone else's time."
" speaking of dough," Sarah said quickly, shooting a narrow-eyed glance at Jen." How's the money for the ride?"
" huh?" Jen was confused she never knew the 'cool language'.
" I meant the car" said Sarah looking deeply at Hillary
"okay I guess" Hillary frowned slightly
"guess? What did your dad say?"
" he said the usual' I'll think about it sweetheart' seriously he uses that phrase a lot " Hillary continued," he usually means yes."
The girls quickly took their showers and got dressed. Hillary was slipping on her sandals when she heard a commotion at the front of the locker room.
Sarah stood up on the bench, craning her neck to see the front of the room over the tops of the metal lockers." Its Mrs. M -she's posting the list!"
Hillary waited impatiently as Sarah fought her way through the crowd of noisy teenagers. Finally, after what seemed hours, she got close enough to read the list. Hillary twisted her hands together and closed her eyes, silently praying for it to be good news.
" we made it! We made it!" Sarah screamed the news on top of her lungs.
" are you sure my names on it?" Hillary asked impatiently," are you absolutely certain?"
" of course I am," Sarah made her way back to her through the crowd," despite my GPA I can read." She grabbed Hillary and hugged her." We made it! God, I thought that one of us would and the wouldn't . that would have been so awful . but we made it! All the practicing in our summer really pair off!"
Hillary heart jackhammered against her chest. She couldn't wait to tell Ray and her family . she almost wanted to print it as headlines in the newspaper. She was going to be hot, sexy, popular cheerleader. Life is finally getting great, she thought.