Scarsdale High School. It's the first day of school and Roger Davis, a Junior is watching a beautiful blond girl walking with her younger brother down the halls. She's laughing and her tight pony tail is swinging as she threw her hair back. That girl is Amanda Cohen. She's a cheerleader. He's had a crush on her since he was in the 7th grade. He watches as she kisses her younger brother on the cheek and rushes off to her next class. The younger sibling is walking slowly to his next class. He doesn't know why, but on this particular day, he decides to do something he's been thinking about for years. He decides to start this year off right.
"Hey, you're Mark Cohen, right?" Roger asked walking down the hall of Scarsdale High School.
"Um, yeah. You're Roger Davis, right? Why are you talking to me?" 14 year old Mark asked pushing his glasses back on this face. The coolest kid in school was talking to him. "This couldn't be good." he thought to himself.
"I wanted to ask you something." Roger asked leaning down to talk to the freshman.
"What's that?" Mark asked looking up at him.
"I was wondering if your sister Amanda was dating anyone?" he asked scratching his head nervously.
"Amanda Cohen? The cheerleader, Amanda Cohen?" Mark asked confused.
"Yeah, Amanda Cohen, the cheerleader. Is she seeing anyone?" he asked getting more nervous.
"No, she's not seeing anyone." Mark said sensing his nervousness.
"Do you think she'd say yes if I asked her out?" he asked smiling down at him.
"Maybe. You'd have to ask her though. I think she has Spanish class with Sra. Martinez." Mark said pushing his glasses up onto his face again.
"Thanks man. I'm not gonna forget this. I owe you big time." Roger said excitedly as he sprinted down the hallway towards the Spanish classes.
"No problem." Mark said but Roger didn't hear him. He was already gone. He looked up and continued to his English class.
"Hey, Amanda." he said out of breath but playing it cool.
"Hi Roger. Is everything OK? Your face is all red." she laughed smiling up at him. He had on a black leather jacket and his green eyes seemed to glisten. He was 16 and gorgeous. To her he was the coolest guy in school but her friends didn't like him very much because he was a metal head instead of a jock.
"Um yeah, Everything's fine. Um... I wanted to ask you something though." he said smiling down at her. Her piercing blue eyes made him melt as her long blond hair lay between her back and her shoulders.
"What's the matter?" she asked standing in front of him.
"Um... nothing. I... I wanted to know if you wanted to go out with me?" he asked quietly leaning down towards her.
"Are you serious? I mean, this isn't a joke, right?" she asked him smiling up at him.
"Um no, why?" he told her feeling disappointed.
"I don't know. I didn't think you even knew I existed." she looked up at him.
"Oh yeah, I definitely know you exist Amanda." he smiled at her.
"But aren't your friends gonna give you a hard time if you date me?" she asked flipping her hair back.
"Do I strike you as the type of guy who would care what other people think?" he asked smiling down at her.
"I guess not." she said smiling back at him.
"So, do you wanna go out with me?" he asked running his fingers through his hair.
"Yeah, I'd... I'd really like to." she said smiling at him.
"Cool. We have the same lunch period, do you wanna go out to lunch with me?" he asked looking down at her.
"Yeah, that sounds like fun. Um... I gotta go. Class is about to start." she said smiling up at him as her books slid out of her arms. "Shit." she said kneeling down to pick up her books.
"Let me help you with that." he said smiling at her as he knelt down to help her. She looked up at him and smiled. Looking into her blue eyes, he couldn't resist. He leaned in to kiss her. The kiss was beautiful. It was short, but tender.
"What was that for?" she asked as he lifted his hand up to her face caressing her cheek with his thumb.
"I've been wanting to do that since the 7th grade." he said smiling at her.
"I'm glad you did. I've um… I've been wanting to kiss you too." she whispered smiling up at him as the final bell rang and the Spanish teacher came out to get her.
"Miss Cohen, that was the bell I heard. Why aren't you in class?" Sra. Martinez asked looking down at her and Roger.
"Sorry Sra. Martinez, I just dropped my books and Roger was helping me get them." she said smiling up at Roger.
"Well I think it's about time you get inside now. And Mr. Davis, I know Mrs. Stevens is waiting for you in junior calculus." she told him as they both got up.
"Yes Sra. Martinez. I'll see you for lunch. I'll meet you right here." he smiled reaching for her hand.
"OK Roger. Bye." she said smiling back at him as she went into the classroom.
"Miss Cohen, you and your boyfriend should learn to be more punctual." Sra. Martinez told her as she went to her seat.
"Si Sra." Amanda answered smiling as she took her seat and class began.
"What do you think you're doing?" Margaret asked quietly as Amanda took her seat.
"Roger asked me out and I said yes. Is there a problem?" Amanda asked organizing her books.
"Does that mean that Roger Davis is your boyfriend now?" she asked obnoxiously.
"Yeah Margaret and who I date is none of your business. " Amanda said looking up to the black board.
"But Roger Davis? You can't be serious. He's a leather jacket wearing freak." Margaret whispered to her.
"Margaret, enough. Don't talk about my boyfriend like that." Amanda said leaning over at her before directing her attention back to Sra. Martinez.
"Whatever." Margaret said giving up. For now.
"Tonight's homework is on Chapters 3 and 4. I'll see you all tomorrow. Hopefully on time, right Miss Cohen?" she asked as Amanda gathered her books together.
"Si Sra." Amanda said leaving the classroom ignoring Margaret.
"So, how much shit did you catch from Sra. Martinez?" Roger asked as he stood outside the classroom waiting for her.
"It's fine, don't worry about her. What do you want to do for lunch?" she told him smiling up at him happy to see that he was standing outside the classroom.
"I was thinking we could go to the pizzeria. Unless you want to go someplace where we won't run into anyone." he told her noticing how Margaret was looking at them.
"No, the pizzeria's fine. You're my boyfriend, Roger. People need to get used to seeing us together." she told him smiling as she took his hand and they left the school.
"OK then." he said smiling at her as they walked to the pizzeria.
"So Roger, tell me something I don't already know about you." she said looking up at him.
"Well, you already know that I've liked you since the 7th grade. But you were always a cheerleader and I didn't think you'd want to go out with me because, well because I'm not a jock." he said looking down at his feet.
"Roger, I'm not your typical cheerleader." she said stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to look up at him.
"I'm figuring that out." he said leaning down to kiss her.
"Well if there is anything I can do to help you figure it out better, let me know, OK" she said wrapping her arms around his neck to hold him.
"I will." he said smelling her hair. It smelled like her strawberry shampoo.
"Come on, I'm hungry. Let's get to lunch." she said laughing as he smiled back at her.
"One more thing." he said leaning down to kiss her again.
"I like that. But we really have to go to lunch. The lunch period ends too soon as it is." she said smiling at him as they went to the pizzeria.
"What are you doing?" Margaret asked as Roger and Amanda entered the pizzeria holding each other.
"Um, eating lunch with my boyfriend." Amanda said smiling at Roger.
"You do realize that you're a cheerleader and he's a freak?" Margaret asked standing with Addie and Jamie.
"I told you not to talk about my boyfriend like that, Margaret." Amanda argued looking at them.
"But why him?" Addie asked looking at Amanda and Roger.
"Because I like him, Addie. Do you have a problem with that?" she asked looking up at Roger.
"But it's Roger Davis?" Addie asked with her hands on her hips.
"You know what? I'm done. I'm gonna go eat with my boyfriend. So if this meeting of the bitch squad is over, I'm gonna go now because I'm hungry and I'm on a date with my boyfriend." Amanda said looking up at Roger.
"We are not gonna be seen eating with Roger Davis." Margaret told her as Amanda looked back at her.
"Good because you're not invited." Amanda said kissing Roger before they left them.
"Are you OK?" he asked smiling down at her relieved that she still wanted to be his girlfriend.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry that my friends are such snobs. They don't care that I like you and I don't care what they think." she said smiling at him as they sat at the table.
"It's OK. I'm just glad you're not like them because I like you too." he said leaning down to kiss her.
"I like when you do that." she said laughing up at him.
"Good because I like doing it." he told her laughing back at her.
"Well if it isn't Davis and the cheerleader." Benny Coffin walking into the pizzeria.
"Benny, don't start." Roger said looking up at him.
"What? I'm not starting, I'm just playing around. Hey Amanda." Benny said sitting down.
"Hi Benny." Amanda smiled looking over at him.
"Sorry. We just had to tangle with Margaret and her merry band of bitches and it was not fun to say the least." Roger said looking at Amanda.
"Oh, gotcha. I take it your friends aren't as happy for you as you expected them to be?" Benny asked looking over at Amanda.
"I didn't expect anything. I knew how they were gonna react and I didn't care. I like Roger, so when he asked me out I said yes." she said smiling up at Roger.
"Well good for you. I know Roger has liked you since junior high. I'm glad he finally got the balls up to ask you out." Benny said laughing.
"Me too." Amanda smiled looking up at Roger.
"Thanks a lot Benny. I'm gonna go get something to eat. Do you want anything?" Roger said looking over at Amanda.
"Um, a pepperoni slice and a diet soda." she said smiling up at him.
"OK, I'll be right back." he said kissing her before going to the counter.
"So you and Roger, huh?" Benny said smiling at her.
"Yeah, he just asked me out before last period. I like him, so I said yes." she told him flipping her hair back.
"I'm glad. I'm sorry about before. I like screwing with Roger. I didn't know your friends were giving you hell about it though." he told her as Roger smiled at her from the counter.
"Yeah well, my friends are snobs. I don't care what they think. I like him and he likes me. I'm not gonna let them dictate who I go out with." she said as Roger came back to the table with the food.
"Are you guys talking about me?" Roger asked smiling at Amanda.
"Yeah, I was asking her what she sees in you." Benny asked giving Amanda a wink.
"Yeah well at least I got a girl. Who's your girlfriend? Oh right, you don't have one." Roger said laughing.
"Very funny. I was thinking of asking Jocelyn to the dance." Benny said as Amanda smiled at him.
"So, what's stopping you?" Amanda asked taking a bite of her pizza.
"I don't know. She might say no." he told her taking a sip of his soda.
"Or she might say yes. You should go for it." she told him as Roger saw Mark enter the pizzeria.
"Hey Mark, why don't you eat with us?" he called out as Mark approached his sister.
"Yeah Marky, come on. Sit with us." Amanda said smiling at her little brother.
"Um… sure. Hey, I see Roger found you." he said smiling at them.
"How did you know Roger was looking for me? Did word get around already?" she asked looking up at him.
"No, he asked me if I thought you'd say yes if he asked you out." Mark said as Roger leaned over to buy his face in Amanda's hair.
"Oh he did, did he? That's so sweet. Asking my little brother if I would go out with you." she said smiling as she brought her hand up to his head.
"Thanks Marky." he said laughing as he and Amanda hugged.
"I'm sorry, Roger. I didn't know you didn't want her to know." Mark said embarrassed.
"It's OK, Marky. Don't worry about it." Amanda said laughing as Roger looked at her smiling.
"But it's embarrassing." Roger told her.
"Yeah Rog, it is kind of sweet." Benny told him teasingly.
"Yeah, um your crap I don't need." Roger said as everyone laughed.
"Sorry man." Benny told him laughing again.
"Now let's eat. Lunch is gonna be over soon." Amanda said smiling at Mark then Roger.
"What are you doing after school? Maybe we can hang out." Roger asked as they all walked back to school.
"Well I have cheerleading practice and Mark has his photography club and then we usually take the late bus home." she told him walking ahead of Benny and Mark.
"How about I wait for you then I can take you home? I want to watch you anyway." he told her smiling at her.
"OK, we're gonna bring Mark too, right?" she asked before they reached the school.
"Of course. Mark's my man. Right Mark?" Roger asked looking back at him.
"Yeah sure Roger." Mark answered uncomfortably.
"Good because Mark's my best friend Roger. It's important to me that you guys get along." she said looking up at him.
"Don't worry Amanda. We will." Roger said smiling down at her as they entered the school.
"I gotta go to class guys. I'll meet you after school, Mandy." Mark said smiling at his sister.
"Yeah, Roger is gonna give us a ride home later." Amanda told him smiling. Her arm was still around Roger's waist.
"OK. See you guys by the gym." Mark said leaving them.
"OK Mark." Roger said smiling.
"Thank you Roger. Lunch was really nice. I guess we had our first date." she said facing him.
"I guess so. How was it?" he asked smiling down at her.
"It was a great first date." she told him smiling.
"Good, now all we have to do is figure out what we're gonna do for our second date." Roger asked bringing her closer to him.
"We'll talk later. I'll see you after cheerleading practice." she told him putting her arms around his neck to pull him into a kiss.
"OK. I'll see you later." he said kissing her back.
"OK. Bye." she said going into the classroom.
"You really like her, don't you?" Benny asked as he and Roger walked to class.
"Yeah. Yeah I do." Roger said looking down.
"She's a great girl, Rog." Benny said patting Roger on the back.
"I know. I'm really lucky she said yes." Roger said smiling at him as they went to class. After school Roger waited for Amanda so he could walk her to the locker room. He wanted to watch her in cheerleading squad. "I'll be in the gym waiting for you. I can't wait to see you cheerleading." Roger said smiling down at her.
"Roger, you've seen me cheerleading before." she laughed looking up at him.
"I know, but you weren't my girlfriend all of those times." he said smiling before leaning down to kiss her.
"OK Roger. I'll see you in a little bit." she laughed kissing him again.
"Amanda, we need to talk about you and Roger Davis." Margaret said as Amanda entered the locker room.
"Margaret, we've been over this. I'm dating Roger Davis and you guys have nothing to say about it. What is your problem?" she asked looking up at her as she continued to her locker.
"You're a cheerleader Amanda. You have a reputation to uphold and Roger Davis is just gonna ruin that for you." she said as Addie and Jamie followed her.
"Well then maybe I shouldn't be a cheerleader anymore." Amanda said looking up at her.
"What are you talking about? You're willing to give up cheerleading for Roger Davis?" she asked looking over at her.
"It's not just that Margaret, it's everything. You act like you guys are my keepers and you're not. You rag on my brother and now you don't like my boyfriend. I don't want to be part of your snob squad anymore." she said packing her book bag with everything that was in her cheerleading locker.
"Amanda, think about what you're doing. It's social suicide." Addie said looking over at her.
"I have thought about it. You guys have given me no choice. I hope you have fun ruling this school with no boyfriends. I'm out of here." she said slamming her locker door before zipping her gym bag and leaving the locker room and rushing into the gym to find Roger.
"Amanda, what are you doing? Why aren't you in your cheerleading uniform?" Roger asked looking down at her as she ran into him.
"I quit. I can't take it anymore. Can we go somewhere? Please?" she asked looking up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Yeah, we can go sit in my car. Talk." he said putting his arm around her leading her outside. He led her to his car and opened the door for her to get in. He walked around and got in the drivers seat before turning to her. "OK, so tell me what happened?"
"They are the snobbiest group of bitches I have ever met. I mean, they've been giving me a hard time about Mark since school started and then today with you… I don't want to be around them anymore. They're so stuck up. I can't take it anymore." she said looking over at him.
"I'm sorry they've been giving you such a hard time. I didn't realize how hard it was to be a cheerleader." he said looking over at her.
"It shouldn't be, you know? I mean, being a cheerleader means you should be able to do what you want and I'm the head cheerleader. If I can't hang out with my brother and date who I want, what's the point?" she looked over at him as he took her hand.
"It'll be OK Amanda. You'll see." Roger smiled looking down at her as they continued talking, waiting for Mark to get out of his photography club.
Mark came out of the school and looked around. He saw Roger and Mandy sitting in the car. He was confused, since he knew that his club meeting let out before cheerleading practice. He knocked on the window before opening the back passenger door. "Mandy, how come you're out so early?" Mark asked setting his book bag next to him on the seat.
"I quit Marky. I couldn't take it anymore. Margaret and the others acting like they can dictate who I talk to, who I hang out with and who I date. I don't want to be around them anymore." she said looking up at him as he got into the car.
"How could you quit? You've been a cheerleading since Jr. High. You're the head cheerleader. You've been wanting to be the head cheerleader since forever." he said looking over at her from the back seat.
"I can't be around people who can't accept who I am and who I hang out with. I'm not like them." she said as Roger sat silently in the drivers seat.
"No, I can honestly say, you are definitely not anything like those girls." Roger smiled looking down into her eyes.
"Mom's not gonna be happy." Mark said, trying to ignore the awkward moment between Roger and his sister.
"Are you kidding? Mom is gonna be thrilled. No more putting up with all those bitch moms. She never liked Margaret, Addie and Jamie anyway. It'll be OK Marky. You'll see." she smiled looking over at Roger.
"Are you guys ready to go home?" Roger asked breaking his silence.
"Yeah, I think so." Amanda smiled turning around to face the front of the car. Roger drove them home and Mark and Amanda went into their house. Roger promised to call her when he got home. Amanda entered the kitchen to talk to her mother.
"What do you mean you quit the squad and you're dating Roger Davis? Amanda, what's going on?" Mrs. Cohen asked standing in the kitchen with Amanda.
"Mom, you didn't even like Margaret, Addie and Jamie anyway." she said looking up at her.
"But Amanda, you're the head cheerleader. You've been wanting to be the head cheerleader since you were 12 years old." she told her as she leaned on the counter.
"I know, I don't want to be cheerleading with a bunch of snobs. I'm not like them, mom." she argued looking up at her.
"Did you quit for that Roger Davis boy?" she asked standing up straight.
"No, well not entirely anyway. It's just that Margaret and the others don't like Mark and they were giving me a hard time about dating Roger and I'm not gonna have them judging him. They don't even know him." she smiled looking up at her.
"Do you?" Mrs. Cohen asked looking over at her daughter.
"I'm getting to know him, but I'm sick of them judging him and giving me a hard time about who I'm with. I just want to be happy mom, and I think Roger can make me happy." she looked up at her.
"Isn't that the whole point of being head cheerleader? Everyone doing what you say?" she looked down at her.
"Mom, I don't want to tell people what to do. I just want to be happy and if I'm in the squad I'm not gonna be happy. I like Roger a lot. He's really nice. I know you'll like him too." she looked over at her.
"I'm sure I will. Why don't you invite him over after school tomorrow? I would like to get to know your boyfriend." Mrs. Cohen said smiling down at her.
"Thanks mom. You are so cool. I'm gonna call him now and make sure it's OK with his parents. I love you mom." she said kissing her mother's cheek.
"I love you sweetheart, and if Roger's important to you, he's important to us." she smiled as Amanda looked up at her.
"He is mom. I mean, I think he can be, you know? I'm gonna call him now." she said excitedly as she rushed to her room.