Bring It On

As the day continued, lunch time finally came around. Grace was sitting next to Jack and his two best friends Jason and Jesse. They were from the football team and Grace was honestly getting bored. They talked about football for thirty minutes straight and Grace found herself checking her phone every few minutes.

"Yeah practice should be pretty hard this week. Coach has been on my tail lately," Jesse said.

"I know! He's been pushing me hard ever since I came late one day to practice. I tried to tell that I have this medical program class after-school, but he said football should come first," Jason groaned.

He turned around to look at Grace, who was playing with her phone and not really paying attention, or at least he thought she wasn't.

"Hey you guys are in for a treat tomorrow after-school," he lowered his voice a little.

Jesse and Jason looked at him in curiosity but Jason was the first to ask, "What are you talking about Jack?"

"I got my girlfriend to try playing football," he chuckled, "She thinks it should be easy. Watch the minute I tell her what she has to do she's going to give up."

The rest of the group laughed, and the fact that Grace had put her phone down and had been listening to them the whole time seemed to go unnoticed. She cleared her throat and the guys looked at her.

Jack was a little surprised, "Um, hey babe!"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "I heard you Jack!"

Jesse and Jason laughed even harder and Jesse smiled at Jack, "Guess you're busted."

"I'm so going to prove you wrong Jack. I happen to be extremely fit," she stated, a small pout on her face.

Jack smiled and leaned towards her and gave her a kiss, "Yeah babe you're really fit, for other stuff, not like football though." He held up her arm, "I mean look at your arm, where's the muscle?"

She smacked his hand away, "Would you put my arm down Jack! And I happen to have plenty of muscle. I'm just not all bulky like you. Sorry that I don't go around looking like the Hulk."

His friends laughed at him again and Jason held up a finger, "That's one point for Grace, sorry Jack."

"And just so you guys know," she turned her attention to Jesse and Jason this time, "Jack's trying cheer-leading today after school."

Jack's eyes widened, "Grace!"

"What it's true? Plus you had no problem telling them my business," she smirked, and then she leaned in towards his two friends, "So if you guys are looking for something really funny, you should come watch him make a fool of himself today."

The two guys laughed and shook their heads at Jack.

Jason practically doubled over with laughter, "Jack! What are you doing with yourself man?"

He sighed in defeat and shook his head, "I don't know man, I don't know."

()()()

It was the last period of the day and the bell rang all too quickly. After talking with his science teacher about how he was failing his class, he made his way down the hall of Grant High and found himself walking towards the gym where they usually held their cheer practices. The Coach had been so amused with the idea that he allowed it, and Jack was surprised. Coach was supposed to be helping him get out of it, not encouraging him to do it.

"Well you know cheer-leading can help bring up your strength, and since we have no practice today, it's best that you do something to keep up that agility boy," he remembered his Coach saying.

He groaned as he saw Grace opening the door. She was smiling and trying not to laugh as she let him in. She turned to her friends and they giggled slightly as they saw Jack standing their awkwardly. She walked over to the head of the cheer team and introduced Jack, "Shawn, this is my boyfriend Jack Pappas. He's going to go ahead and try a few things today in cheer. He thinks it's easy so please, give him a hard time."

Shawn smiled, "Nice to meet you Jack. I'm Shawn as Grace said, Shawn Johnson. Let's get started!"

She looked him up and down to see if he was wearing the appropriate clothing and he wasn't, "There are some clothes in the guys' locker room that are clean and ready to go. You can change back when you're done here. Um, Peter! Why don't you show Jack where the locker room is?"

Peter led Jack to the locker room and Jack's eyes widened at the clothes he was given, "Um, aren't these a little too short?"

The shorts would barely hit his knees and he felt awkward. He was also given a plan white shirt. Peter smiled and winked at Jack, "The shorter the better!"

Jack shuddered as Peter ran off. He changed into his clothes quickly and as he walked out and back to the gym, he felt naked.

"Jack you look great!" she giggled.

He rolled his eyes at her, "Alright Grace I get it, cheer-leading is hard."

"You haven't even tried it yet!"

"I just want to go home."

"So you're just gonna chicken out then?" she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes! I'm a chicken, bock!" He imitated the chicken nose and flapped his arms like a chicken would do. She giggled and then stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss, "Don't be a sour puss ok? Just try it out. You agreed to this after all."

He groaned, "I wish I hadn't."

"Yeah but you did, so let's get going sexy!" She winked as he walked over towards the head cheerleader she smacked his butt and laughed. This was going to be one long practice, Jack thought to himself.

"Ok Jack, we're going to start you off with something simple ok?"

He shrugged, "Alright what is it?"

"Grace! How about you work on him with that cheer that we did at the pep rally?"

"Oh right!" She turned her attention to Jack, "Ok this one is really easy. All you have to do is-"

She stopped for a second and looked around. Then she looked down at her own hands and handed him her pom poms, "Wait here! You can use these."

"Grace," he groaned.

"Fine! Fine! I'll use them. Now repeat after me alright?"

She started off a simple cheer, moving her hands in the appropriate places.

"Our team is red hot! Let's show 'em what we got. We got the spirit! Come on let's hear it! LANCERS! LANCERS! LANCERS! LET'S GO LANCERS!" She stopped cheering and looked over at him.

"Alright, ready to try that?"

"Uh I don't know Grace-"

"Come on you'll be fine."

"Just move your hands like this," she instructed him, throwing her hands up, and then and back down. She worked on his positioning until it looked somewhat decent, and when he finally got it, she had him recite the cheer.

"Uh alright...Our team is red hot? Let's show 'em what we got? We got the spirit...Come on let's hear it. LANCERS! LANCERS! LANCERS! LET'S GO LANCERS!" By the end of the cheer he was actually getting into it and Grace giggled, "See I knew you could get it."

The whole team clapped for him and he felt himself smiling. Wait what the heck was he doing? This was cheer. He wasn't into cheer, he loved football. Well of course I don't actually want to do cheer, he thought to himself, but it was definitely easier than I thought it would be. Hm, guess Grace was wrong after all.

"Ok now that you've got down the easy stuff, you can come and try to keep up with us in a routine that we're working on."

He didn't pay too much attention to what she was saying, "Sure, bring it on!"

"Ooh! Someone's confident," she giggled, "Well we'll see."

Just then the door opened and in came Jesse and Jason. Jesse was laughing again, "Jason you owe me 10 bucks man! I knew he would come."

Jason groaned and handed him the money, "I thought he would bail on her. Jack! What the hell are you doing?"

He felt the nerves kick in. Seeing his team mates here, laughing their butts off at him was enough to make him want to run out of the room. But he was a football player, with the utter most confidence, and so he tried his best to embrace it, "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm practicing for cheer!"

The guys only laughed harder, and then they moved out of the way and Jack was surprised to see Joe Hampton standing there, a smile on his face.

As Shawn was teaching them new choreography, Jack quickly jogged over to the guys, "What is he doing here?" He pointed to Joe who had a camera in his hand. Joe looked at Jack's attire and snapped a picture, "I overhead you guys talking today at lunch, and since I got busted for 'gambling' at school, I decided to join year book and participate in the school newspaper. When I found out about this I knew I just had to get pictures," he snapped another picture and Jack covered himself, "Would you stop!"

"Hey I'm just trying to make Grant High interesting."

"Oh yeah, like this place isn't interesting enough. Everything crazy goes on here."

"Yes, including you doing cheer," he retorted, snapping another picture.

"Gees can you at least turn the flash off?" he growled.

Grace ran over to Jack and tugged at his arm, "Hurry up Jack! The music is starting."

Before he could say anything more she was already dragging him back towards the cheer mats, and the music began.

[Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani]

Uh huh this my s***

All the girls stomp your feet like this

A few times I've been around that track

So it's not just gonna happen like that

Cause I aint no hollaback girl

I aint no hollaback girl

Jason and Jesse were laughing as they watched Jack try to keep up with the music and the dance moves. He was failing miserably, and he was late with every step. Joe just sat there and took more pictures as Jesse and Jason shouted encouraging words through their laughter, "Come on Jack! You got this. Work that mat!"

The music quickly changed for the next part of their routine and Jack felt himself groaning as he realized what song it was.

[Don't Cha by Pussy Cat Dolls]

Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me

Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me

Don't cha (don't cha ya baby)

Don't cha

The scene was all too much. Jack's friends watched as he stumbled attempting to do back flips and round offs that he was unsuccessful with.

"I hope you got some good pictures man," Jesse laughed as he looked over at Joe who was equally amused.

The music changed for the final time and Jack actually watched in amazement as they lifted the girls up and they flew in the air, looking elegant and graceful.

[Airplanes by Haley Williams & Eminem]

Can we pretend that airplanes and the night skies are like shooting stars

I can really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now

Can we pretend that airplanes in the night skies are like shooting stars!

I can really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now

The dance ended beautifully, and the whole team clapped for each other. That was the end of practice, and Jack was glad. It'd been a long day. Jesse and Jason took off, and Joe Hampton made his way out as well. Jack still couldn't believe that Joe had taken pictures, but then again that was just like the kid. Once he was done changing he saw Grace standing there, waiting for him.

"Sorry I gave you such a hard time, but the look on you face was priceless Jack," she didn't laugh this time she just smiled at him.

"Well I can definitely say that I learned something today."

"Oh yeah what's that? That cheer-leading is a great sport and requires hard work?"

He shrugged, "Nope! That you Grace, are a dangerous person."

She chuckled, "I guess you could say that."

"I know I can. Grace Bowman is not one to be messed with when it comes to cheer."

She laughed and they walked out of the gym hand in hand, "Come on let's go to Diary Shack or something. I'm starving!"

"Yeah and you're going to need to eat up if you're going to football practice."

Grace groaned, she had almost forgotten. How was she going to survive?

So the next chapter should be the last one. I'm finding this really interesting to write. Sorry if the whole cheer thing wasn't that realistic. I've never done cheer so I don't really know what it's like. Anyway I also wanted to say that I don't think there is anything wrong with male cheer leading. I have a guy friend who is in cheer leading and I think it's really cool. This is just my take on what these characters would think of it. Thanks for reading!