Dancing Shadows

Chapter 2: A Game and a Prank

A/N: Okay, I know I said 10 reviews, and I got 3. Thanks so much to wish, splitchick, and Makatibird for the reviews. But the rest of you, I'm disappointed. Shame, shame. Now all those of you who read the first chapter, go back and tell me what you think. I'm always up for constructive criticism, complements, even pointless babble. Anything. Just say hey. Hope you guys enjoy.

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Friday: night of the homecoming game.

A dark clothed figure crept into the locker room, a large bag in hand. His sweatshirt hood covered his face, so he wouldn't be recognized. He had timed his entrance between the time the players left and when the mascot boy was supposed to come in. A locker opened, a costume was exchanged, and a door was quietly shut. And no one had a clue…

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Jamie wandered into the locker room mumbling about school spirit and possessed assistant principals. He opened the locker where Carlson said his uniform could be found. Inside, to his surprise, was a chicken costume. "What the…" he mumbled under his breath. He wondered how lame a school had to be to have a chicken for a mascot.

He had always thought that excessive displays of school spirit were not only idiotic, but unconstitutional. The fifth amendment must cover it somewhere. Jamie briefly wondered if it fell under no self-incrimination. He decided he'd have to take it up with the Supreme Court after this whole mess was over. And a chicken mascot? What is wrong with society today? He wondered. Wait, wasn't it Benjamin Franklin who thought our national bird should be a turkey? He shrugged and decided it was best to stop confusing himself and just get the whole thing over with.

He could hear the roar of the crowds as the players ran across the field. To top the whole thing off, he was going to be late. He had thought that waiting until the jocks cleared out of the locker room would be beneficial, for his own piece of mind and sanity, but now he was afraid it would cost him the rest of the week in detention.

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The crowd roared as the players of each team ran across the field. Kingsport High's cheerleaders cheered at the sidelines and students were jammed into the bleachers. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. This was the game. Kingsport High against their rival and the only other undefeated team, Weston Academy. And not only that, but it was Kingsport's homecoming game. Nerves and hormones were on edge.

Jamie ran out of the locker room to were the cheerleaders were cheering. According to Carlson, all he had to do was stay with the cheerleaders on the sidelines and look excited. Easier said than done, he thought as he got to the sidelines were the cheerleaders were finishing a cheer.

Val saw a giant chicken come running after her and the squad. Jamie. She groaned. What has he gotten himself into? "I'll be right back you guys," she said to the rest of the squad.

"Jamie, is that you?" She asked, pulling him under the bleachers before he could run out and be seen by the crowds.

"Of course," He said, somewhat annoyed. "Do you know anybody else Carlson loves enough to give this wonderful pleasure? And what's up with our mascot? A chicken? How lame is that?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Val said, shaking her head. "Jamie, our school mascot is a cobra. Kingsport High Cobras. Not chickens."

"What? Who did this?" Jamie asked, outraged. "Could Carlson have… no, he's not that devious. Or bright"

"Plus, he knows how important homecoming games are. He wouldn't dare damper the mood by doing something like that."

"Then who?"

"I bet I know," Val said. "The Eagles."

"Who?"

Val rolled her eyes. "The Winston Eagles. Our rivals. The team we're playing against."

"Oh, them."

"Yeah, them. They have a record for playing dirty. I've heard rumors form other cheerleading squads that they've tampered with equipment, uniforms, the fields. Who knows what else? And the thing is, they can get away with it. They have enough money and reputation to buy their way out of anything. 'Daddy will fix it.' It's sick."

"So they switched the uniform," he concluded. He pulled off the feather covered gloves, but when he tried to pull off he head, he found it quite tight. "Val, could you help me with this head?"

"Sure." She grabbed the costume head and helped Jamie pull. It didn't budge. They pulled harder. "Jamie. I think it's stuck."

"No. It can't be stuck. It's homecoming. I asked Caitie out. Everything has to be perfect. Keep pulling!" He ordered, panic began to creep in.

"Calm down. We'll get it off," she said.

"What if-"

He was cut off by Val, who put a silencing hand over his beak. "Calm down. Everything will be fine." She called the rest of the cheerleaders under the bleachers to help. Thankfully the large crowds drowned out the noise of the cheerleading squad and the giant chicken. They pulled, pushed, and twisted, but to no avail. The head was stuck.

"What are we going to do?" Jamie asked, fighting back panic.

"Well," Val started, "that head's not going to come off. And Carlson will have your head if you don't get out there."

Jamie just nodded.

"Well, we're a bunch of creative people. We come up with our own cheers and dances. Let's put our heads together and think of something." With Val's short pep talk and the roaring crowd as inspiration, a cheerleading squad and a chicken gathered around under the bleachers whispering, ideas flying.

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The ball sailed through the air. It was caught, passed, fumbled, intercepted. Plays were made. Both teams were good. The game was tied at nothing for the first half of the first quarter. When the Kingsport Cobras made the first touchdown of the game, half of the people in the stands stood up and cheered their team on. The other half sat with serious expressions, willing their team to win.

The Winston Eagle's players expressions were of grim determination. They were going to win. No matter what the cost. How they won didn't matter to them. Winning was everything.

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A/N: Okay guys. Please review this time. I'm almost begging. Well, I am begging. PLEASE REVIEW!! (am I pethetic or what) I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get out, but I was waiting for reviews. If I hit 7 reviews for the last chapter and 10 for this chapter (that makes 17 total) I'll post the next chapter. I know, it's asking a lot of you to push that button, type a few words and hit submit, but I know you can do it. That said, get to it!!! I want to know what you think! ~SC