Part Nine:
The Spirit Squad got out of their classes early to "get ready" for the
game. When no one was looking, I threw up. Even though I hadn't eatten
since yesterday morning, it made me feel better.
I was dizzy as I jumped up and down, doing the cheers. Everyone was happy:
the Panthers were winning, 32-24 by the half-time. "Now's our chance!"
Hazel said excitedly.
"We can't mess up," Paige said. She motioned towards the other team's
cheerleading squad. "We're gonna prove we're better."
We went out to the middle of the floor when the players went off for a
break. We formed our pyramid, me on the top as usual. I kicked my leg high
in the air and prepared to yell "GO DEGRASSI!"...but everything went black.
I woke up in a hospital room. I'd fallen backwards off the pyramid, I
later found out. No mats to catch me, and no one caught me before I fell.
I'd suffered an awful concussion, too.
The room was empty, but a nurse came in a few minutes later. "Oh, you're
awake," she said.
"Ooh, my head," I moaned. A doctor came in and examined me. "Okay, Miss
Santos. How long has it been since you've eatten."
Oh, no. "This afternoon, I guess." He didn't believe me. "According to
your charts, you weighed 107 the last time you went to the doctor. How
much do you weigh now?"
"Dunno," I lied, like I hadn't been obsessively weighing myself for the
past month. "Same?"
The doctor cocked an eyebrow. "You look at least fifteen pounds lighter
to me." He was about right: I weighed about 89 pounds. "We'll take care
of weighing you later. Your family is here to see you now."
My parents came in. They both hugged me, and Father was actually crying.
"Manualla, what is going on with you? Why did this happen?"
"I wasn't careful enough," I lied. "When I did the stunt, I fell and hit
my head." I didn't say that I'd blacked out before I fell. They don't have
to know that, I thought.
The doctor said that I should stay the night. After I slept, I woke up
the next day.
I was weighed. I now weighed 87 pounds, twenty pounds less then my charts
read. "Well, Miss Santos, you do realize that you are very underweight,
correct?" the doctor said. I didn't say anything. What could I say? "You're
also dhydrated and starving," he said. "It looks like you should be ad-
mitted to a-"
"No!" I cried. "Doctor, please! I've just been working out more lately.
I've been really busy! There's nothing wrong with me, really!"
My parents must have objected to me being placed in a hospital, because
I got to go home later that day. My running away or the fall wasn't mention:
Father just said he hoped I could get caught up in school.
The next day, I was approached by the Spirit Squad, Paige in the lead.
"Manny, what you did was really dangerous," she said. "I have no choice
but to suspend you from the squad." I saw Hazel grin.
"For how long?" I demanded. What was I going to do now?
"Until you gain some weight!" And with that, they walked away. I was all
alone now.
Emma came up to me. "I heard what happened at the game, Manny..."
"Yeah? Well, it was just a bad stunt, that's all." I turned to walk away,
but she stopped me.
"Everyone saw what happened. They're saying that...that you blacked out
before you fell. It's true, isn't it."
"It's not your business, Emma, okay?" And I walked away then.
Read and review, thanks!
The Spirit Squad got out of their classes early to "get ready" for the
game. When no one was looking, I threw up. Even though I hadn't eatten
since yesterday morning, it made me feel better.
I was dizzy as I jumped up and down, doing the cheers. Everyone was happy:
the Panthers were winning, 32-24 by the half-time. "Now's our chance!"
Hazel said excitedly.
"We can't mess up," Paige said. She motioned towards the other team's
cheerleading squad. "We're gonna prove we're better."
We went out to the middle of the floor when the players went off for a
break. We formed our pyramid, me on the top as usual. I kicked my leg high
in the air and prepared to yell "GO DEGRASSI!"...but everything went black.
I woke up in a hospital room. I'd fallen backwards off the pyramid, I
later found out. No mats to catch me, and no one caught me before I fell.
I'd suffered an awful concussion, too.
The room was empty, but a nurse came in a few minutes later. "Oh, you're
awake," she said.
"Ooh, my head," I moaned. A doctor came in and examined me. "Okay, Miss
Santos. How long has it been since you've eatten."
Oh, no. "This afternoon, I guess." He didn't believe me. "According to
your charts, you weighed 107 the last time you went to the doctor. How
much do you weigh now?"
"Dunno," I lied, like I hadn't been obsessively weighing myself for the
past month. "Same?"
The doctor cocked an eyebrow. "You look at least fifteen pounds lighter
to me." He was about right: I weighed about 89 pounds. "We'll take care
of weighing you later. Your family is here to see you now."
My parents came in. They both hugged me, and Father was actually crying.
"Manualla, what is going on with you? Why did this happen?"
"I wasn't careful enough," I lied. "When I did the stunt, I fell and hit
my head." I didn't say that I'd blacked out before I fell. They don't have
to know that, I thought.
The doctor said that I should stay the night. After I slept, I woke up
the next day.
I was weighed. I now weighed 87 pounds, twenty pounds less then my charts
read. "Well, Miss Santos, you do realize that you are very underweight,
correct?" the doctor said. I didn't say anything. What could I say? "You're
also dhydrated and starving," he said. "It looks like you should be ad-
mitted to a-"
"No!" I cried. "Doctor, please! I've just been working out more lately.
I've been really busy! There's nothing wrong with me, really!"
My parents must have objected to me being placed in a hospital, because
I got to go home later that day. My running away or the fall wasn't mention:
Father just said he hoped I could get caught up in school.
The next day, I was approached by the Spirit Squad, Paige in the lead.
"Manny, what you did was really dangerous," she said. "I have no choice
but to suspend you from the squad." I saw Hazel grin.
"For how long?" I demanded. What was I going to do now?
"Until you gain some weight!" And with that, they walked away. I was all
alone now.
Emma came up to me. "I heard what happened at the game, Manny..."
"Yeah? Well, it was just a bad stunt, that's all." I turned to walk away,
but she stopped me.
"Everyone saw what happened. They're saying that...that you blacked out
before you fell. It's true, isn't it."
"It's not your business, Emma, okay?" And I walked away then.
Read and review, thanks!