The little group clustered together in the principal's office.
"Whatever happened, it wasn't my fault," HoroHoro shrugged.
Anna crossed her arms and glowered. "No. It was most likely Yoh's."
Yoh lifted off his headphones. "Eh?" he inquired.
"You jerk!" Ren said. "Kisama! You're such an idiot, HoroHoro. We all know it's your fault."
"Attention!" The principal finally got them to listen. He folded his hands and regarded them closely. "As you know, Shinra Private Academy is known for our well-rounded students. Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that you four are the only students who are not involved in any sort of extracurricular activity."
"Extracurriculawhozit?" HoroHoro repeated.
Anna elbowed him. "Something you do after school," she hissed.
"If you four would join something, it would allow Shinra to receive more allocations for our school from the government." The principal settled back in his chair. "So, what would you like to join?"
"Athletics," Ren and HoroHoro chorused. Anna shrugged and Yoh was too busy grooving to his music to say yay or nay.
"Are you sure?" the principal asked.
"Yes," the boys said.
The principal pulled out a large binder. "Well, then," he said. "The only spots open seem to be.cheerleading."
"CHEERLEADING?!" the four of them shouted.
"Well, you could always join the Go club."
"Let's stick with cheerleading," HoroHoro said. "How bad can it be?"
So that explains why, the next day, one scowling blonde girl and three sheepish teenage boys showed up at cheerleading practice.
Jenn, the captain, was thrilled. "Boys on the squad!" she shrieked. "This is gonna be so great! Think of all the builds we can do with boys on the squad!" She pinched Ren's cheek. "Aw, look how cute they are!" Ren's face was purple with humiliation and rage.
HoroHoro raised his hand. "Do we have to wear the skirts?" he inquired.
Keitorin, another member of the squad, laughed. "Not you," she said. "The girl will. What's your name?"
"Anna," the blonde said, still scowling.
"Hey, Jenn!" Keitorin called. "I think we got ourselves a new stunt pod."
Jenn eyed them carefully. "Yeah!" she said. "Hey, you two. Blue boy and purple boy. Stand back to back."
Keitorin circled them like a vulture about to pounce. "Which is taller?"
"Hard to tell with all that hair."
"They're about the same, though."
"You two are bases," Jenn decided. "Headphones boy can be the backspot, and Anna can fly."
"Can we have this in our language, please?" Anna snarled.
"Sor-ry," Keitorin said. "You're going to fly, which means that the boys will be holding you up."
More blank stares.
"Let's just show them," Jenn sighed. "C'mon, Erin and Kathryn."
Keitorin and Jenn pulled two more cheerleaders out of the group. Jenn and Erin turned to face each other. Kathryn rested her hands on their shoulders, while Keitorin put her hands on her waist. "One two, down up, down up," they counted. At the final "up" Jenn and Erin held Kathryn by the feet while Keitorin braced her ankles. "This is called a half extension," Keitorin explained. "We're going to put her up into a full." Once again they counted, and now Jenn and Erin held Kathryn above their heads.
"Cradle!" Jenn called. Another count, and the girl held in the air was thrown and landed safely in the arms of the three on the ground.
HoroHoro whistled. "Woo! Go girls!" he cried.
"Purple and blue, you'll be the bases," Keitorin said. "Jenn can teach you that. Anna will fly, and Yoh will spot. I'll teach you two." She dragged them over to one of the big mats. "Hey, Kate! Lauren! Help me out."
"What do you want?" Katee asked, joking.
"We're gonna show the new kids the ropes," Keitorin said. Katee and Lauren got into position. "Okay, Anna," Keitorin said. "Put your hands on their shoulders and suspend yourself."
"Suspend?" Anna repeated.
Keitorin rolled her eyes. "Like this." She put her hands on the shoulders of the bases and jumped, letting herself hang. "Tuck your knees up."
Anna did, dangling about a foot off the ground. "Dang, she's light!" Katee said.
"Good," Keitorin praised. "Let's try getting you into a half, okay? They're going to grab your feet, and you need to push yourself up. I'll help you." She poked Yoh. "Watch me, okay? This is what you'll be doing as her backspot."
Lauren counted as Keitorin helped Anna into the build. The bases held the new flyer's feet around the level of their shoulders, almost five feet off the ground. Keitorin gripped Anna's skinny ankles. "Tighten your butt!" she hollered. "You'll fall if you're not tight enough." They held for a while, until Katee called to bring her down.
"Very good," Keitorin said. "You're doing really well. But now let's try the backspot."
"Eh?" Yoh said.
"You're going to put Anna in the build," Keitorin told him. "I'll frontspot, but you're responsible for getting her up there and making sure she doesn't fall."
Yoh put his hands on Anna's waist. Keitorin reached over and curled his fingers tighter. "Grip her," she exclaimed. "You're lifting her." Yoh swallowed hard. "One two, down up," Keitorin counted. Yoh pushed Anna up. "Get her ankles!" He grabbed them. They felt cold and smooth and bony in his hands. It felt like forever before Keitorin told them to set her down.
Jenn crossed over to them. "I think the new boys are ready," she said. "Let's put Anna up into a half with the new boys and then we'll move into sidelines. That's enough for today."
"Having fun, Anna?" Yoh asked.
She only shrugged.
"Okay, guys," Jenn said. "Ren and HoroHoro, you'll need to get Anna up as quickly as possible. If you slow down, she'll fall. But don't go too fast, either, 'cause she'll fall then, too."
"Picky, picky," Ren grumbled. He and HoroHoro crouched down, their hands together, ready to catch Anna.
"One two, down up," Keitorin counted. Yoh gripped Anna's hips. She pushed her elbows straight and let HoroHoro and Ren pop her upwards.
"You're not high enough!" Ren barked.
"Me?" HoroHoro demanded. "It's your fault!"
"Guys." Anna ventured.
"If you paid more attention-"
"Guys."
"If you weren't paying so much attention to me-"
"Guys."
"I blame you!"
Suddenly Anna shrieked as her knees buckled. She tumbled back, hitting Yoh square in the chest, and lay on the floor on top of him.
"Are you okay?" Jenn asked.
"Yes," Anna said. She took the hand Jenn offered and got off of Yoh.
"C'mon, Yoh," Keitorin grinned. She helped him to his feet. "Everyone crashes, but I think that's one of the most spectacular splats I've ever seen."
"Definitely," Yoh said, rubbing the back of his head.
Jenn clapped her hands. "Sidelines, you guys!" she called.
Anna sidled up to Yoh. "Are you really okay?" she whispered.
He blinked. "Fine," he said. "You don't really weigh that much."
"Oh. Okay." And then she ran off.
*****
Anna scowled at her reflection as she dragged the brush viciously through her long hair. Cheerleading.she was going to kill HoroHoro. She didn't like to admit it, but she hated being the flier. Even at that small height, she hated it. She couldn't imagine going up to the full extension, or cradling. Anna closed her eyes. That was going to be hell. The free fall.she ripped the brush through her hair again, hoping the pain would take her mind off of her terror. But she remembered the feel of Yoh's arms curled around her, holding her tightly, and she almost smiled. Then she shook her head and looped the elastic around her ponytail.
Anna crossed her arms and glowered. "No. It was most likely Yoh's."
Yoh lifted off his headphones. "Eh?" he inquired.
"You jerk!" Ren said. "Kisama! You're such an idiot, HoroHoro. We all know it's your fault."
"Attention!" The principal finally got them to listen. He folded his hands and regarded them closely. "As you know, Shinra Private Academy is known for our well-rounded students. Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that you four are the only students who are not involved in any sort of extracurricular activity."
"Extracurriculawhozit?" HoroHoro repeated.
Anna elbowed him. "Something you do after school," she hissed.
"If you four would join something, it would allow Shinra to receive more allocations for our school from the government." The principal settled back in his chair. "So, what would you like to join?"
"Athletics," Ren and HoroHoro chorused. Anna shrugged and Yoh was too busy grooving to his music to say yay or nay.
"Are you sure?" the principal asked.
"Yes," the boys said.
The principal pulled out a large binder. "Well, then," he said. "The only spots open seem to be.cheerleading."
"CHEERLEADING?!" the four of them shouted.
"Well, you could always join the Go club."
"Let's stick with cheerleading," HoroHoro said. "How bad can it be?"
So that explains why, the next day, one scowling blonde girl and three sheepish teenage boys showed up at cheerleading practice.
Jenn, the captain, was thrilled. "Boys on the squad!" she shrieked. "This is gonna be so great! Think of all the builds we can do with boys on the squad!" She pinched Ren's cheek. "Aw, look how cute they are!" Ren's face was purple with humiliation and rage.
HoroHoro raised his hand. "Do we have to wear the skirts?" he inquired.
Keitorin, another member of the squad, laughed. "Not you," she said. "The girl will. What's your name?"
"Anna," the blonde said, still scowling.
"Hey, Jenn!" Keitorin called. "I think we got ourselves a new stunt pod."
Jenn eyed them carefully. "Yeah!" she said. "Hey, you two. Blue boy and purple boy. Stand back to back."
Keitorin circled them like a vulture about to pounce. "Which is taller?"
"Hard to tell with all that hair."
"They're about the same, though."
"You two are bases," Jenn decided. "Headphones boy can be the backspot, and Anna can fly."
"Can we have this in our language, please?" Anna snarled.
"Sor-ry," Keitorin said. "You're going to fly, which means that the boys will be holding you up."
More blank stares.
"Let's just show them," Jenn sighed. "C'mon, Erin and Kathryn."
Keitorin and Jenn pulled two more cheerleaders out of the group. Jenn and Erin turned to face each other. Kathryn rested her hands on their shoulders, while Keitorin put her hands on her waist. "One two, down up, down up," they counted. At the final "up" Jenn and Erin held Kathryn by the feet while Keitorin braced her ankles. "This is called a half extension," Keitorin explained. "We're going to put her up into a full." Once again they counted, and now Jenn and Erin held Kathryn above their heads.
"Cradle!" Jenn called. Another count, and the girl held in the air was thrown and landed safely in the arms of the three on the ground.
HoroHoro whistled. "Woo! Go girls!" he cried.
"Purple and blue, you'll be the bases," Keitorin said. "Jenn can teach you that. Anna will fly, and Yoh will spot. I'll teach you two." She dragged them over to one of the big mats. "Hey, Kate! Lauren! Help me out."
"What do you want?" Katee asked, joking.
"We're gonna show the new kids the ropes," Keitorin said. Katee and Lauren got into position. "Okay, Anna," Keitorin said. "Put your hands on their shoulders and suspend yourself."
"Suspend?" Anna repeated.
Keitorin rolled her eyes. "Like this." She put her hands on the shoulders of the bases and jumped, letting herself hang. "Tuck your knees up."
Anna did, dangling about a foot off the ground. "Dang, she's light!" Katee said.
"Good," Keitorin praised. "Let's try getting you into a half, okay? They're going to grab your feet, and you need to push yourself up. I'll help you." She poked Yoh. "Watch me, okay? This is what you'll be doing as her backspot."
Lauren counted as Keitorin helped Anna into the build. The bases held the new flyer's feet around the level of their shoulders, almost five feet off the ground. Keitorin gripped Anna's skinny ankles. "Tighten your butt!" she hollered. "You'll fall if you're not tight enough." They held for a while, until Katee called to bring her down.
"Very good," Keitorin said. "You're doing really well. But now let's try the backspot."
"Eh?" Yoh said.
"You're going to put Anna in the build," Keitorin told him. "I'll frontspot, but you're responsible for getting her up there and making sure she doesn't fall."
Yoh put his hands on Anna's waist. Keitorin reached over and curled his fingers tighter. "Grip her," she exclaimed. "You're lifting her." Yoh swallowed hard. "One two, down up," Keitorin counted. Yoh pushed Anna up. "Get her ankles!" He grabbed them. They felt cold and smooth and bony in his hands. It felt like forever before Keitorin told them to set her down.
Jenn crossed over to them. "I think the new boys are ready," she said. "Let's put Anna up into a half with the new boys and then we'll move into sidelines. That's enough for today."
"Having fun, Anna?" Yoh asked.
She only shrugged.
"Okay, guys," Jenn said. "Ren and HoroHoro, you'll need to get Anna up as quickly as possible. If you slow down, she'll fall. But don't go too fast, either, 'cause she'll fall then, too."
"Picky, picky," Ren grumbled. He and HoroHoro crouched down, their hands together, ready to catch Anna.
"One two, down up," Keitorin counted. Yoh gripped Anna's hips. She pushed her elbows straight and let HoroHoro and Ren pop her upwards.
"You're not high enough!" Ren barked.
"Me?" HoroHoro demanded. "It's your fault!"
"Guys." Anna ventured.
"If you paid more attention-"
"Guys."
"If you weren't paying so much attention to me-"
"Guys."
"I blame you!"
Suddenly Anna shrieked as her knees buckled. She tumbled back, hitting Yoh square in the chest, and lay on the floor on top of him.
"Are you okay?" Jenn asked.
"Yes," Anna said. She took the hand Jenn offered and got off of Yoh.
"C'mon, Yoh," Keitorin grinned. She helped him to his feet. "Everyone crashes, but I think that's one of the most spectacular splats I've ever seen."
"Definitely," Yoh said, rubbing the back of his head.
Jenn clapped her hands. "Sidelines, you guys!" she called.
Anna sidled up to Yoh. "Are you really okay?" she whispered.
He blinked. "Fine," he said. "You don't really weigh that much."
"Oh. Okay." And then she ran off.
*****
Anna scowled at her reflection as she dragged the brush viciously through her long hair. Cheerleading.she was going to kill HoroHoro. She didn't like to admit it, but she hated being the flier. Even at that small height, she hated it. She couldn't imagine going up to the full extension, or cradling. Anna closed her eyes. That was going to be hell. The free fall.she ripped the brush through her hair again, hoping the pain would take her mind off of her terror. But she remembered the feel of Yoh's arms curled around her, holding her tightly, and she almost smiled. Then she shook her head and looped the elastic around her ponytail.