"You here to see Dallie," Lucas guessed.
"Ora, I'm Dani, one of her cheerleaders, the rest are coming," Lucas now knew that Ricky wanted him to think a boy was coming over, but really a whole cheerleading squad "She's down the hall, her room, the pink room, all the ruffles, you'll know when you get there.
"Actually dad, I'm right here." Ora said walking around Lucas, and you can tell the rest of them to go directly to the back yard." Ora pointed the direction of the back yard to Dani, and ran upstairs. She started banging on Dallie's door. "Dallie, Backyard now, bring that new song you came up with, you've got five minutes, or I'm sending everyone up to destroy your hazardous room and turn it all frilly and pink." "Okay, I need to finish burning it, chill, I'll be there." Dallie called from her room as Ora ran downstairs to the backyard. Dallie took her whole five minutes and brought an old CD player down.
"Dallie, what is that," Ora said shocked at the old CD player.
"A CD player, chill, I've brought a couple choices, first we have a play on the Baltimore Ravens fight song, that we can change," She hit a button on the remote she was holding and the fight song came pouring out of the CD player.
Flying High, Fierce Pride in our Eyes,
The Ravens of Baltimore On dark wings we fly Honor bound for the sky Over Maryland we'll always soar For Glory we vie, and our town will stand high To our foes we say "Nevermore"
'Cause its Fight! Fight! With all of our might!
For our old Baltimore!
"Well," Dallie said when it was over.
"It needs some work, obviously, Baltimore and Maryland should be changed, and well what other options do we have?" Ora prodded.
"Okay, next is a poem called Dream Ravens, that was a poem, but now a rack song, short sweetish, and brought to you by some of my friends, at our school," Dallie pushed another button, and a different, hard song came out.
Ravens of my dreams,
Cure the anger in my heart.
Ravens of my indecision,
Make straight the path before me.
Ravens of my memory
Let your song come unto me.
As my brothers fly above the earth
So must I leave my importance behind.
As my sisters sing songs of rejoicing
So must I find a courageous voice.
Ravens, let there be peace among us.
May we fly as one idea.
Ravens, give memory to my dreams
So that I may hear the voices
Of my ancestors telling me
That all the world is changing
And my fears will turn to leaves.
"Well that was interesting," Ora said when that one was over.
"Yeah, I thought so too," Dallie said, really meaning it, rather than Ora's sarcasm. The next song came, different, yet the same.
King god of northern clime
Greatest creature so divine
Sends for watching land below
Ravens fly for him to know
Took off from a greater tree
Higher, higher flying free
Sounds of thunder in the sky
Up above two ravens fly
In our time, ravens two
Passing over me and you
Whisper to their only master
What to come before and after
Shadow casted snowy ground
Shape of ravens might be found
At his head ravens rest
Stranger silent as his guest
Words for ear of ancient god
Carried home by wings so proud
Stare at the sky as evening come
Sky is dark and ravens gone.
"Okay, maybe not that one," Ora said, practically dissing all of Dallie's hard work finding this stuff, but Ora was the captain, and what she said went.
"Fine, but hey, I only said I'd try, never said I'd do anything more, I'm not even the one who wanted to be a stupid cheerleader in the first place," Dallie ranted, but then played a final tune. There was no words, just a mixture of different beats swirled together, some hard rock, some classical, upbeat, blues, everything.
"Dallie, that's it, that's it, that's the music I have to have it, what's it called?" Ora said jumping up and down.
"Mix beat # 5 from the world's one stop music store online, ," Dallie said, blandly.
"That's all, but it's so good, you're the best," Ora couldn't stop jumping, making Dallie pretend to gag. A young girl showed up, wearing one of the local middle schools' uniforms. She looked a bit nervous.
"I'm here for the cheerleading tryouts, for the Tree Hill Ravens," She said.
"Right, your right on time," Ora said, walking over to the table she set up. "You need to fill out one of each of theses forms, and wait until the rest get here." The girl did as she was told, an obedient one. Ora nudged Dallie's arm, "Why can't I have a little sister like her, who actually wants to be on the squad, and does what I say?"
"Great, that means I can leave, she can have my spot, and she can be your new little sister, have fun, knock yourself out," Dallie said walking away. Ora ran after her, as fast as her little legs let her to keep up with Dallie's fast walking pace.
"Come on, I was joking, you know all this comes natural to you, and you know you're one of the best, so why not use your talents," Ora begged as Dallie burst out laughing, then Ora knew it was a joke.
"Do you have some sort of issues about me going to get a drink?" Dallie said in between laughter.
The tryouts began in order of arrival, the girl who showed up first was Abbigail Lansley from Western Middle. Tree Hill got feeders from about seven middle schools. She was good, she would need some work, but she was really skinny, she would go high if thrown in the air, and was graceful, but very shy and quiet, which would be an issue, she was put on the maybe list. The next was a short girl, average, and blonde, blonde was always a plus for cheerleading. She said her name was Jadzia Waltkerman and from Western Middle. She was awesome, but Ora wouldn't let her know it, she told her she was only mediocre. All the girls sat Indian style in a circle, some nervous, some acted as though it was no sweat, others were so pale they looked like they were going to faint. Ora called the next name, it was very plain, like the girl, Molly Johnson, she was completely average and had like know qualities to remember her by, all her moves were robotic, they were right, but not personified, she was from Oakland Middle. Ora found that 99 percent of the cheerleaders from Oakland Middle performed that way, robotic, its you lined them up, they'd all be the same, it was literally scary, and Ora finally got fad up after the third.
"All Oakland Middle school cheerleaders please line up in font of the fence please," Ora said pointing to the fence a couple feet in front of her. There was about ten of them, and Ora named a simple routine, that they all should know, and her suspicion was right, they all moved the same at the same time, flawless, it was scary, there was a few exceptions that were noted, and after every single cheerleader finished, the judging was made, who would join their squad. Ora read off the list, they needed 20 new cheerleaders, accounting for moving cheerleaders, graduating seniors, and inflation, but if there was a tie, then they could take more.
"Okay, our new cheerleaders are in alphabetical order by schools:
Aaliyah Alheeish from Carter Middle, Kaelyn Cater from Carter Middle, Laura Gregory from Danielsvile Middle, Madelia Clinton from Danielsvile Middle, Shara Micheals from New Hurler Middle, Marissa Richards from New Hurler Middle, Melissa Richards from New Hurler Middle, Mirra Richards from New Hurler Middle, Kelsey Begin from Oakland Middle, Gretchen Liola from Oakland Middle, Edena Alexia from Tree Hill Middle, Sharan Alashyana from Tree Hill Middle, Michelle Begain from Tree Hill Middle, Morgan Ashleigh from Western Middle, Aimee Keller from Western Middle, Genifer Martin from Western Middle, Nicole Aburrichio from Yoder Middle, Hannah Jeylone from Yoder Middle, Kelsey Yeller from Zachob Middle, Madigale Ichob from Zeyler Middle, and last but not least, Cally Madigar from Zeyler Middle." Ora said reading down the whole list, girls clapping, jumping up and down, others crying from not making it, mostly Oakland Middle girls, there was like twenty of them who didn't make it, because of their robotic moves. "Okay, now its time for all of us to sit in a circle and learn everybody's name, we'll start with us Ravens then work our way to everyone else, those of you who didn't make the cut, I'm sorry, you can stay here or go, its up to you, oh and Dallie, go get Frae, whom we already decided would be a raven cheerleader, and tell her we need her, we already voted on her remember," Ora said, now directing it to the group with nods around. As soon as Dallie and Frae got there they started, with Ora and working their way around, "I'm Aurora Scott, Ora for short and the captain of this squad, Dallie, you go next," Ora nudged her.
"Dallie Scott, Freshman, end of story," Dallie said.
"Mandy Richards," Mandy said, still ecstatic that her sisters were on the squad.
"Danielle, Dani, Kelley," Dani said laughing at the little cheerleaders huddled together.
"Cindy James," Cindy said looking at the group, not a bad group.
"Hallie Johnson" it kept going around, everyone saying their name.
"Melody Newwhitier."
"Shelby Holt."
"Kristin Karter"
"Kirsten Karter"
"Penelope Yofley"
"Katelin Neloby"
"Whitney Melvin"
"Charlene Freious" Then it was the new cheerleaders, making a grand total of 35 girls between eighth and eleventh grades.
"Aaliyah Alheeish."
"Kaelyn Cater."
"Laura Gregory."
"Madelia Clinton."
"Shara Micheals."
"Marissa Richards."
"Melissa Richards."
"Mirra Richards."
"Kelsey Begin."
"Gretchen Liola."
"Edena Alexia."
"Sharan Alashyana."
"Michelle Begain."
"Morgan Ashleigh."
"Aimee Keller."
"Genifer Martin."
"Nicole Aburrichio."
"Hannah Jeylone."
"Kelsey Yeller."
"Madigale Ichob."
"Cally Madigar."
"Frae Scott." Everyone looked up, Frae Scott, they were shocked. She sat there, her auburn hair, combed strait in in a ponytail, her face done, and she was wearing a ravens' uniform. She looked thinner too, but she wasn't wearing her normal baggy clothes, so nobody really knew, and nobody believed that she could cheer, but Ora assured everyone they would do a group cheer to see how everyone looked together. Ora stood in front looking at them all, not bad, some could use work, those poor newbies, don't know what they got themselves into. Brooke came outside to look at Ora's work and was impressed, but she was outside to help Dezzy with her physical therapy, she still wasn't full, after being in a hospital bed for nine years, it did a thing or two to her muscles and bones. She was doing better, and since the rest of the girls were leaving, Frae, and Ora went to help Dezzy, but Dallie didn't really care, so she went inside to bum around.
"Mommy, can we go to the circus, please," Dezzy asked, putting on her pouting face.
"I remember the first time we went to the circus, before you and Ricky were born, that was a trip, Dallie decided she was going to be a lion tamer and ran down there, Ora wanted to be a ballerina dancer lady and whined the whole time, Frae, wanted to follow the popcorn man wherever he went, and Tassi wanted to sleep, good times, good times, but you'll hafta ask daddy about that one babe," Brooke said, laughing, "DADDY!!," She screamed above the noise of everyone else.
"DEZZY!" He screamed over Ora and Dallie's fighting and Frae and Tassi's fighting, and Brooke and Ricky arguing about something.
"Daddy, can we goes to the circus? Mommy says to asked you," Dezzy yelled across the table. The table got quiet, suddenly, waiting on his response. Lucas looked at Brooke, then the rest of his children, then back to Dezzy.
"Sure baby, we can go see the elephants and the clowns and the tigers and all the rest of the weird people doing odd things," he said.
