Joshua Sandeman was probably about seven or eight years older than your average senior. No one knew his exact age, and they couldn't tell by his face because -- well, he never took his mascot costume (which happened to be a giant dog) off. Suffice to say, he'd been in his senior year of high school since before Max had been a freshman.
"Joshua doesn't test well!" was Joshua's usual reply to whoever decided to taunt the dog-boy about his suspicious lack of graduation. The fact that his father was the founder of the prestigious high school (but Max's own adoptive mother, Elizabeth Renfro, was currently running the school) sadly didn't help his chances of ever passing the twelfth grade. One thing Joshua was good at, though, was wearing the ninety pound dog suit, which was something he enjoyed a lot. Rumors said that he even wore the suit in the shower and when he slept.
"Don't worry Joshua," Jondy comforted him when he showed up at the first day of cheer squad practice, still distraught at having failed his exit exams. "You already know everything there is to know for the tests. This year you just have to remember to keep your cool."
"Joshua tries to keep his cool!" Joshua wailed. "But I don't!" Joshua stood up with a determined look on his face. "But Joshua won't give up! Joshua will study and... and... cheer! Cheer well!"
"That's the spirit!" Jondy said, grinning. "We'll cheer well! Win nationals for the fifth year in a row! And ace our SATs!"
"Yes!" Joshua said, jumping up and down, the dog-suit ears flopping with each jump. "We win!"
"We'll graduate high school and get out of this dump!" Jondy promised, also standing up.
"Yeah!" Joshua agreed.
"And go into the best college there is!"
"Yeah!" Joshua yelled. "Do colleges serve ham hocks?" he asked curiously, looking at Jondy. Jondy thought for a moment.
"We'll find one that does, and if they don't, then we'll make them serve ham hocks!" she said.
"Very cool!" Joshua said.
"All right, stop playing around boys and girls," Valerie Bergstrom yelled, walking out onto the grass where the squad was waiting for her. "Now, it's been great being your captain for the past year and leading our squad to victory for the fourth time, but unlike some of us," she shot Joshua a stern look, Joshua whimpered, "I can't stay around school forever. The votes are in for who the next captain will be, and I'm positive that she or he will help to cultivate the energy of the group and lead you to win nationals for the fifth time in as many years." Valerie breathed deeply. "So, let's meet your new captain."
Max held her breath, with her fingers crossed on both hands.
"Asha Barlow."
Asha sprang up, squealing and yelling as the rest of them clapped. Max was in shock.
But she was so much better than Asha! Asha had only started cheerleading last year, when she'd joined the squad, and Max had been cheerleading since before she started school, even! Asha had nothing on her! Okay, so she was a little bit perkier than Max, but that was all!
Maybe it was because she was blonde. Max would definitely be having a chat with Herbal Thought after practice was over. Maybe he could spread some of the 'I and I' happiness.
Max's internal rant was cut off by Asha announcing what they were going to be practicing.
"I'd like to try some basic walls before we move onto anything more complicated," Asha said.
"Baby stuff?" Syl asked. "But we already know all of those! Let's move on to something better -- like a Wolf's Wall!"
"What's a Wolf's Wall?" Jondy asked, confused.
"Just the hardest cheerleading move known to mankind," Brin said simply. "But then again, some of us haven't been practicing the whole summer, so it might be hard for them," she looked at Jondy, "right, Jon?"
"'What the mind can perceive, the body can achieve,'" Zack quoted the school motto. "We can do anything we set our minds to, so I say we try the Wolf's Wall."
Asha sighed. "Fine, let's take a vote. Whoever thinks we should review basics, raise your hands." No one did. "Okay, a Wolf's Wall it is. Guys on the bottom; Brin, Max and Tinga in the middle and Jondy and Syl on top. Rest of us can spot, all right?" There was a general collection of "yeah"s and "sure"s from the crowd of teenagers as they all got into place.
"Great!" Asha exclaimed when everyone was in place. "Now this doesn't have to be perfect -- this is just our first time trying this, remember. I'm counting down now. Five, six, seven, eight! Go!" Max scowled as Zack and Krit pushed her up into the air, each holding one of her feet. How come she was in the middle? Valerie had always put her on the top of the pyramids! Then, of course, Asha was new, so maybe she didn't realize that...
"Jondy! Carry out!" Asha barked. Jondy nodded hesitantly, not looking at the ground.
"You bet I can!" she said, her big blue eyes fearful.
"Excellent!" Asha smiled. "Now, one, two, down, up --" The boy holding Jondy's right foot's hand accidentally slipped, starting a chain of events. Jondy fell down, with her left foot still on Tinga's shoulder, bringing Tinga down. But Tinga pulled forward, trying not to fall, but lost her balance and lurched over onto Brin, which made Syl fall, bringing Max down with her. In the end, most of the spotters (and Joshua who was knocked over by Tinga) had caught the girls. Except for Max, who fell on Asha.
Writer's Note: I'll say it once and only once. I know nothing about cheerleading and I don't pretend to know anything about cheerleading. (At this point, I'm just copy and pasting from the script of Bring It On) But I'll try to learn as soon as I get to an adequate internet resource (so... like, Saturday). The girl Valerie Bergstrom is supposed to be Valerie Cale (Logan's passive-aggressive ex-wife). Let's just pretend Bergstrom's her maiden name, all right?
Coming up next: The new next door neighbor! A newer cheerleading captain! And a fight in the library!
Disclaimer: Dark Angel doesn't belong to me.