A/N: Okay, I know I'm taking a while to bring in the Scoobies, but I swear just wait maybe two more chapters and I'll bring them in! I'm just trying to set up Joy's life right now, but starting the next chapter, she will become involved with the slayer. Please review!!

Chapter Nineteen: Three Cheers for Changes

The following Monday, Joy had arrived at a decision which she felt would alter the boring and pointless path her life was currently taking. It was a bold action, but she was determined that her plan would work.

"Joy? What are you doing here?" Collin asked when he ran into Joy after school in the gym.

"Umm...nothing..." Joy didn't know how to answer. She didn't feel like explaining everything to Collin when she wasn't even sure of everything herself yet.

He eyed the advertising banners hanging above the door and made a face. "Cheerleading tryouts. Are you serious?" He laughed. "Joy Peters, you're not really going to try out for the cheerleading team, are you?" Again he laughed.

With a frown, Joy replied. "And why shouldn't I? I think I'd be a great cheerleader!" She glared at him. "Stop laughing at me, Collin. Why does everyone think that my trying out for the cheer team is so funny?"

"Who else have you told?" Collin followed her over to the bleachers at the side of the gym. The gym was crowded with people, most were lounging about the bleachers to watch the tryouts, but there were also quite a few girls on the gym floor preparing to humiliate themselves in front of their audience. There was a table set up in front of all the bleachers where the three cheer captain sat with two of her head cheerleaders. They looked condemningly at each of the new girls, making sure that everyone knew who was in charge.

"I haven't actually told anyone else, but I mentioned it to Blake and he seemed to think it was a pretty ridiculous idea." Joy glanced at the table of cheerleaders nervously.

"So, why exactly are you doing this?" Collin asked her.

She shook her head. "You wouldn't understand. It's just something I have to do."

"Well, good luck then," Collin found himself a seat on the front row of bleachers and smiled at Joy encouragingly as she made her way to the sign-up table.

"Can I help you?" The cheerleading captain, Summer, questioned sarcastically when Joy approached the table. Her thinly-plucked eyebrows raised automatically when she spoke.

"I'm here for tryouts." Joy stated with as much snobbery as she could manage.

The three cheerleaders behind the table scrutinized Joy openly. The redheaded Carrie finally spoke up. "You do realize that these are cheerleading tryouts, right?"

Joy rolled her eyes. "Look, I know I might not exactly strike you as the ultimate peppy Suzy-high school, but I do want to tryout, and you can't not let me just because you don't like me."

The girls again stared at her as if they were trying to figure out a way to keep her from trying out. They obviously couldn't come up with an excuse fast enough. "Okay, it's your choice. I hope you don't embarrass easily." Summer handed Joy the sign up sheet. "Good luck." She smiled bitterly and handed Joy a pair of pom-poms.

"Thanks." Joy spat out with disdain and joined the other auditioning girls. She quickly scanned the crowd on the bleachers and smiled in relief to see that Blake was not there. Collin was sitting where she had left him with his arms folded across her chest.

The tryouts began slowly. The head cheerleaders would shout out random commands, instructing the auditioners to perform various simple jumps and splits, and they all would follow the demands without hesitation. Joy followed the instructions too. She wasn't as excited as the other auditioners, but she obeyed nonetheless. Almost two hours later, auditions ended.

Summer stood up to make an announcement before dismissing the girls. "Thank you all for auditioning, unfortunately we only have open spaces for five new cheerleaders and so only about half of you will be accepted. The list will be posted tomorrow after school." Summer flipped her bleached-blonde hair over her shoulder and led her posse of cheerleaders out of the gym, leaving the exhausted auditioners to stare after her with a hopefully blank gaze.

Joy shrugged carelessly and headed over to the bleachers where Collin was waiting for her. "Well, how did I do?"

"Good enough I guess, I'm not exactly a pro, but if it were up to me, I'd choose you." Collin smiled. "I still don't understand why you want to be a cheerleader. You've never exactly seemed like the kind of girl to care about that sort of thing..." Collin noticed her irritated expression and stopped talking. "Never mind, you did great and I'm glad that you've taken an interest in school spirit." He followed her out of the gym.

"Yea, whatever," Joy rolled her eyes. She wouldn't exactly call it school spirit, but she didn't want to explain that to Collin. He wouldn't understand. No matter how nice he was, he was still just a jock. "I'm going home, thanks for all your support and shit. See ya." Joy practiced a peppy cheerleader wave, ending it with an overly sarcastic wink. Collin shook his head and let her leave.

"Joy, wait up," Blake caught up with his girlfriend the next day after school just as she was leaving her locker.

"What do you want, Blake?" Joy glanced over her shoulder briefly and then continued down the hallway.

"I heard you tried out for the cheer team." Blake grabbed her arm but she shrugged him off.

"Yea, so?"

"What possessed you to try out? It's not exactly your cup of tea you know." Blake continued to follow her.

Joy stopped suddenly and spun around to face her nagging boyfriend. "Blake, stop putting me in a box. If you gave me a chance for once, I might be able to surprise you. Besides, this cheerleading thing is something I want to do...for me." Joy turned away again. "It has nothing to do with you."

"Fine, I'll let it go, for now anyway." Blake kept up with her long, determined strides. "Well, since you've tried out now and everything, you've got to at least go and look at the list. Summer just posted it." Joy hesitated. "Come on, I'll go with you." He took her hand and pulled her through the crowded hallways to the bulletin where the cheerleader's list had been posted. Joy gave up trying to resist him and let him lead her.

When they arrived, it was impossible to get close enough to see the list because of all the girls grouped around it. Eventually the crowd began to disperse. Some girls turned away with their eyes full of glee and joyful tears while other girls, the ones who had been rejected, turned away in pitiful fits of mournful distress. Joy almost laughed. Everyone was taking it so seriously. Joy honestly couldn't care whether or not she made it onto the team. She only tried out to make a point.

"I'll check the list for you!" Blake shoved his way through the crowd of girls until he was close enough to read the list. Joy waited impatiently for him to return. He seemed to be drawing it out just to torture her. When he returned his face showed surprise. "You made it."

Joy's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" She frowned. "I really didn't think that I would. I mean...I wasn't exactly Summer's number one choice, and I'm definitely not cheerleader material." When she had decided to tryout, Joy hadn't exactly realized what she was getting herself into. Now that she had actually made the team and it wasn't just an idea anymore, she wasn't sure that she could go through with it.

"Yea, I know, but you did make it. Congratulations." Blake hugged her. "Think about how great it will be! You will be at all my games and you'll be cheering me on from the sidelines. And people won't just be watching me anymore, they'll be watching you too!" He kissed her cheek. "Hey, you want to go out tonight?"

Joy frowned. "Really? Don't you have practice?"

"Yea, but how about after practice?" Blake explained. "You'll probably have practice too now, so we'll meet afterwards and go out to dinner or something, sound good babe?"

Joy shrugged. "Okay, I'll see you after practice." Joy turned away from Blake and headed towards the gym where the new cheerleaders were supposed to meet. Why does he suddenly want to go out with me? I mean, I know we've been going out a lot lately, but still...he's never seemed anxious to meet me after practice. Usually, he'd go out with the guys. Joy sighed as the depressing thought, which she knew was most likely true, entered her head. Now that I'm part of the in-crowd Blake isn't embarrassed of me.