The Cheerleader

"You don't have to act so high-and-mighty, Wood! I am doing you a big favor! You know how many girls would kill to be in your place?"

"Then why don't you do them this big favor? Hey, why don't you go out with him?" Janet turned away from the mirror in the girls' room to face Becky Glover. "I am obviously unworthy of such an honor."

"Totally! I couldn't agree more!" scoffed Becky. "Peter van Horne could have any girl he wants. I would go out with him in a flash! But for some very strange reason, he wants you. There's no accounting for tastes."

"I'm as surprised as you are. I didn't even know he knew I existed."

"Me neither! How did he even manage to see you among all the normal-sized girls?"

"Beats me." Janet shrugged. "Look, Becky, I appreciate the sentiment but hard pass."

"Boy, you are stubborn as a mule. Would it kill you to go out with him just once? It's not like there's gonna be a second date."

"There won't. Because there won't be a first one, either."

"Suit yourself then! The most popular guy in the whole school wants to go out with her, and she thinks she's too good for him! Well then, you can sit at home and read your books like a loser while everybody's out having fun!"

"A fate worse than death, no doubt." Janet rolled her eyes. "Hey, Becky, hang on a sec."

"What do you want? I gotta go! I don't hang out with losers!"

"I said hang on," repeated Janet firmly, and Becky, already in the doorway, turned around. "Why are you so keen on fixing me up with Van Horny? What's in it for you?"

"Van Horny?!" Becky giggled despite herself but then resumed her righteous anger. "For me? Give me a break! You try to help people – "

"Cut the crap, okay, Becks? I know you."

"I thought I knew you," said the other girl under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing! We used to be besties once. Before you decided you were better than everybody else."

"Now wait a minute!" Janet looked genuinely shocked. "Is that what you think? Why?"

"That's what everybody thinks! You used to be a normal kid once. Until you got too stuck up to hang out with us."

"That's not true! I don't think I am better than anybody! It's just – "

"And you quit the squad. Just like that. Without a word to anyone."

"Believe me, Becks, I had a reason."

"Whatever. You lost us the finals."

"What?!"

"You heard me! We were practically a shoo-in. And I don't need to tell you everybody had been busting their asses to get there. If you still remember..."

"I remember only too well," murmured Janet.

"And then, two weeks before the day, our best top walks out on us. You do remember you were our perfect top girl, don't you?"

Janet nodded, looking pained.

"We had to put Allie Jensen on top at the last moment, and she was clumsy as a cow up there. It was a miracle she didn't fall off and smash into the whole pyramid. Bye-bye, finals. I bet you never even stopped to think about that."

"Oh no, Becks. I am so sorry. Look," Janet reached into her schoolbag, pulled out a slender case and opened it to reveal a pair of glasses. "Ever notice I've been wearing these lately?"

"I've seen you wearing them in class, but then you whip them off right after. What's that to do with anything?"

"A couple of years ago, I noticed my eyesight was getting worse, and I started having dizzy spells. My mom dragged me to an eye doctor. It turned out I had myopia."

"You had your what? What's opia?"

Janet smiled. "Becks, myopia means poor eyesight. That was what was causing the dizziness. It's still pretty mild, so I don't have to wear glasses all the time, just during class and such. But my parents forbade me to keep cheerleading. Especially being the top girl, all the way up there."

"I don't blame them," sighed Becky. "Gee whiz, Janet, I had no idea. Why didn't you say something?"

"Would it have changed anything? You guys still would've been left in the lurch and lost the finals."

"That's right. But at least it wouldn't have left us all feeling like crap. It looked like you just didn't give a shit about anything or anyone. At the very least, you could've talked to me."

"I'm really sorry, Becks. You are right. I could've and I should've." Janet hesitated. "It wasn't just my eyesight. There was more. I was dealing with some... some really bad stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" asked Becky incredulously.

"Sorry." Janet shook her head. "It was difficult for me to talk about it back then, and it still is. Just take my word for it, okay? Have I ever lied to you in all the time you've known me?"

"Guess not. Okay, I believe you. How bad?"

"Bad. Look, Becky, quitting wasn't easy for me either. I don't have to tell you how much I loved cheerleading! How much I enjoyed working with you guys! But after that thing happened... I started feeling uncomfortable putting myself on display up there, being the center of attention..."

"Never used to bother you before."

"I know. Until it did. For what it's worth, I felt I was losing a huge part of myself. It was just too depressing."

"I get it." Becky looked sad. "I was so pissed at you at the time! I wish I had known about all this back then."

"And I now wish I had leveled with you. We were besties, after all."

"Right." Both girls were quiet for a while. Then Becky broke the silence: "So, where are we on the Peter Van Horne situation? Have you changed your mind?"

"Oh gee, Becks. You are still on that. No, I haven't and I'm not gonna. I know many girls would be happy to go out with him. But I've talked to a couple of girls who had been out with him, and believe me, they weren't happy, if you know what I mean! Is that what you want for me?"

"Nah. Guess not," admitted Becky reluctantly. "Too bad. Just too bad."

"Let me ask you once again." Janet faced Becky squarely. "Van Horne asked you to fix me up with him and promised you something in return, right? What did he promise you?"

"Nothing!" said Becky hotly. Then sighed with a resigned air. "Okay, if you really wanna know. A date with Bill Harrison."

"Bill Harrison! Isn't he the one that – "

"Yeah, he's that hottie I was crushing on all of last year. He's buddies with Peter. Peter said he'd get him to go out with me if I got him – you."

"I'm sorry, Becks. I'd like to help you but I can't put myself into that kind of situation. I really can't. I hope you understand."

"Okay, I get it. Guess you are right. It's not worth it."

"Your words, not mine! Forgive me for saying this about your crush, but Bill really isn't worth it. He may be cute but he's also dumb as a doorknob and full of himself, and so is Van Horny. And you deserve to go out with someone who wants to date you for you, not as a transaction on the favor exchange."

"Okay, let's just forget the whole thing. I'll tell him you are sick. Or busy. Or have a boyfriend."

"Why not tell him the truth – that I am not interested?"

"Oh no! I'm sure no girl has ever said that to him!" Becky shuddered in mock terror. "The skies will open up, the earth will stand still…" The girls laughed companionably.

"Okay then, tell him the other truth. I am gonna be pretty busy for a while tutoring somebody. He's failing math, and the coach says he's off the team unless he – "

"Hang on. He who?"

"Nobody. Just a guy." Janet blushed and smiled self-consciously. "I have an uncomfortable feeling he has a crush on me."

"Aha!" Becky's eyes and mouth opened wide, but before she could say anything else Janet zippered up her bag and turned towards the exit. "Come on, Glover, let's get out of here. Trust me, you and I both deserve better than that pair of lunkheads."

"My gosh, leave it to you to put everything in perspective! You are right, I guess."

"Of course I am. Hey, Becks? I am really sorry I let everyone down and shut you out. Friends?"

"Now you are talking! You wanna know something, Wood? Even when I was pissed at you and thought you were a selfish stuck-up bitch I still kinda missed you."