Mako's Message: This chapter is a dissapointment to me. I was seriously expecting this to, well, be longer than this, a lot longer. But I've coaxing it for a day or so and I just can't get anything more out of this without breaking form... but knowing my luck I'll figure out a way to do it about ten minutes after I post this. Anyway, there's a crossover and a cameo in names only in this chapter. Maybe I'll be able to do more with them in later chapters. Anyway, I'll be taking a short trip to New York this weekend. Any suggestions on what I should see? And the bus I'll be taking has internet so I'll probably spend a few hours in my Kick-Ass forum if anyone is interested.

Oh, if people want me to, I'll go back and add a more detailed description of Angela smacking Katie to the last chapter. Still haven't been able to do the review count yet either, probably do that on the bus as well. Oh, and I think I'll be posting a list of upcoming events in the next chapter, kind of like my previous teasers, but not random lines of dialogue.

Enjoy.


Dave still isn't talking to me, but he's not talking to me less.

I mean, he's not giving me the silent treatment or anything, but he's not really talking to me. Not like we used to. Like he's keeping me at arms length or something. He doesn't really seem to be talking to anyone much though, and we've still been going out at night, but it just doesn't feel the same.

I haven't really had time to think to much about it though, since I've been super busy training Angela since the cheer tryouts have started. He's here though, watching the tryouts with me. Well, not really "with" me, he's sitting off on the other side of the bleachers. But he's here, so, that's something right?

And I had no idea this would take DAYS but it looks like I had the right idea with how to train her because the first day was just weeding out the girls who couldn't even keep up. It wasn't anything spectacular, they just did a five minute routine of, basically, glorified jumping-jacks and hip swaying.

But it was funny watching a couple of these skinny bitches collapse from exhaustion just from that. Bet they wished they hadn't skipped breakfast that morning. Or dinner yesterday. Angela seemed proud that she wasn't even winded, she was grinning at me while the coach, captain and co-captain walked through the ranks checking everyone out.

They cut the number of hopefuls by about half that day.

The next day they started teaching them a routine, I think they were mainly trying to see how well they could take direction and how fast they picked the routine up, since they didn't actually do the routine, but they still cut a few of the girls who just were not getting it. But how hard could it be? I mean, I was spotting who was doing it wrong after the first time they showed it to them.

They gave the girls two days to practice the routine on their own, so I spent those two days drilling it into Angela's head. She should be able to do it in her sleep now. She still insisted I go through it with her a few more times while we were waiting for the final tryout. I'm sure she's got this in the bag though.

Of course, I wasn't expecting her to get nervous and fuck up.

Okay, so aside from one or two minor missteps she did fine. Even with her mistakes there were only two or three girls that did it better than her, so she should still make the team.

Except I just realized I have no idea how many slots are open...

Well damn. She didn't make it. Well, she made the reserve team, but that's not really the same thing. I can't believe she didn't make the A-Team. It's so stupid. Yeah, she fucked up a couple steps, but the rest of her performance was better than everybody else's. No contest.

I guess I could go break one of the other girls knee caps, or trip her on the stairs or something. I've already put so much effort into getting her on the team that a little sabotage wouldn't be a big de

Okay, what the fuck. How do I get myself into these things? No one is allowed to say I'm a bad friend. EVER.

Cameron and Tashaya, the captain and co-captain, just came over and asked me to join the team. I mean, seriously? If I wanted to be on the team I'd have fucking tried out!

They were persistent though. Cameron said they watched me practicing with Angela and that I was easily the best they'd seen in a long time (Well, she actually said I was the best she'd seen since herself) and that since I was so small I'd be perfect for the top of their pyramid. Tashaya was mostly impressed by how well I could move. She said it looked like I'd been doing this for years, so I gave them the "I've been doing gymnastics since I was five" excuse which just made them want me even more. Apparently most girls just want to be on the team for status or to get guys, and finding someone with the kind of dedication and talent they said I showed was rare.

So I asked if they had saved a spot for me or if they were going to kick someone off if I said yes. They actually said they'd saved a spot for me since I was their first choice.

Now, I'm not the kind of person to just let an opening like that go, so I told them I'd do it under one condition; they move Angela up from the B-Team.

So now I'm a cheerleader.

The things I do for my friends.