Chapter Two – Huddle Formation

"Welcome ladies to this year's cheer tryouts." Everyone clapped as Jenny stood in the middle of the gym addressing the girls. "This year we will teach you a simple routine, then you will perform said routine and the girls who do it the best will become the newest members of our team."

Sawyer and Lydia stood side by side, while Lydia was nervous Sawyer couldn't have looked more confident in short shorts and tank top.

"Ladies, let's begin."

Jenny began showing the girls all of the moves they would have to learn, and while Sawyer was able to match them perfectly, Lydia was having a little trouble. She wasn't the worst girl there, but she by far wasn't the best. She tried to pick up her pace because despite her original thoughts about cheering she was beginning to think it might actually be fun.

Sawyer shadowed Jenny perfectly as she completed the cheer routine. While her body was perfectly matching all of the moves her mind couldn't have been further from cheering. She was still going over what Johnny had said to her about the party, or more of what she had said to him. This was her chance to get closer to him, just because he had a girlfriend didn't mean they couldn't be friends right?

Davis, Jude, Johnny and Alex sat on the bleachers at the river court panting hard from the game of two on two they had just played. "Hey did you guys see the girls at the tryouts today, they were looking pretty good." Davis said as he stretched out his legs in front of him.

"I wonder how Sawyer and Lydia did, I was expecting Lydia to call me afterwards." Said Jude.

"Are you hitting that Baker?" Johnny asked.

"What, me and Lydia? No man, she's like my best friend."

"That's a shame, she's pretty hot."

"Dude," Alex interrupted, "you have a girlfriend."

"So, I'm just saying she's hot, no crime in that. What about you Davis, how's Casey?"

"Ah, yes, how is the cheer zombie?" Jude asked repeating Lydia's earlier words.

"We're just friends man."

"With benefits?" asked Alex.

"Occasionally." Davis smiled and shot the ball from mid court. "I like to keep my options open, not get tied down like Evans over here."

"Tied down I may be, but my girlfriend is smokin'. Speaking of my girlfriend, I've got to her place for dinner, I'll see you guys later."

"See ya later man."

"So Alex man, how's are season looking difficulty wise?" Jude asked.

"Well your first away game is against Vista, and they won state last year, so you should keep practicing."

"Anyone home?" Lydia called out as she walked into the Baker's house later that night.

"In here." Lydia recognized Brookes voice and followed it to the kitchen.

"Hey honey, how," Brooke stopped mid sentence when she saw Lydia. "You're a cheerleader?" she asked shocked.

Lydia nodded, "Sawyer and I made the team. Although I'm pretty sure Jenny only gave me a spot because I was the one who convinced Sawyer to join and she was amazing."

"I'm sure you were amazing too, oh you look so adorable, I have to show you how to draw a cute little R on your cheek, this is so exciting. Sorry, I have two boys, I miss being girly." Lydia smiled and shook her head.

"Mom, what's with all the yelling?" Jude asked as he entered the kitchen, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Lydia. "Whoa." She smiled shyly. "You made the team?"

"I made the team."

"Congragulations." Jude gave her a big hug, lifting her slightly off the ground. "What about Sawyer?"

"She also made the team. Although I think she just wants to wear the uniform." Jude smiled.

"Hey, I was just watching some new indie movie, want watch it with me?" He asked.

"Yeah, that would be great."

"I don't know how I'm going to keep up with everything, between school and track and now cheer, there's just too much to do." Sawyer collapsed on her bed holding the phone to her ear.

"I'm sure you'll manage, I mean there's nothing the great Sawyer Brooke Scott can't do."

"Thanks Davis."

"Anytime, oh before I forget Jude is planning some movie marathon this weekend, he told me to ask you to come."

"Sure, it sounds like fun, we're all going to Tom's still right?"

"Hell yes, there is no way I am missing a party with a keg, and plenty of hot chicks in cheerleader uniforms."

"Okay, ew."

"What, you know you're going to be staring at all us basketball players, undressing us with your eyes."

"Double ew." Davis laughed. "Don't you have a girlfriend?" Sawyer asked, referring to Casey.

"She's just a friend, you know the only woman I would ever settle down for is you."

"Yeah, okay. Just don't tell that to Lydia." Sawyer said jokingly.

"Actually I don't think she would mind."

"What do you mean?"

"She's in the den with Jude right now watching some movie. They look pretty cozy."

"Huh, Jude and Lydia, weird, but also kind of makes perfect sense. I mean ever since they were little they've been each others other half."

"She's the ying to his yang."

"I'm sorry did you actually just say that. Geez, how are you the most popular boy in school again?"

"I'm gorgeous, the best basketball player in the school and I'm almost as smart as Lydia."

"Whatever you say Baker, I have to go, talk to you later."

"Bye."

Alex sat at the school computer, typing up the new schedule he created for the team. These days he felt like his entire life revolved around the team. He couldn't really remember the last time that he did something for fun.

"God, this program is so stupid." The loud voice startled Alex out of his thoughts. He scanned the room in an effort to locate the person who had spoken so loudly. Sitting directly behind him was a head of curly red hair. It was her. She let out a frustrated groan and slammed her fist down on the keyboard. Alex slowly rose from his seat and made his way over to the gorgeous girl.

"Need some help?" She jumped a little in her seat, he had clearly startled her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I just heard you and thought maybe I could lend a hand." She looked at him like he was something she had stuck on the bottom of her designer shoe.

"God, you're serious. Fine, my essay won't open up on the school program, can you fix it?"

"Yeah, let me just see if I can resave it as a new type of document." Alex quickly rewrote the file and managed to open it on the word program. "There you go, it should work fine now."

"Wow, that was fast." She said shocked. Alex waited for a brief moment to see if she would say more, but when she turned back to her screen and began typing he gave up and walked away. Back at his own computer he resumed his work, still wishing he had something in his life that would make him smile.

"Johnny Evans, you sure do know how to make a girl smile." Jenny told him as they held hands and walked along the town bridge.

"It's easy when you like the girl as much as I do. Are you hungry, we could stop and get some ice cream."

"No, it's okay I should probably get home before my dad starts to worry, but hey, I forgot to tell you that I can't go to Tom's party on Friday. I have to go to my mom's place, and there is no way she's going to let me out of the house."

"That sucks it's not going to be as fun without you."

"You're still going? Usually I have to drag you to these things, and the one time I'm not you decide to go anyways."

"I told some people I was going to be there. I thought you would drag me so I just told everyone I was going already."

"Oh, okay. Maybe next weekend you and me can do something fun together."

"You're saying this isn't fun?" Johnny asked gesturing to their surroundings. She laughed.

"Of course this is fun, I was just thinking of something a tad more entertaining, like a movie."

"If a movie is what you want, a movie is what you shall get."

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