Ask any student what the worst part of a new school year is and they'd probably say something along the lines of: harder classes, more difficult homework, new teachers to get used to, new school policies/rules to follow.
However, if you were to ask a certain group of girls at Echo Creek Academy, it would be cheerleading practice.
TWEET!
"CARTWHEELS!"
These girls were Sabrina Backintosh, Chantal Phillips, Andrea Mayes, and Megan Gandlym, the school's resident cheerleaders. The end of summer meant another sport season for their school team, the Opossums, and another season of cheering them on from the sidelines.
TWEET!
"DAGGERS!"
It's not that they hated the sport, far from it. It's just that their cheer captain was Brittney Wong.
TWEET!
"SPINNING BACKFLIPS!"
To say she took the sport seriously would be an understatement. A harsh understandment.
"ARABESQUE!"
"CRADLE DISMOUNT!"
"ELEVATOR!"
TWEEEEEEEEEEEEET!
And after yet another grueling practice session, the girls all found themselves crashed at Sabrina's house (as it was closest to the field and required the least amount of walking).
Sabrina Backintosh, a fair-skinned girl with brown hair wrapped up in a ponytail, lay on her couch. Her head was wrapped in bandages, a result of Andrea not catching her on a spinning jump. Andrea, a dark-skinned girl with curly black hair, lay in one of the couch's two adjusting armchairs. Chantel, an Asian-American with short, brown hair, occupied the other. Finally, Megan, a Hispanic girl with a red banded wrapped poytail, lay against the couch.
School had only started up a month ago and already all four girls felt worn out. Not only was cheerleading practice brutal, but their classes weren't walks in the park either. Pre-Cal had already proven to be a challenge for Sabrina, History was tough for Megan, and Andrea and Chantel were both struggling with Physics. These were made especially stressful by the fact that as varsity cheerleaders, they were all required to keep a certain grade point average in order to stay on the team, a fact their teachers frustratingly made a point of reminding them more often than needed.
"Hey," Megan chiped, "remember when cheerleading used to be fun?"
The others chuckled, their voices dry and wheezy. Chantel reached for the TV remote and flicked it on to the music video channel. On screen appeared an apocalyptic music video set to a soothing love song. "Adam Bomb makes the pain go away."
The lead singer belted out a high note as a nuclear explosion went off in the background. All four girls sighed in delight. "Yeah."
"Sorry I dropped you on that toss, Sabrina," Andrea said.
"It's okay," Sabrina said, rubbing her bandaged head. She couldn't be mad at Andrea, not when this sort of thing happened to her on such a regular basis. She was a Backintosh after all, a family with a history of accident-prone girls.
"I can't believe Brittney's still got you doing stunts," Chantel said. "That's supposed to be my job. I don't understand." She suddenly looked down at her figure. "Wait… do I look a little tubby?"
"No, you're fine," Sabrina said.
"How? You hardly ever eat," Megan quiped. "What, you're like on 100 calories a day?" Chantel rolled her eyes, "Oh, screw you."
"Language," Andrea piped up.
"Bill me later."
Another explosion went off in the video. The girls sighed happily again.
"Seriously though, it's only the third week of the school year," Chantel asked, "what's got Brittney's spankies in a bunch?"
"Classes?" Andrea suggested. "She's in Geometry with me; threw a huge fit over the D- she got on her first test."
"Wow, no wonder she had to pay her way to Captain."
The others chuckled, except for Sabrina. "Hey, don't harp on her," she said, "She just wants us to do our best."
"Yeah while she sits on the sidelines and watches," Megan mutters.
"You'd think she'd at least let us soak in her hot tub after all the practice we do for her," Chantel added, muttering under her breath. "God, I could use a spa day."
"Or at least treat us like her friends," Andrea sighed.
The song ended with the whole band posing for the camera. The lead singer shot the girls a wink.
"Oh, Luke Clear," Chantel moaned, "You make physics so much more exciting."
An advertisement for the popped up on screen. "And if you liked that," Clear's English-accented voice said, "Be sure to catch us at the start of our Apocalips Tour." Text on the screen flashed: SEPTEMBER 21. LOS ANGLES CALIFORNIA. TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
"This is why, girls," Sabrina smiled and jumped up, whincing due to the pain. "Because in three weeks, we're going to finally, FINALLY see Adam Bomb live!"
The girls all squealed.
"I can't believe you convinced Brittney to take us," Chantel said.
Sabrina chuckled nervously. "Oh, it was nothing, really."
FLASHBACK
Brittney is staring at a Adam Bomb poster. She looks up at Sabrina, hunched over in a pleading gesture on the verge of tears with the biggest puppy dog eyes possible.
"I swear," the girl begs, "I'll do EVERY stunt you want me to do, I'll buy you lunch for a year, I'll pay for all your makeup, I'll… I'll name my first child after you."
Brittney rolls her eyes and sighs.
"Fine, I'll take you."
"YEAHHHHH!"
FLASHBACK ENDS
"I think we've really formed a strong bond," she added.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm SO getting my forehead signed," Megan said.
"Arm," Andrea said.
"I'm still figuring out where I want him to sign," Chantel said, causing the other girls to stare.
"Okay, don't get weird, Chantie," Megan warned.
"Just two more weeks," Sabrina sighed, relaxing back in her seat. "Oh, I don't care if I'm in a full body cast by then, I'm not missing it."
"Neither are we," the others replied.
They sat back as Love Sentence began playing next.
"We spiraled high on a gust of love
And I knew right from the start
Nothing could tear us apart…"
"… And now it's… too little, too late.
Ooh-oooooh."
Mariposa let out a high-pitched squeal and began laughing and clapping, bouncing up and down in her crib. Marco smiled in success as he turned to his friend.
"Told you it would work."
"Fastest owie recovery I've ever seen," Star Butterfly, former princess of Mewni, walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "Marco Diaz, you've outdone yourself let again." She joined him in looking down at the baby, who stared back at them with huge, shiny brown eyes.
"She's so cute," Star sighed. "Really makes it all worth it, doesn't it? All the crying and spit-up and poopy diapers."
"Well, Mom and Dad handle most of that stuff, I just help out," Marco said. He picked up his baby sister, her cooing and reaching for him. "but yeah, Posey's worth it." He smiled at his sister, gently cradling her in his arms.
The sight of her best friend cuddling a baby was enough to make Star blush with delight, her cheek hearts blazing red. "Oh. You get a cutie-pie and all I got was Glossaryk," she sighed.
"Still, I do kind of miss all the fun we had in Mewni," Marco's focus was still on his sister and he hadn't noticed Star's giddy state. "Wouldn't hurt to go on another adventure every once in a while. At least one that doesn't involve dirty diapers." He tickled Posey's tummy, making her laugh.
Now with full-on baby fever, Star snatched the infant from Marco's grip. "Oh, would you like that, Posey?" she cooed in baby talk, "Would you wanna go on an adventure with us?"
Mariposa clapped her hands.
"Yeaaaaah, I think we'll wait on that," Marco took his sister back. "She's only six months old, Star. She's too young for our kind of fun."
Star blew a raspberry. "Please! I went on adventures all the time as a baby and look how great I turned out." She twirled and did a cute pose with her leg lifted in the air and her arms stretched out under her chin.
Before Marco could respond, Star's phone began to buzz. She flipped it open to find a magic Facetime request from Eclipsa and accepted it.
"Hi Eclipsa," Star greeted her.
"Hi Star," Eclipsa said back. "Is Marco with you?"
"Hey," Marco said, coming into view. "Oh, I've got someone for you to meet." He held up Mariposa, who stared at the mirror phone curiously. "This is my new baby sister, Mariposa."
"So, this is the friend Meteora keeps babbling about," Eclipsa waved. "Hi sweetie!"
Mariposa giggled, babbling her own version of hello.
"Just as handsome as her big brother," Eclipsa said. "Anyway, I've got some big news for you and Star, Marco." "What?"
"Well…" Eclipsa explained, "In two weeks, the Butterfly Kingdom will be hosting the annuel Mewni Royal Jousting Tournament."
"Oooh, that's back on?" Star asked.
"Uh, can I get some clarification?" Marco said.
"Oh well, it's this big tournament thing where all the kingdoms come together and have their best champions joust each other," Star explained. "Every year, a new kingdom hosts it. Mine was meant to do last year's, but it got cancelled due to Ludo's invasion."
"Well, I managed to convince the other kingdoms to allow us to host it again," Eclipsa went on, "And after everything you've done for us Marco, I'd be honored if you'd be one of our champions."
Marco looked stunned.
"That is, if you want to, of course," she quickly added. "I mean, it is quite dangerous and seeing as you're back home with a new sister and all, I'd completely understand if you don't…"
"Are you kidding?" Marco cried, a big smile on his face. "I'd love to."
Eclipsa's nervousness turned into a happy squeal. "Ooh, that's wonderful!" She clapped. "It really isn't that bad honestly. According to Star, you went through way worse in the Neverzone. This should be a walk in the park for you."
"Yeah, I'll get Nacho and we'll meet up for it," Marco said. "I'm sure my parents won't mind."
"Try and come up with a flashy enterance in the meantime," Eclipsa added. "The Mewman love that stuff. I'll see you there."
With a wave, she vanished from the screen.
Marco held up Mariposa. "Well Posey," he said to her. "looks like your big brother going on another adventure." Mariposa clapped and cheered.
"But you're gonna need a gimmick," Star reminded him. "And I think I have a few ideas."
"Be my guest."
"Ooh yes, whose Daddy's little monster?
"Rowr!"
"That's right, you are," Globgor gushed as he rocked his baby. He looked up to see his wife enter the nursery. "Hi honey, how'd it go?"
"Marco said yes!" Eclipsa smiled and gave a little jump for joy. "And him joining will no doubt prompt the rest of the Royal Guard to as well!" Her giddiness caught the attention of her daughter, who crawled out of Globgor's lap and over to her.
"Oh Globby," she sighed, picking her daughter up. "I really, really hope this works out." Globgor got up and walked over to his wife. "It's just a tournament."
"To us maybe, but to the Mewmen of this kingdom, it might as well be Stump Day," Eclipsa said. "This is how I'm going to get them to like me, Globby. If they can trust the Queen of Darkness with their favorite sport, they might be willing to trust me with their kingdom."
Meteora cooed and her mother looked down sweetly at her. "I don't want our daughter to rule over a kingdom that hates her."
"Neither do I," Globgor said, coming up and putting an arm around her. "You know I'd follow you to the Underworld and back, Eclipsa. If there's anything I can do to help with this tournament, just give me your word."
Meteora threw up her hands and babbled in agreement, causing both her parents to smile.
"Well, with you two on my side, I don't see how we could go wrong."
