Spirit? Let's Hear it! (OPEN)

[Flicker]

“Coach Kerry? You have a minute?” Peyton asked tentatively after knocking on the PE teacher’s door.

“Always.” Kerry Campbell replied with a smile. Peyton liked her well enough, even if she insisted on spelling her name 'Payton' whenever she wrote it out. Payton. Like you Pay a ton of money, instead of Peyton, the name.

“I’d like to try out for cheer. I know it’s not try out season or anything, but I’ve been involved with it for a while, and I’m too old for Pop Warner. I brought some video, or I can try out any time you and the squad want, before practice, after practice, before school, after school...” Peyton held up her iPhone with highlights from last year’s competition in Orlando as she continued without taking a breath.. “and my old squad placed first in state and second in regionals, and that’s me, front left. I also have my certificates from cheer camp there every year from when I was 6 until 15, and...”

“Peyton, Peyton...” Coach Kerry said with another warm smile. “This... I’m sure you’re very good.” She took a moment to look at the playing video. “Oh, your whole squad was very good.” Peyton beamed and nodded her head. She wasn’t trying to be conceited, but they were good. They worked hard at it, six days a week, both before school and after. “It’s just we don’t have a program for that in Westbrook.” Peyton’s shoulder slumped, her whole body showing disappointment.

“I don’t mind if it’s just intramurals...” Peyton choked out. It was painful even saying the word. Intramural. In-tra-muuur-al. It sounded like a high fiber laxative drink. Fitting, because both lead to crappy performances. She figured the coach probably would not appreciate the humor in that so she kept it to herself.

“It’s not that. It’s just, we don’t have a program at all. With a school of this size, being largely privately funded, there’s just not a big budget for athletics. We try to allocate money where there’s the most interest.” Peyton started at her trying to process the words the pink colored coach was spewing at her.

“Not enough interest in cheerleading?” She could accept the fact that the student body included a guy who could accidentally get his mind stuck as a toaster oven, but no interest in cheerleading was flat out unheard of. What kind of freaky weird people WERE they?

“I’m sorry.” Coach Kerry handed her back her phone. “We do offer a few other sports if you were looking to participate.”

“There ARE no other sports.” Peyton blurted out, a little harsher than she intended. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair at all. But huffing likely wouldn’t get her anywhere. She had to think fast, before she lost Coach Kerry all together. How did they know there would be no interest if they didn’t generate any? It gave Peyton an idea.

“What if there was interest? If I asked around? Made some fliers or something?”

“Even if there was interest, there’s a lot to consider, Peyton. Uniforms, consent forms, waivers, cheer routines.”

“We can take care of that. All that.” Peyton insisted. “Hold bake sales, car washes, carnivals, canvass local businesses, we did it all in Lexington to raise money. We went to state and to regionals and down to Orlando every year. I know how to fund raise. If we could make enough money to get 18 girls, 3 boys and four chaperones all expense paid trips to Orlando Florida, I’m sure we could raise enough for what we need. As for routines, I was co-captain. I choreograph.The routine I showed you? It was mine.” Coach Kerry nodded her head slowly.

“But that team had years of experience. It’d be kind of daunting for a start up squad.”

“So I’ll scale it down. The key point is that people will have fun. Cheerleading is fun. It’s like dancing and gymnastics and stunts all rolled into one. It makes people feel good about themselves. It feels good to be part of a team. It’ll encourage the sports teams we do have.” The coach was wavering. Time to break out heavier artillery. “Besides, they’ll be getting extra-curricular physical activity, and with the obesity rate being what it is in the United States, the more exercise you get in your youth, the more likely you are to continue it on to adulthood.” Even Peyton couldn’t believe the straws she was grasping at by that point, but it seemed to be working. “ You’re not even even willing to let me try?” Kerry Campbell stammered for a second.

“I tell you what. you get six girls to show interest. Six signatures or more saying that yes - they want to join a cheer squad. Then I’ll take it up with Coach Armstrong, the athletic director. If he approves, then yes, we can give it a go. But you’ll need at least six girls to show interest.”

“What about boys?” Peyton asked. “Boys can cheer too, especially if we need to fill slots. Some boys schools have all male cheer squads even. Samuel L. Jackson was a cheerleader, and so were several presidents.”

“Boys too. Fair enough?”

“Fair enough. I’ll get six. I’ll get six easy. I can be real persuasive sometimes.”

“You don’t say.” Coach Kerry said, chuckling beneath her breath. “I’m not making any promises, mind you. You just get six signatures, then I’ll go to Coach and talk it over. That’s the best I can do.”

“Six signatures!” Peyton said, grabbing a clip board on her way out. “I can do that, Coach Kerry. You’ll see!”


((See discussion here: http://www.westbrooksg.com/forums/viewt ... f=20&t=592))

[Flicker]

Peyton’s first stop was the equipment room. Maybe she was jumping the gun a bit, but it’s not like it would take much time anyway. Sure enough, after a quick (super quick!) search, she found the box she was looking for, hidden behind some box of another sport's equipment that she was sure wasn’t important. She crinkled her nose at the musty cardboard but luckily what was inside was decently preserved in a large trash bag. She pulled out the first uniform and stared at it, curling up her lip. They were old school, that was for sure. She shrugged thoughtfully and grinned. Retro. She dug through to find two complete uniforms in the sizes she needed, then made a pit stop at the dry cleaners. In less than an hour, she was good to go.

She found Sondra back in their room, lying on her belly in bed listening to her iPod while studying something or another. Peyton imagined she was listening to the score of some musical. Her dad was a playwright, her mom was something theatrical too. Maybe an actress, Peyton couldn't remember off hand. The important part was that Sondra was a theater person, plus an accomplished dancer that had taken lessons. She was a performer. She had to help. She just had to.

Peyton gently tapped on her shoulder then zoomed back in case Sondra had a bad startle reflex, and grinned from ear to ear.

“Guess what?” She said excitedly after Sondra pulled the MP3 bud out of her ear. “Coach Kerry is going to let me start up a squad! It’s intramural, but it’s going to be a blast. All I need is to get six people to sign up. You’ll join, right?" Peyton waved the clipboard back in forth in her right hand, before tossing it to Sondra's bed. "It’s not that huge of a jump from chorus line to cheerleader. Please say yes, please say yes!” She barely gave Sondra a chance to take in a breath before adding in a sing song voice “I brought a uniform in your size....” She switched the hangars around to hold one uniform in each hand. She had a uniform and everything. Sondra just had to say yes.

[Black Solace]

The odd mix of Wickham's Introduction to Alchemy and Paramore's Ignorance wasn't really working so the tap on the shoulder came as a bit of a relief. Sondra pulled the earphone from her head and turned to see her roommate Peyton looking painfully exuberant while juggling a clipboard and some clotheshangers. There was barely time for a "What's up?" before the blonde girl went into her spiel and launched the clipboard at her.

"You want me to join your squad?" Sondra asked to buy time while she processed the barrage of input. "I don't know anything about cheerleading." The idea wasn't unattractive. Sondra hadn't made many friends in her time at Westbrook and cheerleading was supposed to be a gateway to social acceptance. Plus the uniform really did look cute. Sure it would be physically challenging, but would it really be any harder than dance training? Then she looked at the clipboard. There was one name on it. Peyton's. She'd said she needed six. This was obviously very important to her roommate. The decision was easy.

"If you think I can do it then sure," she said with a smile. "I'm in." She grabbed her pen and wrote 'Sondra Blake' in elegant style beneath Peyton's name.

[Flicker]

Sondra has the best handwriting. Peyton noticed after her roommate signed the sheet on the clipboard.

"Sondra? I'm sure you're gonna be great at it. Honest and swear. And it'll be a blast, you'll see!" Peyton flashed another smile towards her roommate.That's two. Four to go. 1/3 of the way there. The uniform looked surprisingly fantastic on Sondra, the white and maroon of the uniform a nice contrast to her gray skin. Peyton wasn't sure if that would be considered a compliment or not, so she stuck with "You look great!" Both the sentiment and the compliment was sincere.

Now to find Jeremy.....

Twice when she'd mentioned cheer squad to Jeremy, he seemed on a fence about it. But then again, Jeremy also seemed like the sort who could easily be swayed one way or the other. His big concern had been cheerleading wasn't 'boy' enough. But Peyton had done her research. Several presidents were cheerleaders. Michael Douglas, the old guy from Wall Street, him too. And he married Catherine Zeta Jones. Sure, turns out she was a little bipolar or whatnot, but I mean, old guy, hot chick, he did okay for himself. Jeremy was athletic, surprisingly co-ordinated, and enthusiastic, all things that made for a great cheer leader.

Peyton found him in the commons with Jess, Kai, Sondra and Jaycee. Oh and Roach. Peyton rolled her eyes. It'd be a harder sell with Roach around, but not impossible. She thought briefly about telling Jeremy that it was a survey for having more cake dessert nights in the cafeteria to get him to sign. Jeremy would believe it, but then there'd be all sorts of possible negative backlash, even if she did have his best interest at heart.

Luckily, Sondra showed up donning her uniform also, and Jeremy almost gladly signed up. Three names - half way there! Kai, Kai said he'd think about it. He was a theater guy too, a performer, like Sondra. He could have spotlight time even. And Peyton promised him a vote for homecoming queen in exchange for signing up. He did say he'd give yoga lessons to the squad, that was something too. Jaycee said she had a stint in her leg and couldn't participate right now, but Jessie, Jess said she'd think about it too. If Jess AND Kai joined? That'd be five. Jess might Join if Mia joined. Mia just had to join. And there was that new girl, Lauren. And Krista. And Diego. He was supposed to be a really good dancer. Maybe even Wyatt, even though he was built more for football. Peyton looked at the list once more.

1. Peyton Meredith
2. Sondra Blake
3. Jeremy Paterson
4.
5.
6.

Half way there!

[Flicker]

On her way to find Mia, Peyton stopped to pin up a few fliers on the dorm bulletin boards, both boys and girls, as well as in the commons and in the cafeteria. They weren't the best, and if she had more time she could have convinced some artistic kid to make something better, but they'd do.

[Roach Copeland]

[A flier hangs in the commons, smelling of fresh marker and paint.]

[Flicker]

Peyton clutched her clipboard tightly as she showed Cassandra where the dorms were. She'd gotten Mia to sign up with a little coaxing in the cafeteria, and... Ar, well, that was a surprise and a half. Ar mentioned it to her, rather than vice versa. Peyton wasn't sure how to take it at first. He didn't so much seem the enthusiastic type. Maybe he actually had an athletic side. Maybe he just wanted to join to make a pest out of himself. In any case, a name was a name. And she had five! One to go!

Five names. One to go.

1. Peyton Meredith
2. Sondra Blake
3. Jeremy Paterson
4. Mia Cobal
5. Arthur Rawlings
6.

[Etienne Mbane]

He looked up and down the hall. Seeing no one, he walked carefully, not wanting anyone to know of his presence on the girl's floor of the dormitory. He stopped at the closed door, staring at the door plate: 308. Without wanting to disturb anyone inside, he took a slip of paper out of his back pocket and slid it under the door. He turned and left, knowing that no one had seen him.

Spoiler!

((In a very neat, and well practiced hand))

Miss Peyton,

I wanted to apologize for criticizing the poetry of your cheers. I understand that their purpose is to rile up a crowd, not to invoke deep reflection on the human experience of competition. Please include me on your list for those interested in a cheer squad. I may not be the right size for what I have seen in cheering, but maybe we can make that an advantage.

Thank you for your kind consideration,
Etienne Mbane

[Flicker]

Peyton's hair swung from side to side as she bounded up the steps two at a time, clutching the clipboard to her chest. Normally she'd be weaving in and out of students still as statues, but tonight she was in no rush. Tonight was great. There was a bonfire at the beach. Eli played some great toons on his guitar. Wyatt gave it a go. There was swimming and limboing (Milo won? Now they HAD to have a Cinco De Milo party sometime!) and a bonfire, and it just felt good to laugh and get harassed by some old guy who thought they should be doing something more productive, like crime fighting. Plus? Wyatt joined cheer squad, that made six!

She flipped on the light to her room and tossed the clipboard to her bed before noticing the three notes that must have been shoved under the door.

"Payton,

We're looking for fun and pleasure on the sheets!

Signed,
The AV Club"

Peyton raised an eyebrow and scrunched up her face, a puzzled expression washing over her. Whoever it was spelled her name PAYton? She shrugged it off before waddding the paper and tossing it to the trash.

The second note had the same sentiment. 'pleasure on the sheets', only it was signed Norman Weatherbee with a quad number. Peyton shook her head. Cheer griefers.

She near crumpled up the third, but the flowery handwriting encouraged her to read it through. Etienne?

"Didn't see that coming." She said to the empty room. She knew it wasn't a joke, he apologized for an exchange that had taken place between them, and he sounded sincere about joining. Besides, he needed to loosen up a bit, and no better way than cheer squad for that!

She took a pen off her desk and wrote in two more names.

1.Peyton Meredith
2. Sondra Blake
3. Jeremy Paterson
4. Mia Cobal
5. Arthur Rawlings
6. Wyatt Wyborn
7. Etienne Mborn

Tomorrow? She could go see Coach Kelly!

"Lucky seven!"

[Lauren Lombardi]

Lauren hesitated at the door, her hand raised to knock. A part of her kept nagging that she was selling herself short. Why give up so easily on something she had worked so hard for all her life? Maybe she could learn to control it better. Maybe it could be suppressed. Maybe it could be cured.

Cured. She almost sneered at the thought. “It’s not a disease,” she thought to herself, “and competitive cheerleading can be every bit as challenging a sport.” She knocked on the door and waited for it to open.

“Hey, Peyton,” she began with a smile, “about that cheerleading thing you’ve been bugging me about? Where do I sign up?”