Finally Coach Megan looked up again. “Great, thank you, Brielle. You may go sit down. Vivi?”

  she said, calling the next girl.

  24

  The coaches were being careful not to show much of a reaction on their faces as they judged the tryouts, but Brielle thought she saw a bit of a smile on Coach Jennifer’s face as she took her seat.

  Maya leaned over to whisper in Brielle’s ear. “That was great,” she said, offering her palm, which Brielle slapped quietly.

  “Thanks,” she said, smiling. Her heart had stopped racing, and she settled into her seat with a sigh of relief. Maybe this cheerleading thing would turn out after all.

  25

  Chapter 3

  FLYING HIGH

  When she checked the cheer team website a couple of days later, Brielle’s heart jumped as she spotted her name on the list for the level four youth team.

  Yes, I made it! she thought.

  She was happy to see Maya’s name on the list too, as well as a couple of others she remembered from tryouts. Slamming the laptop shut, she raced over to Naomi’s to share her good news. She couldn’t wait to tell her best friend.

  27

  When the first cheer practice rolled around, Brielle showed up ten minutes early to make sure she was totally prepared. She was glad she had, because after brief introductions and a quick warm-up, they got right down to business working on stunts.

  Several of the girls who had more cheer

  experience were grouped together to practice some more advanced stunts. Brielle was in a group with Maya and Vivi, who were also great tumblers, but new to cheerleading. They were starting off by practicing one of the basics, a thigh stand, but it wasn’t exactly a smooth start.

  “OK, Maya and Vivi, you’re our bases for this stunt. Now, you two stand facing each other, like this . . . ,” Coach Jennifer instructed. “Brielle, you’ll be our flyer. ”

  As Coach Jennifer talked them through the steps, the girls got into position. Maya lunged forward, matching her bent leg to her teammate Vivi’s.

  28

  Brielle placed her left foot on Maya’s thigh, up close to her hip, and planted her hands on both of their shoulders. At the same time, Maya grasped Brielle’s foot with one hand and wrapped the other behind her knee to support it. Brielle squatted a bit to get some momentum and then pushed herself up with an “oof.”

  For a moment Maya winced as she took Brielle’s full weight, but Brielle placed her other foot on Vivi’s thigh so the weight quickly lessened. Vivi locked her hands into place around Brielle’s other leg, and they were all still for a beat as Brielle tried to find her balance.

  She threw her arms up in a quick V before suddenly grabbing at the two bases’ shoulders again, then hopping down. Maya and Vivi stood up too.

  They all looked a little frustrated.

  “That was a great start, girls!” Coach Jennifer said with an encouraging clap of her hands.

  29

  Brielle shook her head slightly.

  Coach Jennifer put her hand on Brielle’s shoulder.

  “Listen, we put you all on the level four team for a reason,” she said. “Your tumbling and dance skills are solid, we just need a little extra work to catch you up on the stunts. I have every confidence you ladies can do this. Brielle, is there anything different you need from your bases?”

  “I don’t think so. You guys both did great.

  I don’t know why I couldn’t find my balance up there,” she said.

  “Let’s try it with another spotter until you feel more comfortable,” Jennifer suggested. “Emma!” She motioned to another teammate, who had been working with Coach Megan in the basket toss group. “Please come join us for a few minutes. We need a spotter.”

  This time as Brielle pushed herself up into the thigh stand, Emma stepped in behind her and grasped her waist firmly with both hands.

  30

  Brielle threw her arms up into a proud and solid V.

  This time when she hopped down, she was smiling.

  “How did it feel that time?” Jennifer asked.

  “Great!” Brielle said. “That was fun! Let’s go again!”

  After another two times practicing with Emma’s support, Brielle was ready to successfully try it without a spotter. It was exciting to know she was improving.

  As they were packing up at the end of practice, Maya walked over with her gym bag on her shoulder.

  “I have a practice room set up in my basement with mats and stuff,” she said to Brielle and Vivi. “Would you guys want to come over on Saturday for some extra practice? We don’t have that long before the first competition to get used to all these new stunts, so extra practice time might be a good idea.”

  “That would be great,” Brielle said, smiling at her new friends. “I can use all the practice I can get!”

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  Chapter 4

  TEAMWORK

  When Brielle got home that afternoon, the sun was already low in the sky. Naomi was waiting on her front steps.

  “Hey,” Brielle said as she climbed out of the car. “You should have seen me today. We’re putting together our first routine already, and I’m going to be a flyer!” She was excited to tell her friend about the new skills she was learning.

  “Wow,” Naomi said. “That sounds fun. You’re getting tossed in the air?”

  33

  “Not yet,” Brielle said. “More like I get to stand on people. But it’s the first real stunt I’ve learned, and it’s fun. Actual flying comes next.” Then she sighed.

  “I can’t hang out. I have to do my homework. Can you believe Mr. Miller assigned us a science project already? Maybe you can come over tomorrow?”

  “We have gymnastics tomorrow,” Naomi

  reminded her.

  “Oh, yeah,” Brielle said, shaking her head.

  “Of course. Well, at least we get to see each other and hang out there, right?”

  “I guess so,” Naomi said sadly. “And at the tumbling clinic on Saturday.”

  Brielle winced. “Oh no, I forgot about that.

  I promised I’d go to an extra cheer practice. We really need it . . . ,” she began to explain, then trailed off.

  Naomi was already standing up. She obviously didn’t want to hear more about cheer.

  “Congratulations on the flying,” she said, sounding disappointed. “See you at school, I guess.”

  34

  With a wave, she slowly walked back toward her own house.

  Brielle didn’t know what to say. Naomi seemed pretty upset, and she felt bad about disappointing her best friend. She also couldn’t believe she had forgotten about the tumbling clinic.

  But before she could really muster an explanation, Naomi was already halfway to her own house. And her science project was still calling. Brielle went inside and slowly closed the door.

  * * *

  At the next cheer practice on Wednesday, Coach Megan watched closely as the team perfectly executed thigh stands and L stands. Brielle felt natural and safe raising her arms in a high V now with her new friends as a solid base below.

  “Awesome job! All your practice is paying off.

  I think you girls are ready for the basket toss,” the coach said.

  35

  Brielle couldn’t help but give a little hop of excitement. “Yay!” she exclaimed. A basket toss was real flying!

  “Brielle, let’s give Maya a turn to try flyer. I’d like you to have a shot at sidespot for this one,” Coach Megan said. Brielle felt a twinge of disappointment but quickly tried to hide it.

  Coach Megan gave her an understanding look.

  “Remember, cheer is all about teamwork,” she told her gently.

  The coach turned to the full group. “You all need to learn as many skills as you can to make the best possible team. Stunts can’t happen with a whole team of flyers,” she reminded them. “Now, Trinity, please take the other sidespot position. Everyone ready?”

  Brielle faced Trinity, nodding, and they clasped each other’s wrists.

  Coach Megan took some time adjusting their stance and grip. First she moved them closer together.

  36

  “You want the point where you release your grip to be as high as possible,” she explained. “The closer you are standing together, the closer your arms will be to reaching straight up, perpendicular to the ground. If you stand far apart, you can barely raise your arms at all, do you see?”

  All of the girls nodded seriously as Brielle and Trinity demonstrated. Even those who weren’t acting as bases yet were paying attention. They knew their turn would come.

  “Great,” the coach continued. “So in order to be as close together as possible without crashing, use good posture and keep your shoulders directly over your hips. Never lean forward, or you’ll absorb the flyer’s weight with your back.” She pretended to take a sudden heavy load, bending her back in a hump like an old witch in a fairy tale.

  “Instead, absorb the weight with your legs,”

  she said, now standing tall and squatting slightly.

  37

  “Not only does this help you stay close to each other, it also protects your back from injury.”

  After some more discussion of the steps, the girls were ready to give it a try. Brielle and Trinity got into position, as close to each other as possible. Maya stood behind their clasped arms and placed her hands on their shoulders.

  Vivi, who was back spotting, put her hands on Maya’s waist. Then on the count of three, she helped her push up onto the sidespot’s arms as they squatted to take her. Vivi shifted her hands to under Maya’s bottom, and the three spotters threw their arms in the air as hard as possible. Maya flew!

  As she fell back into her spotters’ arms, Maya did her best to keep her body straight, but her left elbow flew out a little bit and knocked Brielle on the forehead as she came down. It didn’t really hurt, but it did surprise her.

  “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” Maya said as her feet hit the floor a moment later. “Did I hurt you?”

  38

  Brielle rubbed her forehead and smiled. “I’m fine,”

  she reassured her friend. “That was nothing. You should have seen the huge bump I got when I was first learning back handsprings,” she added, laughing.

  “Let’s try it again!”

  39

  Chapter 5

  LOSING HER

  COOL

  Thursday morning was warm and sunny. Brielle threw her gymnastics bag in the car along with her backpack, then climbed in behind them. Her mother came out of the house a moment later, fumbling with her keys and coffee cup.

  “So how’s it going so far?” she asked Brielle as they were backing out of the driveway.

  “Cheer is awesome,” Brielle said happily. “I love it.

  I’m going to my friend Maya’s house on Saturday for some extra practice.”

  41

  She saw her mother’s frown in the rearview mirror. “You are, are you? Were you planning to ask me about that? What about tumbling clinic?”

  she asked sharply.

  Brielle groaned. “Mom,” she said. “I don’t need tumbling clinic as much as I need stunt practice. I can do that stuff in my sleep! But if I’m going to be a flyer in the first routine, I have a ton of work to do. And my friends need to work on it too. They can’t practice without me.” Her voice rose in annoyance.

  “Well, it’s your decision, I guess,” her mother said after a moment. “I just want to make sure you’re not letting gymnastics slide. You’ve put so much work into it already, it would be a shame for that to go to waste.”

  Brielle rolled her eyes. “It’s not going to waste.

  I’m using gymnastics skills in both sports anyway,”

  she insisted. “I’ve got it all under control, Mom. Stop worrying so much.”

  42

  * * *

  When Brielle walked into math class later that morning, though, she realized that maybe things weren’t so under control. On the board were only the giant words: QUIET, PLEASE. TESTING. The room was as silent as a tomb.

  Oh no! How could I have forgotten a math test? she thought, panicking.

  When the test paper was set on the desk in front of her, the numbers swam. Brielle closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying desperately to focus on what they’d been learning in class. It was hard to think about much beyond her shock, though. The sound of pencils busily scratching out answers all around her wasn’t helping, either.

  That sinking feeling stuck with her for the rest of the day. She didn’t raise her hand to read aloud even once in English, although usually she loved performing in front of the class.

  43

  She barely tasted the big turkey sandwich her mother had packed for her lunch. Even while sitting in the gym waiting for Coach Roberts to begin gymnastics practice, she felt no excitement, just a vague sense of doom.

  “Did you see Tessa’s new leotard?” Naomi asked, sitting next to her on the mat and wiggling her long brown toes. She didn’t seem to notice that Brielle wasn’t in the mood to talk. When she didn’t get an answer, though, Naomi turned and poked her in the ribs.

  “Hello? Anyone home?” she said.

  Brielle frowned. “Cut it out, Naomi,” she said testily.

  “Sorry,” Naomi said, looking hurt. “What’s wrong with you?” But before Brielle could say anything more, Coach Roberts came in.

  “Our first competition is coming up, girls,” the coach said, handing out papers with some information on them.

  44

  Brielle glanced at the paper, then stuck it into the side pocket of her gym bag.

  “You’ll be competing individually in your strongest events,” Coach Roberts explained. “I’ll come around today and make sure each of you knows what routine to work on and the details of what to expect.

  We need everything nailed down by next practice.”

  Brielle tried to throw herself into practice, hoping that maybe moving her body would help get the blown math test off her mind.

  What if it’s not as bad as I think it is, she began to wonder hopefully. Maybe I did OK, and I just feel like I didn’t because I was so surprised. Just then her foot came down too far to one side on the balance beam, and she nearly tumbled off.

  Coach Roberts looked over from across the gym, where she was helping a girl named Anna polish her routine on the bar. As Brielle regained her balance, the coach called out, “I’ll be there in a minute, Brielle.

  Take it easy.”

  45

  The coach turned back to the bars as Anna finished her swing and dropped to the mat with a clean landing. They began talking intently.

  Brielle sighed and began practicing a beam handstand again—by herself. Since gymnastics had become competitive, it seemed like the coach was spending more and more time with the two or three very best gymnasts, and the rest of them had to fight for any help or attention at all.

  After another couple of wobbly attempts, Brielle looked over to the mats where Naomi was practicing her floor routine. Her friend’s brow was wrinkled with concentration. She raised her arms, then set off into a series of tumbling moves that took her all the way across the floor.

  She’s getting real y good, Brielle thought.

  Just then Coach Roberts walked over and

  began talking to Naomi, moving her hands as she demonstrated some pointers on Naomi’s back handspring.

  46

  So much for coming to me next! Brielle thought with irritation.

  She hopped off the beam and stomped off to get some water. More than anything, she was just ready for this day to be over.

  47

  Chapter 6

  JUGGLING

  By Monday, Brielle was feeling more like herself again. After school, she nearly flew out the door to cheer practice. She couldn’t wait to show the coaches the skills she and her new cheer friends had practiced at Maya’s on Saturday. Learning to be a flyer was hard work, but it was also a lot of fun.

  They were working on adding express ups to their routine, and the stunt was really tricky. As flyer, Brielle had to place her foot in the base’s hold, then push up on their shoulders like usual.

  49

  But instead of keeping the first leg as her landing leg, the bases tossed her as she switched legs on the way up. Then they were supposed to catch the second foot as she came down and hold her steady. They had managed it a couple of times, but were still doing a lot more falling than hitting the mark.

  She understood now what Coach Megan had

  meant when she talked about trust being such an important part of teamwork, the key to success in a cheerleading squad. It took a lot of trust to let people lift or even throw your whole body in the air and believe that they would catch you safely.

  The bases and spotters also had to trust that the flyer would do her part to stay tight and balanced in the act. One wrong move on anyone’s part could cause real injury.

  At the end of practice, Coach Megan gathered all of the cheerleaders on the bleachers with a few minutes left to go.

  50

  “Our first competition is in three weeks, on Saturday afternoon. I’ll email the details to your parents,” she said. “I want you all there an hour early to give you time to get ready without rushing, OK?”

  Everyone nodded solemnly. “You’ve all been working so hard. You should be very excited to get up on that stage so everyone can see what a fantastic team you are!”

  * * *

  As the days toward the competition ticked on, Brielle poured her heart into being a great cheer teammate. Gymnastics practice was demanding too, though, especially with their first meet coming soon.

  Although she had been working hard, her routine had a couple of skills in it that still needed a lot of work.

  She was especially struggling with her cartwheel to a side handstand on the beam. She had practiced and practiced with the wall and booster blocks to get the quarter-turn dismount.

  51

  When she tried it on a real beam, though, she couldn’t seem to time the twist right. Once she had even banged her shoulder on the beam pretty hard on the way down and earned herself a big yellow bruise.

 

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