K. Randis - Spilled Milk

The next two girls went and it seemed like the coach and staff didn’t even pay attention to any girls that weren’t already cheerleaders. Carmen was up next, along with a red haired eleventh grader. She struggled through her jumps but she picked up most of the dance routine and finished her tryout with a smile. She winked at me as she slipped through the gym doors to wait for me outside.

“Brooke Nolan and Chrissy Stires. You’re up.”

I took my place in front of the Coach and flashed my biggest smile. I was sure I probably looked like an idiot.

“Brooke Nolan. Have you ever tried out before?”

“No, I haven’t.” My throat tightened after realizing I just gave her permission to not watch a thing I did for the next two minutes.

“Okay girls, first, toe touch.”

I clasped both hands together, then up over my head as I swung my hands around and left the ground. When I landed I saw one of the staff members nudge the person next to her to look in my direction. Wow, are they really going to make fun of me as I’m standing right here?

After our jumps were done they called us one by one to do a chant then a cheer. I messed up the words to the cheer but I recovered and smiled through it.

“No matter what,” Sonia warned, “Smile every second. Don’t stop smiling.”

Music blared through the speakers as the music for the dance routine started. My calves threatened to turn to jelly as I finished and I noticed that every staff member, including Coach, was looking at me when the routine ended. One staff member leaned in towards Coach and whispered something in her ear. She nodded.

“Very well, one more thing.” Coach nodded to Lucille. “Bring your bases in here Lucille, we want to see Brooke try a half elevator.” Lucille raised her eyebrows and looked in my direction. “Now, Lucille.” Coach waved her off.

“Brooke, do you know what a flyer is?” Coach asked, not bothering to look at me.

Blood rushed to my face. “Uh, no, I’m sorry, I don’t.”

Coach smirked. “A flyer is the girl that goes up in the air.” She pointed towards the ceiling as three girls followed Lucille into the gym.

“Girls, I’d like you to put Brooke into a half elevator.” The girls eyed me. “Walk her through it, tell her what to do.”

Lucille broke the awkward silence. “Come on you heard her, let’s go.”

Two girls were on either side of me and one girl was behind me. The girl behind me clasped her hands onto my waist. “Geeze girl, do you not eat?”

“Okay, now put your hands on our shoulders and go up on your toes. When we say cradle up, push off your toes and into our hands. Lock your legs or you’ll fall, or kick us.”

The girl to my right was talking too fast. “Lucille will stand in front of you to make sure you don’t fall forward. But don’t fall forward. We’ll raise our hands chest high once your feet are in our hands. Push off hard, lock your legs, got it?” I nodded.

I was going to die.

I put my palms on the shoulders of each girl on my side and felt the back base grip my waist. I lifted my weight onto my toes and prayed I didn’t smash my face off the ground with what was about to happen.

“Cradle UP!” Lucille bellowed.

I jumped into the girls hands, pushed off and looked down. I shouldn’t have looked down. My legs flailed underneath me and the back base all but took a kick to the chest as she caught me coming down.

“Ah sorry, and don’t look down either,” said the side base as she smiled at the Coach. “Put your hands in a T when you get to the top.”

“Again.” Coach crossed her arms over her chest and gave a knowing look to the staff that had whispered in her ear.

Okay Brooke. Push off, lock your legs, don’t look down. Don’t look down. Don’t look down.

“Cradle UP!”

I pushed off and landed in the side bases hands. In a swift movement I was rushed through the air and then everything stopped. My hands out in a T at my sides, my feet were undoubtedly planted firmly on the ground. Then I opened my eyes.

Coach and staff were open mouthed staring at me. I stared down at them.

Wait, I’m staring down at them?

Four hands secured my ankles in place, but I had locked my legs and was standing several feet off the ground in a perfect half elevator. A wide grin spread across my face. What a rush!

“Cradle her.” Coach flailed her hands at me. “Cradle her, then.”

Lucille looked up at me, eyes wide. “But Coach, we didn’t teach her- I mean she doesn’t know how to.”

“CRADLE HER!” Coach bellowed.

Lucille looked up at me, agony in her face. She mouthed s orry .

“Cradle!” Lucille bellowed. “One, TWO.”

The ground disappeared below my feet as the side bases pushed up and sent me flying higher into the air. Instinctively I threw my arms back and my legs dashed out in front of me. When I opened my eyes again, the side and back bases had crazy smiles on their faces while they held me safely off the ground.

Lucille was ecstatic. “Wow! Did you see that Coach? She did it perfectly. Did you see that coach she cradled just like she should!”

They raised my torso until my sneakers touched the ground and two girls patted my back. “All right, Brooke, that was awesome.”

My heart was still in my throat as I looked at Coach sitting in her chair chewing on her hair. “Well, Brooke.” She picked up her pencil and wrote something down in front of her. “Seems as though you’re a natural.”

“What happened to you in there?” Carmen and Sonia demanded as I finally walked out of the gym doors. I told them what happened and they stared back with the same open mouths the judges had. “You did a stunt? Well I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t shave your legs!”

“What does that have to do with anything?” I asked

“I figured, you know, because you’re so skinny that if you made the team they would want you to be a flyer. You can’t shave your legs before you stunt because otherwise the bases cant grip your legs as you go up, it’s too slippery.” Sonia beamed at me. “Aaaah that means you totally made the team!”

An hour later Coach appeared in front of the gym doors with a list in her hand. “A lot of girls here today showed great talent and promise. Unfortunately, we only have six spots per team this year, so if you hear your name, congratulations, you’ve made the team. First we’ll start with varsity.”

Coach rattled off names of mostly Junior and Senior girls who shrieked when they heard their names. Other girls looked around nervous that there were only six more spots to be claimed.

“Junior Varsity will now have the pleasure of adding the following girls to the team for the fall football season.”

Carmen and Sonia gripped either of my hands. “If you’re name is called, you’ve made the team. Margaret B., Sara T., Joanna N., Riley D.,” There were only two names left.

Coach eyed the group of hopefuls. “Also, Lily P., and Danica R.”

Our hands loosened as I realized with Carmen and Sonia that none of us had made the team. I looked at Carmen who already had tears falling down her cheeks and at Sonia who was shaking her head in disbelief.

The girls who made the team cheered and hugged each other as Coach put the list in her pocket. “I know a lot of you had great expectations for today. And I appreciate all your hard work. Please try again next season, as we’re always looking for new and great talent.”

“Yea right,” Sonia whispered under her breath.

“One more thing.” Coach cracked her knuckles and cleared her throat. “I also want to congratulate Brooke Nolan, for becoming the newest flyer on the Junior Varsity team. We needed six cheerleaders, and didn’t realize we needed a new flyer until she demonstrated exceptional talent at today’s audition.” Coach looked at me. “Congratulations, Brooke. Welcome to the team.”