Victory

Susie picked up the megaphone. Her strong lungs would have propelled her voice regardless of the cone, but it was protocol. She issued the order of the formations quickly then dropped the megaphone and sprinted toward her team. She was at cheerleader tryouts today. She very much desired to have a trophy sitting next to the frame on her bedside stand. She was aiming for captain of the team.

The long nights of practice, the friends she lost due to lack of time for them, would it all be worth it? She was often reminded not to trample the tulip, the single flower her mother had planted in the yard.

Her small stature meant that she would always be at the top of the pyramid, in a very literal sense. That frightened her some, but she was not one to back down from a challenge. A challenge it definitely was. Her mind raced with the questions, "What if I fall? What if I get hurt? or worse?" But she was learning to trust her teammates as well as her coach. She knew that Mrs. Seastrom demanded proper technique.

She felt the sky open as she was deftly ejected from the hands of the men below her. The next row boosted her to keep the momentum going. Agile as her cat, she sprung to the top. She poised there briefly, Arms outstretched in victory, at least a victory over her fears. Suzie then signaled the movement for the next formation and was soon safely on the ground once more.

The routine was soon complete. Now the wait. Twelve teams in all were being judged today, but only 2 remained to perform. She knew the team following hers was "the team to beat". Would they return to the winner's circle or be overthrown this year?

Hoist, spin, jump, leap! The routine was 7-minutes long but passed in what felt was the blink of an eye. Her heart was in her throat when she saw the fall, she knew it wasn't a far enough fall to hurt more than pride, but it would mean the performing team lost points, and thereby the tournament.

Susie's team received a perfect score. Champions!!!