The New Captain

The cheers thundered down from the bleachers as the cheerleaders ran out onto the floor. As the seven girls bounded across the gym, the noise rose and echoed until it felt as if the roof might be blown off.

Kimmy led the girls onto the floor, and they immediately went into what they called their clap-clap routine. The girls clapped out a rhythm—and everyone in the bleachers repeated it as loudly as possible.

As she clapped, Kimmy stared up at the colorful blur of kids filling the bleachers, spilling out onto the gym floor, standing along the walls. The entire school was at the pep rally.

The hand clapping gave way to foot stomping. The bleachers quaked and trembled. The rhythm picked up. Faster. Louder.

What a thrill! Kimmy thought, an excited grin spread across her face. What a thrill to perform for the entire school! What a sound! Like an earthquake or the stampede of a thousand elephants!

She knew she looked great in her new uniform. They all did. The maroon and white was so sharp, the skirt so crisp, and the sweater so bright. Their old uniforms had been ruined that night in the rain.

But here it was, two weeks later, and everything was fresh and new again. And everyone was cheering. Cheering their lungs out.

Well . . . almost everyone.

“Give me a T!”

“T!”

“Give me an I!”

“I!”

“Give me a G!”

“G!”

What a sound! Kimmy thought, her grin growing even wider as her shiny black hair bounced around her face every time she jumped.

They finished the cheer in a wavelike ripple, the girls going down in splits one after the other. Kimmy glanced down the row of cheerleaders, all so happy, so fresh and excited, as if that terrible night had never happened.

There was Ronnie down at the end, radiant, shouting her heart out. Her curly red hair, caught in the bright lights, seemed to glow on its own. How happy she’d been to be back on the squad.

And Debra, normally so cool, so withdrawn, was cheering at the top of her lungs.

Only cheerleaders, Kimmy thought, know what this is like. A lot of people put us down. They think we’re wasting our time. Or we’re out-of-date or something. But that’s because they don’t know this special excitement, the special thrill of getting a huge crowd to forget itself and go wild.

The cheer ended to raucous shouts and applause.

Kimmy peered down the line of girls to see Corky and Bobbi do their special double cartwheel.

Ugh, she thought bitterly. What showoffs. They really make me sick. With their blond hair and sweet, innocent faces. Always prancing around together, trying to make the rest of us look second rate. I could throw up. I really could.

The echoing drums of the marching band brought Kimmy out of her dark thoughts.

No, she decided. I’m not going to allow those two to ruin this day. I’m not going to give them another thought.

Everyone stood and clapped along as the band played the Shadyside High marching song.

I want only good memories of this pep rally, Kimmy thought, clapping as hard as she could. After all, the rally is in honor of us, in honor of how brave we were, in honor of how we survived that terrible night.

The band ended its number to wild applause. Corky and Bobbi did their cartwheel again, and Kimmy forced herself not to react.

The girls all turned to her to begin the next cheer routine.

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go. . . .”

Kimmy’s eye caught Miss Green leaning against the wall of her office and clapping along with them, a big smile on her usually dour face.

In a few minutes Miss Green will name me as the new captain, Kimmy thought. The thought sent a shiver of excitement down her back.

It’s something I’ve wanted for so long. I’ve worked so hard for it, so hard.

I’m not knockout beautiful like the other girls. I’m not tall and well built. I don’t have straight blond hair like the Corcorans or look like a movie star like . . . Jennifer.

But I’m going to be captain. I’m finally going to be captain.

She wished her parents could have been there to see it, to see the pep rally, to see their daughter, to see how exciting it all was. She had begged them to come. But, as usual, they claimed they couldn’t get away from their jobs.

Just an excuse, Kimmy thought bitterly.

Then forced those thoughts out of her mind. Nothing was going to spoil her day. Nothing.

Whoa!

The routine ended. The band started up immediately. Kimmy turned toward the far side of the gym, and the other girls followed her lead.

As the band finished its number, a deafening cheer went up as Jennifer wheeled herself out onto the floor. She was wearing a new uniform too, Kimmy saw. In her hand was a maroon and white pennant with her name embroidered on it, the pennant they had given her in the hospital.

She waved it from her seat as she vigorously wheeled herself across the gym. The applause grew and grew until Kimmy felt like covering her ears.

Jennifer has been so brave during all this, Kimmy thought, staring at her in her wheelchair now lined up with the other cheerleaders.

So brave and cheerful, even though she might never walk again.

Even though her life was ruined.

Kimmy wondered if she would have been so brave, so smiling, so . . . accepting.

Of course, Jennifer had nearly died that night, Kimmy remembered. Everyone had thought she was dead. So in a way she was lucky, lucky just to be alive.

But how could anyone consider being crippled, perhaps for life, lucky?

Kimmy realized that the gym had grown silent. Jennifer had wheeled herself to a microphone and begun a short speech.

“I’m not good at making speeches,” she was saying, her voice so weak and unsteady. “I’d much rather be cheering than talking!”

Nervous laughter rolled down from the bleachers. One of the drummers in the band hit a rim shot.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone at Shadyside High,” Jennifer continued, her voice breaking with sudden emotion. “You’ve all been so good to me . . . all my friends . . . everyone . . . with all the cards and presents and stuff. . . .” She waved the pennant. “And I just want to tell you all that . . . I feel great! Go, Tigers!”

She pushed back from the microphone, waving her pennant, as the entire school erupted in applause. The band played the marching song again. Maroon and white streamers came flying down from the bleachers.

Kimmy wiped away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. She could feel herself begin to lose control, feel the loud, choking sobs try to force their way up.

But she cut them off.

This wasn’t a sad day. It was a happy day.

Everyone was smiling and cheering.

This was a celebration. A celebration that they were all alive.

So why did Jennifer’s smile make Kimmy feel like bawling?

She turned away from Jennifer. It was the only way to keep the sobs down, to keep herself in control.

I’m just excited, she thought. Overexcited, I guess.

She took a deep breath and held it.

Miss Green was approaching them, taking long strides across the gleaming wood gym floor, an intent expression on her face. She wore a maroon and white Shadyside sweatshirt over gray sweat pants. As she neared the microphone, her face flushed, she clasped her hands together behind her back.

Miss Green hated public speaking. She seldom spoke at assemblies or pep rallies, and when she did, she always rocked back and forth on her feet and her voice quavered, and everyone could tell she was really nervous.

She smiled at Jennifer, stopped, and made a short bow to her. Then, her face nearly scarlet, she stepped close to the microphone.

“I have an announcement to make!” she shouted, her voice echoing off the four walls. It took a while for the crowd to quiet down. She stood silently, waiting until they did. Kimmy could see a muscle twitch in her jaw from nervousness.

Poor woman, she thought sympathetically.

Kimmy felt the excitement begin to tighten her own muscles. She realized she was smiling with trembling lips. She hoped no one could see them shaking.

“This is a day of celebration,” Miss Green began.

“We are celebrating the great spirit of these Shadyside cheerleaders. And we are celebrating the spirit shown in particular by Jennifer Daly.”

The gym grew absolutely silent. So silent, Kimmy could hear a car horn honking outside in the parking lot.

“We are all celebrating today because Jennifer is back with us,” Miss Green continued, rocking on the heels of her white high-tops. “Her courage, her strength, her indomitable spirit, are an example for us all.”

Applause.

“Now it’s time for me to announce a new captain,” Miss Green said, glancing at Jennifer, who flashed her an encouraging smile.

Kimmy took a deep breath. Her heart was thudding so hard, she thought she might pass out.

She gave Jennifer a big smile, but Jennifer had turned to stare up into the bleachers.

“I have spent many hours thinking about this selection,” Miss Green continued. “And I know that the young lady I have chosen will lead the Tiger cheerleaders with the same courage and spirit that Jennifer Daly has shown.”

Yes! Yes! Thank you! Kimmy thought, about to burst.

She took another deep breath and let it out slowly.

Miss Green cleared her throat and then, speaking loudly and enthusiastically, announced the name of the new cheerleader captain.

“No!” Kimmy shrieked out loud. “Please—no!”

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 549