Melanie padded down the shiny, empty hallways of Calumet High quietly. She’d been called out of her second period class, and to John Butler’s, the head of the school’s athletic department, office. She passed a janitor as he ran a long, white dust mop across the hard wood floors productively. Anxiety filled her because scribbled across her pink slip was the word ‘urgent’, so she assumed she had to be in some kind of trouble. Finally she neared the door that had his nametag plastered to it and opened it.
There she saw Victoria, Hilary and Rebecca, the co-captains of the cheer squad, Coach Freedman, the cheerleading coach, Coach Walker, Damien, Justin, and Chasity sitting in the chairs in front of Mr. Butlers desk.
Melanie widened her eyes a bit, shocked at the other people in the room, and sat down next to Chasity quietly. She slightly smiled at Mr. Butler, and he began the meeting.
“Okay ladies and gentlemen, I’ve brought you here today because we need to discuss some issues with the school and athletics.” Mr. Butler clasped his hands together and sat them on his desk. “You all are aware that the school’s social status depends on its athletics. Right now, we’re primarily focussing on basketball season correct?”
Everyone nodded his or her heads.
Mr. Butler continued, “Now, the cheerleaders and the steppers have competitions that they have to prepare for when they get back from Spring Break. Now Melanie and Chasity, I’m asking you two to not argue with me when I say this, cause you two probably won’t like what I have to say.”
“Just say it,” Chasity said with a bored expression on her face.
“Both teams need to promote themselves, if you will, to have the student body support you by going to these competitions.”
Victoria interjected, “We don’t need to promote anything. People are going to come see us.”
Melanie agreed. “Yeah, she’s right. We’ve never needed to promote ourselves before. Besides, just as long as we win, it shouldn’t matter.”
“Okay, everybody just calm down.” Butler waved his hands a little. “Now, I’ve talked it over with Coach Freedman and we’ve agreed that since the cheerleaders aren’t as active as they were during football season, we think it would be best if the cheerleaders would cheer at one basketball game by themselves. Then that they perform alongside the steppers for the rest of the season.”
Melanie leaned forward in her chair. “Oh HELL no! They can promote by putting signs up, just like everyone else does.”
Chasity joined in now. “We have at least one rally every month. They can perform then.”
Butler shook his head. “You guys are missing the point. Calumet is right next to Englewood when it comes to dangerous schools. We want more kids to come here, and not be afraid. Take a look at yourselves. Now think of the social status you all have here. All of you in here are part of the ‘popular group’. If the other students saw that you all are past the racial differences, then they’ll follow your example, and the school will be a better place.”
“When did you consult me about this? You asked Coach Freedman, but you didn’t ask me, knowing that the step squad is a student-run team.”
“Because it’s far past that now, Melanie. We knew you would’ve said no before we even finished our statement. We’re the adults here, meaning we decide on what’s best for the school.” Mr. Butler paused. “Melanie, Chasity, Victoria, Rebecca, and Hilary. You all will be considered the captains of the mass team; you can do the lower authorities on your own time. Your first practice as a team starts today.”
Chasity asked, “What if we don’t do this?”
“Step squad is gone,” He said remotely.
“You can’t do that!” Melanie argued.
“Ms. Thomas, the discussion is closed.” Butler addressed the boys now, “Damien, you are the captain of the Boys Varsity Basketball team, and Justin, you are co-captain right?”
Justin, Damien, and Coach Walker nodded their heads.
Butler continued, “I find it odd for you two to share authority over the team, but act like two year olds on the courts.”
Damien shook his head. “Man, you can’t say anything to us. We get our job done…we’re the ones scoring the most points.”
“But, it would look better if you guys scored the points together. Pass the ball to one another every once in awhile.”
“Why?” Justin asked bluntly.
Mr. Butler furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean ‘why’? Because I said so, that’s why.”
“You’re not my coach,” Justin retorted.
Coach Walker interfered. “Boys, don’t argue. Let’s just give this a chance okay? Tell the rest of the guys that we’re having a mandatory practice today.”
Damien looked at his coach. “I thought you said we had the day off.”
“You don’t anymore. We have things we need to discuss, and you have a game tomorrow…I don’t know what I was thinking about when I told you you’d have the day off.”
Mr. Butler dismissed everyone when the bell rang for break, sending out some extremely unhappy people.
Damien grabbed Melanie’s hand and kissed the side of her head lovingly, before walking her out into the crowd. Justin and Chasity followed behind the two, and talked quietly amongst themselves.
“So, what have you and Melanie been up to?” Chasity grinned.
Justin looked down at her suspiciously. “I’m sure you know already.”
Chasity shrugged her shoulders and said, “Maybe, maybe not.”
“So, what have you and Jerome been up to?” He grinned.
She looked up at him and rolled her eyes. “Jerome told you. I know he tells you everything.”
Justin shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe, maybe not.”
Chasity elbowed Justin in the side and laughed when he whined. In turn, he wrapped his arm around the side of her neck and tightened his grip on Chasity. She squealed, which called Justin to laugh. Not being strong enough to get out of Justin’s grasp, she allowed herself to be dragged in a random direction. It wasn’t long before she was shoved into Jerome’s back. Jerome, who was pulling things out of his locker, plunged forward at the impact.
“What the hell are y’all doing?” Jerome asked once he turned around.
Justin laughed as Chasity stuttered, trying to think of an excuse. His laughing ceased when he saw Jerome brush his lips across Chasity’s.
“Justin did it,” She admitted quickly.
Jerome nodded his head and motioned for Justin, who was now retreating, to come to him. “Come here. I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m just gonna snatch one of those braids out.”
* *
Sixty girls filed into the gym quietly. The boys stopped their loud ball playing to look at the unhappy girls that were slowly filing in. The girls filed onto the bleachers and sat with their separate teams. Bored, tired, angry, and confused expressions sat on everyone’s faces. Melanie felt the most defeated out of all of them. She had been on the same team as Victoria during junior high school, and freshmen year at Calumet. All of her reasons for quitting cheerleading were going to go down the drain if she didn’t pull the steppers together. She and Chasity had failed to mention anything to them, so at lunch, their table was quiet. Obviously, the cheerleaders were in the dark just as much as some of the steppers were, for they too had confused expressions on their faces.
Suddenly, whistles were blown loudly and the basketball team came and sat on the bleachers. Coach Walker and Coach Freedman stood in front of their students. They watched as the boys wiped their sweat and some of the girls looked at them with disgust.
Coach Freedman began to talk. “Okay ladies, this is where you will be practicing, along with the steppers. You all will learn to share the court, listen to each others ideas, and get a long collectively as a team.”
There were collective shouts and questions from both the girls, and some of the boys. The coaches blew their whistles again in order to keep the students quiet.
Freedman looked at Melanie now. “Ms. Thomas, I’ve had you on my team before and I don’t think that the ultimatum Mr. Butler gave you was fair, so I’m going to step back and watch from the sidelines.”
Melanie looked at her, at one time, coach. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m saying that I want you head captain.”
“Of all 60 of us?”
Freedman nodded her head. “I’m going to watch from the sidelines. You and Coach Walker seem to understand each other, so he’ll sort of supervise your practices like he’s done in the past. Since it’s known that you choreograph for the steppers, you can choreograph for all sixty of you also.”
“What did I do? Is this some type of punishment?” Melanie asked.
“No one is trying to punish you, Melanie. I’m trying to help you. I’ll decide who your co-captain will be tomorrow, depending on how you girls work together today.”
“Why can’t Chasity be my co-captain?”
“You see that Justin and Damien are captains. The point of this project is to mix you guys up. Get to work, girls.”
“But, Justin and Damien were captains before this whole ‘project’ happened. Just cause they don’t like each other means that I can’t lead with someone I like? Besides, that’s basketball and this is dancing! It’s a lot harder to be creative with someone you don’t like. All the boys have to do is put a damn ball in a hoop.”
The boys begged to differ as they said some things out loud, causing Freedman and Walker to quiet the group again. “I really don’t care right now. I’ve given you a wonderful opportunity, now take it and run. Go practice.” The coach finished sternly.
Mike laughed out loud as he walked onto the basketball court. “Shit’s about to hit the fan, y’all!”
The boys laughed and grabbed some balls from the rack, and began to play little games.
“Coach Freedman is pretty fine though, y’all.” Samuel grinned.
“Please, that’s old and dry meat.” Justin rolled his eyes.
“Well I’m sorry that not all of us like popular, dark, lean, and thick meat like you do milky.” Sam challenged.
Justin rolled his eyes. “Fuck you. Anyway, this isn’t gonna good be for any of them. How come nobody told me Melanie used to be a cheerleader?”
“Why would you care?” Leroy asked. “I know you have a thing for cheerleaders, but-”
Justin threw the basketball roughly at Leroy, and his friend laughed.
“How much you wanna bet that somebody’s gonna get in a fight?” Jerome grinned.
“Girl fights are the best…hopefully a boob will pop out.” Leroy laughed.
Melanie turned to look at the boys talking about them. She shot them all dirty looks before turning around to face the 59 girls standing in front of her, looking at her expectantly. Any moment, she was going to break down.
“Well are we gonna start?” Victoria snottily yelled.
“Well are you gonna shut up? I don’t need your ass giving me orders. Let me think for a moment.”
“Don’t hurt yourself,” Victoria mumbled, and her friends laughed.
Melanie walked up to Victoria now, and stood face to face with her. The girls had spread apart now. She looked at her menacingly, ignoring the boys’ calls. In one swift move, Melanie pushed Victoria to the floor. She fell with a thud and looked up at Melanie with a shocked expression.
“I can’t believe you just did that!” Victoria yelled.
“You can’t? Well, get up and let me do it again!” Melanie yelled louder. “Right now, this is my got-damn team! And anyone that doesn’t like it, can get to steppin’. So, you can either get your raggedy ass up -begin to stretch, or you can sit there and look like a little weak ass bitch! Your pick, Vicky.” She said her name with a sarcastic tone.
Melanie turned around and walked to the front of the cluster, telling them to spread out into windows, so that all of them could be seen. “Can somebody turn on the music?” She called and within two minutes, loud music was blasting through the gym’s sound system.
The girls followed Melanie’s stretches quietly, and Melanie led them trustingly. Within 20 minutes, she had taught them the steppers' easiest step and was beginning to teach a dance that neither team had learned.
She did notice that some of the cheerleaders weren’t catching on as quickly as the other, so she told them the same thing she told her girls. “I’m trying to teach this as good as possible. You should be able to catch on if you call yourselves dancers and wanting to study dance. It’s honestly not that hard if you focus. But, by the end of the day if you don’t know this routine, you’re not performing it. And I’m the one who judges who knows the routine.”
Justin had heard her words from the other side of the court, and he grinned at her authority. Now if she was only that secure with herself in other situations. Moments later, he and the rest of his teammates had turned to watch the girls perform the new part of the dance that they had learned to Freeway’s ‘Flipside’. To everyone’s disbelief, it looked good with more people performing it. Also, to see the cheerleaders not so stiff anymore was a plus.
*
At the end of practice, everyone tiredly walked out of the gym. Not many of them were talking because they were so exhausted, sweaty, and sore. The girls had decided to wear their own uniforms until they had figured out something else to wear. Even though it would probably look tacky, they were all trying to get used to sharing a stage.
Melanie walked next to Damien now, and grabbed his hand. “Hey,” She said quietly.
Damien grinned at her and smiled slightly before going back to his conversation with Samuel. The two talked animatedly, and Melanie walked silently by her boyfriend. As the three of them walked down the hallways, Melanie noticed Justin turn a corner, and end up walking in front of them. He didn’t say anything to them, simply because Damien was there.
Melanie’s eyes drifted down to the portion of his blue boxers that were revealed because of how his shorts sagged and his shirt being a bit disoriented in the back. She grinned at the way his butt moved as he walked, but quickly stopped her daydreaming.
Damien squeezed her hand and looked at her with a wary expression on his face. “I can’t take you home tonight, baby.”
Melanie looked at him, “Why not?”
“Because I have someone-I mean somewhere I need to be.”
She rose her eyebrows at his slip up, but decided not to ask him about anything. Anyone could’ve made a simple mistake like that. “Okay,” She said uneasily.
Suddenly, Justin turned and looked at her. “Come on, girl.”
Melanie looked around a little before laughing slightly. Never, had he done that before…in front of Damien and Samuel, who constantly nagged him about Melanie. In return, she let go of Damien’s hand, picked up her pace, and caught up with Justin. Justin put his arm around her shoulder, and playfully winked.
“It’s a shame that I can just take you from your man like that.” He said lowly so the people behind him wouldn’t hear.
Melanie rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I don’t feel like walking.”
“Whatever. You just wanna hit this.”
“What did I tell you about that? I’m gonna hit you in the head. That’s the only thing I’ll be hitting.”
“Whatever. You want the extra cool whip on your fudge sundae.”
Melanie rolled her eyes, “Why do you say shit like that? You’re a virgin, you shouldn’t talk about that.”
Justin ignored her statement as the two walked out of the building. “You know how they say, ‘Once you go black, you don’t go back’?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, once you go white, you know you’ve been licked right.”
Melanie’s mouth dropped open, and a loud laugh passed through both of their lips. Justin grabbed her hand now, and led her to his truck. She plopped down in the seats, and grinned at her friend when he entered the car.
“Boy, you are crazy.” She chuckled.
“All of us are,” Justin said and started the car. “So, we leave for California right after school on Friday.”
Melanie looked at him briefly, “You and your brothers are going too?”
“No, me and you are going,” He said nonchalantly.
Melanie laughed and shook her head. “No, we’re not.”
“Yes, we are.”
“No.”
“Yes, you’re not going to New York, so don’t even let that little thought get time to germinate in your pretty little head.”
Melanie averted her eyes from Justin now, and looked out the window. She noticed Damien turn out of the parking lot a different way than usual. She squinted her eyes slightly and thought about how he stumbled over his words earlier, and didn’t protest when she walked out with Justin.
“Do you think Damien would cheat on me, Justin?” she asked quietly.
Justin didn’t reply right away because he didn’t know how to answer her question, for the first time.
“Follow him,” She said suddenly.
He furrowed his eyebrows. “I don’t think we should, you don’t want to-”
“Justin, just go!” she whined.
Justin cocked his head back at her imperative phrase and held his hands up with slight defeat. “Yes, Mrs. Daisy.”
Melanie snapped her head in his direction when he’d said his smart remark, and looked at him cynically. “Fuck you, Justin.”
“I know it’s hard not to, but try not to think about me so much.”
**
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