Eden High: Series 1 (Eden High 1-6)

I could see Mandy and her girls weren’t too happy with this turn of events, but I did my warm ups and got down to business.

Since I didn’t want to be a show hog I didn’t hit them with my skills, but I had to bring something more to the table since coach had outed me.

Which, from the indrawn breaths and loud whispers I gathered the others had not known of my past success.

Where the other try-outs had done the basic requirements of cartwheels, round offs and handstands, with forward and backward rolls, I did back handsprings and tucks and threw in a few fulls.

I made sure my toes stayed pointed during my jumps because if coach was any good at this, she’d be watching that stuff.

She started calling out jumps in the middle of my routine and luckily I’ve dealt with that scenario before so I didn’t miss a beat.

“Right hurdler, pike, straight jump.” I kept my toes pointed, legs straight and a big smile on my face. I’m the cheerleading queen. Suck it.

There wasn’t much muttering and whispering going on but there were a few pissed off divas I can tell you that; especially when the younger girls who were there for the first time flocked to me and started peppering me with questions.

“Hey I’m the head cheerleader, why are you asking her stuff? She’s not even a part of this team.” Mandy showed her ass for real. Seriously?

“She is now, welcome aboard Ms. Claiborne that was nice I hope to see more like it in the future.” She mumbled something under her breath but I didn’t catch it.

She chose a few other hopefuls and I felt bad for the ones who didn’t make it. There was one girl there with braces, who for some reason reminded me of Maggie.

I don’t know why since my sister have never worn braces, but there was just something about her that made my heart hurt at the look of disappointment on her face.

“Alright ladies saddle up let’s hit the tracks.” I ran over to the girl who was walking off dejectedly.

“Hey, you were really good out there you just need to stop flexing, I think you’re a little nervous but with some help I’m sure you’d make the next try-outs.”

She looked around like she thought I was talking to someone else. “You’re just saying that.” She pushed her glassed up higher on her nose and my heart was a puddle at her feet.

“No really I mean it, look here’s my number, call me later and we’ll set something up okay.” I put my number in her phone and passed it back.

“I didn’t get your name by the way.”

“Really, you’ll help me? I’m Cassandra.” She was staring at me like I had the answers to the meaning of life.

“Sure.” I smiled at her reassuringly. She started to say something else but then stopped as if struck by lightning. Her whole face changed as she looked over my shoulder at something or someone behind me.

I followed the direction of her gaze and almost dropped my pompoms. My hands and legs lost their feeling and I couldn’t tell you what day it was if my life depended on it.

He was the most gorgeous specimen I’d ever seen. “Oh shit.” Crap I said that out loud. He gave me one of those smirks that you only see on the big screen and walked away towards the other jocks that were already getting on the field.

“Who the hell was that?” I turned back around. She was gone with the wind.

Chapter 6

TAMMY

I stood in stark fear as they circled around me again and again, shouting their taunts at me.

This was nothing new, I had grown accustomed to this treatment at their hands in the last school year, and it didn’t look like anything had changed for the new one.

My best friend Belle stood off to the side, not able to do anything to help because I’d made her promise not to get involved.

I knew it was hard for her to watch, but I didn’t want her to come under attack as well.

She was spared the worst of their antagonism by some miracle, but me, for whatever reasons they hated me and has been singling me out for their special brand of torture.

I’d hidden out all day like a ninny, not wanting to draw their ire. After showing up I’d hidden away in the musty old music room after picking up most of the year’s assignment sheets.

I knew that today was going to be hard; the new guy was coming. As if I’d have any interest in him. But past experience had taught me that I would be at the receiving end of whatever viciousness they chose to dole out and I had been trying to avoid that.

Now it seemed I’d hidden away for nothing, because just when I’d thought I was safe, they pounced.

I thought I’d timed it so well too, they were supposed to be at practice for at least another half hour.

I’d stupidly wasted time heading down to the counselor’s office trying to catch him before he left for the day.

I had to go over the list of students I’d be tutoring this semester. I’d been so excited too when I’d left the office, and now this.

There was no rhyme or reason to their meanness. I wasn’t a nerd or fat or ugly or any of the other things you heard used as excuses for bullying.

I wasn’t the most beautiful girl in school, not by a long shot, but I wasn’t exactly chop liver either.

I was bright yes, probably the brightest person in the whole school, as was witnessed by my many honors and trophies that had been collected over the years.

But I didn’t flaunt it or anything, and since when was it a sin to be smart?

They never gave a reason for their hatred of me, just one day out of nowhere the attacks had started, and though no one had actually hit me as yet, I was afraid it was only a matter of time before it got to that point.