On Saturday morning, the cheerleaders all piled into a bus at Valley Lake and prepared for the trip into Seattle for the Metropolitan Cheer Regionals, the last stop before the big state championship event. It was a two-day ordeal but always one of the highlights of the year.
The boys were excited. They had practiced all season for this moment, and they were confident that this was their year to win regionals and get on the strongest footing possible ahead of state.
Jade sat close to the driver and Coach Schmidt. He felt the responsibility on his shoulders to keep everyone—including himself—in the zone. He mostly listened to music, especially the B-pop Buffie had been recommending to him, trying to filter out distractions and focus on how the routines were going to go. Next to him, Jonatha sat by the window. He, too, was listening to music and trying to concentrate, but instead of focusing on the routines, he was trying to access the memories that belonged to this body, to this world. Jonatha went through his Spotify playlists and started to listen to the older ones, the ones created last year or two years ago. He let the music fill his mind and then, his memories opened up slowly, then one after another.
One playlist, "Flashback Songs for Mom", was full of older stuff. Like Kurtney Cobain-Love's "Celebrity Skin". Jonatha remembered being 13 and on a road trip with his mom to the beach. They had stopped at a gas station. Suddenly, a girl who wasn't much older hit on him. The thrill of that experience caused goosebumps to rush back to his smooth skin. There was "Rock You Like a Hurricane", like they'd performed just the other day, and "Radio Gaga" by Scorpion.
Jonatha went on to another playlist: "Listen to This and Eat Chocolate", a playlist Jonatha promptly associated with his periods. This time, the song that stirred up a memory was Jayoncé's "Formation". This song made him feel empowered and transported him back to when he tried out for the squad with Jade and Brianna sophomore year. He was so anxious to get on the team that he made sure to choose a song that would make him confident and strong. He chose "Formation", but unbeknownst to him, so too had Jade and Brianna. He was worried that there was just one spot left between the three of them after Zacharielle had nailed his audition with "Work Bitch".
But only Coach Schmidt knew he needed more than one girl. Actually, he needed three. He knew Juliantha Harris was pregnant, so he'd have to drop, and Maxwelle Vale was about to go on an exchange program to Spain. He had an idea. Since all three boys had chosen the same song, he had them do the choreography to the song in sync. When the song ended, Coach jumped up and down in excitement at what he had just seen. "That's what I've needed this whole time! You're all in. Welcome to the Flying Foxes!" That was one of the best days of his life, the day he could say he was a cheerleader.
Thinking about that day made Jonatha relax. When he got on the bus, he was serious, even nervous, but now he was relaxed. He was among his brothers on the squad. Yes, even Zacharielle. We wouldn't be the Flying Foxes without a bitch around, would we? He looked at his best friend. "Hey Jade." He held out an earbud to him. "Listen up, just to give us some luck."
"What is it?" Jade asked, removing his headphones.
"'Formation'. The song which led us all to this. This cheer team, this bus, this tournament."
"You're being quite nostalgic today, boyfriend," Jade remarked, noticing the change in Jonatha's expression.
"Nah, I'm just trying to connect to myself, like you told me I should during the second intervention."
Jade took the earbud and put it in his left ear. Jonatha slid a bit down the seat back—which was designed for girls and way too tall—and laid his head on Jade's shoulder. "We gonna win?" he asked, starting the song over.
"We're gonna win," Jade said with confidence. "This is our year, no matter what."
A few rows behind, the Vargas twins. Jordina and Jaymee, sat. Jordina looked out the window as cars passed by, almost as if he was looking for something. His brother Jaymee was just too busy on his phone, texting his girlfriend, until the moment he got a meme from her.
"Jordi!" Jaymee exclaimed, poking his twin brother's shoulder. "Check it out!" He held up the phone to show him the funny picture sent by his girlfriend.
"Heh, nice," Jordina chuckled. "I wish Danny would send me something. We haven't talked since yesterday when she told me to get the first-place trophy for her."
"That's sweet. She said to you give the best." Evel likes to keep in constant contact with me. She said it was okay for me to be a looker and step over some hearts only if I am wearing her ring or a collar."
"She really is progressive," Jordina remarked. "Danny is more conservative. For example, yesterday after school, we went to her place for some us time, and while I was taking care of her things and doing her laundry, she instructed me on how to behave at this whole event! Like, tonight I can hang with the squad or other broken boys, and I should only dress sexy for the routines. And listen... Her being like a woman should be...made me feel so good. It's so worth it."
"I know. The other boys... They don't understand what we feel and why it is so worth it. I am glad to have Evel in my life. She made me a better boy. Not just because she wants me to look sexy for her or to cook and do her chores, but because she made me overcome my limits. She helped me overcome my weakness in math, I'm a better writer, and she pushed me to get back into ballet. Now she wants me to learn how to model, just for her pleasure!" Jaymee added dreamily.
Suddenly, a red Toyota Corolla passed the bus and honked. Jordina face lit up, and the boy smiled. "She's coming!"
"Hey boy!" Nessa turned and looked to see Brianna Walker taking the seat next to him. "What's going on, Bri?"
"Well, I started my video game streaming this week."
"How did that go?"
"...Well, uh..." He hesitated. "Can I just say it was a weird experience?"
"Whaddya mean? Nerves?" Nessa replied. He thought of before the wish, when Shane learned to skate for the first time. "We've all been there, starting something new."
"No, not quite... The people in chat were weird."
"Some boys can really get girls going. Don't blame yourself. Women being women."
"Nah, this wasn't that."
"Then what was it?"
"They made some really strange comments. Someone called me a girl. Uh, hello?" Brianna cupped his breasts. "Who would think a girl would have these? And why would it be bad for a parent to name their son Brianna?"
Nessa, feeling like something had just been unearthed, tried to dissemble. "Uh... I don't know..."
"My channel's name is CRPG_Boi_. How dumb do women have to be? Someone asked me if I had a boyfriend. And then I got, like, thousands of viewers and a lot of subs. How does that happen?" Nessa looked around nervously. "Got any clues? The nerds told me about some magic thing where boys were once girls and—"
"Wait what. Someone else has figured it out!?" Nessa's voice jumped in volume before he brought it back down.
"Lucy Corinth and Saber Johnson. Apparently Lucy remembers some other reality? Sounds so weird..."
"She's not alone. I do. Jonatha does. Jade does. Would you believe me when I say I wasn't Korean two weeks ago?"
Maddie looked nervously across the aisle at Zacharielle, who was too absorbed in reading Gaia Shrugged to notice. Typical Zacharielle, he thought. But the way Rielle had acted toward him the other day made him worry. Is my secret about to be exposed?
"You okay, boy?" Erika Rogers, sitting next to him near the window, interjected.
"Sorta", Maddie replied, worrying what Erika might ask. "I am having problems at home," he lied.
"What now? Is it you and your dad again?" Erika asked, already knowing of Maddie's father-son problems.
"Dad is bugging me because of my girlfriends," Maddie fibbed.
"Again!? Don't you tell him you wear protection?"
"I told him, but he thinks Shan Jackson got me pregnant," Maddie replied.
"Maybe because Shan lasted more than a week. But you and her are over, aren't you?"
"Yes, we are over. But that was my longest relationship this year," Maddie added, hoping he wouldn't make Erika suspicious. "But let's change the subject because... I don't wanna talk about Shan or basketball or football. This weekend is just for cheerleading. For us."
"Yeah... So, are you planning to talk with the college recruiters who are going to be watching us during the event?" Erika asked.
"I'm going to, but my SAT scores aren't enough for a big school... I'm not a prodigy like Jade or an objectivist rich bitch like Rielle. He's practically a renaissance man." Maddie let out a large sigh. "I guess I'm just stuck with crappy jobs. Maybe if I'm lucky I can sell cheer supplies at the sporting goods store or I can find a rich girl and be a househusband."
"Don't say that, Mads," Erika replied. "A boy can't put himself down. That doesn't work. Maybe you impress and get offered a scholarship at DSU or Oregon State. They are close to home."
"My family couldn't put me through college. And even if I get a scholarship, that doesn't cover room and board or textbooks!" He looked around. "I can't really hide this...and I can't be a burden for my father any longer. I need to be able to support myself."
"Don't be so negative!" Erika replied, trying to cheer up his friend. "Maybe your wishes for better days will become reality. Stranger things have happened."
A few moments later, Rielle got up to grab a bottle of water from the cooler in the back of the bus. On the way, he casually dropped a small, folded piece of paper on Maddie's leg. Maddie opened the note, and upon reading it, his face went pale.
Liar, liar, skirt on fire! <3 Z
