You don't typically think of a geeky thinky girl and an athletic jock girl being friends, but it was the case with Jade and Miranda. This had happened because of all the things they didn't have in common, they did have one important thing. They both liked winning. Intellectual compition is no different from compitition on the sports field, why do you think so many message boards end up becoming yelling contests, everybody wants to win the arguement, to be the smartest person in the room. And so it was with Jade. Miranda had been bred in a world of compition, being on sports teams since she was 5, Soccer, Swimming, a summer of Softball (which was the only sport she didn't like). But being the best in one thing brought with it certain obligations and needs, and meant suffering in other areas. For Jade being smart meant that she also had a connection to the geeky world, and would spend her free time cosplaying and enjoying the works of Joss Whedon. For Miranda this meant parties, practice and an over active social life.
This was how these two girls became friends, Jade would help Miranda with her studies and knowlege base, she would try and keep her mind full of information, while Miranda would invite Jade out from her dungeon of geekery from time to time to be around people. Not just people but the right people, the people that meant you too were cool. This brought Jade out from her shell and over the course of the year Jade had gone from wall flower, a bit shy and too intensely focused on school, to a fun and goofy girl, one who had pride in her geekery, one who had confidence in her looks and was quickly becoming not just a cosplayer, but a model as well.
Miranda on the other hand got to guide this transformation, which had it's own joy but also got to pass all her classes with A's. Miranda had it in the back of her head that she could be the best at school, an athlete, a scholar, popular on the social scene and...a cheerleader...this was yet to be fully decided.
They both took joy in each other's presents and by the end of 10th grade had actually started hanging out, going to movies together, or the gym. They rubbed off on each other, and that rubbing had caused a mutual interest in Cheerleading. It was the halfway ground between being a sport and not, so that both Jade and Miranda felt somewhat comfortable with the idea. For Jade it was a manifestation of new confidence, of an empowerment for herself to be more than just a geek. For Miranda it was another step up the ladder and a chance to do what she loved, being athletic and winning, with someone she liked spending time with. It became a "I'll do it if you do it" thing for both the girls.
This history the girls didn't know, but somewhere in the back of each other's heads as they looked at each other, they felt a little pride in how the other looked, in how awesome they were, as well as a little push to be better. Always to be better.
