The main hallway of Lake Point High School was loud and bustling, as it always was this time of day. And right at the center of the hallway, being the loudest and the bustliest, were the chatterboxes that made up the varsity cheerleading squad. They weren't in uniform today, but you could tell by the direction of the focus in the hallway, by the fact that they were just more animated than anyone else there, that this group was the center of everything that was going on.
Until they were joined by a girl in a green sweater.
"Hi." Sarah's hand was not quite fully outside of her sleeve as she waved quickly, and returned her hand to her side. For a moment, for a brief moment, all attention was on her. The rest of the cheerleaders knew that Sarah belonged with them, but they weren't sure what to do with her. There was something about her that didn't fit, somehow.
But the moment passed, and they all returned to talking to each other, accepting Sarah's presence but otherwise ignoring her. And Sarah felt fine with this arrangement. She felt good just being among her friends.
But it was very loud in the hallway. "Isn't it a little too loud in here?" Sarah nudged Amber Levine's shoulder, and the other cheerleader was pulled out of the conversation she'd been having.
"What?" she turned to look at Sarah, to really look at Sarah instead of the short glance she'd given when Sarah arrived, and something went... fuzzy.
"I said it's too loud in here!" Sarah said a little more loudly.
Amber's eyes looked like they were staring at something far away for a moment, before they returned focus to Sarah. "Yeah, you know it is kind of loud."
Amber turned to relay the message to the next cheerleader down the line, who turned to relay it to the cheerleader after her, and with each transfer of information, the huddle lost a voice, lost some volume, lost some animation, until the entire core of cheerleaders was the quietest, most reserved group in the hallway. They were still cheerleaders, they were just... less excited.
"Let's go find a space where it's quieter," Amber huddled everyone around so they could hear her, and they all nodded in agreement.
A few minutes later, out on the grassy field behind the school building, right at the base of a large oak tree, there appeared a cuddle pile of cheerleaders. Almost motionless. Speaking to each other in whispers. And feeling very comfortable.
