"Isn't this great, Ike?" screeched Zac Hanson, who was down beside the bleachers throwing pompoms in the air and doing clumsy cartwheels. He stared up at his older brothers, who were sitting on the top. "We are kicking some major booty!"
Isaac laughed and shrugged his shoulders at Taylor, "Yeah, Zac! Keep shaking those pompoms."
Zac looked at him open mouthed with surprise. Then he shrugged. "Yeah, I'm just a wannabe cheerleader," he said in a high girlie voice, swaying his hips back and forth.
Taylor laughed and gazed around Big Tulsa Field. The bleachers were crammed with hooting fans. He and his brothers came to watch the local football team, which was nearing halftime.
"Hey, Tay!" Ike nudged Tay in the arm, shaking Taylor out of his thoughts. "Here come the cheerleaders!"
Taylor glanced out to midfield, where the cheerleaders were lining up to do their half-time show. He smiled as he seen his two little sisters, Avery and Jessica, standing near the front. He watched as they did cheer after cheer. He was getting bored with it and decided to turn away when a flash of color caught his eye. A pretty, long-haired girl was tumbling back and forth repeatedly, jumping at the end. Wow, Taylor thought, why haven't I seen her before? I guess we were always playing around too much for me to notice her. She jumped up on two girl's shoulders pumping her arms as the crowd hooted and hollered.
"GO TULSA! " the cheerleaders shouted, ending their routine. They began to run off, doing a cartwheel here and there. The pretty girl scanned the crowd, and seemed to stop right at Taylor. He felt his heart beat faster. That girl is hot....maybe Jess or Avie can introduce us.
She waved to the roaring crowd and ran off the field.
"Lets go Tulsa! We the bomb!" Zac yelled, running around the bleachers. He climbed up to join his brothers. "Hey guys! That was gnarly! Except for one thing, one of the cheerleaders kept staring at me! And she was way older then me!"
Ike rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Zac, sure. She probably seen her parents or something that was near you," he said he exchanged a look with Taylor.
Zac shook his head, "Nah, your just jealous!" he exclaimed.
"Jessie! Avie! Your mom wants you, its time to go!" Ashley Smith called, tightening the scrunchie that held her long light brown hair. She was the co-captain of the cheerleading squad and its best tumbler. Her and her teammates had just finished cheering for the local football game, which ended with a score of 24-10, them.
Kelley Miller, who was also on the squad, carried two squealing girls over to Ashley, laughing.
"Hey! Put me down, Kel!" yelled Avery, who collapsed in a fit of giggles.
"Here ya go, Ash," Kelley said, putting down Jessica and Avery, who ran over to Ashley. Kelley was one of the oldest members of the squad, at sixteen. Ashley, on the other hand, was thirteen.
"Thanks," Ashley said, leading the two girls over to Mrs. Hanson, who was waiting with the boys beside the bleachers.
"Hey there girls! Have fun?" Mrs. Hanson asked her two daughters, who jumped into her arms.
"Oh yeah! They had tons! Right girls?" Ashley asked.
As Ashley and Mrs. Hanson continued talking, Taylor glanced down from where he and his brothers were fooling around and gasped. The pretty girl he had been making eyes to was talking to his mom!
"What's a matter Tay?" Ike asked, concerned, when he heard his brother gasp.
Taylor, unable to speak, just continued staring, his face turning a bright shade of red.
"Hey, guys, come down here, we're about to leave!" Mrs. Hanson called as she momentarily stopped her talking.
Zac ran right down and introduced himself to Ashley. His brothers followed a a slower pace, especially Taylor.
".....and this is Ike who's 16 and Tay who's 14," Zac blabbed to her, shaking her hand.
"Hey I'm Ashley," Ashley said, giving the boys a glance over. She stopped and stared at Taylor curiously since his face was red and he was staring at the ground.
"Hello, I'm Isaac," Isaac said with a bright smile on his face. He nudged Taylor. "Say hello," he whispered.
Taylor managed to tear his eyes from Ashley's shoes and look her in the eye. "Hey," he squeaked, "I'm...Taylor."
She stared at him. Wow, she thought, he's shy? I guess being cheerleader does intimidate people. That reminded her of something. "Hey, Zac?" she asked, turning away. "Do you want to help the cheerleading squad out? We need a guy or so to help us. I noticed you earlier and saw what great form you have. At first, I thought you were a girl!"
Zac looked surprised. "Wow," he said. "I guess I am cheerleading material," he said flipping his hair over his shoulder.
They all laughed. "Well, Ashley, we'll get back to you on that," Mrs. Hanson said. She started walking to her car with Jessie and Avie. "Bye!"
"Bye Ash!" yelled Zac, running to catch up.
Ike soon followed, leaving Taylor and Ashley staring at each other.
"Well, I better go," Taylor said, barely getting the words out.
"Yeah, well, I have to go to, see ya Taylor," Ashley replied backing off. That's weird, she thought, I wonder why his face is red. Oh well, boys are confusing some times. She began to pack up her stuff as Mrs. Hanson drove by with all of her kids in it. She waved, then stopped short as she noticed Taylor staring at her from the window. She turned a shade of red and turned away, throwing her stuff in her duffel bag. She slung her bag over her shoulder and began to walk home.