Falling Hard

by Megan Sparks

  Pay. Oh dear.

  Dad had given her some money for lunch. The notes were easy enough to sort out with their numbers even though they were all the same size and colour. But the coins were a nightmare. Annie felt like she was dealing with play money when she looked at them. She couldn’t understand why the five-cent coins were larger than the ten-cent ones. It made no sense.

  Deciding where to sit was another question, though she wasn’t stupid enough to ask this time. She quickly noticed Kelsey at a centre table with her ladies-in-waiting and some guys, including Tyler. Not that Annie was bold enough to have sat next to him anyway.

  At another table sat a red-haired girl Annie recognized from English class – the one who’d asked the kilt question. She was with some cool but tough-looking girls who were showing off arm and hip bruises. Annie remembered how she used to compare injuries with her gymnastic friends. These girls must play the same sport.

  With a sigh, she sat by herself at a far table. It was less intimidating than asking if she could sit with people she didn’t know. Well, at least no one was noticing her now.

  “You bought lunch? That’s brave.”

  Annie looked up from her cheese toastie. Lexie, thank goodness. “I shouldn’t have bothered. It tastes like cardboard and I don’t think it’s really cheese.”

  Lexie plunked down her tray next to her. “It’s not. Legally they have to call it ‘cheese product’ now. But whatever you do, stay away from the Sloppy Joes.”

  “That bad?”

  “If they’re anything like the ones in middle school, they’re edible, but they’ll leave you in the bathroom for the rest of the day.”

  Annie cringed and set down her sandwich. “What are you eating?”

  Lexie held up a polystyrene cup and grinned. “Ramen noodles. I’m practising for when I’m a starving artist in New York.”

  “Is that your dream, then? To be an artist, I mean, not a starving person.”

  “Yup.”

  “Are you any good?”

  In response, Lexie pulled out a thick sketchbook from her bag. She seemed to have a little of everything in the book, from caricatures with big heads to cornfields rustling in the wind and abstracts with geometric shapes. She even had a family portrait that captured their personalities: Lexie wild and individual, Mrs Jones preppy and perfect, and Mr Jones, who Annie hadn’t met yet – he seemed serious and intellectual judging by his glasses and tweed jacket. All of the sketches were really good.

  “I like the comic strips the best,” Annie said.

  “Me too. They’re the most fun. I’ll probably join the manga club.”

  Annie took another tentative nibble of her sandwich. “Your abstracts remind me of things I’ve seen at the Tate Modern.”

  “You’ve been to the Tate?”

  “Yeah, and most of the other museums. School trips, you know,” Annie added quickly so it didn’t sound like she was boasting.

  Lexie stabbed her noodles and broth with a fork. “I don’t know how you left London. I’d give anything to go there. I mean Chicago is OK, the Art Institute is fabulous, but it’s kind of far and there’s nothing much besides cornfields between here and there.”

  Annie was kept from saying anything by a loud burst of static and then the principal’s voice over the sound system. “Hello, students. I just wanted to remind you that this Friday is our first pep rally.”

  Lexie covered her ears as the cafeteria exploded in a cheer. This must happen regularly because the principal waited a few seconds before continuing. “And if you like what you see there, please note that cheerleading try-outs will begin after class on Friday. Thank you and keep those brains in gear.”

  “Ha-ha.” Lexie rolled her eyes. “Is it over?”

  A pep rally. Just the sound of it was so American. Annie had no idea what to expect. “I’ll probably try out for the cheerleading.”

  “Why?” Lexie made it sound like Annie had said she wanted to grow a second head.

  Annie shrugged. “Dad suggested it and I thought it’d be fun. I used to be quite good at gymnastics before I got too tall.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be great at it. I just didn’t think you were the cheerleading type, that’s all,” Lexie defended herself.

  “What’s the cheerleading type?”

  Lexie ran a hand through her wild hair. “You’re right, I shouldn’t be prejudiced. I’ll tell you what – if you make the squad, I’ll come to a game, just to cheer you on. Cool?”

  Annie nodded. Lexie hadn’t answered her question but she wasn’t going to push it. It meant more that Lexie was willing to support her even if she didn’t like it. That was a sign of a true friend.

  The rest of the day passed in a blur with Biology, PE, and Technology, and a few more exclamations about her “cute” accent. When the final bell rang, Annie grabbed her books and raced over to Rosie Lee’s. She found Dad in the kitchen area by the sink wearing old dungarees and a wrench in his hand.

  “I’m warning you,” he said, shaking his wrench menacingly. “If you don’t stop this instant, I’m going to rip you apart piece by piece.”

  “Talking to the mice, are you?” Annie asked.

  Dad jumped and dropped the wrench on his foot. “Holy cow, Annie, you scared the bejesus out of me. What’re you doing here?”

  Annie dropped her bag and sat on the counter. “Let me have a think. I work for MI6 and I’m here to spy on you?” she said sarcastically. “It’s after three, Dad. School’s over for the day.”

  Dad looked at his watch and then held it up to his ear as if he didn’t believe her. “Drat, the thing’s stopped working again. Well, how was school? Learn anything?”

  Only that American boys are massively hot (at least one in particular) and the cafeteria food is close to deadly. “There are some differences, but it’s still school. What about you?”

  Dad let out a melodramatic sigh. “Fine, except this faucet won’t listen to me and keeps dripping.”

  Annie turned to the tap. Now that he mentioned it, it was making a steady drip-drip rhythm. “Maybe you should call a plumber.”

  Dad crouched down and attacked the pipe under the sink. “Nonsense, I know what I’m doing.”

  Annie didn’t say anything. She didn’t have time. Dad had barely touched the pipe with his wrench when the pipe burst. Water sprayed everywhere as Dad tried to stop it with his hands. “Turn it off, turn it off!”

  Annie looked around, her arms held up to block the stream. “Where?”

  “The valve. Out back. Hurry.”

  Annie raced out of the back door. Valve, valve, where are you, she thought, searching wildly. Inside she could hear her dad swearing at the water, pipe, and everything in between. She finally found it, turned it one way, heard Dad scream louder, and turned it the other way.

  Back in the café Dad sat in a pool of water with his legs out in front of him like a rag doll. His hair was plastered to his face and water dripped down his cheeks.

  Annie turned away. She bit her lip and covered her mouth. Her shoulders started to shake. She couldn’t help it. She let out the biggest belly laugh she had in a long time. Dad slapped the floor and pouted like a baby, but soon he too was laughing. It took several minutes for them to calm down. Finally, Annie helped pull Dad to his feet and got out the mop.

  “I think that’s a sign to call it quits for the day,” Dad said as he emptied the mop bucket.

  “Good, cos I’m starving.” Annie placed a hand on her slim belly. “Tomorrow, I’m bringing my own lunch, even if it is babyish.”

  “Food, now you’re talking. What do you say we get pizza? Real Chicago style. Trust me, nothing else compares.”

  “What’s so great about it?” Annie asked.

  “For one thing, deep dish. For another, the sauce is on top.”

  “Really? Why?”

  Dad thought about that for a bit. “I don’t know the historic reason but as a cook, I’d say it keeps the crust from getting soggy.”


  “Any kind of pizza sounds great right now.”

  Dad ordered the pizza and they picked it up on the way home. For the first time that day, people were noticing Dad in his wet dungarees instead of Annie. Dad, of course, was all for the attention. After the second person gave him a funny look, he started strutting like the rappers on television.

  “Da-aad,” Annie said under her breath.

  “If people are going to look, might as well give them something to look at.” He jerked his head and gave a downward hand gesture to the old lady who stopped with her shopping to stare at him. “’Sup?”

  Annie grabbed his arm and moved him away quickly. She wouldn’t put it past the lady to take a swing at him with her shopping bag. He let up only when they were a street away from the house and there was no one around to appreciate his soggy rapper look.

  At home, they polished off the pizza, by far the best Annie had ever had, and she headed up to her room to get started on her homework. She pulled out her new mobile and looked at it.

  No calls.

  It’s the middle of the night in London, Annie reminded herself. But she wished Mum had remembered it had been her first day at school and had thought to ring. She finished her homework quickly – the teachers were obviously still easing them in after the long summer holiday. She turned on the computer hopefully. Maybe there was word from Georgie or Mel. Yes, but more importantly, there was an email from Mum.

  Dear Annie,

  I miss you already. The flat feels so empty without you. I just got in from the office, I’ve taken on a big case so it looks like I’ll be doing even longer hours than usual. I hope your first day at school went well and that you found the lessons interesting. I ran into Nicola’s mum yesterday and she sends their regards. I know that you must miss your friends but I’m sure you’ll make new ones in no time. Let’s plan to Skype later this week; it feels like such a long time since you left.

  Love Mum xxx

  PS Remember to keep your room tidy!

  That was nice. Good to know she hadn’t completely forgotten. But still, a call would have been better. Things had been tense between them since Annie had decided to live with Dad instead of her. Hopefully, Mum wouldn’t hold it against her forever.

  Annie flopped on her bed, pushing the clothes she rejected this morning onto the floor. A second later she was up again. Remembering Mum’s PS, she picked the clothes up, folded them, and put them in drawers. Funny how Mum could still manage to nag, even with an ocean between them!

  Chapter Four

  “Liberty Heights, are you ready to meet this year’s very own Staaaaaags?” The announcer roared during Friday’s pep rally in the gymnasium. The whole school cheered in response.

  Well, not the whole school. Lexie doodled in her sketchbook while Annie clapped politely. She’d survived a week at school, and it wasn’t too bad; the classes were fine and she knew her way around now. She was still “that English girl with the cute accent” but there were worse things they could call her. Like “punk”, which is what Kelsey muttered every time they crossed paths.

  “Put your hands together for the marching band and the cheeeeeerleaderrrrrrrrs!”

  The band struck up a catchy tune while three cheerleaders ran out and did a round off into two back handsprings.

  One of the brunettes bent her leg.

  The other didn’t stick the landing.

  But that blonde one was impressive.

  Annie’s brain clocked their gymnastics abilities without even realizing it. She and Lexie were at the top of the tiered seats – the “bleachers” as Lexie had called them. From that distance, the cheerleaders’ faces were a blur – but she was too preoccupied with their form anyway. After ten years of gymnastics, old habits died hard.

  “We’re the Stags?” Annie asked, unable to take her eyes off the cheerleaders as the rest of the squad joined the first three in a blur of silver and blue uniforms.

  Lexie grunted as she drew caricatures of the cheerleaders with devilish antlers.

  The marching band was building up. Something was going to happen. Like a wave on either side, the girl cheerleaders fell into back bends as two of the guys walked on their hands down the middle. In a chain reaction, the girls kicked over and landed back on their feet. A second later the handstand guys flipped back to their feet. The crowd went wild. Annie could feel the adrenaline as if they were clapping for her.

  “Why don’t you like pep rallies? This is fun.” Annie clapped and cheered with the rest of the audience. “We don’t have anything like this back home. We Brits are much too reserved.”

  Lexie sighed. “It’s so egocentric. All this for sports, while the arts get cut all the time. And they don’t have as many pep rallies for the girls’ teams, even though last year the girls’ basketball team won the regional championship.”

  Three different cheerleaders stood side by side, two climbed on top of them, and one more got on top to make a six-person pyramid.

  “Who do we love?” they all shouted.

  The audience screamed, “The Stags!”

  The girl at the top of the pyramid fell back into the waiting arms of the guy cheerleaders, the two girls in the middle somersaulted forward and landed square on their feet, while the three at the bottom slid into splits.

  Wicked! Annie imagined herself in the pyramid. She’d probably be on the bottom because of her height. She could do great splits, but she’d rather be in the air. More thrilling.

  As the band launched into the school’s song, Annie turned her attention back to Lexie. “It is unfair female athletes don’t get the same attention. It’s like that back home, too. I think gymnastics is one of the few sports where it’s the opposite.”

  “It’s just plain sexist. Do you know what our girls’ teams are called?” Lexie shaded in her caricatures.

  “The Deers?”

  “If only. No, they’re the Staggettes.”

  Annie scrunched up her nose. “That is a bit naff.”

  “I don’t know what ‘naff’ means but from the sound of it, I totally agree.” Lexie turned a page in her book and began sketching the teachers with massive heads and dopey eyes.

  “Thank you, cheerleaders and band members.” The principal got on stage and the crowd quieted. “We have two games this weekend so let’s hear it for both the football and the soccer teams!”

  The teams came running in from opposite ends of the gymnasium. The players stood in front grinning while the crowd cheered for them. Annie leaned on the edge of her seat, squinting to get a better look at one of the soccer players. Was it him? Yes, she was sure of it. That gorgeous run-your-hand-through hair and fit body. No wonder he was so keen to talk about the Premier League. Standing among the other soccer players, wearing the captain’s armband, was Tyler.

  He waved at the crowd and flashed such a dazzling smile that Annie was glad she was sitting; she might have swooned had she been standing. As the noise died down, the principal addressed the crowd again. But Annie didn’t hear a word he said. All her attention was on Tyler, who was now chatting and laughing with the cheerleaders.

  Well, that settled it. She was definitely trying out for cheerleading.

  * * *

  After her classes finished, Annie raced to the locker room and quickly changed into a night-sky leotard and a pair of navy shorts. It had been a while since she’d worn a leotard, but it felt like a second skin to her. Good thing I didn’t give them all away, Annie thought. She scraped her long hair into a ponytail and was ready.

  There were about thirty girls and two guys in the gym that now felt incredibly big without all of the pupils there. Everyone stood around looking at each other, not knowing what to do, and not saying anything. If the idea was to make them anxious, it was working.

  The door at the far end of the gym burst open and out came the cheerleaders in an intimidating group. This morning Annie had thought their outfits were nice. Now the girls in their blue and silver sleeveless shirts and pleated skirts over
blue shorts looked almost menacing.

  Or maybe it was the fact that at the front of the pack, next to the coach, paraded Kelsey.

  Of course. She was the one who had done the perfect round-off and back handsprings, and the two brown-haired girls next to her were her wannabes, also known as Bent Leg and Didn’t Stick the Landing. Annie had been sitting too high up in the bleachers to get a clear view of her face. Seeing the expression on it now, Annie began to wonder if cheerleading was a good idea after all.

  “As you know, I’m Kelsey, the captain,” Kelsey spoke in a bossy voice that echoed across the whole gym. “We’re going around with clipboards to get your details before we start.”

  Kelsey’s eyes landed straight on Annie.

  Oh please, let her go to someone else.

  She didn’t. She strutted right up to Annie and jutted out her hip. “This isn’t roller derby, you know. Sure you’re in the right place?”

  Annie blinked. “Uh, yes?”

  “Whatevs.” Kelsey slapped the clipboard into Annie’s chest. “Fill this out, but try to use normal spelling.”

  Annie wished she could think of some clever comeback that would make Kelsey back off. Nothing. Nothing clever anyway. She was at least pleased she was able to put, under experience, that she trained at the West London Gymnastics Centre (not Center).

  Once they had everyone’s details, Bent Leg (whose real name was Ginger) and Didn’t Stick the Landing (Lulu) led the group into warm ups: jumps where you switched hands to tap the outside then inside of your heel and then the inside and outside of the other heel. It felt like Irish dancing with a lot more arm movements. Annie knew there were other ways to get the heart rate up without looking so silly and wondered if it was deliberate.

  Then they did some stretches, focusing on warming up their back, hips, shoulders, and abs. For thirty seconds they had to hold a straight plank as if they were about to do push ups. Easy-peasy. In gymnastics training they used to do one-arm planks. A couple of girls dropped to their knees, then quickly got back into the exercise when Kelsey glared their way.