School began at dawn for Elizabeth Shadd.
She was exhausted from the arduous practice she had done with her brother the previous night. As the lessons dragged on, Elizabeth stole a few moments of sleep during class—until her history teacher noticed.
"Elizabeth Shadd, stand up! Run the pitch twenty laps, then come back after washing your face!"
Sinisterly, Shadd obliged—but instead of heading to the track, she made her way to the basketball court. She never liked history lessons anyway, so skipping them seemed like a small risk.
When she reached the courtyard, luck was on her side—she found a basketball left behind, likely forgotten by someone. She began shooting free throws, shaking off her drowsiness as she practiced from various angles. Though she missed quite a few, she managed to score a couple of shots. That made her feel accomplished, especially since she had just learned some techniques from her experienced brother the night before.
Suddenly, the shrill sound of the bell pierced the air, signaling the start of the next lesson. Anxiously, Shadd ran back toward class—only to run straight into her history teacher.
"Young girl! Where are you coming from after missing my lesson?!"
Trembling with fear, Shadd scrambled to explain. "I... I was just lapping around. I didn't realize how much time had passed. Twenty laps are quite a lot for me, especially with my health issues…"
The teacher gave her a contemptuous look but said nothing more and walked away. Shadd returned to her normal classes.
---
At break time, Jasmine approached her, curious.
"Hey, bestie! What's going on with you? Why are you suddenly sleeping in class?"
"Ooh, it's nothing much. I was just practicing with my brother Lawrence Junior. We went on for almost five hours. I slept really late afterward, but it was fun! My first time practicing. I finally mustered the courage to try. I can do free throws now—not perfect, but getting there."
"That's nice to hear! But how come you came in late?"
"Same reason—I sneaked off to the basketball pitch. Found a ball by luck and spent all my time shooting. I know it was wrong, but I got kind of addicted!"
"I see... So you're leaning more toward playing basketball now instead of the cheerleading we had planned?"
"It's not what you think! I still want to do cheerleading. My brother said practice would be once a week on Saturdays, at our backyard. I'll still keep in touch this weekend!"
"Wow, that's great news! I can't wait for Saturday. But still, you need to pick one. You can't serve two masters at the same time!"
"I hear you, Jasmine. But I hope, maybe someday, you'll come watch me play too."
"Don't worry about that! I'll gladly cheerlead for you, bestie!"
---
That evening after class, the two girls sat in the spectators' area, watching the cheerleading team.
Tiffy, the cheerleading captain, noticed them and waved them over.
"Hey, you two girls, can I have a minute with you?!"
They approached slowly, a little hesitant.
"You're the freshers who sat with Nick at one of the meal tables, right? You talked about cheerleading then?"
"That's us," they replied.
"Sit closer. Today you'll observe and learn. Tomorrow, you start your official practice!"
It felt like a dream—school training and home training opportunities all at once. The girls watched with fascination as Tiffy led her team through routines. They sighed in admiration, clapped, and smiled wryly as they took in every detail.
Soon, the basketball players entered the pitch. Nick, the captain, noticed the girls.
"Hey Tiffy, I see you finally brought the girls. Nice job!"
"Don't mention it, babe. I'll do anything for you. They'll start practicing tomorrow."
"What about attires and equipment?"
"We've got plenty of unused stuff. No worries!"
"Thanks for organizing. I look forward to seeing them in action."
Nick waved at the girls. They waved back. Once practice ended, Shadd approached him with a request.
"Nick, can we borrow a ball? Just for some self-taught practice. I promise to return it safe and sound tomorrow."
"Please, Nick! Please!" Shadd clasped her hands, widened her eyes, and softened her voice.
Nick hesitated. "Look, I barely know you two. If anything happens, I'm the one who'll get in trouble. That's the rule."
"I'll make it up to you if anything happens. Please!" Shadd persisted.
Jasmine tried to dissuade her, whispering, but Shadd shrugged her off.
After a pause, Nick sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Oookay… fine. Just this once."
"Yes!" Shadd cheered.
---
Later that evening, as they practiced alone, Shadd showed off.
"Now that we're here, let me show you what I've got!"
She missed a few shots at first but then started landing them.
"Wow, you're actually pretty good!" Jasmine said, impressed.
Nick had returned to retrieve his keys and overheard them.
"Now Jasmine," Shadd grinned, "let me try something crazy. A long-range shot. If I make it, you owe me lunch tomorrow. If I miss, I'll buy you lunch. Deal?"
"Deal!" Jasmine said excitedly.
Shadd bounced the ball, took a deep breath, and released it. The ball sailed through the air—Whoop! It landed right in the hoop.
"Yes! Free lunch!" she cheered.
"No way! That distance was insane! And you're just an amateur!" Jasmine exclaimed.
"Luck favors the brave sometimes," Shadd smiled confidently.
"Excuse me, girls! Have you seen my keys?" Nick asked, emerging from around the corner.
"Right on time! No, but we can help you look," Jasmine replied.
They searched together and found the keys in the storage room. Handing back the ball, the girls bid Nick goodbye and headed home.
---
The next day, they debuted in official cheerleading attire.
Tiffy introduced them, "Girls! Today we welcome Elizabeth and Jasmine. Let's make them feel at home, motivate them, and help them grow!"
"Go go go Dasheen… Go go go Dasheen!" The girls joined the rehearsals, enthusiastically lifting Tiffy and others in the acrobatic routines.
Afterward, the duo chatted.
"That was cool—the singing, the dancing, the light pom-poms, and the acrobatics," said Jasmine. "But we didn't get to do any individual stunts."
"I agree," Shadd replied. "But we'll get our chance. This weekend we've got home training too. Mastering two styles will be tough, but we'll manage."
"At least we have each other. That's a big plus."
"When do you think we'll perform in tournaments?"
"Probably next semester… unless they hold friendly games sooner."
"Let's head home. I don't want to stay up late again. Early to bed, early to rise, right?"
---
Saturday came. At home, Elizabeth called Jasmine.
"Hello, Jasmine? It's Elizabeth. Please come over. The guests are arriving soon for practice!"
An hour later, Jasmine arrived.
"Have they arrived?"
"Yes! Look—there they are, with my brother."
Lawrence greeted them. "Thanks for coming, girls. I've brought some representatives from Malacca High's cheer team. They'll train you in cheerleading while I train in basketball."
Faith, the cheerleading captain, gathered the group.
"Welcome! Cheerleading has now been added to the national performing arts competitions. We'll train you step by step. Singing, dancing, acrobatics—maybe even music."
Shadd raised her hand. "Could you teach us acrobatic stunts first?"
"We will—but not now. First, master the basics. In three weeks, we'll prioritize you both."
"Fair enough!" Shadd grinned.
"We've also added ballet to our cheer routines."
"What's ballet?" Jasmine asked.
The girls laughed gently.
"It's a French dance done on toes," Faith explained.
"Is it hard?" Jasmine asked.
"Not if you're passionate. We'll teach you."
At first, Shadd and Jasmine fell over trying to balance on their toes, but with encouragement, they improved. By the end, they had mastered the ballet basics.
"Great work today, girls," Faith concluded. "We'll meet again next week. You're dismissed!"
As they walked home, both Shadd and Jasmine were thrilled. They had learned something new and were more determined than ever to grow in the art of cheerleading.