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  Colleen stared at her phone for a few minutes, trying to make up her mind.

  Fine, she finally decided. If that’s how Meredith wants to act, why should I care what she thinks? I’ll show the squad the new routine tomorrow. Forget Meredith. She’s obviously forgotten me.

  Still, even with her mind made up, it was a long time before Colleen could fall asleep.

  * * *

  Colleen’s feet felt heavy the next afternoon as she walked to the gym after school. Even though she’d decided to use the new routine, she wasn’t looking forward to using it against her best friend.

  Former best friend, Colleen reminded herself, thinking of the unanswered texts. Meredith doesn’t care, so why should I?

  Coach Ryan was sitting in a folding chair in the corner of the gym, looking over diagrams. She looked up and smiled as Colleen walked over.

  “Are you girls all set for practice today?” the coach asked. “The routine for All-Stars is looking pretty solid, right?”

  Colleen nodded and swallowed hard. “Yeah,” she said. “I might show them a few new things too.”

  Coach Ryan nodded. “Great!” she said. “I’m sure whatever you have will be fantastic.” She smiled at Colleen reassuringly.

  When the squad was all there, Colleen took a deep breath. She knew she just had to get it over with. It was now or never for the new routine.

  “Okay, listen up, everyone!” Colleen shouted. “Dani was right. Our old routine for All-Stars is a little boring. So let’s shake things up a bit! I’m going to show you the new routine Meredith and I created. I think it’s just what we need to take home the trophy next week.”

  Everyone cheered and started chattering excitedly. Before she could change her mind, Colleen started demonstrating the routine. She mimed the basket toss with the spinning throw, followed by an arabesque.

  Everyone cheered enthusiastically when she was finished. Colleen smiled. The new routine was much better than their other one.

  “That looks awesome!” Anna shouted. “Let’s try it out.”

  But as Colleen watched the squad run through the new routine, she felt sad. I made the only decision I could, she thought. So why don’t I feel happier?

  Chapter 6

  DOING THE RIGHT THING

  The next week seemed to drag. Every day, Colleen trudged to class. And every afternoon, she trudged to cheerleading practice.

  The new routine was coming together really well. Every day, the bases got more solid, and the flyers were able to lift their legs higher in the arabesque. Everyone’s split-leg jumps were higher and their legs were straighter.

  The entire squad was pumped up about showing off their new routine at All-Stars. Everyone except Colleen.

  On the Wednesday before the competition, the squad gathered in the gym to run through the routine again. All the cheerleaders got into position in the triangle as they practiced back handsprings.

  Colleen stood at the point of the triangle and flung herself over backward with the rest of the girls, but she wasn’t really paying attention. She couldn’t stop thinking about how Meredith would react when she saw what Colleen and the squad had planned for All-Stars.

  Suddenly, Colleen realized the music had stopped. She glanced up and looked around in confusion.

  Dani was standing next to the MP3 player and speakers. She looked irritated. “Colleen!” she said. “What is the matter with you? You’re moving in slow motion.”

  Colleen’s mouth fell open. She glanced around at the rest of the squad. Everyone else looked upset too.

  Dani kept talking. “You’ve been acting totally out of it ever since we decided on the new routine,” she continued. “It’s like you’re not even awake half the time. How are we supposed to win at All-Stars if we have a captain who’s barely paying attention?”

  Colleen felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. Dani’s right, she thought. The squad is depending on me. I can’t let my problems get in the way. I have to find a way to fix things.

  Just then, Coach Ryan stuck her head out of the office. “What’s going on?” the coach asked the squad. “I heard the music stop. Did you girls run through the basket toss already?”

  Colleen stepped forward. “Everything’s fine, Coach Ryan,” she said. Her voice echoed in the gym. “But could I talk to you for a second?”

  Coach Ryan looked surprised. She stepped back and motioned for Colleen to come into her office. She turned to the rest of the squad. “Why don’t you girls take a quick water break?” she said.

  Colleen closed the door behind her. “Coach, I need to talk to you about something pretty serious,” she said. “It’s about the routine.”

  “It’s looking great!” the coach interrupted. “I can’t wait for you girls to show it off on Sunday.”

  Colleen shifted nervously in her seat. “Actually . . .” she said. “There’s something you don’t know about the routine.”

  Briefly, she explained what had happened — how she and Meredith had created the routine, their fight at Meredith’s new school, and Colleen’s decision to use the routine at All-Stars.

  “And now I don’t know what to do,” Colleen said. “This just doesn’t feel right.”

  Coach Ryan nodded slowly. “This is a hard situation, Colleen,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with using the same routine as Meredith’s squad. It’s not against the rules or anything.”

  “I just don’t know,” Colleen said. “I’m so mad at Meredith, but if I use the routine too, she’ll be even madder at me. But if I don’t use it, the squad will be mad.”

  “You have to decide what you think is right, Colleen,” her coach said. “I just want you to consider one thing. How are you going to feel about yourself if you use that routine in competition? I think once you answer that question, you’ll know what to do.”

  Coach Ryan pushed back her chair, and they both stood up. As Colleen walked out of the office, she thought hard about what her coach had said.

  I know how I’ll feel about myself if we use the new routine at All-Stars, she realized. The same way I’ve been feeling all week — terrible.

  Colleen made her way outside. She walked around the soccer field, thinking hard. By the time she got back to the gym, she knew what she had to do.

  Colleen had butterflies in her stomach as she took her place in front of the rest of the squad. She took a deep breath and made herself speak firmly and clearly — like a captain should.

  “Girls, we’re going to have to make some changes,” Colleen said. “We can’t do the new routine at All-Stars. I haven’t been totally honest with you.”

  “What do you mean?” Dani asked.

  “Meredith’s squad is doing that routine,” Colleen said. “It wouldn’t be right for us to do it too. We’ll have to just stick with our old routine. I’m sorry.”

  Colleen felt a wave of relief as she spoke. The rest of the squad gasped and chattered to each other.

  The squad might be mad at her. They most likely wouldn’t win at All-Stars. And Meredith might still be using their routine.

  But at least I know I’m doing the right thing, Colleen thought.

  Chapter 7

  ALL-STARS

  The day of the All-Stars Competition, Colleen and the rest of the squad met at the school. They all took a bus to the convention center together.

  Colleen glanced around as she entered the building. It was packed with different squads, and everyone was busy warming up for the competition. The bleachers were already filling up with parents who had come to watch.

  Coach Ryan gestured the squad over to an empty corner. Everyone started pulling off their warm-ups and putting on their clean competition sneakers.

  Colleen laced up her own shoes and bent over to touch her toes a few times, trying to loosen up her hamstrings. The competition would start in just a few mi
nutes.

  Colleen glanced around a few times, trying to spot Meredith, but it was no use. The place was a zoo. She didn’t see her friend anywhere.

  Doesn’t matter, Colleen told herself. Meredith probably doesn’t want to see me anyway.

  “Everyone, stay loose, and make sure to keep drinking water,” Colleen called to her squad.

  Colleen unscrewed her own water bottle and sighed. She’d forgotten to fill it this morning. “I’ll be back in a second, guys,” she said.

  Colleen made her way across the gym to the water fountain. She was almost there when she ran into another girl.

  “Oh, sorry,” Colleen started to say as she glanced up. Then she recognized her best friend’s face. “Meredith!”

  “Oh, Colleen!” Meredith exclaimed, grabbing Colleen’s shoulders. “I knew you’d be here! Are you mad at me? I lost my phone the other day! I just found it this morning and saw all your texts. What did you want to talk to me about?”

  Colleen started to reply, but Meredith kept talking.

  “I feel so bad about our fight the other day,” Meredith said. “I never should have yelled at you like that. I’m so sorry! I’ve felt so terrible ever since, I can hardly concentrate.”

  “Me too!” Colleen exclaimed. “The squad basically told me I was acting like a zombie. Mer, I’m so sorry. I don’t know how everything got so out of control. The routine we —”

  “I know,” Meredith interrupted. “There’s something I have to tell you something about that too —”

  But just then, Meredith’s coach shouted to her from across the gym, breaking up their conversation. “Meredith, we need you for the run-through!” she hollered. “We’re up first!”

  “Shoot, I have to go! I’ll talk to you after?” Meredith called over her shoulder as she hurried away.

  “Definitely!” Colleen called back with a smile.

  Colleen watched as Meredith rejoined her new squad. She felt so much better after talking to her friend.

  Meredith took her position in the middle of the line of cheerleaders. “Ready? Let’s go!” she shouted.

  The squad clapped their hands, then formed clusters for a half-lift. The flyers’ feet rested on the thighs of the bases. They held the position for a few seconds, then dropped down and ran to opposite sides of the mat before cartwheeling back across in opposing lines.

  Wait a minute, Colleen thought as she watched. This doesn’t look anything like our routine. It’s totally different.

  The girls on Meredith’s squad dropped into half-splits with their arms raised in the air, then leaped into pikes. They ran into positions, and the bases lifted the flyers into a split for the final stunt.

  Colleen ran over as soon as the flyers dropped down and the run-through of the routine was finished.

  “Meredith!” she cried. “You . . . you’re not —” She couldn’t even get the words out.

  “We’re not performing our routine,” Meredith said, grinning at Colleen. “You were right. We came up with that routine together. Unless we can do it together, I don’t want to do it at all.”

  Colleen grabbed her friend into a huge hug. She was so grateful she hadn’t used the routine. And so grateful to have her best friend back.

  “I feel exactly the same way,” Colleen agreed.

  Chapter 8

  A FRIENDSHIP FIXED

  “Fourth place is a strong finish,” Coach Ryan told the squad as the competition drew to a close. “I’m really proud of you girls.”

  Out on the floor, the other squads were packing up to leave. Colleen looked across the gym and saw Meredith’s squad standing around their own coach. The squad had been disqualified when two of the cheerleaders stepped off the mat.

  “We did our best,” Colleen chimed in. “Your somersaults were awesome, Dani.”

  Dani nodded. She seemed to be thinking about something else. Then Colleen saw her whisper to Anna, who nodded eagerly.

  “Hang on, you guys, okay?” Dani said. She grabbed Anna’s arm, and the two girls ran off.

  Colleen saw her whisper to one of the judges, who thought for a moment, then nodded. Dani and Anna disappeared into the crowd for a moment. When they reappeared, they were pulling Meredith by the hand.

  As soon as they reached the squad, the girls surrounded Meredith. They all hugged their old teammate. Everyone started talking at once.

  “What’s going on?” Colleen asked. “What are you guys up to?”

  “We can’t leave without showing our best routine — even if it won’t count for the competition,” Dani said. “We can do it just for fun. And I know exactly which routine we should do. The one our co-captains created.”

  “Yes!” everyone yelled together.

  Meredith and Colleen grinned. They were finally going to perform their routine, just like they’d wanted all along.

  The people still in the gym looked up in surprise as the squad ran to the front. Colleen didn’t care that most of the people who’d come to watch were gone.

  I just want to cheer with my best friend, she thought happily.

  The squad arranged themselves in a triangle, and the music began. All at once, the girls flung themselves into the three starting jumps.

  Colleen heard her feet hit the mat at the same time as Meredith’s. As one unit, the girls lifted their arms in the air and dropped to one knee.

  Even if we can’t cheer together forever, at least we can right now, Colleen thought as they finished the routine. And that feels pretty great.

  AUTHOR BIO

  Emma Carlson Berne has written more than a dozen books for children and young adults, including teen romance novels, biographies, and history books. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband, Aaron, her son, Henry, and her dog, Holly.

  ILLUSTRATOR BIO

  Katie Wood fell in love with drawing when she was very small. Since graduating from Loughborough University School of Art and Design in 2004, she has been living her dream working as a freelance illustrator. From her studio in Leicester, England, she creates bright and lively illustrations for books and magazines all over the world.

  GLOSSARY

  annual (AN-yoo-uhl) — happening once every year

  competition (kom-puh-TISH-uhn) — a contest of some kind

  confident (KON-fuh-duhnt) — having a strong belief in your own abilities

  disbelief (diss-bi-LEEF) — refusal to believe something

  enthusiastic (en-thoo-zee-ASS-tik) — very excited or interested in something

  rhythm (RITH-uhm) — a regular beat in music, poetry, or dance

  routine (roo-TEEN) — a regular way or pattern of doing things

  squad (SKWAHD) — a small group of people involved in the same activity, such as soldiers, football players, or police officers

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  Talk about how the relationship between Colleen and Meredith changed from the beginning of this story to the end.

  Do you think Meredith was right to teach her new squad the routine she and Colleen created? Talk about your opinion.

  Did Colleen make the right choice when it came to not performing the new routine at the competition? Talk about what you would have done if you were in Colleen’s position.

  WRITING PROMPTS

  Have you and a friend ever had an argument when it comes to sports or something else? Write about what happened and how you resolved things.

  Colleen is sad when she finds out her best friend is moving away. Have you ever had a friend move? Write about how you felt and what you did to keep in touch.

  Pretend you are Colleen’s cheerleading coach. Write a paragraph about the advice you would have given her.

  MORE ABOUT CHEERLEADING

  Cheerleading involves many different moves and stunts. These can be done individually or combined to create a full cheerleading routine. Want to learn m
ore about some of the moves in this book? Check them out below.

  arabesque — a flyer points her leg out behind her body and turns her hip socket out so when the leg is out straight, the front of the leg is facing the audience and her arms are in a “T” position.

  basket toss — the bases throw a flyer up in the air, where she then extends her legs out to the side and reaches for her toes. The flyer lands back in a cradle position created by the bases’ arms.

  handspring — an acrobatic move in which a person lunges headfirst from an upright position into a handstand. She then pushes off from the floor with her hands, flipping her body over and landing back in an upright position.

  roundoff — a move similar to a cartwheel that turns horizontal speed into vertical speed, letting a cheerleader jump higher. A roundoff also turns forward momentum from a run into backwards momentum, giving speed and power to backwards moves such as flips and somersaults.

  toe-touch — keeping her head and chest up, a cheerleader jumps in the air and reaches her legs into splits position. She makes sure to reach for her heels rather than her toes. This gives the illusion that her legs are inverted or hyperextended.

  Discover More:

  VIDEOS & CONTESTS

  GAMES & PUZZLES

  HEROES & VILLAINS

  AUTHORS & ILLUSTRATORS

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  Jake Maddox books are published by Stone Arch Books

  A Capstone Imprint