...

A few days later, Stephanie sat in Mrs. Peters office during her study period, chatting as she turned in her parental permission forms for an upcoming choir trip.

“I’m so excited they let me start choir in the middle of the semester,” Stephanie was saying. “I knew I’d get to sing next semester but I really wanted to get to go on this trip. The capital at Christmas! It’s going to be so fun.”

Mrs. Peters smiled as she filed the form and entered in a few things on the computer. “Well, I’m glad for you. I never knew you were that into choir,” she said. “I just always saw you cheering and assumed you were a sports girl.”

Stephanie laughed, although Mrs. Peters noticed a slight flinch at the word “cheering.” “Oh, Mrs. Peters, don’t stereotype,” she said. “I have lots of interests. They were just harder to be interested in during cheering.”

“That’s a shame.”

Stephanie shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal in jr. high, but Mrs. Williams is….different. It turned into more of a commitment.” Stephanie glanced around the room as she said this, her shoulders tensing, but Mrs. Peters took advantage of Stephanie’s candor to push the conversation a little further.

“You know, speaking of cheerleading,” she said, her voice gentle, “I never did ask you want went wrong at that football game, the one where you and Missy got hurt.”

“Oh.” Stephanie shifted in her chair, her hands clenching and unclenching around the strap of her messenger bag. “Well, one key to any dismount is for the person below you to not be holding on as you jump. Usually once you get balanced, the person on bottom just let’s go, or holds on only slightly until they feel you tense for the jump. But on that pyramid there’s more contact so that we’re more stable up high. When I jumped it felt like Jenni didn’t let go in time.”

“How unfortunate,” Mrs. Peters said. She thought about Jenni’s concern that another cheerleader might get hurt. Was it just her closeness to this first – no second – accident?

Stephanie shrugged, “yeah. She must have been distracted or spaced out or something. Whatever. It’s over now.”

Mrs. Peters smiled and nodded. The bell rang and Stephanie stood up to go to her next class. Mrs. Peters stood up to and gave the girl a brief hug before waving her out the door.

...

Scott was busy fighting fires, essentially handling all of the requests and supposed emergencies that teachers came to them with. Emergencies like “Someone took my overhead projector!” or “I need my desk moved to the other corner of the room!” or “I need these books moved from my car into the classroom!” And his personal favorite “A toilet’s exploded in the third floor boys bathroom!” They were days that tried Scott’s patience. He had just finished cleaning up the mess from a broken water fountain in the arts building and went to check his box, wondering if today would be the day that his patience finally snapped. His spirits lifted momentarily when he saw only one work order in his box. He pulled the order out, read it, and headed to Mrs. Peters’ office.

“So, a gopher problem,” he said, walking in the open door to her office.

Mrs. Peters smiled at Scott in greeting, but he thought she seemed a little distracted. “That’s what it appears to be anyway. Ms. Williams came in this morning; apparently Jenni Carter badly sprained her ankle while running laps around the practice field during cheerleading practice before school.”

Scott’s eyebrows rose. “Another cheerleader getting hurt,” he said. “You have to admit, Mrs. Peters, this is getting a little ridiculous.”

“So many accidents,” she said, extending her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “What can you even do?”

Scott shut the office door, and sat down on the chair in front of Mrs. Peters’ desk, “Mrs. Peters, you know I’m not one to buy in to conspiracy theories, but this is getting ridiculous. It’s not even Thanksgiving yet! Even the football team hasn’t had this many injuries.”

“What else could it be, but unfortunate accidents?” Mrs. Peters asked.

“Look, I’m just going to say it out loud,” Scott said. “But it really seems to me like some of these accidents – if not all of them – might be deliberate.”

Mrs. Peters shook her head, “I really think you’re jumping to conclusions, Scott. Why would anyone want to do something like that? And who would it be? One of the other cheerleaders? A rival school? It just doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know,” Scott said. “But neither do a broken foot, a severely sprained ankle, cracked ribs, bruised backs, strained knees…I’ve been around sports my whole life, and I’ve never seen any kind of team suffer these kinds of injuries.”

They sat in silence for a moment, digesting Scott’s words and their implication.

“Maybe you’re right,” Mrs. Peters admitted. “But first we need proof that they aren’t accidents.”

Scott nodded. “Let me look into this gopher thing. And let’s both keep our eyes and ears open. If you get a chance to talk to any of the girls…I don’t know….maybe you can get them to open up a little.”

Scott stood up to leave and Mrs. Peters shook her head sadly, “Scott, I just hope you’re wrong.”

...

“Jill, please don’t yell at me, but I’m a little scared about the game this weekend.” Jenni Wright’s voice was so low and her eyes kept darting around.

“Jenni what’s the matter?” Jill closed her locker and began walking down the hall toward the courtyard. “Is it because it’s a playoff game? You know the guys are doing really well and that they’ve beat this team before. I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

“No. I mean, yes, of course I’m concerned about the team; we all want them to get to state so bad. No…I’m nervous about the pyramids.”

“Jenni listen to me carefully,” Jill’s voice low, but intense. “No one is going to get hurt. No one. I promise.”

“But how can…”

“No one.”

Jenni stared at Jill. Her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly assumed her mask, sealing away any thoughts or doubts or emotions.

“I guess that’s all I needed to hear,” she said.“See you tomorrow.”

Jill watched Jenni walk out the door, noting that Jenni’s jeans had gotten a little tight over the past few months; maybe it was time to have another nutrition session at one of their practices. Jill gave herself a shake. No matter. She had more important things to think about than Jenni’s weight. She pushed open the door, but instead of heading out to the student parking she turned toward the gym and Ms. Williams office.

“We may have a small problem,” she said, sitting down in one of the plush chairs in Ms. Williams’ office, oblivious to the figure in the corner. Even Ms. Williams had forgotten that Scott was rewiring the outlet.

“Oh?” Ms. Williams’ perfectly sculpted eyebrows rose. “I thought we were done with problems.”

“Well, the big ones yes, but one of the girls talked to me today and she’s pretty concerned that someone else is going to get hurt. I reassured her and I think she understood, but maybe we should take it easy for a while. Also,” she hesitated for a brief moment. “I think Jenni’s put on a little weight.”

Jill watched Ms. Williams closely, knowing that by making a suggestion she was taking a risk, especially a suggestion that amounted to “back off,.” But Ms. Williams surprised her by smiling.

“It’s so wonderful to see you taking ownership of this team,” she said, leaning forward in her leather chair. “Because you are out there with these girls every day I’m going to respect your judgment.”

“Really?”

Ms. Williams laughed, a light, golden sound. “Don’t sound so surprised Jill. You’re ready. You’ve proven that. Jill, you are an amazing girl, bright and intelligent and personable – a real star. I know I’ve told you this a hundred times but you have the potential to go anywhere you want to go. And cheerleading will help you get there. You’re a senior now, and it’s time I trusted you as much as everyone else around here.”

Jill sat up straighter. “I won’t let you down Ms. Williams. You know this squad means everything to me.”

“I know, and I understand like no one else around here does,” she said with another smile. “See you at practice tomorrow.”