Chase's feet touched down on green turf. Her knees bent to absorb the impact of her landing, then released like a spring to launch her back into the air.

She did a very smooth, impressively high aerial twist, skirt flowing around her legs. She landed on her feet, facing backwards. About half a second after Melissa C.

“Well, that time you were a little slow,” Melissa C. told her. “That was better, though.”

It was a brisk fall day, perhaps a little too brisk to hold practice outside. Even though it was only October, a cold spell had hit Sunnycrest, bringing with it some unseasonably below-freezing temperatures. Sunnycrest didn't always have a white Halloween, but it really felt like they'd have one this year. The air had that certain bite to it that told them autumn was already in the rear-view mirror, even if the calendar didn't say so. As cold as it was, though, the chill wasn't a freezing or paralyzing one. It didn't make anyone want to go home or call off practice. It was the sort of the cold that just made a person want to avoid standing still for too long. Indeed, all around them, the Sunnycrest squad was warming up far more vigorously than usual, heavily favoring running and drilling over stretching.

Chase was feeling just as energized. She felt so motivated that day, she decided to ask Melissa C. for some special assistance.

Although Chase was one of the most athletic and acrobatic girls on the squad, she had the recurring problem of being too late or too early with some of her tumbling. She found it very hard to really get synchronized with her fellow cheerleaders' movements. Melissa C., however, was exceedingly good at it, even though she was basically newer at it than Chase was. She had started from a completely blank slate when Chase wiped her memory. Whether it was due to a muscle memory or some kind of machinelike precision coming out, the fact that she had nailed it so quickly made Chase certain that Melissa C. was the person to ask for help on the matter.

Plus, Melissa C. just had natural qualities that made her seem very approachable for advice. She was a senior, for one thing, and also possessed a very stable, even-tempered, and warm personality (especially when compared to fellow senior Victoria). She had an air of wisdom and experience that made one quickly forget her entire brain had been liquefied a few weeks ago.

“Not hard to jump and flip, is much hard to do at just right time,” said Chase.

“I mean, it's the hardest part, for sure,” agreed Melissa C, nodding her head. “That's why we practice the same routines over and over a million times. It's hard to get everyone on the same wavelength. It's really important though. That's one of the things a judge will look at the most in a competition.”

Chase still didn't really know that much about cheerleading competitions except that they could be won. That was enough reason for her to go to any lengths to improve herself and push the squad forward. She wanted to win for herself, but even more so for her friends. She had been working hard at cheerleading for a couple months now, but some of her squadmates had been working hard at it for years. Chase knew how much winning would mean to them, what a profoundly fulfilling culmination of all their efforts it would be.

She also knew that if you won “state,” you got a trophy in the school trophy cabinet, and the school would even put a framed photo of the squad in there. Chase loved the idea of that. She treasured the closeness she felt with the rest of her squad. If they could become even closer, close enough to create true unity, a squad working together so perfectly that they could win state, it would be amazing. That accomplishment would be unshakable proof of the deep, strong bonds she'd made, and that photo would serve as a lasting testament to those those bonds. It would express to the whole world (or at least, the whole school) just how much cheerleading, and her new friends, had changed her life for the better.

“One more try! One more try and I do!” she shouted passionately.

Melissa C. smiled fondly. “Well, okay. But there's no point knocking yourself out before practice even starts.”

“You might as well give up, Melissa C.!” called Victoria smugly. She was standing nearby with her hands on her hips. “You're wasting your time hoping she'll improve! She's a lost cause!”

“That's really not a very constructive thing to say, Victoria,” said Melissa C., annoyed.

Lindsey and Caitlin came into proximity at a jog. They had just completed a few laps around the football field, and stopped to catch their breath. “Yeah, Victoria,” concurred Lindsey, flagrantly too late to have heard any of the conversation at all. “How would you like it if your college boyfriend, who we wouldn't have met because he simply doesn't live here, said that to YOU?”

Soundly jabbed, Victoria turned to face her. “H-he would never say that to me! He RESPECTS me,” she declared. She pointed at Lindsey. “Something no man will ever do to you, Ericson!”

Lindsey scoffed. “Wow, really grasping at straws there. Tons of guys respect me! I ask them if they do and I haven't gotten a 'no' yet!”

The two girls set about bickering. Caitlin sighed. “Things are always so crazy when Alicia's not here.”

Chase and Melissa C. looked around. “That's right, where is Alicia?” asked Melissa C.

“Hi, guys!” came a bubbly voice from the sidelines. It was Alicia, right on cue. She walked briskly out onto the field, carrying a large object covered in a sheet, huffing slightly as she approached.

“I'm here, I'm here!” she announced breathlessly. She set the object down. It was shaped like a painting on an easel. Poking out the bottom of the draped sheet were three thin, metal legs. Sorry I'm late, I was getting this ready!”

“What is it?” asked Lindsey.

“You'll see!” beamed Alicia. They didn't bother to press the issue. Alicia was clearly too excited to be able to resist telling them for much longer. She raised her voice. “Alright, everybody! Gather 'round! I have some exciting news!”

The Sunnycrest cheerleaders trotted over and formed a loose cluster in front of Alicia and the mystery object.

“Okay, thanks,” said Alicia. “I know none of you want me to keep you standing around in the cold, so I'll make this quick!” She closed her eyes. “I want you all to close your eyes and imagine something with me.”

The cheerleaders looked at their captain, perplexed, but in the end, did what she requested. “Everybody have their eyes closed?” They gave her confirmation. “Good. Now, I want you to forget how freezing it is out here. I want to you to shut out all the miserable winter we're about to be put through. And I want you instead to imagine we're having practice on the beach.” Contented smiles began to form on the faces of the gathered teens. “It's a balmy seventy-eight degrees. Palm trees sway in a warm island breeze. You feel the sand between your toes. Hear the sound of the ocean. Smell the salt in the air. The humidity has made your hair look awesome. Overhead, a seagull caws. And in the distance...can it be? A Harry Belafonte song is faintly playing.”

“Who's Harry Belafonte?” asked Brittany.

“I don't know, but I think I get the idea!” said Lindsey, opening her eyes and grinning excitedly.

Alicia did the same, and dramatically grabbed hold of the sheet. “You may all open your eyes!”

The squad did so, and Alicia flourished the sheet away. There stood a dry erase board, the sunlight glinting off its beautiful, shimmering white surface. In a rainbow of colored markers Alicia had decorated the borders with palm trees, coconuts, and of course, tropical looking drinks. Across the top, in explosive lettering, she had written the following words: CHEERLEADER SPRiNG BREAK FUNDRAISER!! The lowercase 'i' in the word 'spring' was a stylistic choice, so she could make dot on the 'i' a coconut with a little straw sticking out of it. The words were all riding the tail of a pink shooting star. This had clearly been a very good outlet for Alicia's creativity.

All the girls cheered, then chanted: “Spring break! Spring break! Spring break!”

“Are we really gonna get to go this year?!” asked Erin ecstatically.

“Well, that's why we're starting fundraising in October this time,” said Alicia delicately. She grinned. “I really think we can do it, though! This year is just going to be nothing but one victory after another for Sunnycrest! First the football team will win state! Then we'll have enough funds for the spring break of a lifetime! And then WE'LL win state!”

“YEAH!” they all cheered.

For Chase, it didn't just stop at Harry Belafonte. She didn't know what a palm tree was, or a seagull, or even a beach or sand. But Alicia made it sound very pleasant all the same. Wherever spring break was, she was sure it was a place worth going.

“Now then, let's brainstorm some fundraising ideas!” piped Alicia, uncapping a black marker with a plastic pop. “Any suggestions?”

Lindsey's hand immediately shot up. Alicia glanced at her, but quickly turned her eyes back to the others. “D...Don't be shy, you guys. Go on, toss something out.”

No one raised their hand but Lindsey. The blonde redoubled her efforts, raising her hand higher. “Ooh! Ooh! Alicia! Over here!” she called.

“A-a-anyone at all?” asked Alicia. “Remember, there are no wrong answers.”

“I've got one! I've got one! Hey! Hey! Alicia!” waved Lindsey, certain Alicia simply couldn't see her. “Me! Over here!”

Alicia sighed. Bracing herself, she said, “Yes, Lindsey?”

Lindsey dropped her hand, inhaled, then said boldly, “SEXY CAR WASH!”

The other girls groaned. “At this time of year?! In this weather?!” asked Caitlin. “Are you nuts?!”

“We can just use hot water,” said Lindsey.

“That won't help! We'll freeze to death anyway!” said Caitlin.

Lindsey scratched her head. “Well, why don't we do it inside? We can just have people drive their cars into the gym.”

Tiffers laughed derisively. Then, after a moment's thought, she said, “Actually not a bad idea.”

“Yes it is!” Caitlin replied.

Fidgeting with the marker, Alicia groped for a diplomatic refusal. “Well, uh, Lindsey,” she said, “that's an excellent suggestion, and it's true that the car wash is always a hit...but let's come back to it in the spring. Surely there's something we can do that's a bit more, erm, seasonally appropriate?”

Those last couple words gave Melissa C. an idea. “Well, Halloween's coming up... what about a haunted house?”

The others voiced their ambivalence. “We just did that a couple years ago, didn't we?” asked Rebecca.

“It was really fun, though. And we had a great turnout,” said Caitlin. “What if we put a new twist on it?”

This gave the concept a push in the right direction. The squad as a whole began brainstorming ways they could do a unique take on the classic haunted house. “Maybe instead of a house, it could be something else?” wondered Alicia.

“Oh, I like that!” said Samantha. “A spooooky cemetery! Or a Frankenstein lab!” Alicia quickly uncapped the marker and wrote these down.

“Of course!” shouted Lindsey. “A haunted car wash!” Caitlin was tempted to hit her.

Heather had just watched The Shining recently. “What about a maze?” she suggested. They all looked at her. “You know, like a maze of mystery and terror! With monsters and killers around every corner!”

They all gave the suggestion some thought. “You know, that's a really good idea!” said Caitlin.

“Yeah! It's definitely something different!” said Alicia. “Plus, it would be way easier than building a house!” She quickly jotted the words 'HAUNTED MAZE' on the board.

The whole group was sold on it, no discussion needed. They began throwing out ideas for monsters and other hazards, as well as methods of decoration, almost faster than Alicia could write them down. None of them were thinking about the cold, or even the time. Half of their practice passed with them doing nothing but plan their haunted maze. But to Alicia, it was time well spent. Her goal was to raise enough money to send the squad on spring break, and as was always the case with Alicia and goals, failure just wasn't on the table.

“It sounds like it'll take up a lot of room...” said Caitlin thoughtfully. “Where would we build it? We couldn't do it in the gym.”

Alicia looked around at the football field. “Why don't we ask the school if we can do it out here?” she asked. “The football team has an away game this week and then they have a bye next week. That would give us until Halloween, no problem!”

Chase had lost the thread of this conversation very early on, but this snagged her again. “Oh! Way game!” she exclaimed. “Us go for ride?”

“Uh, yeah!” said Alicia, derailed. “We are!”

“Where go?!” asked Chase excitedly. Then, her eagerness waned slightly, as uncertainty crossed her face. “Go back to big eye girl school?”

Caitlin shuddered, then shook her head. “N-no way! We're done with them. Hopefully we don't have to play there again until after I graduate.”

“We wouldn't play the same school twice in a season, let alone have an away game there,” Alicia explained. “This is a different one. Westall High.”

Lindsey whistled. “We have to play Westall High on their home turf? That's going to be tough.”

A few of the other girls voiced equal trepidation at this prospect. Westall High must have been a strong team, Chase realized. However, she shared none of their discontent. Being up against a strong foe could only embolden a person like Chase. Besides, whether the game ahead was hard or not, there was still a game ahead, and it would have to be a pretty dire situation for Chase not to be excited for one of those. For the rest of the week she was a bundle of anticipation, asking Alicia, Caitlin and Lindsey all kinds of questions about the school and the town it sat in.