Nothing really happen after that. The weekend came and passed, with me spending the weekend as Jamie. Since I had little pocket money, and my sister was likewise broke, we spent the better part of Saturday and Sunday doing extra chores around the house to earn some extra coins. Sunday afternoon, when we finally knocked off, the whole house had been cleaned from top to bottom, swept, mopped and dusted. We even tackled the corners and baseboards. I’m proud to say the whole thing shinned like new money.

Monday started spirit week. My sister being a cheerleader did everything. While I kept my nose to the grindstone. Homecoming or not, I still had homework that needed to be tended too and I still owed somebody a role-play post, or a dozen at this point. So I had to power through those. Meanwhile, I started to think myself more and more like Jamie. I found myself wondering the charity shops each afternoon after school. Downtown Benton is crawling with them. It never failed that I would stop and peer toward a prom dress from last year’s season that was now out of fashion and as a result the original price on it was slashed by half at least if not more.

I found myself wishing to wear such a pretty dress at such a high social event. Then finally, Friday arrived. That day, something had changed, the whole school seemed to be on edge. The tension that had been building all week seemed to be at a breaking point. The football players acted like they were kings of the world.

Lunch that day was oddly enough something good. The whole school was treated to big bowls of beef stew, with big chunks of braised beef floating in a sea of brown broth surrounded chunks of veggies. Big slices of warm garlic toast was served along with the stew and to wash it all down, ice cold coke cola and the sweet that finished it, cool crisp lemon pie. Considering the normal fare at lunch time was poorly prepared, watery soups, stale bread and half warm milk, this was a treat worthy of the Gods.

I was on my second bowl of stew, when my sister appeared with a dozen cheerleaders. She tapped me on the shoulder and in a commanding tone of voice whispered into my ear. “Once your done, come find me, where having a pep rally. The whole homecoming court will be there and we need are hostage.” She said as she and the other cheerleaders exited through the door.

I blinked and blinked again as I finished my bowl and swallowed the last piece of bread and drained the last piece of now warm coke. Once that was done, I carried my tray over to the window and placed it there and exited the room via the same door the cheerleaders used. After a few minutes Lily spotted me and pulled me into a nearby room. I found myself surrounded by a dozen or so cheerleaders. All dressed to the nines in their uniforms.

“Okay. We don’t have a lot of time. The homecoming court is already getting ready. The football players are getting suited up. Fr. Thomas from St. Mary’s will be here soon to bless the football team and give them final rites and last communion. Okay give some final rites, last communion.” Lily said as she walked and bent down behind the desk and pulled out a bag.

“So, Lily.. You sure about this?” One of the cheerleaders said as she pointed toward me. “He looks like some geek the dogs dragged up from the trash pile.. Pale as ghost, skinny as a railroad rail, not a hint of curve to him. Jesus the Manchester girls will know in a hair second she is a he and there going to be all hell being raised.” She added in a matter of fact tone of voice.

I felt my cheeks flood with color.

“.. RUDE!” Another girl said as she peered toward the cheerleader that just spoke. “Totally not called for.” She said peering toward her with a look that made the blood flowing through my body turn to ice water.

“What?” The girl said folding her arms across her chest. “Just saying, look! I don’t feel okay with this. I don’t know what kind of twisted game where playing out. But I don’t feel right about having some boy dress up as a girl and go there.” She then peered toward Lily. “Far as I’m concerned, what we should do is throw him in with the boys and let them toughen him up. Have them pull them pretty little panties down and show him what being a girl is all about. Just be sure to throw them a bottle of lotion..”

“THAT ENOUGH!” Bellowed another cheerleader. “Linda your totally out of bounds there. Like not cool girl! Cut that shit out right now, I swear to God and St. Joan if you do anything to harm this boy, I’m going to throw down on you.”

At this point, my hands were wrapped around the handle of the door and I was about to pull the door open then Lily spoke. And when she spoke I swear the whole room became silent as the grave. You could have heard a pen drop in that tiny storage room.

“Linda, Jamie is my little sister. You will respect her. If we were not mere hours always from the biggest game of the season, I swear I would kick you to the curve right now. After the game, turn in your uniform and your pom poms. Your off the squad.. We as cheerleaders are suppose to support everybody and love everybody.”

All around her the others nodded her head. Save for Linda who stood there looking like a cat that just been thrown into a tub of cold water. I swear she was bristling like a cat who just cornered another cat at the food bowl.

“So, your choosing that freak over there.” She said pointing toward me, “Over your third girl.. Fine be like that, you and that other dress wearing freak over at Benton AG can go suck a dick. Brother John Mark was right. This whole town is going to hell.” She held her hands up in the air and sighed. “ Where going to become the next Sodom and Gomorrah.” She said before leaving the room. She slammed the door behind her and you could hear her rushing down the hallway, huffing and puffing.

And as I was standing by the door. Linda pushed me out of the way. It was quite a hard push, one that threw me down on the ground and took the breath away from me. For a minute she stood there, looking at me on the ground. Her brown hair hung around her shoulders. Her fist was balled up and a look of hate clouded her eyes.

“Freaks like you. Need to burn into hell. All you do is sit around and read and write. You don’t even read books, you just read those silly Japanese comic books. You and your freak friends, who sit around, and read those damn little Japanese comic books, watch those silly Japanese cartoons, and play those devil card games and games. Just need to go somewhere.” She said tossing her nose up at me. “I’ll be praying for you.”

She then turned her gaze toward Lily.

“Lily, I once thought you were cool. I once considered you a friend. But if your going to choose, some freak over me! Then.. Fine. I hope the whole town, sees you and that thing on the floor for what you really are soon!” And with that she walked out the door and slammed it shut behind her. The sound of the door slamming shut echoed like a shotgun blast and left us all stunned and silenced.

Once she was gone all eyes turned me. The cheerleader who spoke before rushed over and helped me up. She then started to fuss over me, brushing off my shirt and fixing my ponytail. The others were gathered around Lily who was sinking down into a chair. The bag sat beside the chair. She looked deep in thought and finally after a few minutes she said.

“Listen.. Jamie, I’m sorry that happen. If that ruined that for you.. Then I can understand. I’ll talk to others and see what I can do.. We might even just scrap the whole hostage thing..”

I stood up and walked over to Lily, I reached down and wrapped her hands into mine and peered into hers.

“Tell me.. Does this mean a lot to you?” I asked

“We gotta have a hostage sweetie.” Another cheerleader said. “I don’t know what it is. Its dumb and where the only two schools in the state that does that. Since Manchester already has already surrounded one of there, a pretty little strawberry blonde by the name of Lana Bell. She arrived this morning on the Memphis-Jackson Express.. Then I guess we need one. Hard to find one on such short notice.”

“And if we don’t surround you.. Then we have to forfeit the game.” Another cheerleader said.

“But.” Lily said taking a deep breath. “I don’t want you to be forced into it. And I want you to have fun.. I did not want one or expect one of my own girls to lash out like that.” Lily said.

I reached over and wrapped my arms around Lily and hugged her. And then much to my surprise, the other cheerleaders joined in the hug. It was one massive group hug! For a good three minutes we squeezed each other. Till finally, the same girl that took up for me before spoke,

“Okay sweetie, love the display of sisterly love. But we gotta get you prim and proper. We have a show to put on. Whole school going to see you today. And despite what one chip on the shoulder girl says. We the cheerleaders stand behind you, and if we stand behind you. Then the football players better stand behind us and the whole bloody school stands behind the football players. So there, nothing to worry about.”

“I do have like one question?” Another cheerleader said. I swear the poor girl started to sweat drop as all the eyes turned toward her.

“Hold up! I just gotta ask Jamie one question.” She cleared her throat. “So, Jamie.. Are you coming to the homecoming dance?” She said smiling softy at me.

I felt my cheeks flush with color as I shook my head.

“Nope.. I don’t have a ticket, nor do I have a dress.” I said sadly. “Plus I don’t have a date..”

“Okay.. We can solve all three of those problems right now.” The girl said peering at me. “Joan, here has a little brother around your age. He’s on the football team. Turns out he needs a date, so there that solves that problem. Now the dress, the school had like three or so dozen old formal gowns in storage for girls who can’t afford one. And for a ticket.. Girl you’re the hostage! You get a free ticket!”

“Oh! Jamie would look so cute with Ben! She short, he’s tall. And yes, we have like dozens of dresses for you to choose from! And if.. If you get the slime.. We can just all double team you.” Joan said smiling a wicked smile.

“A makeover blitzes!” Lily proclaimed smiling. “It's going to be tight girls, two and a half hours for us to get changed into are own gowns and get Jamie here ready for her first real date! But.. But where cheerleaders, we live and train for this!”

Joan smiled and took a deep breath.

“I just sent Ben a text. He’s totally on board with this blind date! So there we go.. Hang on tight girlfriend, where going to give you a night to remember!” Joan said.

I looked over at my sister and smiled. How quick things had gone from being tense to fun. She returned my smile with one of her own. And then I knew, another chapter was opening for me.