The Princess and the Plague : 8

The Princess and the Plague
(Life after Camp Kumoni)

By Anistasia Allread
Edited by none other than Nick B

“What were you calling about?”

“I would really like you to try out for the cheer squad.” Melinda pleaded.

     

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“Hello, Erika? This is Melinda from school,” the voice greeted when Eric answered his phone.

“Uh, Hello Melinda.” Why would Melinda want to talk him?

“I got your number from Samantha; I hope you don't mind.” Melinda sounded chagrined over the phone.

Eric was curious. “What were you calling about?”

“I would really like you to try out for the cheer squad.” Melinda pleaded.

A shudder flashed through Eric's body. He could feel his cheeks flush with the thought of him being on the cheer squad. “I really couldn't do the cheer squad, Melinda,” he told her.

“Why not?” she questioned.

“I really don't have what it takes to be a cheer leader. I can't tumble, or even do the splits.”

“Can you at least do a cartwheel?”

“No, sorry. I’m just not very coordinated.”

“Well, what about the Rally squad?”

“I don't know, Melinda.” Eric was flattered but terrified at the same time.

“The Rally squad is just as important as the cheerleaders,” Melinda explained. “They help make the posters, help the cheerleaders get the crowd cheering. They help prep the football and basketball players locker room the day of the game. They even get nice uniforms.”

“Why me?” he asked.

“I just wanted to welcome you to Washington High, besides, you're Samantha's friend.”

“Let me think about it?” Eric asked.

“Sure. Take a day or two but try outs for the squad are this Friday. Those who don't make the squad will be asked to be on the Rally.”

“Can't I just try out for the Rally squad? Seriously, I don’t have the skills to be in Cheer.”

“Of course, but It would be even better if you were in cheer with us.”

“I'll let you know, Melinda,” he assured her, “Oh, and Melinda?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks for welcoming me and asking me.”

“You're quite welcome. See you tomorrow.”

Eric hung the phone up and stared off into space. Erika had just been asked by one of the most beautiful, popular girls to join her on the cheer squad. Eric put his phone down, logged on to his computer and emailed Rachel, Dani, Katie and Phoenix. He told them about Erika's time at the slumber party, the shopping, and her first day at school.

–o0o–

Mrs. Anderson began class by taking a student's cell phone away from them. She looked over the text that the student was sending and snickered.

“What's so funny?” The offending student demanded.

“It's just that this is a peek into the future of the English language.”

“What do you mean?” another student asked.

“Well for example,” Mrs. Anderson went up to the chalk board and wrote lol, “if you saw this on a sign somewhere what would it mean?”

“Laugh out loud.” a confused student replied.

“And how about this?” Mrs. Anderson wrote 'asap'.

“As soon as possible.”

“What about this?” The teacher wrote 'S.H.I.T.'

Several students laughed or giggled others gasped that a teacher was writing profanity.

“What does this stand for?” She asked.

“Poop?” a student put out.

“Crap, dung, waste?” another laughed.

Mrs. Anderson nodded, “That is what it means now. But what if I told you that this word originated as an acronym like lol, or asap, or even omg?”

Several students looked shocked; others just looked confused.

“What if I told you that it was a word used by sailors?”

“I thought the bathroom on a ship was called a head?” someone said.

Mrs. Anderson nodded. “It is.”

“Instructions on how to use the bathroom?” a girl looked puzzled.

“Shit here in trough,” Jake laughed.

Mrs. Anderson went up to each of the letters and wrote a word coming down off from each. 'Ship. High. In. Transit.' “Any thought to what that means?” she asked.

The room was quiet.

Erika found herself talking before she could stop herself. “That whatever was in that crate was to be shipped high.”

Mrs. Anderson pointed at Erika with a smile, “Very good, Erika.” She looked over the rest of the class. “What was it they were shipping and wanted to keep high?”

Silence.

“Anyone care to take a stab?” Mrs. Anderson looked around the room looking for someone to come up with something. “Well, then. Back in the days of old when England dominated the sea, they would take cow, pig, and chicken manure, dry it out, and bale it up into large bales. Other countries used it as fertilizer for their crops, so they would load it onto ships and sail it to those who needed it.”

“They would ship cow crap?” someone spoke aloud.

Mrs. Anderson nodded. “What happens when dried out dung gets wet and sits for a long time in a confined area?”

“It stinks,” said one of the girls, wrinkling her nose.

“Precisely.” Mrs. Anderson smiled, “What does it smell of?”

“Crap,” Jake ventured.

“What happens when 'crap' sits and ferments?”

“It creates a gas.” another boy answered.

“Methane gas,” Mrs. Anderson nodded. “What happens if you light a match around methane gas?”

“It explodes,” Tricia answered.

“That's right, it explodes,” Mrs. Anderson smiled. “So, when they shipped the 'fertilizer' they would write S.H.I.T. On the bale so that it wasn't stowed down in the bottom of the hold. By them not allowing it to get wet, they saved their ship and sometimes other ships from blowing up.”

“Seriously?” a girl asked.

Mrs. Anderson smiled. “So, the acronym S.H.I.T. started out like a warning sign. Now it is considered a profanity.” She eyed everyone in class. “This example is an urban myth, but you get the point?”

Several students laughed, others just nodded.

A student entered the room walked up and handed Mrs. Anderson a small piece of paper. She read the slip and walked up the row of desks and handed Erika a hall pass, “The office wants to see you.”

Erika's heart leapt into her throat. “Do you know why?”

Mrs. Anderson just shrugged. “I guess you’ll have to find out when you get there.”

Erika gathered up her books, hall pass and left the room. Her heart raced faster and faster as she drew nearer to the office. She wondered if they had found out that she was really Eric. Could her parents have found out and be pulling her out? Her feet felt heavier and heavier as she turned down the corridor to the office. She stopped outside the door and took a deep breath.

“I was sent for?” Erika held up the slip for the office lady.

“Erika Summers?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“We're having a hard time getting your transcripts. We just need to check over your information again.”

“Oh?” Erika's heart skipped not just one beat, but several.

The office woman pulled out a piece of paper and slid it across the counter to Erika along with a pen. “Make sure that all of this information is correct,” she said with a smile.

Erika looked over the sheet that had her fabricated history on it. She looked up to a desk behind the counter to see Victoria looking back at her with an apologetic look. Erika scratched out the last two digits of her social security number and inverted them off to the side. She wondered if that would buy her any more time.

She slid the paper back. “There, I must have written my soc number wrong.”

“Thank you, Miss Summers, you may go back to class.”

Erika looked back to Victoria.

“See you at lunch.” Victoria made her voice sound light, but the look in her eyes was one of anxiety.

Erika nodded and walked back to Mrs. Anderson's class.

–o0o–

“Okay, Victoria, what is going on?” Erika asked at lunch.

“They won't let me near the transcripts so that I can change them.” Victoria complained, “I haven't been able to get at your hard copy on file or even touch the information that you gave them to request your records.”

“What are we going to do?” Tricia asked.

“We need to steal Eric's records out of the office, change them and have Erika present them as hers.” Samantha instructed.

“Are you suggesting that we break into the office?” Erika asked.

Samantha nodded. “I don't know how else we can get them.”

“I'll try one more time,” Victoria sighed.

“Did you get a call from Melinda last night?” Tricia asked.

“Yes, she asked me to try out for the cheer squad.” Erika shook her head.

“Me too.” Tricia's eyes glimmered. “Are you?”

“No,” Erika responded immediately. “Can you picture me in a cheer skirt waving pom-poms?”

Tricia cocked her head to one side for a moment in thought. She smiled. “Actually, that would be cute.”

“I think it's a great opportunity,” Victoria agreed. “It would look good on your college applications.”

“I think you should at least try,” Krystal urged.

“Come on, you too Krystal?” Erika was appalled.

Krystal nodded. “I'd do it if I were you.”

“Well, I told her that I wouldn't do the cheer squad, but I might be interested in the Rally squad.”

“Is there a difference?” Krystal asked.

Samantha spent the next few minutes explaining the similarities and differences between the two squads.

“So are you going to come to the football game tomorrow?” Samantha asked her new friends.

Victoria nodded. “I have to go. I'm not the sports reporter, but I need to be there.”

“I don't know,” Erika shrugged.

“I've never been to a football game,” Krystal admitted. “What is there to do at one?”

“Yell, scream, support the team; be with your friends,” Samantha explained.

“They are a lot of fun.” Tricia agreed. She looked to Erika. “You wanna go?”

“I've only been to one game and it was a disaster. The student body chased 'The Plague' out fearing that he'd cause the team to lose.”

“That settles it,” Tricia told her. “You are making arrangements to go to the game with me tomorrow night.”

“If no one is busy tonight, the Cheer squad could use help making posters and banners for tomorrow.” Samantha looked to the others, “It would help you to get on the Rally squad.”

“I'll have to call me mom and see if it's alright, but I can't have her picking me up here while I'm Erika.”

“You can see if she can pick you up at my house.” Tricia offered, “Or I'm sure Leeza or my parents could give you a ride home.”

“That would be the safest bet.” Victoria agreed.

The warning bell rung.

“I'll be in the gym after school if anyone needs me.” Samantha told them.

They all got up and went to class.

–o0o–

“So how was your day?” Mrs. Martin asked as Eric entered the house.

“It was alright,” Eric stated.

“So you are now helping the cheerleaders out?” she questioned.

“Yeah; the girls allowed me to help them with making posters for the game tomorrow.”

“Well that's an improvement over last year,” she observed.

“I guess.” Eric shrugged. “Mom, Tricia wants me to go to the game with her tomorrow. Can I go?”

“I guess so. How will you be getting home?”

“She said her parents, or her sister could drop me off.”

“I don't see why you can't. Just come home right after the game.”

“Thanks mom.” He gave his mother a peck on the cheek.

“So did you learn anything in school today?” she asked.

“I learned what S.H.I.T. Means.”

“What?”

“S.H.I.T. it means Ship High In Transit.”

“How does that apply to your schoolwork?” his mother asked.

“Mrs. Anderson was demonstrating how the English language is always evolving.”

Eric took a soda and a brownie and walked upstairs to his room. He got on his computer and began working on his comics.

A screen popped up.

Winter: how are U?

Phantom: fine

Winter: Im glad you came to help with the posters

Phantom: I had a lot of fun. It was good to meet people who didn't prejudge me as the plague

Winter: I think you needed to give people a chance too. they’re not all bad. Will you try out for cheer?

Phantom: Not interested in cheer, I told you. I might be interested in Rally though. I don’t know how to keep my rents from finding out about Erika though.

Winter: U could tell them.

Phantom: That would not help us at all.

Winter: Your mom knows about Erika
Phantom: And she's making me go to a shrink because of it. Besides she doesn't know that Im going to school as Erika

Winter: When do you see the shrink again?

Phantom: day after tomorrow

Winter: how is it going with that?

Phantom: It's ok, I guess. She wants me to go as Erika this next time. It will only be the second time my mom has seen me as Erika.

Winter: How are you going to avoid your dad?

Phantom: Dad will be golfing Sat.

Winter: see you tomorrow. Pls try out for Cheer.

Phantom: We'll see. See you

Eric logged off the computer and told his parents goodnight before locking his door. He slipped out of his clothes, into his night gown and crawled into bed.

Could Erika be a cheerleader? How were they going to get the transcripts switched? How would she look in a cheer uniform? Did she want to be Erika forever?


To be continued…



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