Save Our Squad, Gaby: #7

By Liz Adams and Jen Jones

When Gaby hears that the school board might cut cheerleading at Greenview Middle School, she is feeling anything but cheerful. She refuses to sit by and let it happen. Along with her co-captain Brooke, she organizes a movement to save the squad.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Dec 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781496532046

Book preview

Jones

Turkey burgers and sweet potato fries and soda, oh my! It was Friday night, and I was ready to chow down like no one’s business. It had been an off-the-charts-insane week, trying to get ready for Greenview’s final basketball game and wrapping up the cheer season. So what better way to wind down than dinner with the fam and my bestie Faith?

Can you pass the green beans? I asked, nudging my brother Timmy to hook me up with more grub. I’m starving! For emphasis, I added a little impatient bounce in my chair.

And that’s news because . . . ? teased my oldest brother, Damon. (Did I mention I have four brothers? A girl’s gotta fend for herself with this much testosterone on tap.) I couldn’t really argue, though, as he wasn’t exactly wrong. My endless appetite always seemed to provide an endless source of amusement for the people in my life!

My mom passed over the green beans. That’s enough, Damon. Besides, I don’t think Gaby’s the only one who’s hungry, she teased him back, eyeing his piled-high plate.

Faith giggled, munching on a sweet potato fry. It would be hard not to eat all the time around here, Mrs. F! You’re an amazing cook.

Thanks, Faith, said my mom. You’re welcome here anytime, as long as you don’t mind five bickering siblings. There’s always plenty of food!

True that! I said, adding, "And you have a good excuse to carbo-load. We’ll need the energy to get through all those power jumps* tomorrow." Both Faith and I were varsity cheerleaders at Greenview Middle School. I was co-captain of the team with our other friend Brooke.

My dad looked up from his newspaper. Tomorrow’s the last game, right? Too bad their record wasn’t good enough to make the championships this year. Greenview usually had awesome sports teams, but this year the b-ball team’s performance had just been so-so.

If we win tomorrow, we’ll finish the season 4-4, I told him. So we’re fifty percent awesome at least!

That’s our Gabs, said Faith, sending a smile my way. Always looking at the glass half-full.

"Well, her glass may be half-full, but her plate is always completely full, said Damon, earning another look from my mom. Speaking of, I’m going to go throw some more burgers on the grill." He bounded off toward the backyard, grabbing my brother Tyson to go with him.

I eyed the hot sauce on the table and picked it up jokingly. Wonder what his burger would taste like if I doused it with this?

My little brother Scott grabbed the bottle from me and poured a bit on his finger to take a taste. Yow! My mouth is on fire! he said, gulping down some water.

Can’t we ever just have a nice, peaceful family dinner? asked my mom, shaking her head and grinning. I’m going to go see if your brothers need any help back there. Otherwise, the whole neighborhood might be on fire, not just Scotty’s mouth!

My dad put aside his newspaper. No, I’ll go. You stay here and enjoy your food, he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Aww, chivalry isn’t dead after all, I said. Even though it was gross to think about my mom and dad being all loveydovey, I had to admit they were perfectly adorbs together. Hey, Faith, we should head out back after dinner and practice our halftime routine," I added.

She nodded enthusiastically. "No doubt. I’m still having a hard time with my back walkover*." Sometimes it was tough for Faith to pull off some of the tumbling skills