Brooke's Big Decision: #8

By Liz Adams and Jen Jones

Brooke's parents want to send her to a private high school, where she'll be separated from her friends and cheerleading. She hates the ideas until she visits the school and realizes it is perfect for her. Now she is facing a big decision. How can she decide when both choices feel right?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Dec 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781496532053

Book preview

Jones

Roooooaaaaarrr! Were the walls of the gym actually shaking? The noise in the gym thundered so loud I swore I saw one of the ceiling fixtures rattling. I guess that’s what happens when you get three extra-energetic cheerleading squads in one room at the end of the school year!

It had been my friend Gaby’s and my brill idea to get all of the local middle school squads together for a little cheer party. With high school tryouts right around the corner, we — and our coach — thought it would be a fun way for all of us to blow off some steam and get to know each other. And judging by the great mood in the room, our idea was right on target!

My BFF Lissa playfully pushed me into the center of the cheer circle, which was made up of about forty cheerleaders from Howell City Junior High, Pioneer Middle School, and our school, Greenview Middle. We were shouting out one of our fave cheesy chants, Check It Out, which was designed to be an icebreaker:

At the end of the cheer, I did a toe touch into a back handspring, topped off with some fun spirit fingers* for a touch of silliness. Part of the point of the cheer was that you were supposed to show off your stuff! Egged on by all the enthusiasm, I lay down on the ground and did the worm** back to my spot in the circle.

Way to show off your breakdancing skills, B! giggled Gaby, patting my back as a Pioneer cheerleader took my place in the middle. Out of breath, I high-fived Gabs, and we both started clapping to join the chant again.

Maxi did a flawless standing back tuck* and hit a number-one sign as she landed. Without a doubt, those Pioneer girls were fierce! I felt a nervous rumble in my stomach thinking about how soon we’d all be competing against each other for spots on Greenview High’s cheer team. With girls like Maxi in the running, nothing was guaranteed!

I didn’t have too much time to fret, though, because soon it was Gaby’s turn in the circle. She did what she does best — shake her groove thing. (Dancing was indeed her sassy style!)

At the end, Gab pulled a cheerleader from Howell City into the center. They started doing an old-school move called the Kid-n-Play, clicking heels and hopping around in a circle. Everyone hooted their support loudly, and the cheer circle broke up after that. (How can you top a ’90s classic?)

That was ridiculous fun, said my friend Faith as the dance music started up again. This was her first year cheering. She especially loved all of our weird cheer traditions.

You can say that again! said Lissa, collapsing onto the basketball court dramatically.

That was ridiculous fun! joked Gaby. Lissa responded by pulling Gaby down with her and engaging on a full-on tickle attack. They started rolling around and laughing their heads off as Faith and I just looked on, amused. The other squads probably thought we were crazy . . . and they’d kind of be right!

A really petite redhead bounced over to the four of us to introduce herself. What’s up, girls? she said, extending a hand out to me. I’m Shaye Roberts, and I’m the captain for Howell City.

Oh, cool! I’m the co-captain for Greenview, and this is my partner-in-cheer-crime, Gaby, I told her, motioning to the Gabster next to me. We’re so glad you guys could make it!

Shaye nodded excitedly. Yeah, us too! she said. "It feels like our squads see