a new cheer on the spot.”
“That’s it? I thought it would sound more grueling somehow, like sweating blood, but you make it sound easy.”
“That’s what I thought at first, but after I asked Madison about it last year she invited me to sit in on one of the squad’s practice sessions. That’s when I changed my mind.”
“Why?”
“Because hardly any of the girls raised a sweat, which I thought was fairly surprising considering the routine they were doing was pretty complex.”
There suddenly came a soft tapping, and both girls jumped.
“Do you think that’s Billy?” Jessica whispered.
I hope not! Katrina thought, but aloud she said, “No, I think it came from the door.”
Katrina got up off the bed and went to answer it.
“Mom!” Katrina gasped and looked away guiltily.
“Do I take it by that look on your face you know what time it is?” Mrs. Sinclair asked.
Katrina glanced over to her clock. It read 11:57 p.m.
“Um. We were just saying goodnight to each other.”
Turning to the voice, Mrs. Sinclair cried, “Jessica!”
“I was just leaving!” Jessica replied. Her face was buried in Katrina’s bed covers, and her voice came out muffled.
“Jessica! Why in heaven’s name are you like that on Katrina’s bed?” Mrs. Sinclair folded her arms. “Why won’t you look at me?”
Jessica sat up but still avoided looking in her mother’s direction.
“Come on, something’s wrong!” Mrs. Sinclair said, starting to lose her patience.
“Nothing is wrong. Why should there be anything wrong?” Katrina said quickly – a little too quickly.
Idiot . Katrina mentally kicked herself.
“Because you two are acting very guiltily about something.”
“Guilty, us?” Katrina and Jessica exchanged glances.
“Jessica, are you keeping something from me?” Mrs. Sinclair asked.
“No, I’m not. I’ve been discussing cheerleader try-outs with Katrina, that’s all. Mom, sometimes you can be so suspicious.”
“So it wasn’t Billy I saw limping away from our kitchen window ten minutes ago then?”
“Mom, I don’t know what your talking about! Next you’ll be saying he climbed up the tree outside Katrina’s window,” Jessica said, gesturing toward where she had spoken to him moments before.
“Well that might very well explain why he was limping.”
There was no way her mother would understand, so Jessica stood up and, taking Shelby in her arms, left the room. As she passed her mother in the doorway, Jessica stopped and kissed her lightly on the cheek before making her way to her own bedroom and slamming the door shut.
“I wish she wouldn’t do that,” Mrs. Sinclair muttered. Then, to her foster daughter, she added, “Night, Katrina.”
“Night, Mom.”
When her foster mother had left the room, Katrina lay on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Feeling something digging into the small of her back Katrina sat up and looked to see what it was. Katrina smiled and picked up one of Jessica’s DVDs and placed it next to her phone on her nightstand along with Jessica’s yearbook, throwing the two empty soda cans in her trash can.
“A cheerleader,” Katrina mused quietly to herself.
After a while she turned out the light. She fell asleep in her clothes.
Six
Katrina flipped over in bed, her covers tangled around her legs. Even though she was asleep, she knew what was happening; she was dreaming …
She was in a ballroom. A beautiful glittering crystal chandelier hung in the center of the room and cast a romantic glow over the people dancing around her in their elegant clothes. Feeling a little dizzy, Katrina made her way through the dancing couples, out onto the veranda and then into the garden. Outside it was quiet, the only sound was of the music drifting out from the ballroom orchestra.
Katrina rubbed her bare arms and cursed silently to herself that she didn’t have her cloak.
“Are you cold?” a male voice said from behind Katrina.
Katrina whirled and was
“That’s it? I thought it would sound more grueling somehow, like sweating blood, but you make it sound easy.”
“That’s what I thought at first, but after I asked Madison about it last year she invited me to sit in on one of the squad’s practice sessions. That’s when I changed my mind.”
“Why?”
“Because hardly any of the girls raised a sweat, which I thought was fairly surprising considering the routine they were doing was pretty complex.”
There suddenly came a soft tapping, and both girls jumped.
“Do you think that’s Billy?” Jessica whispered.
I hope not! Katrina thought, but aloud she said, “No, I think it came from the door.”
Katrina got up off the bed and went to answer it.
“Mom!” Katrina gasped and looked away guiltily.
“Do I take it by that look on your face you know what time it is?” Mrs. Sinclair asked.
Katrina glanced over to her clock. It read 11:57 p.m.
“Um. We were just saying goodnight to each other.”
Turning to the voice, Mrs. Sinclair cried, “Jessica!”
“I was just leaving!” Jessica replied. Her face was buried in Katrina’s bed covers, and her voice came out muffled.
“Jessica! Why in heaven’s name are you like that on Katrina’s bed?” Mrs. Sinclair folded her arms. “Why won’t you look at me?”
Jessica sat up but still avoided looking in her mother’s direction.
“Come on, something’s wrong!” Mrs. Sinclair said, starting to lose her patience.
“Nothing is wrong. Why should there be anything wrong?” Katrina said quickly – a little too quickly.
Idiot . Katrina mentally kicked herself.
“Because you two are acting very guiltily about something.”
“Guilty, us?” Katrina and Jessica exchanged glances.
“Jessica, are you keeping something from me?” Mrs. Sinclair asked.
“No, I’m not. I’ve been discussing cheerleader try-outs with Katrina, that’s all. Mom, sometimes you can be so suspicious.”
“So it wasn’t Billy I saw limping away from our kitchen window ten minutes ago then?”
“Mom, I don’t know what your talking about! Next you’ll be saying he climbed up the tree outside Katrina’s window,” Jessica said, gesturing toward where she had spoken to him moments before.
“Well that might very well explain why he was limping.”
There was no way her mother would understand, so Jessica stood up and, taking Shelby in her arms, left the room. As she passed her mother in the doorway, Jessica stopped and kissed her lightly on the cheek before making her way to her own bedroom and slamming the door shut.
“I wish she wouldn’t do that,” Mrs. Sinclair muttered. Then, to her foster daughter, she added, “Night, Katrina.”
“Night, Mom.”
When her foster mother had left the room, Katrina lay on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Feeling something digging into the small of her back Katrina sat up and looked to see what it was. Katrina smiled and picked up one of Jessica’s DVDs and placed it next to her phone on her nightstand along with Jessica’s yearbook, throwing the two empty soda cans in her trash can.
“A cheerleader,” Katrina mused quietly to herself.
After a while she turned out the light. She fell asleep in her clothes.
Six
Katrina flipped over in bed, her covers tangled around her legs. Even though she was asleep, she knew what was happening; she was dreaming …
She was in a ballroom. A beautiful glittering crystal chandelier hung in the center of the room and cast a romantic glow over the people dancing around her in their elegant clothes. Feeling a little dizzy, Katrina made her way through the dancing couples, out onto the veranda and then into the garden. Outside it was quiet, the only sound was of the music drifting out from the ballroom orchestra.
Katrina rubbed her bare arms and cursed silently to herself that she didn’t have her cloak.
“Are you cold?” a male voice said from behind Katrina.
Katrina whirled and was
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