I grabbed another fry. “You used to eat this crap all the time. And you were a lot more fun.”
“Well, I’m about to get more fun, because I scored you guys invites to Savannah’s party. We’re all going.” He unfolded the orange flyers, and there they were: four orange invites, each cut in a circle and decorated to look like a basketball.
Lena picked up one by the corner as if it was actually covered in dirty hair and old oil. “The golden ticket. Guess that makes us the cool kids now.”
Link didn’t pick up on her sarcasm. “Yeah, I hooked y’all up.”
Ridley slurped her malts. She had drained both of them down to the dregs. “Actually, I did.”
“What?” I couldn’t have heard her right.
“Savannah invited the whole squad, and I told them I needed to bring my entourage. You know, for security or whatever.” She put down the glasses. “You can thank me later. Or now.”
“Say that again?” Lena looked at her cousin like she was crazy.
Ridley seemed confused. “You’re my entourage?”
Lena shook her head. “The other part.”
“Security?”
“Before that.”
Rid thought for a second. “Squad?”
“That.” Lena said it like it was a four-letter word.
It had to be a joke. I looked at Link, who was purposely not looking at me.
Ridley shrugged. “Yeah, whatever. Team thingy. I forget the name. I like the skirts. Besides, this gig is the closest I can get to being a Siren, as long as I’m trapped in this lame Mortal body.” She gave us her best fake smile. “Go, Wildcats.”
Lena was speechless. I could feel the windows of the Dar-ee Keen begin to rattle as if a gale force wind was hitting them. Which it probably was.
I crumpled up my napkin. “Are you kidding? You’re one of them now?”
“What?”
“The Savannah Snows and Emily Ashers—the kind of girls who harassed us all the time in school,” Lena snapped. “The ones we hate.”
“I don’t see what you’re getting so worked up about.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because you joined the same squad that started a club to get me kicked out of school last year. You know, the Jackson High cheer-slash-death squad?”
Ridley yawned. “Whatever. Tell me something that has to do with me.”
I looked at the windows out of the corner of my eye. They were still rattling. A tree branch flew against one, as if it had been tossed up out of the ground like a weed. I pulled one of Lena’s curls straight between my fingers.
Calm down, L.
I’m calm.
She doesn’t mean to hurt you.
No. Because she doesn’t notice, or care.
I turned to Link, who was sitting with his arms behind his head, enjoying our reactions. “Did you know about this?”
Link grinned. “Haven’t missed a practice.” I stared him down. “Aw, come on. She looks pretty hot in those short skirts. Third Degree Burns, Baby.”
Ridley smiled.
I was pretty sure Link had lost his mind. “And you think this is a good idea?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Whatever floats her boat. And you know what they say: Keep your friends close and your enemies’ clothes…. Wait, how does that go?”
I looked at Lena.
This I gotta see.
The windows rattled harder.
The next afternoon, we went to see for ourselves. The girl had moves. You had to give her that. Even if Ridley wore her cheerleading skirt with a metallic tank top instead of the standard gold and blue uniform, you couldn’t deny it.
“I wonder if she’s good at this because she was a Siren.” I watched as Ridley pulled back handsprings down the length of the basketball court.
“Yeah. I wonder.” Lena didn’t look too convinced.
“What, you think there’s some kind of cheer Cast? Is there a Latin word for cheerleader?”
Lena watched Ridley nail another handspring. “I’m not sure, but I’m going to find out.”
We watched from the highest bleacher, and after the first ten minutes of practice, it was obvious what was really going on. The real reason Ridley joined the squad. She was replacing Savannah, in every possible way. Rid was the base, holding up the team during the pyramid. She was leading the cheers and, in a few cases, making them up on the fly, as far as I could tell. The rest of the squad was stumbling behind her, trying to copy her seemingly random moves.
When Ridley cheered, her shouts were so loud she actually distracted the guys on the court. Or maybe it was the metallic tank top. “Give it to me, Wildcat boys! You can be my Wildcat toys! Bounce your balls and shoot ’em high. Ridley’s come to Jackson High.”
The guys on the team started laughing, except for Link. He looked like he wanted to chuck a basketball at her. Only someone else was going to beat him to it. Savannah jumped off the bench, her arm still in a sling, and made a beeline for Ridley.
“I’m guessing that’s not one of their approved cheers.”