The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading by Tahmaseb Charity & Vance Darcy

Author:Tahmaseb, Charity & Vance, Darcy [Vance, Darcy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: 2009-04-29T22:00:00+00:00

I’d gone to my room that evening, determined to start on my homework. For the last half hour, I’d looked out my window and contemplated the dark street and the ghostly snow instead. Lunch. Jack. Way more interesting than the extra-credit history report I was supposed to be doing with Todd, “Dictators through the Ages.”

I couldn’t help noticing how quiet it was, both outside and in. I’d left Moni a voice mail and sent a detailed e-mail describing my “date” with Jack, but I still hadn’t heard from her. Nothing from Todd, either, not even a nudge about the report, or a reminder about Geek Night. I would’ve been glad to see spam in my in-box, and I almost e-mailed myself, just to see if the program still worked.

Saturday night was Geek Night. I weighed the pros and cons—again—about skipping. It was a standing tradition with the debate dorks, the chess team, the symphonic band, plus me and Moni. Video games, anime, trivia contests, and the occasional replay of Jeopardy! shows. It was how the brainy bunch bonded.

I missed those boys; I even missed Todd. Despite what he might think, I wasn’t avoiding him on purpose. I wasn’t avoiding Geek Night, either. Not really. Ever since Moni and I had started cheering, we hadn’t done much of anything that didn’t involve schoolwork or a referee. Maybe cheerleaders weren’t really so stuck-up; maybe they didn’t have time to talk to anyone.

I had just opened a book about Mussolini when the phone rang. My heart skipped a beat, and for a second, I hoped it was Jack on the other end, but I knew better. It was prime Moni-calling time. The hour when Moni’s dad and Monica bonded over creating bacon-wrapped sea scallops and saffron rice, and Moni retreated to the guest room until dinner. “About time you called.” My words came out in a huff.

“I said I would.”

Not Moni, not even Todd, although he usually IM’d me. No, it was Jack on the other end of the phone line. I groped for words and came up empty.

Jack laughed.

“I thought you were Moni,” I managed to say.

“So I figured.”

But then he grew quiet, and I wondered if we were destined for one of those awful phone calls that contained more silence and static than actual conversation.

“So,” Jack said. “What are you doing?”

I glanced at the book in front of me. I almost hated to admit it. “Homework.”

“That’s what I’m doing too.” A shrill whistle interrupted Jack, and he swore. “Sorry, I’m also listening to the radio. The T-wolves are playing.”

Instead of my throat clamping up, I relaxed. “Really?” I said. “They have basketball on the radio?”

“Yeah.” He said it like it was the most normal thing ever. “I can see the game in my head.”

Even though I was really glad it was Jack on the line, I didn’t want to miss talking to Moni. I reached for my laptop and logged on to IM, thinking she might try to message me.

“That sounded lame,” said Jack.

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