Recapping the characters:
My Ma, Pa, older brother Jethro and younger sister Trixie
My Uncle Jimmy & Aunt Shirley, and their 2 sons, Stan & Billy
My cousin Dirk
My boyfriend Bobby
Sonja, the bitch cheerleader
*
Saturday dawned hot and humid. It was the day of Uncle Jimmy's basketball team's first away game. Which meant it was the debut day for me as a cheerleader. I was such a bundle of nerves I had hardly slept a wink. Visions of utter humiliation filled my mind as I twisted and turned during the night. Sleep was very hard to come by.
The bus was picking everyone up from our stadium early afternoon. Ma went to a lot of trouble to serve us all a healthy and nutritious lunch. There was excited anticipation about the first away game for Jethro, and he chatted away to Ma, Pa, and Trixie. I was so nervous I could only pick at my food, much to Ma's disgust.
"This is your big debut, Jen," Ma reminded me, "You are going to need a lot of energy if you are going to be a good cheerleader."
"Ma, I am going to need a lot more than a bit of energy to make me a good cheerleader," I responded disconsolately.
"Nonsense darling, I am sure you are very good. The team will be so inspired by you cheering them on."
I could only groan in response.
"Yes, Ma," Jethro smirked, "We saw her dance routine the other night and we were riveted. She is so perky when she dances."
"There you go, Jen," Pa chirped in. "I knew you would be great."
I put my hand on my forehead and slumped forward in despair.
Pa drove Jethro and I to the stadium to meet the bus for the two hour drive to the Nicholls State stadium. Everyone clambered onto the bus. The boys in the team, the coaching staff, and little ole me. Conspicuously the only female on the bus, and an incredibly nervous one at that.
I slumped down in a seat on my own while the boys joked and boasted how they were going to dismantle the opposing team. 'Boys!' I thought, 'Such pathetic dreamers."
As always, Uncle Jimmy was the last to arrive. As he strolled down the aisle of the bus he joked with each of the boys like he was their long lost mate. When he got to me he stopped and looked down with his insipid lopsided grin.
"Hello, niece, nice to see you."
"Hello, Uncle Jimmy," I blushed. I wanted to say it was NOT nice to see him, but I bit my tongue.
In his hand he had a plastic bag which he threw onto my lap. I knew what it contained but I was loath to open it up. I placed it on the seat beside me and gazed out the window. Ma and Pa gave me a wave from outside and I sheepishly waved back. I fought back the desire to rush back out of the door of the bus and take a ride home with them. I knew I was heading into something that was going to be totally demeaning to me, but for some reason I could hardly fathom I was determined to go through with it. I was determined not to be quitter.
As the bus trundled off I sat quietly on my own, pondering my fate. Jethro tried to make conversation with me but soon realised I was in no mood for talking. It was more than an hour into our journey before I picked up the plastic bag, opening it slowly as if I was expecting something to jump out at me. Inside I could see the dreaded purple and yellow cheerleader outfit. Looking around to ensure no one was staring at me, I pulled the outfit out of the bag. It was as miniscule as I had vividly recalled from that first practice. I silently groaned at the shame of having to wear it in front of a stadium full of basketball fans.
Peering back into the bag I saw what I thought was a yellow ribbon. I reached in, extricated it from the bottom, and then held it up. It was only then that I realised it was a pair of thong panties. This time my groan of dismay was very audible, as if I had suddenly become ill. The noise drew the attention of a few of the boys who turned to stare at me. I was frozen in time, holding the thong up in front of my face.
Several of the boys began to laugh at the sight of me holding the thongs up on display, which only served to attract the attention of others on the bus. Suddenly I became aware that virtually the whole bus was staring at me and laughing. Mortified, I quickly stuffed them back in the plastic bag along with the outfit, and then slumped down into my seat trying to make myself invisible.
For the rest of the journey I just kept shaking my head in disbelief. Surely there was no way Uncle Jimmy was seriously thinking I would do my cheerleader's routine wearing that obscene thong. The cheerleader's outfit itself was ridiculously miniscule, so wearing a thong would mean my buttocks and heaven knows what else would be flashed to a stadium full of fans. 'I bet that bitch, Sonja, was behind this', I angrily thought. I debated whether to go up to the front of the bus and try to have a meaningful discuss with Uncle Jimmy and try to talk some sense into him. I am his niece, after all. But who was I kidding. I might be his niece but he did not like me one little bit, and I had made it clear to him the feeling was mutual.
After what seemed an eternity the bus finally pulled up at the Nicholls State stadium and the boys and coaching staff all piled off, full of energy and excitement. I trundled off behind, clutching my plastic bag, so nervous my heart was threatening to pound a hole in my chest. The stadium was still mostly empty although spectators were beginning to flow in. The boys went into the visitors locker room to get changed for their warm up. I stood on the stadium floor and watched the fans take their seats. I dreaded the thought they would be watching me come the half time break. I guess it was some small consolation I would only have to do my dance routine at half time. Fortunately I was not able to be part of the pre-game cheerleading as this was all arranged by the hosting team.
A group of girls brushed past me, excitedly chatting amongst themselves. I could tell by their slim, athletic bodies that they were the cheerleaders for Nicholls State. My stomach churned over. The girls disappeared into the women's locker room and emerged 15 minutes later dressed in the two-tone red and grey of the home team. I had not moved from my spot on the side of the stadium floor. It was as if I was in a nervous trance, spellbound by the clatter of teams warming up and spectators taking their seats.
As the players disappeared back into their locker rooms, the cheerleaders took centre stage to enthusiastic clapping and whistles. I watched agog as they went professionally through a variety of dance routines, all designed to work the fans into a fervour. They were slick and professional. This only served to make me more nervous than ever. I felt weak at the knees and had to lean against the wall for support.
I felt someone nudge my shoulder and when I turned I realised it was Uncle Jimmy. Not surprisingly he was watching the cheerleaders from close range, no doubt ogling their young, nubile bodies.
"Great, aren't they?" he grinned.
"Oh, just great," I added, my voice dripped with sarcasm.
When the game started Uncle Jimmy told me to take a seat with the coaching staff so that it would be easy for me to slip into the locker room and get changed prior to half time. I tried to focus on the game and offer enthusiastic support to the team as I was after all their cheerleader. However the game soon began going the same way as just about every other game they played. They were losing, and by a substantial margin. Why didn't they play this badly in the pre-season friendly against McNeese, I pondered, then I wouldn't be in this humiliating mess I am now. Uncle Jimmy's temper turned foul, and watching him striding up and down the sideline throwing his arms around wildly gave me some mildly amusing distraction.
However all too soon the Assistant Coach tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to his watch, indicating it was less than 15 minutes to half time and I had better get changed. My first reaction was to get up and run right out of that stadium and wait in the bus to get a ride back home. That would be the sensible, smart thing to do. Instead I found myself walking nervously to the female locker room clutching my plastic bag.