Jane Roquefort hoped to be a great cheerleader, in the athletic sense. Determined, focused, and a quiet loner, she kept out of the school gossip channels, practiced harder than the other girls, and put her best into learning the routines. Her scholarship to the prestigious Redlands High School for performance sports, relied on her talent and performance in the cheer squad.
Her talent though, was often the source for jealousy from the other girls in the squad. Especially when her great performance often stole the attention and praise of their attractive Head Coach, Adam Sanders. Adam Sanders loved teaching Gym and coaching cheer at the esteemed high school.
Although he had only planned it to be a temporary job before he made it to the big league and became a professional supporting coach for a college team, he knew he would miss the nubile bodies of the teenage girls dressed in skimpy outfits. They flirted shamelessly, gave him an eyeful (often on purpose) and he had no obligations to call them back the next day. It was almost a win–win. Except for the fact that he often went home too horny and frustrated that he'd end up coming to school the next day even grumpier than the last. This earned him the reputation of being a harsh teacher. He new his colleague 2nd Coach Ben Thomas felt the same most days.
Regardless of the perks or non–perks of the job. Teaching and coaching high school just didn't pay very well. He just needed to get the girls through to nationals his resume and CV would be complete and finally just maybe the colleges would look at him.
He knew the girls were divided over their new recruit on scholarship, he had seen the nasty looks pass between them. But he also knew that Jane was quiet and reserved, she couldn't have done anything to incite those looks or nasty words. It was only her talent.
Squad Captain Brittany Tanner was especially jealous of this fact. With her particular brand of bullying, Brittany was great at pranks, especially with the help of her loyal drones who followed her everywhere; Amy and Susan. The three girls harboured a loathing for innocently 'talented' Jane and they had planned a rather ingenious prank to get her kicked off the squad and return the spotlight and praise to them.
When Jane was dutifully doing her extra practice in the Gym one afternoon, they had sneaked into her bag and swapped the routine choreography instructions for a different routine.
To ensure the success of her prank Brittany approached Jane before training the next week.
"You've learned the new routine right?"
"Yes, of course." Jane said.
Brittany smiled. "Great, it'll be our main focus this afternoon in training."
Jane nodded. Everything was in place.
When it came to training and 2nd Coach Thomas kicked off the warm ups, Jane was fine. The same as any day. But when Coach Sanders began the routine rehearsal, Jane was lost. The moves and turns she was doing was not in any way synchronised to the rest of the girls. She did a cartwheel and almost mowed the lot of them down.
"Stop! Stop!" Coach Sanders shouted, blew his whistle. He was irritated, the finals were coming up the next week.
"Jane, what are you doing? Don't you know the routine? The finals are next week."
Jane looked a little confused but, eager to keep the coach happy she said "Yes Sir, I'll try again."
What was happening? thought Jane. Why didn't she know the routine? Brittany had made sure she was up to scratch with the other girls so why was she messing up? Jane couldn't figure it out.
Brittany smirked as the girls took their positions and started again. Jane bumbled through the routine, trying to copy the other girls as best she could, it was so confusing, and the opposite to what she had practiced all week. It came to one point where she ended up collapsing the pyramid the team was working on. Squeals and protests met the air as bodies rolled everywhere.
"Jane!" This time the coach's anger was shown on his face. But he managed to keep his frustration out of his voice. "Please see me after training. You may sit out of this next run through."
Jane picked herself up off the floor defeated, and went to sit on the bleaches to watch the remainder of the session. For the next half an hour she stewed. What was Coach going to do? She had practiced the new routine so hard. Had she misinterpreted the choreography instructions? Would Coach kick her off the squad? No! that couldn't happen, thought Jane. Her scholarship would be lost and her poor single mother would have to foot the bill of the expensive private school. Her dreams of becoming a professional cheerleader would be lost! No, she would do anything to prevent that from happening.
After everyone had left and the session was over, Jane sat outside Coach Sanders office and fidgeted with nerves. The gym was almost empty, except for a few stragglers, and she knew 2nd Coach Thomas, was still in his office across the corridor, most likely grading physical education theory papers.
She had almost chewed her thumb nail down to the quick when finally Coach Sanders voice called out.
"You may come in, Jane."
She stood up and entered the office. The room smelled like men's sweat and faintly of mildew. When she looked up, behind Sanders desk she could see that the office backed on to the boys locker room and she could see through the window that the space was empty at this time of day. The office itself was relatively tidy, with a small bookcase to one side on the left, filled with some trophies and sporting biographies, a average sized desk with two chairs in front of it, and a small filing cabinet to the wall on the right.
"Please sit." Coach Sander's motioned to one of the chairs in front of him.
Jane tentatively made her way around the chairs and sat opposite him, eye downcast.
"I was not impressed by your performance today Jane. You seem to have completely ignored the choreography I had given you."
Jane sat dead still, clenching her palms together in her lap. She said nothing.
"Well?" he asked. "Would you like to explain?"
Jane didn't look up. She was terrified. Coach Sanders had a reputation of dealing terrible punishments. She worried if she opened her mouth and made excuses he would cut her from the squad. She silently shook her head.
He cleared his throat. "The finals are next week, if you don't have the routine down by now. You won't be on the squad much longer. I'll have no other choice than to report this to the scholarship committee–"
Jane's head shot up. "Oh no! Please sir! I can learn it, I'm sure I can!"
Coach Sanders tilted his head and studied her. Under his close scrutiny she felt heat tint her cheeks. In truth he had always unnerved her. He was so tall and obviously strong looking, she could see that he was attractive, he wasn't old either, probably in his early thirties, but the way he looked at some of the girls made her feel a little defenceless and incredibly young, although she herself was only 18.
"Why haven't you already learned it?" he asked.
Jane finally found her voice and started to defend herself. "I have sir! I swear, I just was a little confused–"
"You have not!" He interrupted her, slamming his palm on the surface of the desk. The loud noise made her jump, and she fell back into silence. He inwardly smirked. He liked watching her squirm. She was such a 'good' girl. Always wearing correct uniform, always polite. Always with the 'sir'. Unlike some of the other girls, who were so brazen as to call him Adam.
Jane excited him. It was as if she didn't even know she was attractive. It was as if she didn't even know the way her short cheerleaders skirt had ridden up her thigh and as she twisted the hem she was giving him a display of creamy white skin.
"You haven't even bothered to learn it. You deliberately ruined the training session, and confused all the girls. And I find it a great waste of resources to just send you on your way with a slap on the wrist and a detention for your utter insolence."
