Operation Beautiful

“What was that about?” Matt asks, setting his school lunch on the table. Ah, that must be what took him so long.

“Is your sister Jessica?” Janice growls, slamming her palms into the table.

“Where have you been?” I ask.

“Cheerleading meeting,” she says from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes stay on Matt. “Well? Is she?”

“What about Jessica?” Matt asks.

“And that really culry-haired girl is Emmaleigh?”

“Yes,” I pipe up. “Why?”

“Because,” says Janice. “I don’t like them.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Matt asks angrily, standing up. Janice pops one of his carrots in her mouth and curls her fists to hold up two index fingers.

“I,” she says slowly, keeping both fingers a couple inches apart. “Don’t. Like. Them.” she brings her fingers closer with every word until they touch.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask.

“God, guys are so stupid!” she yells. “I just dealt with like fifteen complete bimbos, so spare me the torture, okay? Geez!”

“What’s got your knickers in a knot?” I ask. She looks up at me.

“Knickers? You Europeans.” She looks around. “Where did Trevor and Haley go?” I start to laugh again.

“I don’t know. Possibly...the janitor’s closet?”

Milk shoots out of Matt’s nose and all over the table.

“W-where?!”

I explain about the whole shirt thing, beginning with Christa and ending with Trevor deciding to “fix the problem.” Janice starts laughing.

“Trevor? Trevor’s going to take off his shirt?”

“Is that funny?” I ask, confused.

“This is the guy who’s had girls throw themselves at him but has never gotten more into it than a cactus in a limbo contest,” she scoffs.

“You never know though...” Matt says thoughtfully. “He really likes Haley. And we all know he didn’t really like any of those other girls he’s been with.” Janice slaps him on the arm from across the puddle of milk.

“That’s your fantasizing face. And Shenae Grimes is one thing, but I refuse to let you fantasize about those two.”

“Hey. Don’t take Shenae’s name in vain!” Matt protests.

“Who?” I ask.

“You know that poster in my closet?” He asks. Ah, the blonde, brown-eyed standard “hot” girl. Not really my type.

***
“Hustle up!” we jog onto the soccer field and begin practice. Technically, the season ended last semester, but there's a huge tournament coming up which could win major bucks for the school. Since we've been having major budget cuts this year, coach has made it mandatory for everyone to compete.

Fifteen minutes into practice, I hear wolf-whistles and a bunch of guys stop what they’re doing to gaze out over the field. Turning around, I see a bunch of senior cheerleaders jogging onto the field. What the hell? Since when did the cheerleading squad practice out here?

“What’s up with that?” I ask Trevor.

“I don’t know. Janice isn’t there though, and she is the head captain,” he replies. “That’s not even the whole squad, just some of the seniors and...is that Jessica?” I look to where he’s pointing, flinching slightly at the tight tank tops and booty shorts clustered on the sidelines.

“That is Jessica,” I say, turning away quickly as the girls begin to stretch. If possible, more guys have stopped practicing.

“Don’t tell me you aren’t enjoying the view,” Trevor responds with a laugh, turning away with me.

“Hey, you have a girlfriend,” I remind him. He throws up his hands in surrender.

“I didn’t say I was enjoying it. But you’re single. And you’re acting like you’re either 60 or taken.” He elbows me suggestively.

“Whatever,” I reply.

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Janice storms out onto the field, her own outfit eliciting more whistles and gaping.

“Your teammates are distracting my boys!” the coach yells at her.

“Just call their girlfriends!” Janice yells back. Almost immediately half the guys turn away to continuing practice. Trevor and I stay frozen as Janice grabs Jessica’s ear in one hand and some other girl’s ear in the other.

“I don’t give a damn about your little crushes or whore-ish tendencies,” she yells for the entire field to hear. I see both girls’ faces turn red. “Cheerleading is a sport. A sport that needs to be taken more seriously than you seem to take common sense and decency!” She throws them in the direction of the gym and glares at the other seniors. “Get inside.” No one moves. “Get inside NOW!” They all start jogging back towards the gym, grumbling as they do so.

“You know, she doesn’t really have a right to be saying that, does she?” I ask, recalling what a flirt she used to be around all the guys in our group.

“Janice had a little more class than that, though,” Trevor responds. “She never stooped that low to get a guy.”

To get a guy, huh? My mind races through all the times Jessica’s talked to me for no reason, or tried to stand too close. I think about how she seems to hate Haley for no reason and how she wanted to dance with me. I remember her wanting us to go on a "double date." Does she...does she like me?