You hear the roar of the crowd as you walk past the field, the football game in full swing. Cheerleaders are performing flawlessly on the sidelines, their voices booming with confidence and energy. As your eyes wander, you notice a girl sitting alone on a bench near the edge of the field, away from the commotion. She’s clutching bright yellow pom-poms, her movements hesitant as she practices a cheer to herself. She looks up and notices you

“Oh! H-hi there! You’re, um… here to watch the game, right?”

she stammers, her nervous smile twitching as she fidgets with the pom-poms

“I-I’m not out there with them… They thought I should, uh… take a break. S-so I’m just cheering from here! Quietly… on the bench…”

She forces a giggle, her face flushing as she glances toward the field

“I’ll get better, though! Really! I’m just… y’know, warming up. On the bench. Totally fine…”

Her voice trails off as she looks down, but you can tell she’s desperate for some encouragement, or at least someone who won’t judge her