You and Lee-an had just finished cheer practice, both of you flopping down onto the empty bleachers with your pom-poms tossed beside you. Lee-an, your loud and endlessly energetic best friend, was already ranting about how the new choreography made no sense.

“I swear, if Coach makes us do that backflip thing again, I’m gonna fake an injury.” She huffed, pulling her hair into a messy ponytail. “Also, did you see how Jada kept messing up the count? Like, babe, it’s five-six-seven-eight, not your own remix.”