Always, Abigail (9 page)

Dear Abigail,

Miss H is in Old Hawk heaven with that mailbox. She's too happy to wonder who made it for her, so you don't have to worry. I think it'll work out pretty well for the whole class.

Gabby

P.S. I know you have pom tryouts today. I don't get why anyone would want to jump around on a basketball court, shaking fistfuls of colored paper streamers in front of a huge crowd. Especially wearing those short skirts and tight sequined tops, but hey, whatever. Everybody has their thing. I know you really want to make it, so good luck. Shake it like you mean it!

She's acting like she's Little Miss I'm-Above-Being-a-Pom-Pom-Girl. I'm sure she's just jealous because she knows
she
couldn't be one if her life depended on it. There's more chance of Old Hawk being voted students' favorite teacher than of Gabby making the pom-pom squad.

1.
We got to do our routine in groups of threes. AlliCam and I got to be a group.
☺

I could tell by the way the judges smiled at AlliCam that they liked them better than me.
☹

2.
I did my cartwheels and roundoffs perfectly.
☺

So did everyone else.
☹

3.
The seventh- and eighth-graders who were watching told me
I
was awesome.
☺

They told
everyone
they were awesome.
☹

Before homeroom tomorrow, the pom-pom squad roster will be posted outside the office.

Abs,

Had to leave early this morning.

Toes and fingers crossed for you today!

Love you no matter what!

Dad

1.
Cami Anderson

2.
Alicia Brenton

3.
Alli Martin

4.
McKenzie Sanford

5.
Jackie Swanson

6.
*Abigail Walters

1.
I MADE IT!!!!!

2.
AlliCam made it! SISTERS POMS FOREVER!!!

3.
Jackie and McKenzie said that maybe the star by my name means that they've chosen me as the sixth-grade captain. Maybe Jackie and McKenzie aren't as bad as I thought. Now that we're all on poms together, I bet the five of us will get along great.

And I can't believe it! Me! The captain? I couldn't be more excited if I were going to Hollywood on
American
Idol
.

Dear Gabby,

Thanks for wishing me luck. I'm sure you've heard by now that I made the pom squad. It looks like I might even be the sixth-grade captain. I know you don't think it's any big deal, but being a pom-pom girl is one of the greatest accomplishments for a middle school girl. It changes people's lives. And being the captain is like landing the starring role in a major motion picture. It's hard to imagine it's all happening to me.

Abigail Walters

Pom-Pom Girl (Waiting to be named captain)

P.S. Way to go with the mailbox! Old Hawk's been a dream lately, thanks to you.

1.
Kip Thompson. He said hi to me in the hall. He's one of THE cutest guys in the entire seventh grade. He's never even
looked
at me, let alone talked to me before today, so it HAS to be because of poms.

2.
The secret wave. AlliCam and I spent the entire bus ride coming up with an idea for a secret pom-pom girl wave. Something all us pom girls can do when we pass each other in the hall. The one we decided on is
so
cute. We salute each other with our right hand and then slide our hand down the side of our head and wave with two fingers. Since I'm going to be the sixth-grade captain, I'm going to suggest the new wave to the eighth-grade captain at our first practice.

3.
Our pom-pom girl uniforms. Tomorrow is our first practice. We get to try on our new uniforms. I know once I put on that skirt and those sequins, my life is
never
going to be the same.

Abigail Walters,

Please come see me in my office before school.

Coach Jenson

1.
Why does the note have yesterday's date on it?

2.
Does Ms. Jenson want to tell me that I've been named sixth-grade captain?

3.
Why does she want to see me
before
school when our first practice is
after
school?

A-L-T-E-R-N-A-T-E

The star by my name DOES NOT mean I'm the sixth-grade captain. It means I didn't really make the squad. It means I'm an ALTERNATE.

Ms. Jenson explained that, this year, they had decided to cut the sixth-grade squad to five girls so that they could add more girls to the eighth-grade squad. “We think it's important to give the eighth-graders more opportunities since it's their last year of middle school,” Ms. Jenson said.

More opportunities for eighth-graders? What? Everyone knew that sixth-graders were the ones who needed more opportunities. We were the ones struggling to survive middle school for the very first time in our lives.

Ms. Jenson went on to explain that being an alternate meant that if someone couldn't fulfill their commitment to the squad (she should've said fulfill their dream of a
lifetime
) then I would get to take their place. All I could think was that being an alternate for a pom-pom girl at Crestdale Heights was like being an alternate for someone who wins the lottery.

“Oh, I'm sorry, I really don't want this million dollars. You take it instead. I hate spending money, so go ahead and have it.”

Being an alternate meant NEVER being a pom-pom girl.

Ms. Jenson blabbed on and on about how she had wanted to tell me this yesterday and that she didn't know why I didn't get the note until today. While she talked, I thought about how instead of “alternate” she should've just said if there's a star by your name, it means “you have no
chance
of being popular” and “forget about Kip Thompson ever talking to you again.”

1.
I am NOT a pom-pom girl.

2.
Ditto

3.
Ditto

4.
Ditto

5.
Ditto

6.
Ditto

7.
Ditto

8.
Ditto

9.
Ditto

10.
Ditto