Cheerleaders: The New Evil Read Free Page A

the coach. “Be right back. I need to walk it off.”
    She pretended to limp as she made her way to the far side of the gym. “Hey—Alex!” she called.
    Jay saw her first. Tucking the basketball under his arm, he flashed her a smile and waved. “Corky—looking good!”
    Corky liked Jay. A lot of girls thought he was goofy, mainly because he was always grinning his toothy grin. And always cracking dumb jokes and giggling uproariously at them. Or deliberately walking into a wall for a cheap laugh.
    With his long, crooked nose, tiny brown eyes, and short, spiky white-blond hair, Jay looked like a very tall chicken. But Corky thought he was fun. She always defended him when other girls talked about what a geek he was.
    â€œHey, Alex!” she called.
    Alex finally noticed her. He came dribbling over. Jay deliberately bounced his ball into Alex’s foot. Alex casually kicked Jay’s ball away. “What’s up, Cork?”
    â€œDo you have your car?” Corky asked. She pushed a wave of blond hair off her forehead.
    He nodded. “Yeah. You need a lift home?”
    Corky hesitated. “Can we take a short ride? After practice?”
    Alex narrowed his blue eyes in confusion. “A ride? I promised my mom I’d be home by dinnertime.”
    â€œJust to the river and back,” Corky told him.
    â€œDon’t drive with Alex,” Jay broke in, grinning. “He gets carsick.”
    â€œHey, Landers!” Alex protested. “I get sick only when I look at your face. It’s like someone drove over it!”
    Jay shoved Alex out of the way. “I’ll take you to the river, Corky,” he offered, spinning the ball on one finger.
    â€œYou have a car?” Corky asked.
    â€œNo. But so what?” Jay opened his mouth in a high-pitched laugh.
    Alex rolled his eyes. “Why do you want to drive to the river?”
    Corky didn’t get a chance to answer. She heard Ms.Closter’s whistle. “Corky—no time-outs!” the coach called. “We’re waiting for you.”
    â€œOkay. Meet me after practice,” Alex agreed. He turned, dribbled across the floor, stopped at the three-point circle, and sent the ball flying. It swished through—all net.
    Alex turned back to Corky and grinned, the cute, boyish grin that always made Corky want to hug him.
    â€œLucky shot!” Corky heard Jay declare as she hurried back to practice.
    â™¦ ♦ ♦
    â€œHow was practice?” Corky asked Alex, lowering herself into the passenger seat of his father’s white Sable and pulling the door shut.
    â€œBetter than yours,” Alex replied. “I heard Ms. Closter yelling at you guys.” He shook his head.
    He’s so great looking, Corky thought. She liked the way his blond hair, wild and unbrushed as always, fell over his forehead. And she liked the tiny dimple that appeared in his right cheek when he smiled.
    â€œWe weren’t into it today,” Corky said quietly.
    Alex pushed back the hood of his parka, then started the car. Corky gazed up at the late afternoon sky. A pale moon already poked over the winter-bare trees. It gets dark so early in December, she thought.
    The charcoal-gray sky matched her mood. She slumped in the seat, raising her knees to the glove compartment as Alex pulled out onto Park Drive. Some of the snow had melted. But there were still patches of ice on the street.
    â€œDid you see me reject Gary Brandt’s layup?” Alexasked gleefully. “His mouth dropped open so wide, he nearly swallowed the ball!” He laughed. “I can’t wait for the tournament. I think we’re going to kick some butt!”
    The car slid as Alex turned sharply onto River Road. Corky adjusted the seat belt over the front of her blue down jacket. They rolled past three little kids having a frantic snowball fight in a wide front yard. “Hey—no ice balls!” Corky heard one of them