Slam! Brianna shut her math book and slid it into her desk. School was almost done for one day, then she, Emma and Lillie could work on their club for the summer. Brianna was just beginning to daydream of the clubhouse they were going to build when Mrs. Smart (that’s what Brianna and Emma called her because of how smart she was ) said ” now I want Zoe, Emma and Brianna to cheer for team Guacamole”. “Oh no!”Brianna gasped ” I’ll die of embarrassment ” she grumbled.
“Plus, T. Truman is taking Joeys place on the team”. Mrs. Smart added.” Cheer for Truman? No way!”, Brianna thought. He was the naughtiest kid to her. They thought she’d cheer his naughtiness on. She peered at Emma who sighed and shook her head sadly.
Later, Brianna walked home with Emma and Lillie. “So you’re on the cheer leading team? That’s awesome!” Lillie said fidgeting, “Um not awesome” Brianna murmured. “Oh, Truman’s on the school’s team and we have to cheer for him” said Emma.”It’s not just that! You don’t understand, I can’t cheer-lead. Mrs. Smart picked the wrong girl” Brianna shouted. “So?,” Lillie replied “So! I’m not in school plays, I don’t go up in class and don’t do sports… and that includes cheer leading”, Brianna said. “Come on, lets just for now” Emma said. “That’s a good idea”, Brianna said. But another problem appeared when Brianna arrived home.
“Oh mom! How’s dad?” Brianna asked “Yes, hows Mr. Erin?”, asked Emma and Lillie together. “Oh children, dad is at the hospital, because he has cancer”, mom said. ,Brianna’s heart sank. “Will he get better?”, she asked “I don’t know”, mom answered. “Can’t I even see him?” Brianna asked. “No”, mom whispered. Brianna began to cry and rushed outside. Emma found Brianna weeping on the front steps, ” I’ve already lost my Uncle James, I won’t lose my dad too”, she said. Don’t worry, he’ll get better”, Emma said, comforting Brianna.
But Emma was wrong. Dad didn’t get any better. In fact, he got worse. The next day after school Brianna tried to visit dad, but a huge sign read: CAUTION! Do not enter man with cancer. Doctors only. And below the sign was a photo of dad! Brianna rushed home in tears. “This is not possible!”, she thought.
“I thought you went to visit your dad”, Lillie whispered when she arrived in the backyard “I can’t. They won’t let me, plus it’s too dangerous to go alone” Brianna said. “Oh.”, said Lillie.
Two day’s later, the cheer-leading thing came thing back to Brianna’s mind. The big game was in a few weeks. She had to memorize their cheer: Come on, tackle like roly-polys bbrrrummm bum bum, lets go team guacamole! Brianna knew how to memorize stuff like this but in front of people … no way sister! “Bella might be able take my place”, Brianna thought. Bella was Brianna’s lonely, show off sister.
To be continued…
