Free Cheerleading Can Be Murder (Horror High #1) by Carissa Ann Lynch Page B

the back of the formation, while Sydney and Ashleigh made up the front. Even though I was mad at Sydney, I couldn’t help rooting for her. I wanted my best friend to succeed. I crossed my fingers behind my back, watching anxiously from the bench.
    Just like when it was my group’s turn, Coach Davis did a three count and turned the music on. Immediately, I realized that something was very wrong with their routine. Tasha and Genevieve seemed to be doing the steps perfectly, their movements the same as my group had just done and we’d all learned. But Sydney and Ashleigh were in the front, doing their own separate routine. The moves they performed were childlike and unflattering.
    Several girls on the bench snickered. I covered my face with my hands, unable to watch the train wreck unfolding before me. But I couldn’t help it; I had to peek to see what was going on.
    As I watched Sydney perform the wrong motions, it suddenly occurred to me why Genevieve and Tasha had been keeping Sydney and Ashleigh isolated from everyone else. They had obviously been teaching them the wrong routine!
    Obviously, they wanted to sabotage Sydney and Ashleigh’s chances of making the squad. If Sydney and I hadn’t been fighting this week, we would have been practicing at home together, and she would have figured out the routine she had learned was incorrect. Sydney thought that Tasha and her buddies wanted to be her friends, but she was dead wrong.
    At the end of their routine, Genevieve and Tasha grinned at each other mischievously, shooting knowing glances at their pals, Tally and Mariella on the bench. This whole thing was obviously a set up.
    “Sydney and Ashleigh! Is that the routine you were taught by your team leader, Tasha?” Coach Davis jumped to her feet angrily. Sydney’s smile faded, replaced with a look of confusion. I suppose she thought each group had their own version of the group cheer because she still didn’t seem to realize what was going on. She looked around at her team members questioningly.
    “Hey, it’s not my fault those two couldn’t learn the steps! I showed them the routine a million times! And Genevieve mastered the routine just fine,” Tasha whined. She looked over at Genevieve, a devilish grin spreading across her face.
    Coach Davis walked across the floor, stopping inches away from Tasha’s face. “I know you orchestrated this, Tasha. It was your job to lead these girls, not mis lead them by teaching them the wrong routine!”
    Everyone on the bench stiffened at the sound of the Coach’s voice. Her face was beet red, and I’d never seen her look so angry. “I’m sorry, Coach,” Tasha said, a sickeningly fake, apologetic smile on her face.
    “I want you out of here! You are cut from the tryouts!” Coach shouted, surprising us all as she pointed a finger at the exit doors of the gym.
    No one was more surprised than Tasha herself. Her jaw nearly hit the floor.
    “But…”
    “No buts. Out!” Coach Davis commanded.
    Tasha looked around at her sidekicks, as though she actually expected someone to come to her defense. Throwing up her hands in disgust, she strolled over to the sidelines to retrieve her bag and stomped noisily out of the gym.
    During the whole ordeal, I hadn’t moved an inch. I was still in shock. The infamous head T of the Triple Ts was no longer in the running for the varsity squad. I didn’t think any of us could have predicted that, not in our wildest dreams! With her out of the running, and Teresa out due to injury, my chances of actually making the team were looking better and better…but I did feel bad for Sydney.
    Everyone on the bench started talking all at once. Coach Davis put an end to that. “Is this a gossip session or do you girls want to try out for this squad?” she shouted, instantly shushing us all. “Next group!”
    Tally, Monika, and Mariella got into position and started their routine when the music sounded. This time, everyone completed the same routine,