Face Down

I don’t want to spend my life with my dress tucked into my pantyhose. I have repeated this saying many times in my life. Why you may ask, because I learned from an embarrassing situation.

I am a very shy person. I don’t know what to say to people. If I say anything it ends up sounding all wrong. I get a lot of weird looks from people. I have found it is safe to smile and nod. My sister on the other hand is a beautiful soul. She is kind, outgoing, funny, a flirt, smart, charming and beautiful. In high school she was well liked. She had lots of friends.

My sister Nikki got this great idea. She wanted to try out for cheerleader. I thought wow so perfect for her personality. But there was a catch, she wanted me to try out too, wait what!!! No, no I cried. I can’t.

Through many exhausting conversations she wore me down. “It would help me make friends, break out of my shell and I would learn to be comfortable in front of others.” Nikki said. She was relentless. I agreed.

We practice every night for two weeks. I had a great time. Then when I didn’t make the cut it would be the judge’s fault not mine. This was perfect.

Well as you can guess I made the team and so did Nikki. She was so excited. I was going to be sick. Nikki and I had practiced for a month. I enjoy practice, but the thought of performing in front of people made me ill.

Luckily our first game was out of town. The bus ride was long. I only talked to the other cheerleaders. I had no idea what to say to the players.

Once we arrived I went into the gym with the other cheerleaders. I stood in front of the stands staring at all the people. All these people were going to see me hurl. The people were piled all the way to the ceiling. How could there be so many people for a sporting event. As I was looking up Nikki grabbed my arm, “come on, it is time for the National Anthem.”

I look out at the center of the court. It seemed so far away. The other cheerleaders were lining up along the center of the gym. This is the moment I was going to be sick. I was frozen. My legs felt like weights. I tried to move them, but they were wiggly and wobbly. Suddenly I tripped. I began to stumble in slow motion. I did my best to not fall on my face. I flailed my arms about, twisted my body this way and that. I made it to the center of the gym face down on the floor with my skirt over my head. The crowd went wild. I got up red face and lined up for the National Anthem. The crowd applauded.

I not only embarrassed myself, I embarrassed the whole school. My sister tried to act like she didn’t know me, but we were wearing the same uniform.

That was the moment face down in the gym that I realized I did not want to be spend my life with my dress tucked into my pantyhose or my skirt over my head.

Written by: Collette Cottingham; Boot Hill