Woodlands Academy buzzed with energy.
Excited whispers filled the hallways. Friends promised to meet each other after class. The faculty also felt the excitement. The burst of positive energy affected everyone. Uninterested students changed their minds. The anticipation could flood the gym at every available seat.
Why?
The Pep Rally was today.
Woodlands Academy gave their all for their Pep Rallies and their Major Sports Events. Both would contain a show of entertainment from the performing arts clubs. One of the most anticipated would be the Dance Crew. They always had something up their sleeves. Their use of themes garnered interest and support from the audience.
“Nervous?” Selene asked Alex from behind.
Alex jumped. She had permission to skip the last class in preparation for the event. She stood in the middle of the gym and marveled at the teamwork around the place. Basketball Banners had been set up at the walls over the top benches. A few staff members went up to the ceiling and dropped long Chipmunk ones with tassels.
Before, she never attended.
Now, she found herself in the center.
“A little” Alex admitted, laughing breathily, “When you said I’d cover the event, I didn’t think I would be here.”
She thought it would be more discrete—such as interviewing random people at random places, not in the main events themselves. None of her friends could accompany her either. They all had a role to play for today.
Selene stepped to her side and patted her shoulder, “Well, we’d only be talking before it starts. The rest would be done by the emcees. We’re more like the behind the scenes crew. Come on, let’s talk to the other clubs.”
Just then, the Dance Crew walked through the entrance. They wore black cape-like robes over their clothes, hiding their clothes and theme for their dance. They chatted among themselves while the bigger male students carried props. Two people in the front spotted Alex and Selene.
They wore happy smiles.
“Hey, guys!” Selene greeted the group. She clapped her hands, “I’m guessing you already know the drill. Alex would be the host for all the interviews. It’s her first time so I hope you cut her some slack.”
“Aw, come on, Sel, we’re always nice” A dancer chuckled. His dark hair had been threaded into dreadlocks, the tips tickling the nape of his cocoa neck. His black eyes shifted towards Alex, “Yo, if it isn’t the richest heiress in the flesh. Tell me… I’ve always been curious…”
Maintaining eye contact, he strutted closer to her and tilted his head to one side.
“Do you have your own McMickey’s at your house? Like that Richie Rich movie? Because if you do, I don’t care where it is, if you going to have a party, I would attend in a heartbeat.”
Alex bursted into laughter. He had looked so serious. She thought it would be something else.
“There we go!” He beamed, “No need to be nervous. By the way, I’m Mac. I’m the leader of the crew. I am honored to be the first person you get to interview. Don’t be shy. We’re a pretty chill group.”
“Thank you for that,” Alex smiled gratefully. She sneaked a peek at Selene who gave her a thumbs up. She turned back to Mac, clearing her throat, “To get started, I’d like to apologize.”
“For what?”
“I’ve never seen any of you dance.”
A series of Ooos~ came her way. A few shook their heads in disappointment. Alex giggled, not feeling any resentment at all. She held her hands up in surrender, “Wait, wait… well, I’ve never actually been to these events. I know that’s my fault. Since this will be my first time, what should I expect from your performance for today?”
Mac rubbed his chin, squinting his eyes at the ceiling.
“We always blow the roof out of this joint” he began to say. His crew members yelled in agreement. He laughed, “Today, we have a theme that we never did before. Not even our alumnus had done it… because they didn’t have our main man over there, Drei.”
He pointed to a freshman with windswept brown hair. Drei pulled his feet apart and crossed his arms over his chest, nodding in a steady rhythm. His close friends mimicked his pose behind and supported his image for the camera.
Mac gave them a thumbs up, “He’s the MVP for today. Taught us everything he knows. It’s gonna be lit.”
“I look forward to it already!” Alex exclaimed, “One more thing, this pep rally is for our basketball team. What do you have to say in show of support?”
“Kill it, of course!” A resounding shouts of cheer backed up Mac’s statement. He looked straight into the phone camera and said, “Jae, my man, you the best I’ve seen around these parts. You are also this year’s captain. I’m sure you going to make it and win that bloody trophy!”
“Great! Well, I’ll leave you to your rehearsal. Nice meeting you, Mac, and you, guys, too!”
“I don’t know what those flyers were saying,” Mac remarked, “But you, gurl, are fly. Don’t let those get to you.”
Alex blinked in surprise. She gazed downwards, suddenly feeling embarrassed. The other people around them made teasing noises. One of them warned Mac about Logan’s wrath for hitting on ‘his girl’. Their leader shushed them.
“Thanks for the compliment” Alex finally replied. Then, she frowned, “Am I supposed to say something good about you too?”
Mac opened his mouth, leaning his head back. He clasped Alex’s shoulder and shook his head. He wiggled a finger in her direction, “You got guts, gurl. I like that.”
She shrugged, “You’re not so bad yourself.”
The interview ended when a staff member called the Dance Crew for rehearsal. This would be the first time they did their dance at the gym. They needed to maximize the space and to familiarize themselves with the new positions. Selene walked to Alex, typing on the phone. She wore a big grin on her lips.
When she reached her destination, she showed the screen to Alex, “Look! Your first post!”
The caption read:
Dance Crew in the house!
Never seen them perform before?
Alex is on it!
Hear what they have to say!
“Wow, I look like that?” Alex raised her eyebrows. Thanks to her mother’s magic again, she found herself in a blue cropped hoodie and black high-waisted jeans. She would have ended up in a skirt if she hadn’t protested strongly against it. Her hair was in another braid style. It only covered one side of her head, giving the illusion like it was clipped.
Selene also had given her a nude lipstick for the occasion.
“I know!” Selene gushed, “You look gorgeous!”
“It takes one to know one.”
“And a smooth talker” she added, snorting.
Alex scrunched up her nose, “I know.”
Selene flickered her sight to the corner of her eye, “Well, break time is over. The Glee Choir is coming.”
The next group noticed the duo immediately. Already familiar with this setup, they headed for the interview spot. Alex’s heart raced. The first one went well but she felt unsure if the second would too. Wouldn’t it be too lucky if it did?
“I’m ready for my shoot,” A female senior announced dramatically. She positioned her hands in the air like a ballerina, breaking away from the choir. She walked on her tiptoes with her long jet black hair swaying side to side.
Selene stepped back and began to record.
Alex went into action.
She met the group halfway and said, “Then, can you give a sample of your song?”
The senior flatted her feet on the floor. Her angelic face smiled at Alex. She tapped Alex’s nose, answering, “No, but I can sing you my current favorite song.”
Clearing her throat, she spread her arms like an eagle. She raised her chin up until her shining jade green eyes could see the banners above. She opened her mouth and belted out three lines,
“`
Into the Unknoooownn…!
Into the Unknooooooooownn…!
Into the UnknOoOOooOOOooownn…!
“`
“Wow!” Alex gasped, “That’s the Calm at the Disco version right?”
“Can’t hit it as high as they do but I do love to try” the senior giggled.
A round of applause came from the occupants of the gym. They paused at their work to show their admiration for the singer—even Mac jogged over, “Yo, Brie. Babe, don’t steal my spotlight later, alright?”
“Oh, please, Mac. It’s not like you have one” Brie rolled her eyes. The curved on her lips indicated that she was only teasing.
“Why are you my girlfriend again?”
She flipped her hair and fluttered her eyes, “Because I’m fabulous.”
“Would the two of you ever collaborate on an event performance?” Alex cut in. The camera was still rolling. That meant she also needed to still play her part.
“That’s a good idea!” Mac snapped his fingers, “We might just do that next week.”
“Bet the basketball team would love it.”
“Gotta show some support for the boys” Brie giggled. She nudged Alex with her elbow light, “Don’t forget to do it yourself. I’m sure someone would be very pleased if you did.”
Mac nodded, “Guys do love it when their girls cheer for them.”
“Speaking of cheer…!” Alex clapped her hands, “Is that the Cheer Team, I see?”
Heads followed her line of sight. True enough, cheerleaders waltzed into the gym. The soles of their shoes patted on the floor and their hands held pompoms. They painted their faces in the school colors. The males had waxed their hair and the females had ponytails.
“Alex!” Lauren yelled, skipping over to the group. She put her hands on her hips, along with her pompoms, ”
“Lauren! Both Dance Crew and Glee Choir had raised the standards for today. You think that your team can keep up?” Alex responded, maintaining the energy.
“Of course!” The cheerleader scoffed, “With three of us combined, no one would be a party pooper. The school spirit would have this building vibrating.”
All three groups cheered and shouted loudly. They always had each other’s backs in these events. They gave it their all so they understood just how much practice the others went through. Alex had to cover her ears since she stood close to them.
Exhilaration crawled on her skin. She never thought that the Pep Rally would have this much hype. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise since the clubs shared the excitement. Anyone in this gym would be influenced by it. Everyone would come together as one and cheer for the basketball team.
No wonder some of them had big heads.
Well, one of them surely did.
The Cheer Team started a chant. The Glee Choir immediately followed. Then, the Dance Crew clapped their hands and stomped their feet. They created a beat. The cheerleaders matched the rhythm while the choir did back up vocals. The students decorating the place bobbed their heads along.
Everything was ready.
Selene cut the video there and wrote:
Triple Threats are here!
What about you? Don’t be such a square!
Come to the Pep Rally and support our teams!
