Loud boisterous music blasted out of the speakers.
Alex stayed on the sidelines, Selene standing next to her. They watched the spectacle from afar. The Dance Crew had taken over the stage. They had unveiled their robes and revealed their costumes. They wore black loose cotton tops with Chinese ‘frog-style’ buttons and matching wide-leg trousers.
The song switched to a soothing tone.
They stood with their feet apart, equal distance from one another. They covered the entire court. Their arms and hands posed in front of them. A faint voice began to sing. With it, they moved their hands apart and attempted another pose.
“`Oh-hoh-hoh-hoah“`
Their legs bent and their hips swayed to one side.
“`Oh-hoh-hoh-hoah“`
The sound of a pipe mixed with the music. The ambiance of the gym changed. It brought the audience to a different land. A rich culture had been put on display for them. The dancers paused in their position and waited for the next line.
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“`EVERYBODY WAS KUNG FU FIGHTING!“`
The Dance Crew demonstrated a roundhouse kick. They moved together in harmony, not missing a cue. Then, their next steps came out in a series. Row after row, the dancers flipped backwards. The smooth execution could make cheerleaders nervous.
“`Your mind becomes fast as lightning!“`
They broke into pairs. One side took the offense while the other took defense. The attackers plunged their arms and fists towards the other. The defenders caught them halfway each time. They focused on speed, shuffling their feet in order to keep moving.
“Although the future is a little bit frightening!“`
The pairs spun in opposite directions and switched partners. Their backs met as their gaze shifted to someone from another duo. The dancers pattered their feet fast on the floor and walked around in a circle, their backs as the axle.
“`Little bit frightening~“`
Alternatively, one pair ducked while a dancer hopped over them.
“`It’s the book of your life that you’re writing!“`
The crouched pairs rolled flat on the ground. They slammed the side of their fist on the floor and lifted up their backs, rising back to their feet. Everyone squatted with arms and raised in another pose. They wiggled their shoulders from side to side, going lower and lower as they imitated a snake.
“Wow!” Alex exclaimed, her mouth gaped open. The Dance Crew had incorporated Kung Fu along with their routine. It amazed her how well-done they did it. Mac took the center with a few main dancers. They broke apart, doing a butterfly twist.
“Impressed?” A voice whispered at the back of her ear.
She jumped, whirling around.
It seemed that the basketball team had decided to show up. They wore their official uniforms. Max, Jae and Logan occupied the front line of the group. Max and Jae leaned against the wall while Logan took the spot behind Alex. He had his arms over his chest.
He smiled down at her.
“Yeah…,” she began to say, “No wonder you have huge egos.”
“Well, we do bring the school together” Max said, stretching his arms. He gave the girls his winning smile, “We’re just so golden-hearted.”
Selene snorted a laugh and went back to her phone. She trimmed the video she took, highlighting the good parts. She did fast as if she already mapped out what she wanted to stay and what she wanted to remove. She placed another soundtrack over it, trying to match the timing.
“So do other sports teams” Alex rolled her eyes, “The Football Team wishes you to break a leg, by the way.”
“Saw that video. You’re doing great,” Jae praised. He placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, “So when is our interview?”
“After mine, of course” Max scoffed. He pushed himself off the wall, “I am the best player in our team so I should be her first interview.”
“You mean, you’re the best one to smack.”
On cue, Jae smacked his best friend at the back of the head. Max wasn��t able to dodge in time and took the hit. He rubbed the sore spot, pouting, “How will our teammates see me if you keep hitting me like that?”
“Don’t worry. You just need to pay for the pizza you promised them.”
Max widened his eyes, “Oh, man, Jae—”
“Oh, the Glee Choir is starting!” Selene gasped. She posted the video from before and went back to filming. Alex craned her neck, trying to get a better look. If the performance was anything like Brie’s on-the-spot song earlier, she didn’t want to miss it.
The group had fewer members than the Dance Crew. Still, they spread out with microphones in their hands. The speakers had gone quiet. Brie placed a finger to her lips, instructing the audience to do the same. It didn’t take long for silence to engulf the air.
Then, she smiled. Compared to earlier, her voice came out soft and gentle
“`
When tomorrow comes
I’ll be on my own
Feeling frightened of
The things that I don’t know
When tomorrow comes
Tomorrow comes
Tomorrow comes
“`
The lights dimmed. A small spotlight rested on top of Brie. Her cream summer dress glowed under it. The glitters in hair glistened. The gym had two sets of bleachers. Since the second part of the audience was on the other side, she did a slow turn. Even when she could see their face, she gazed at them with tender eyes.
“`
And though the road is long
I look up to the sky
And in the dark I found,
I lost hope that I won’t fly
And I sing along, I sing along
And I sing alooooong…!
“`
Another spotlight turned on from the far end of the court. A freshman with wavy bronze hair stared up the ceiling, her arm reaching out to a place she couldn’t touch.
“`
No one, no one, no oooone…!
Can get in the way of what I’m feeling…!
“`
She turned around and stepped forward, walking closer to where Brie stood in the middle.
“`
No one, no one, no oooone…!
Can get in the way of what I feel for you…!
“`
Brie opened her mouth and continued from the last line,
“`
Because you’re my flashlight
You’re my flashlight…
You’re my flashlight… Ooh…
“`
From the opposite end of the freshman, a sophomore appeared under another spotlight. This time it had a blue hue. Her red lips contrasted against her mocha skin. Blonde highlights and brown hair up in a ponytail, she strolled down the court. Her feet had no shoes, creating the illusion that she walked on water.
“`
Remember those walls I built
Well, baby, they’re tumbling down
And they didn’t even put up a fight
They didn’t even make a sound
“`
She gazed forward, meeting the freshman’s eyes. They still stood a few feet away from Brie but positioned themselves behind her back. It created a divide with Brie acting as a wall between them. The sophomore pressed a hand to her chest, belting out from her diaphragm.
“`
I found a way to let you win
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel nooow…!
“`
The darkness vanished, revealing the rest of the choir. They stood in a circle and faced the audience from all directions. They sang together, accompanying Brie. The harmony flooded the gym. Hands waved in the air. The fans of the choir rose to their feet and waved higher. Soon, the other followed as the climax of the performance appeared.
“Now, I know why Mac was worried about the choir taking all the attention” Alex chuckled. She folded her arms over her chest and leaned her shoulder on the wall beside her. Tears pooled at the back of her eyes. The display took her breath away.
It was so beautiful.
“Mac, huh?” Logan frowned, stepping closer. He almost touched her back.
“Yeah, he’s Brie’s boyfriend, right?” Alex asked, turning her head to the side. Her eyes stayed on the choir. Who could look away from such a sight?
“Then, he shouldn’t be hitting on other girls.”
“Oh, it’s the Cheer Team’s turn!”
Carla skipped towards the center. She had left her pompoms at the outskirts of the court lines. She pointed a finger at the ceiling and yelled into a mic, “Chipmunks! Are you ready for this?!”
Thunderous cheers and bench banging bounced off the walls. It even reached the roof. Konfetti rained down from above and boosted the energy. Deafening yells came into play. People couldn’t hear each other without a microphone. The crowd wanted more.
The Cheer Team planned nothing but to deliver.
They crowded behind their captain, jumping on the balls of their feet. They shook their pompoms at the audience. Then, they split up and gestured to the audience members, telling them to stand up.
The Chipmunk Mascot came out next.
Colin ran around the gym, following the shape of the court. He stopped when he did a 180. He jogged to Carla’s side and bounced higher than the rest. A hyperactive chipmunk always brought a smile to everyone’s face.
Once satisfied, the cheerleaders went into position. Hands on their hips, they beamed towards the benches. A steady beat gradually faded in from the background. Mumbles of lyrics followed after it. When the first stanza came in, they stomped their feet while they dropped into a crouch.
They shuffled their feet and switched places. Raising their pompoms alternatively.
“`
neo mwonde jakku saeng-gagna (gimme little bit of this)
jajonsim sanghae aega ta
“`
Once they found their destination, they punched the air rapidly and twisted their torsos to the side. They repeated the same steps but faced the other side after the punches. For the last three syllables, they fell into lunges. Their right knee dropped first. Then, it was their left.
A quick spin on their heels and they got back up, turning around.
“`
eolgul-i tteugeobgo gaseum-eun gyesog ttwieo
nae mom-i mamdaelo an dwae eojileowo (gimme little bit of that)
“`
The soundtrack had been cut to the refrain. Carla broke away from the group. She followed the build up of the song. Before the K-Pop Group could overpower the volume of her mic, she said,
“Who wants to see the basketball team shake it on the dance floor?!”
“What?!” Alex cackled in between breaths.
Selene changed the direction of the camera towards her. Disbelieving gray eyes stared at her friends. The boys could only shrug their shoulders. They only had a small window of opportunity to reach the court. Max led them out, jogging and waving at the audience.
The screams became even louder.
They created a line behind Carla as they refrain reached its climax.
The song paused for silence.
When the chorus, all players faced the right. Backs leaning forward, they raised their butts. Their arms folded into an L-shape, the tips of their fingers on their lips. For the walk, they used their tiptoes. Their knees bent whenever their feet met in the middle.
“`
Baby nal teojil geoscheoleom an-ajwo
geuman saeng-gaghae mwoga geuli eolyeowo
“`
For the next line, they changed directions. They walked to their left and repeated the same steps.
“`
geojismalcheoleom kiseuhaejwo naega neoege
majimag salang-in geoscheoleom
“`
When they heard ‘kiss’, they sent out flying kisses.
They jumped and faced the audience. Upper arms up, fists closed, they rolled their elbows along the next lyrics. They twisted their arms to the side at the end of each line. Max made sure to pucker up his lips along with the twist.
“`
majimagcheoleom ma-ma-majimagcheoleom
majimag bam-in geoscheoleom love
majimagcheoleom ma-ma-majimagcheoleom
naeil ttawin eobsneun geoscheoleom
“`
Alex found herself clutching on her stomach. She wheezed out in laughter. Her voice box had run dry from the amount and the pressure. She wondered how she could stay on her feet. She had never seen them act ridiculous in front of others. None of them even failed to keep up.
With this kind of attitude, how could anyone hate them?
Not that she needed to let them know about her thoughts. Their egos were still big.
