The Hardest Cut by Jamie Bennett (book club recommendations .TXT) 📕

you get an employee discount.”  With Marley’s help, I’d started to sell a lot of my décor items online for a little extra income, and I had saved up some from my jobs, too.  I’d have  even more room in my budget if I quit the dance lessons and tumblin’.  Being a responsible adult with my own transportation was more important.

When he hesitated, I tempted, “We could go to the Hummingbird for milkshakes after, my treat.”  I smiled at him.  “The green car will run great for you guys.  Everything else is going to be ok too, Anthony.”

“I don’t know.”

“I do.”  I hugged my brother.  Ok, sure, he’d been a jerk.  More than once…well, a lot.  But I had meant what I’d said to Ben about brothers: Anthony was mine and I wouldn’t ever get another.  Also, now that he was speaking in regular English, I liked him a whole lot better.  “Go get your son.”  He did, so that my mom and I were alone .

“Are you really trying out to be a Woodsmen Dame?”

“Well, that’s not the name of the squad anymore, but yes, I am.”  I hesitated.  “What do you think about that?”

“I guess all those years I paid for dance lessons might finally produce a result.”

“They already had a wonderful result, that I love to dance.  And I’m pretty good, too.  I may not make the final roster, but I’m glad I tried out.  It’s been great to meet new people and it showed me how much I missed dancing.  I’m going to keep that up, no matter what.”

She walked to the sink and started to load the dishwasher.  “Hm.  Well, I guess it’s better than working at that bookstore for nothing.”

I stood up.  “It’s not nothing.  Bye, Mom.”

I heard her one more time before I left.  “You should wear brighter lipstick when you audition.”  I shook my head, but she continued.  “Good luck on making the squad, Gabriella.  I hope you do.”

“Thanks, Mom.”  I figured that was something.  Maybe not enough, but it was on the way there, and I’d take it.

∞

Coach Sam cleared his throat.  “I just want to say, you Dames have done a great job so far this season.  I mean, shi—shucks, not Dames,” he corrected himself, and shot a sour glance at Rylah, as if it was her fault.

“We’re voting on the new name tomorrow,” she told us all, and that was because tomorrow would be the first day of rehearsals with the final lineup for the season.

“This is it!” Addison had hissed gleefully when I’d walked into the studio this morning.  “This is the final cut day!”  She smiled at me.  “You had a good run, Gaby.”

I stared back at her, and told myself that she didn’t know what she had coming.  I was going to outdance her butt all over this studio, I’d thought, and I had tried.  Had I done enough?  I looked at the rest of the trainees, all of us (besides Addison) on the edge of bursting with nerves.  After all these weeks, after all the sore muscles, after the bruises, and the fun, and the tears—after everything, who would stay and who would go?  Who was going to become a Dame, or whatever they would call this team?

We found out pretty quickly.  “Ok, I’ll need to talk to Nicole, Caitlyn, Tiara, Addison, Macy, Bexley, Jayden, and Gaby.”  His eyes lingered on me, and did he look sad?  Regretful?  “All you trainees come down to my office.  The rest of you, go get into your new uniforms for the season.  They’re hanging in your lockers.  We’ll meet you on the field for our first team picture.”

The returning cheerleaders jumped up and hugged each other, squealing.  And the eight of us walked to Sam’s office.  My legs trembled so much that they barely carried me, and Caitlyn was already crying.  When Sam saw that, he shook his head, but he called her in first.

“Come on in, Miss Caitlyn,” he told her.  “No more crying!  I have good news for you,” we overheard him say as he closed the door.

We sat on the carpet to wait, and Addison looked around at the rest of us.  “So Caitlyn won’t go,” she summarized.  “Yeah, she’s good, so that makes sense.  But three more cuts,” she reminded us.  “Who do you girls think it will be?”  We looked nervously at each other and she laughed.  “Now’s the time for Gaby to say that she wishes none of us had to leave.”

“I do wish that,” I answered, then swallowed.  “Except for you, Addison.”  So there!  Bexley grinned and gave me a high five, and Jayden laughed.

“We all feel that way,” she said, and the door opened and Caitlyn came out of the office.  The tears were gone and she was smiling.

“I made it!” she shrieked.  “I’m going to put on my uniform!”  She hugged all of us and ran off to the locker room.  But next, it was Tiara’s turn, and she was crying when Sam walked her out.  Jayden got through, but then Nicole got cut.  Bexley and Macy made it next and skipped off to the locker room like Caitlyn had.  And then it was only me and Addison left sitting on the carpet.

Sam looked down at us and frowned.  “Why don’t you both come in together?” he suggested.  “I can’t take this suspense crap.”

He couldn’t?  I lurched to my feet and stumbled after Addison, who glided into a chair facing his desk and smiled serenely at the two coaches who sat behind it.  I plunked into the other chair and remembered that I’d better keep breathing.

Sam leaned back and shook his head.  “The final cut is always the hardest,” he sighed.  “Just when you think you’re going to make it, that it’s close enough to reach out and grab it, then it’s gone.”

I should have been thinking about the squad, but my mind went right to Ben.  It had been close, but I hadn’t been able to grab it