Chapter 19

"Tony, could I ask you a favor?"

Even though it was Tuesday, Allie Smidt was in her cheerleading uniform. I knew the varsity cheerleaders were doing something at the JV game tonight, but I didn't know what.

"Depends, can you sing?"

Allie's eyes went wide in surprise. "Of course I can sing. What does that have... ?" Sometimes you can see a brain make a connection in a person's eyes. I saw it in Allie's. "No. I don't want to be in your play."

"But you said you can sing."

"I can sing, but I ain't gettin' up on stage to prove it."

"Why not? You get up in front of a crowd every Friday."

"It's different."

"What is it with you cheerleaders. You can sing, but you won't perform." My voice was almost a whine. I'd talked to all five girls on Mr. McCoy's list yesterday or today, and none of them were available. Two weren't interested, and the other three had already been signed by Kirk or Tommy."

"Who else?" she asked.

"Paula."

"She's got a fantastic voice."

"That's what she tells me."

"You'll never get her on a stage," Allie said, shaking her head.

"She told me that too."

"You should talk to Bambi."

Bambi? There was no Bambi in our school. I'd know. I'd had fantasies about that name ever since I accidentally ran across Bambi-Model dot Com. Pure accident. Bambi was a little younger than me, with long brown hair just like Tami. And Bambi just seemed to be a name that screamed sexpot.

"Bambi?"

Allie giggled. "Diana. Diana Coleson. Bambi's her nickname."

I knew Diana. Or knew who she was anyway. A cheerleader and a junior, she used to have long blond hair, but it'd turned black and gotten really short over the summer. Hot bod. "Why Bambi?"

"Her best friend in third grade was Jennifer Spalla. Jennifer was a gymnast, and her nickname was Thumper.

A wet dream waiting to happen. A cheerleader and a gymnast. Except... "Jennifer's a gymnast?"

"Was. She quit when she started putting on weight."

Jennifer was an inch or two shorter than me, and probably outweighed me by a good twenty pounds. It must be like that line in the old James Garner western, 'Puberty hit her hard.'

"So Diana sings?"

"Better than me. Almost as good as Paula."

I smiled. Things were looking up. "Do you happen to know where she is now?" It was lunch period, though I hadn't gotten near the cafeteria yet. Probably lucky, considering they were serving their version of meatloaf today.

"She usually skips lunch and plays basketball in the main gym."

"Thanks," I said, giving Allie a wave and turning toward the gym.

"Wait. What about my favor?"

I stopped and turned around again. "Sorry, you won't sing."

"Tony!" she said, starting to pout.

I grinned. "Allison, oh fairest of all leaders of cheer, what boon may I grant thee?"

Allie giggled. "You're being strange again."

"Pretty harsh for someone who wants something."

Allie giggled again. "Will you help me?"

I considered offering to help her to a quick orgasm, but I was afraid she might take me up on it. My life didn't need more complications. Besides, Tami and Allie had actually been friendly lately. Not friends, just friendly.

"What?"

"Algebra."

I'd taken algebra last year and aced it. This year I was in geometry. "What about it?"

"I'm flunking."

"You can't be. It's only the third week of school."

"Maybe I'm not flunking yet, but a trend is forming. And Mr. Singara said I may get kicked off cheerleading if I don't get my grades up."

"I took it from Mrs. Wayne. She's better."

"That's what I heard, but I'm stuck with Singara."

"What's the problem?" I asked, conscious of the minutes ticking away, along with my chance to corner Diana. Bambi.

"Everything. I thought letters belonged in English and numbers belonged in math. I just don't get it."

Variables. Shouldn't be a problem. Actually the problem was scheduling. After school, I had football and Allie had cheerleading. After that was my Tami time and getting ready for the damn play.