Page 11 of Fire Dancing For Icey Dragons

"My dad," he responds. "He wanted me to join at least one team while I was here. I think he expected me to join rugby or cricket, something like that. So I found the thing I thought he'd disapprove of the most and joined that. Maybe I should have tried out for the Sapphire Sparks, he'd have really hated me being a cheerleader."

"It's a serious sport," I say defensively.

"I know," he assures me. "And the Sapphire Sparks are known to be good."

"We are. Most of the time." There are some exceptions, like the last round of our competition. And last year's final when I fell. Most of the squad don't remember that, but I do and I hate knowing how much I let the team down with that one mistake. I think that might be one of the reasons I'm so hard on the squad about mistakes.

"Competition blues got you down?" he asks.

I pick up the last of the cones and finish stacking them up. "I shouldn't really be talking about this."

He shrugs. "I get it. I've competed, so why don't you try telling me?"

I suppose it isn't exactly a secret how we did in the last round of the competition, it was printed in the academy newsletter for everyone to see. "We nearly failed the last round."

"Nearly isn't failing though," he points out.

"No, I suppose not."

"And you can't get better if you never fail." He finishes packing away the last of his stuff.

"True. But now I only have one round to go before my chances of lifting the trophy as the cheer captain disappear."

"Except that was always true," he points out. "You'd never have been happy if you didn't win the final round. Or I know that's how I'd feel."

"That might be a fair point." I put the tower of cones into the storage box full of gear for the squad and lock it. "Anyway, thank you for coming today."

"You're welcome." Blaze pauses as if he wants to say more, but doesn't. "I'll see you around, Zara."

"See you." I wave at him, trying not to feel too much like something is escaping from us.

I grab my gym bag and throw it over my shoulder and head in the direction of my dorm, hopefully full of ideas for how to make our routine for finals a winning one.

Chapter 7

BLAZE

Loud cheers come from the pitch as I pass and without thinking about it, I find myself heading in that direction. I don't particularly care about the rugby team and how they're doing in their match, but the cheerleadershavepiqued my interest, particularly one of them, even if I don't really know why.

It's easy to spot them at the side of the pitch in their white and blue uniforms. At the moment, they just seem to be shaking their pom-poms and doing some kind of tricks. Not that I'd dare suggest as much to Zara, she'd be understandably defensive if I did.

A whistle sounds and something happens on the pitch, with the two teams splitting up. I don't know what either of them are doing, but I don't really care, my attention is on the Sapphire Sparks. It's easy to pick out Zara, not just because of her light blonde hair, but from the position she takes at the front of the squad. I watch with interest as they get into formation and start doing a chant of some kind. I'm too far away to make out what they're saying, but they seem to be aiming it at the cheerleaders on the other side of the pitch. It's not like anything I've ever seenin the fire dancing circuit, even when we compete it's more about the individual routines than this. I don't know enough about how the competitive part of cheerleading works to know how this compares though.

The players start up their game again, and the two cheer squads stop paying attention to one another but are still moving. Zara takes a spot at the front of the rest of her team and they seem to launch into a practised routine. It's easy to see the difference between this and what they were doing a moment ago, especially when several of the cheerleaders are tossed into the air and do a series of somersaults and other tricks I don't know the names of. Not one of them seems to have any fear, though maybe it's just because I'm at a distance and can't see any of their faces.

They end the routine and get a round of applause from the people in the stands by them. It's well deserved. They did well, and I can see why they have a shot at becoming champions.

With no one really doing anything, I take the chance to move closer, threading my way through the crowd until I find an empty seat. From the large scoreboard hanging at the head of the pitch, it seems that we're playing Scythe Grove Academy, a reaper academy from further up north, though I can't say I know anything else about them. Or if reapers are any good at sport.

From my new spot, I have a better viewpoint of the Sapphire Sparks and I sit back to watch them, paying far more attention to their moves than to anything the rugby team is doing on the pitch. From my brief look at the board, they seem to be winning, which is the main thing.

By the time the final whistle has blown, the Sapphire Sparks have done three different cheers and have taunted the other team's cheerleaders several times over.

Excited shouts sound from around the pitch as it's announced that the Obscure Academy team has won, and I goalong with it. I've only watched the Obscure Academy teams play a couple of times during the past few years, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy seeing my academy win.

I make my way down from the stands and across to where the cheer squad is. I'm not sure why I think talking to Zara is a good idea today, but the urge is too strong to ignore.

I almost run into a tall rugby player with messy auburn hair and streaks of mud all over his face, and realise I know him.

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