The minute I stepped inside the tank, was the minute I heard a metallic click. I was now enclosed in this thing, trapped. Taking a deep breath I looked up and noticed a few drops of green slime starting to seep down from above me. Katie, the head cheerleader from Manchester Academy was grinning ear to ear as she walked over to the left side of the tank. Wrapping her fingers around the chain she peered at me and in a menacing tone of voice whisper to me.

“No hard feelings. But your team did lose the game.” She said as she gave the chain a hard yank and before I could catch my breath or respond, I felt something cold land on the top of my head. Soon, freezing cold gunk was rolling down my shoulders and pooling into my lap. It felt like I had just jumped into a very cold bath. My whole body was shivering from the cold as the thick, mud-like substance started to roll down the back of my top and down my front. Coating the training bra and causing me to shiver even harder.

My cheeks bloomed with color as I felt the runny mess work its way through my hair, matting it down and flatting the natural curls that formed at the end. My whole body felt encased and surrounded by this stick, sweet mess. And being a dork, I reached down and tasted some. It tasted like cake batter. So at least it was yummy!

“OMG.” I heard a voice say from beyond the tank. The gunge had upon the plastic, making it hard to see my surrounding. “JAMIE!” Judging by tone and pitch, I think that voice belonged to Joan.

“OMG! SIS!” That voice had to belong to Lily. Her voice was followed by a giggle. And another giggle and dozens of giggles.

“Dude! She looks something from those old black and white horror flicks they sometimes show on the Movie Channel!”

“She totally does! Man. It going to take ages to wash that off!” I heard Joan say to Lily who respond by saying.

“Yep, they drenched her good too! Guess we got our work cut out for us girls?” She tried to sound all business-like. But she soon feels into a fit of giggles.

At this point, I had just enough of there teasing and giggling. Feeling my cheeks burning like hot piece charcoal, I stood up and pushed open the door. And there, surround the tank stood the cheerleaders. All smiling ear to ear. As soon as I stepped out of the tank, Lily walked over to me and wrapped a big towel around my shoulder. The wind was starting to pick up now, and the bone-chilling northern wind was whipping across the football field. The football players were retreating back to the safety of the field house. There wound being dragged along with them.

“So we lost,” Lily said. “But. You were so brave!”

“Totally girl! You took that like a champ!” Joan said smiling.

“But honestly,” Lily said taking a deep breath as she holding up a small hand mirror. “They got you good. But we do need to get you into the shower. Like I said before, everybody going to get cleaned up for the dance. And as cheerleaders, we need to be there.”

I blushed again as I peered toward my reflection in the mirror. My once golden, blonde hair was coated in a thick layer of green and white slop. The whole front of the top was covered from top to bottom and the skirt was soaked to the gills. And large drops of gunge where starting to drop from the skirt onto the grass.

“Green a good color for you.” Came a voice far to the right.

We all turned our heads and there, still dressed in her cheerleading uniform was Linda, walking beside her was a huge man. He was dressed in a dark gray button shirt that was tucked into the waistline of a near pair of Jeans. The cuffs of the jeans were rolled over a pair of dark, brown leather boots.

“You Lily Potter.” The man said in a rough, demanding tone of voice. He gave my sister a hard look, before turning toward me and giving me a look that made my blood turn to ice. I saw the fires of hell flicking in her dark brown eyes.

“Yes sir,” Lily said in an unsure tone of voice. The other cheerleaders were now gathering around Lily with a few stepping in front of me.

“Perry Howard,” He said in a commanding toward of voice. “Father of Linda Howard. Now, my little girl told me, that you’re kicking her off the squad because you put your little brother there in some pretty dress. She also tells me that you’ve been playing some kind of dress up game. Now, I’m here to correct that.”

Lily took a deep and peered toward Mr. Howard and in a stern and commanding tone of voice said.

“Yes, Your daughter Linda had the nerve of calling my little sister a freak! She also pushed her down. As cheerleaders where called to love and care for the students. What she did violated the cheerleader code of conduct. And pending a review from our coach, she no longer allowed the cheer.” Lily closed her eyes and pressed on. “All the cheerleaders saw her pushing Jamie and insulting her.”

“Now you listen here!” He was starting to raise his voice. “I don’t know what kind of game your playing at here! But something gotta give! And somebody needs to teach you some respect! Because clearly your mom and dad are falling down on the job there!”

Despite being covered in gunge, I balled my first up and started to move toward the man. I was just about to step toward him when I felt a hand touch my shoulder. Joan stood there, I looked at her and she just shook her head. I blinked and she winked at me as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. The others now had their phones out and were recording the exchange between Mr. Howard and my sister.

“I kindly sir,” Lily said matching his voice tick for tack. “That you keep my mom and dad out of this!”

“Why you little.. You little smart mouth bitch!” He raised his hand and Lily stood there. And then I felt something light under me, I broke away from the girl holding me and rushed and threw myself between my sister and the man and then in a growling tone of voice I peered toward him and said.

“Don’t you dare touch my onnisan.,” I said throwing my arms out in and looking him dead in the eyes. His eyes narrowed and he snorted, he snorted so hard I swear I saw flames coming out of his nostrils. His eyes narrowed at me, and once more I swear I saw the fires of hell flicking upon those orbs.

“What did you say to me boy?” He said peering down at me. “You want to throw down? Why don’t you skip home and bake some cookies.” He said the last part with a sneer a mile wide.

“Touch my onnisan.,” I repeated again, my voice echoed and everybody was now watching us. “And I’ll end you..” As much as it hurt me, I forced myself to peer into those eyes and stay there. It was now a battle of will, in my mind, the world had melted away and it was only he and I. Two elemental forces, good verse evil. And in a more primitive way. Two clashing ideals. The old south clashing with the new south.

Finally he broke off. He turned toward Linda and in a bitter tone of voice.

“Come on girl. We gotta get away from here.” He said in a gentle tone of voice as he wrapped his arms around her shoulder. “Let get you ready for the dance. We’ll deal with this rabble tomorrow.” He said smiling.

“What did you say!” I bellowed as I watched him walk away.

He paused and froze and for a minute he turned around and gave me one the evilest looks I’ve ever seen across the face of man. It was a look of pure, unfiltered evil. One that made the hairs on my arms stand up on my neck.

“I said, we’ll deal with you rabble tomorrow. If your lucky, they might let you stay in school. I pay good money to give my daughter the best education possible in this hick town. And I’m not paying her to go to school with freaks like you.” He said smirking as he and Linda walked away.

I balled up my first and felt my self advancing toward him. But then something reached over and took me by the shoulder. I turned around and saw Joan, Lily and the others standing there, shaking there heads.

“Not worth it sister,” Lily said peering toward Linda as she walked away.

“Nah. Not worth it little sis.” Joan said peering toward the pair as they walked away. “Strike now and he’ll turn the law on you. Going to tell my uncle about this. He with the police, let old boy there get out of line once more. I’ll be sure to have him locked up down at the county bar hotel, bars on the windows and three square meals a day, no five stars. But better than buckwheat and black eye peans and hog maw.”

I blinked and blinked again. I opened my mouth. But I stopped and took a deep breath and started to count backward, starting with ten and ending in zero. Once I reached zero, I released the held in breath and sighed. The danger had passed for now anyway.

“You know.. You were pretty brave back there.” Lily said wrapping one arm around and smiling. “Since when did my little sis become such a warrior?” The last part was half teasing half admiration.

“She channeled her inner St. Joan, girl going to have the heart of a lioness and the looks of a princess. See how she stepped between you and that man? She taking a stand.” Joan said with a nod of her head.

All eyes turned toward Joan, including mine who was sitting there peering toward the retreating pair.

“A heart of a lioness. The strength of St. Joan, girl going places. And we going to stand behind her. That man, I don’t like him. There evil in his heart. And Linda, heck even Judas Iscariot sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and he was one of the twelve. Seems only right one of us will turn belly up when the cards were down on the table. Oh yes, she going to get her thirty pieces of silver too for turning your sister into the Headmaster. Where it goes from there, I have no idea.” Joan seemed deep in thought.

“But, right now, I say we get her all cleaned up and prettied up. I gotta go talk to some people. Let's say, I’m about to show Linda she not the only one with connections in this school, might come back to bite me on the bottom. But I got my proof in my phone right here. Enough to get done, what I want to be done. Be on your guard girls, keep all eyes open.” Joan then turned toward Lily.

“Might want to phone your folks too, tell them what happens.”

Lily nodded her head and stepped away to make the call.

“Joan?” I said finally. “Why are you doing this?”

Joan peered toward me for a minute, at first I thought I had upset her because her eyebrow arched up and her lips curled into a frown, then she took a deep breath and started to relax. She walked right up to me and wrapped her arms around me, and before I could catch myself I found myself being pulled into a tight hug.

“Because of hon. History often repeats itself. And if you don’t learn from it the first time around, you’re doomed to repeat it. And you keep repeating it till finally you wise up and learn from your mistakes. This town does not need another Sterling, one haunted water tower is enough. The witch that tormented that girl, is still doing her thing. She’s just lost her luster that all.” Her tone of voice was very cryptic.

“I don’t understand?” I said leaning my head to the side.

“Best you don’t. now go, get cleaned up.”

And with that, the other cheerleaders took me by the hand and guided me toward the school. While Lily and Joan vanished to handle their mysteries business. As I walked, I felt a sudden burst of excitement take hold of me. I felt alive. And part of something big!

And there another episode ends.