Half time. The time when the varsity football players meet back at the locker room, to catch their breath and strategize for the next half. It is also the time for the Hemet High School band to bang their drums, blow into their flutes, and carefully glance at the music notes that make up their song. This time, it was also the time that the Hemet High Dance Team, I included, performed alongside the band.

All of us hobbled to the bathrooms, carrying our dance bags, to go change into the black and red outfit we were to perform in. It had three layers of red fringe below the waste, with lines of silver stickers above. We also wore shiny, black knee high boot spats over our black jazz shoes. Once we got changed into the outfits, we hobbled back to the stands behind the 50-yard line. It was awkward walking back, crowds of people jamming into you as you walk, staring at your short, glittery dress. At the stands, I pulled out a small mirror, and applied the berry-shaded lipstick.

“Does it look okay?” with a slight sense of sarcasm in my voice.

“You need a little more.” My friend replied back. So I pulled out the bright, lipstick and applied more. Then I noticed people were starting to get up, bringing the enormous red and silver pom poms with them. I took a nervous sigh, and then grabbed my poms holding them close. A few of my friends and I giggled as we walked down the stairs, then onto the tan track that circles the field. We all stood around and stretched, played silly games, and did a chant. Then we took a seat on the plastic turf, covered in minced tires. The band was to play one song before we went out. I waited in anticipation until it was time to go on. The band director closed his palms, signaling the end of the song. It was time.
I walked out and found my spot into the diagonal line shaped formation. I looked up at the crowd, every person looking so small, as if making up one picture composed of different colored dots, all starring down at us. I started counting 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 waiting for my count to thrust the poms into the air and help create an illusion. Then the dance seemed to go quickly, with thoughts running through my head the whole time; remember to go on 2, don’t mess up, you go four people back in the second line to the left, kick right then left, and smile! Then it was over. I sat on the ground with my silver pom in the air, and my red on my waste. The crowd started to cheer and we ran off the filed and sat back down at the sidelines. I was slightly shaking, not knowing exactly why, but excited that I completed the dance without missing a step.