Page 81 of The Stallion
Our cheer uniforms were standard among IASA teams, with cropped tops for the women and full T-shirts for the men. Our skirts were straight and fitted through our hips, stopping roughly halfway down the thigh with a side split for added mobility.
The crimson and blue shades were solid, while the gold was a glittery accent separating the two darker tones. Sirens were printed in bold, black, collegiate-style font across our chests, completing the overall team look.
“Hurricane Vix, up next. Savage Sirens, on deck.” The announcement came from one of the stage managers over the rear PA system.
“That’s us.” Asher beamed, scurrying toward me before gesturing to the group. “Fearless leader, would you do us the honors?”
The brazen smirk she sent me had me biting back a laugh as I rolled my eyes skyward.
“Alright, Sirens! Let’s get our shit together and show these other teams just how savage we can be!”
The entire team jumped to their feet with a loud cheer as they surrounded Asher and me in a group embrace. Everyone's arms were draped over one another's shoulders as we held tight and started our team chant, which was derived from “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
“Savage Sirens, upnext—”This was it.
As we finished our reveling, all pumped and ready to nail the routine that we had spent tireless days and evenings perfecting, Asher brought me in for one last tight hug with a wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek.
“Proud of you, Bri. Are you ready for this?”How could I not be? I spent so many exhausting years working my fucking ass off to get to where I am now.“Ohh… I know that look… and if this is your silent way of saying goodbye, we already knew it was coming.”
“All that hard work—” I choked out, covering my mouth and trying my hardest to hold back the emotions that fought against me.
“Got us here. Gotyouhere. And now my baby is all grown up—and married!” Asher mocked with a fake cry in her tone, batting her eyes as if they were filled with actual tears.
“You’re not disappointed?”
“Mad… Upset… Disappointed… I swear, every time I’ve seen you, you’ve asked those same goddamn questions, and not once have you considered asking if I washappyfor you instead.” She sighed, placing her hands on my shoulders. “Look at me… I am fuckingthrilledfor you. Ecstatic. Elated. All those extra fucking E words that mean absolutely, unequivocally happy for you. Okay? Can we move past this now? Because the Bria I know is a bad bitch and doesn’t need positive reinforcement to be who she is. For fuck sake, quit worrying about what others think of you—especially me.” Asher rolled her eyes jokingly. “Because we both know that you could spit on me, and I’d still love you like a sister.”
“Ew… Ash…” I wrinkled my nose at the thought.
“Bit much?”
“Just a little…”
“Fair. Now I’m done giving you all these repetitive pep talks. You know who the fuck you are. Act like it.”
Tough love from Asher—always just what I needed to get out of my own head.
The bouncing back and forth between the versions of me from before and after my test was getting out of hand. I needed to pick one and stick with it, and the choice had become more obvious than ever.
I needed to be Dallas’s wife—the strong, vicious woman who could do anything set before her. My husband would never settle for less, so why should I act as such?
I do know who the fuck I am.
“Sirens, you’re up!” The stage manager addressed our corner, and Asher grabbed me by the wrist, pulling me in with the rest of the team.
“We got this, Sirens! It’s now or never!” She encouraged, bouncing up and down as if she were spring-loaded, before taking off through the drapes with the entire team, leaving me behind as the main hall erupted with applause.
Taking advantage of the seconds I had left, I rolled my shoulders and removed the mask that concealed who I was beneath the surface.
Bria Ryan.
You are Bria fucking Ryan.
“Let’s do this, baby…” I breathed to myself right before storming through the drapes and joined my team in the center of the mat. Showing off with a back-handspring tuck as the crowd fired up even more.
The stands were filled to capacity, with many spectators standing along the sides of the bleachers to watch the competition. This was, no doubt, our largest turnout to date.
Adrenaline washed over me with the high the audience incited as everyone entered their starting positions, and I took my rightful place in the center of our formation.
