Trance at Tryouts: Tuesday
by Cordial Knot
TUESDAY
It was 4:00 and all 24 girls had once again gathered in the Oak Park Middle School gym. Most of them were chatting about how sore they were from yesterday and how hard it had been to concentrate in class. Somehow, despite all that, every one of the girls was cheery and excited to be back for another day of tryouts. As Coach Sheffield walked into the gym, the girls quieted and looked at her.
“Welcome back, girls!” the coach called out. “I’m glad that you have all decided to continue with tryouts.”
The girls groaned good-naturedly and some stood up to begin stretching. Seeing this, Coach Sheffield made a quelling gesture with her hands. “I know you all are eager to get started but, before everyone gets sweaty, we need to take our group picture.”
This wasn’t very logical, since two-thirds of the girls would be cut before tryouts were over. But anyone that had any doubts quickly suppressed them. It was so much easier not to think about it and to just be happy to be at tryouts.
“Coach Marshall has agreed to help out again this afternoon and he set up the camera in the boys’ locker room so it won’t interfere with us later,” Coach Sheffield said, leading the girls towards one of the gym’s exits.
Giggling at the thought of going into the boys’ locker room, the cheerleader hopefuls got to their feet and followed Coach Sheffield. Coach Marshall was waiting in the boys’ locker room, oddly wearing sunglasses. The only place big enough to take the picture was the shower area, so he had set up his camera and the dome flashers pointing into that area. For some reason he had also brought a laptop and had cables running to each flasher. None of the girls cared about that, though, they were much more excited about being in the taboo locker room.
An outbreak of whispers and giggles erupted when the seventh graders realized that they would be standing in the area where boys were naked. Briskly, Coach Sheffield reined them in, organizing the girls into three rows of eight. It was a subtle reminder that the majority of them would not be cheerleaders during their next two years at Oak Park. The girls all smiled at the camera as Coach Marshall made a few last-minute adjustments on his laptop. Finally, he pressed a key and the room exploded with light.
*flash* *flash* *obey* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy* *flash* *flash* *submit* *flash* *obey**flash* *empty* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy* *flash* *flash* *obey* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy* *flash* *flash* *submit* *flash* *obey**flash* *empty* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy**flash* *flash* *obey* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy* *flash* *flash* *submit* *flash* *obey**flash* *empty* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy* *flash* *flash* *obey* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy* *flash* *flash* *submit* *flash* *obey**flash* *empty* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy* *flash* *flash* *obey* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy* *flash* *flash* *submit* *flash* *obey**flash* *empty* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy* *flash* *flash* *flash*
The jarring flashes abruptly ended. Lauren blinked a few times when she finally noticed that her eyes had begun to water. Her temples were pounding but she actually felt relaxed and blissful. She looked at the other girls in her row and saw that they had dopey grins on their faces. They looked so stupid. Then Lauren realized that she was grinning too and she let out a giggle.
“Alright,” Coach Sheffield sounded a little dazed herself, “let’s get back to the gym, girls.”
The two dozen girls obediently filed out of the locker room, most of them giggling almost deliriously. As they were walking back, Lauren caught up with Kristi and Carmen. The blonde tapped her friends on their shoulders, waiting several seconds for them to finish a fresh outbreak of giggles. Finally Lauren asked, “Hey, was something unsue… unlu… um, weird, back there?”
Lauren was giggling, along with Kristi and Carmen, by the time she finished her question. She couldn’t remember the word “unusual” but that didn’t seem important. Too many big words would fill up her mind and leave less room for being happy and obedient. The three friends kept laughing until they reached the gym and Lauren’s question never got answered.
Coach Sheffield came in after the last girl, carrying a shoebox full of nametags. From behind the group of girls, Coach Sheffield called out, “Girls, I have your nametags from yesterday! Come find yours and pin it on.”
The potential cheerleaders crowded around the box, rummaging for their appropriate nametag. Lauren found hers and retreated from the cluster of girls. She pinched the fabric of her black sports bra away from her breast and slid the pin through. Then she noticed her picture and started laughing. She wove through the crowd of girls to show her nametag to Kristi and Carmen.
Lauren found them looking at each other’s pictures and soon all three of them came down with another fit of giggles. For some reason, every girl had taken a ridiculous picture with Coach Marshall. Their mouths were hanging open and their eyes weren’t even focused on the camera. Kristi, choking out the words between laughs, said they all looked like zombies. All two dozen seventh graders were soon weak from laughter as they ran around to see everyone else’s pictures.
A shrill whistle echoed around the gym and some order returned. Coach Sheffield addressed the assembled girls, “We’re not going to worry about shirts today, girls. Those of you that have them on, take them off and pin your nametag to your sports bra.”
About half of the girls were already just wearing their sports bras, but the rest quickly began to remove their shirts and adjust their nametags. It was an odd demand but none of the girls questioned it. All of the girls knew that they had to obey… submit…
Lauren, although she was already okay since her nametag was pinned to her bra, was a little worried about Kristi. Carmen was nearly as outgoing as Lauren was, but Kristi had always been the most shy of their little group. Even today, whereas most of the girls who had tops on were wearing sleeveless shirts, Kristi was wearing a large T-shirt which completely disguised the shape of her body. Lauren didn’t want Kristi to feel uncomfortable in front of the other girls, even though she knew from the locker room that Kristi wasn’t overweight or disfigured or anything. Actually, she was skinnier than Lauren and Carmen. But Lauren didn’t have to worry, the modesty that Kristi always had seemed to be gone now. As soon as Coach Sheffield finished speaking, Kristi unpinned her nametag and pulled her shirt up over her head.
“Here,” Lauren said to Kristi, helping her friend pin the nametag onto her pale blue sports bra. “Wouldn’t want the coach to forget who you are.”
With all of the girls’ outfits in order, Coach Sheffield officially began the second day of tryouts. If anything, it was even more strenuous than Monday. There was a lot of running, jumping, and other exercises that seemed designed to make the girls move as much as possible. Early on, Coach Marshall came in with a video camera and began filming the girls during their various exercises. Most of the girls remained as happy and oblivious as ever, but a few became self-conscious. Coach Sheffield assured the girls that Coach Marshall was filming them so that she, Coach Sheffield, could review the tryouts when she was making her decisions for the cheerleading team. Coach Sheffield told all of the girls to ignore Coach Marshall and focus on the tryouts. The girls obeyed, and no one mentioned the camera again.
Lauren was doing jumping jacks with the other girls when Coach Marshall came up and focused the video camera on her. Lauren had begun to develop more than most of the other seventh graders, and her breasts were big enough to jiggle a bit in her sports bra as she jumped up and down. She kept jumping, though, even when Coach Marshall held the camera a few inches away from her chest. She ignored him, as she had been told.
By the end of the day, every girl felt the blood pounding in her head. It was difficult to think straight so the girls had long given up questioning why these tryouts were so intense. Coach Sheffield congratulated the girls as they all slumped to the floor, exhausted.
“You all did great today, ladies,” Coach Sheffield said enthusiastically. “Now, before you head home, you need to go to Coach Marshall’s office to get your new pictures taken.”
Coached Marshall, who had just closed his video camera after getting some shots of the girls sprawled out on the floor, nodded and grinned. With a casual wave, he turned his back on the group and walked to the double doors that divided the gym from the coaches’ offices and locker rooms. The two dozen girls, with varying degrees of reluctance, pulled themselves to their feet and started to follow.
“Wait,” Lauren called out hesitantly as all the girls dutifully headed towards the coach’s office. It would be so much easier just to go along, but something was bothering her. “How come we have to get new pictures taken?”
Coach Sheffield looked nonplused for a moment. Then, she simply repeated, “You need to go to Coach Marshall’s office to get your new pictures taken.”
“But…” empty-submit “…I don’t…” obey-happy “…okay, yeah… I need to get my new picture taken. ” Lauren was too tired to argue. And when she finally agreed, she felt nice and happy.
Lauren fell in line with the other girls as exhaustion settled in. She waited patiently as each girl was called in one at a time. She may have been standing with Kristi or Carmen or with other girls, she didn’t know. She was so tired that she didn’t notice. All of the girls were quiet as they waited in line, but smiles grew on their faces. Somewhere deep inside of them, the girls knew that taking pictures was good, that it would make them happy.
“Next.”
Lauren walked into Coach Marshall’s office. The man was making an adjustment to one of the many umbrella flashers that faced the large armchair. Ordinarily, Lauren may have noticed that there were even more flashers than there had been on Monday. But, right now, Lauren was in no state to notice much of anything. Just being in Coach Marshall’s office was bringing back the feelings of happiness and emptiness that had been forced into her mind yesterday.
“Sit down, Lauren,” Coach Marshall ordered. Lauren went to the padded chair immediately and sank into the fabric. It felt so good to do what she was told.
Coach Marshall walked around to his desk and pressed a key on his computer. The first flasher flared for an instant. Lauren was suddenly thrown back into the stupor that enveloped her whenever she faced those strange flashing lights.
*flash* *flash* *be sexy* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy to obey* *flash* *flash* *submit* *flash* *be sexy**flash* *empty mind* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy to obey* *flash* *flash* *be sexy* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy to obey* *flash* *flash* *submit* *flash* *be sexy**flash* *empty mind* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy to obey**flash* *flash* *be sexy* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy to obey* *flash* *flash* *submit* *flash* *be sexy**flash* *empty mind* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy to obey* *flash* *flash* *be sexy* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy to obey* *flash* *flash* *submit* *flash* *be sexy**flash* *empty mind* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy to obey* *flash* *flash* *be sexy* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy to obey* *flash* *flash* *submit* *flash* *be sexy**flash* *empty mind* *flash* *flash* *flash* *happy to obey* *flash* *flash* *flash*
As Lauren surfaced from the blissful, cloudy realm of her thoughts, she was aware of a tugging on her sports bra. Coach Marshall was unpinning her old nametag. Lauren had no idea how long the Coach had been standing in front of her but it seemed like his hands were taking longer than they needed to remove her nametag. Moving or even speaking was too much trouble, so Lauren stayed in the chair as the lingering feelings of complete euphoria dwindled into a less overwhelming sense of contentment.
Finally, Coach Marshall stepped back, tossing her nametag into a bucket filled with others that he had no doubt removed from the girls that had come before her. Lauren started to get up out of the chair but her legs were a little unsteady. She started falling back down to the chair, but Coach Marshall was there to catch her. He reacted so fast that one of his hands accidentally cupped her butt even as the other grabbed her arm. Lauren regained her balanced and giggled as the coach removed his hand from her butt.
Did Coach Marshall think she was hot? Lauren found herself wondering why she wasn’t showing herself off a bit more. People should be able to see how cute she was. Lauren puffed out her chest. Wearing a sports bra, that didn’t accomplish much, but the effort was not wasted. Coach Marshall’s eyes quickly dropped to her perky breasts. Feeling flirtatious all of a sudden, Lauren gave the coach a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks for catching me, Coach,” Lauren gave Coach Marshall a winning smile once he had dragged his eyes away from her breasts. Conscious of the coach’s eyes on her, Lauren made sure to swing her hips a little as she walked to the door.
Coach Marshall hadn’t said anything. In some ways, this was the most tortuous part of the whole process. Lauren and all the other seventh graders were so close to where he wanted them to be, but they weren’t quite there yet. Sighing with regret, Coach Marshall looked at the wall separating his office from the hallway where eight more girls stood waiting for their third adjustment.
“Next.”