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We walked on stage waving, jumping and, fifteen seconds later, we were ready to go, everyone in their positions. The music started and so did the most important 2 minutes and 15 seconds of our lives.

We knew the choreography, we knew the routine we had to perform, and every moment on that stage as I moved, touched the hands I touched, spun in the air and kept the smile on my face, I knew things would have the ending we wanted.

When my body stopped, the only thing I looked for was Kendra's gaze. And I knew then: we had won.

Two hours after the performance, we returned to the stage. Just us and one other crew, the two best teams. My hands were as tight on Kendra's as she was on mine.

When it came to cheerleading, a lot of things were subjective. There was technique, but it was still cruel when you put two teams on a stage and expected the first place team to be called last. And no matter how much you practiced, mistakes could be made for any number of reasons. Yet here we were, representing Belinda Stone, the school with the giant snake as its symbol and the best program and the most championship-winning team: the Venenum.

My head was spinning, but I still dared to look for Derek among the people, and I found him there along with Ivan and Emily, who had come to see us, even after everything, because some people were really worth it. Not all of them, but the ones who were, deserved for us to believe in them.

Troian's hand was on my shoulder and everyone seemed focused on not letting their nerves get the better of us. The announcer started with second place, my heart hammering so hard in my rib cage that I forgot how to breathe until the name of the university was announced and, to our delight, it wasn't Belinda.

Kendra collapsed to the ground. Her knees hit the mat and tears streamed down my face because the presenter next words were mere confirmation of what everyone on that beach already knew:

“And the 2024 winners of the National Championship, with a score of 98.0904…, is Belinda Stone University!”

My whole body shook as I pulled Kendra up, looking deep into her eyes. The wide smile coming from her was all I needed,even with our makeup mixed with tears, nothing else mattered in that moment.

“We did it!” I whispered.

“Deep down, we both knew we could do it…” And neither of us was talking about just the championship. Her mouth latched onto mine in a deep kiss in the middle of the stage, with the crowd screaming and a huge trophy being held aloft by our teammates.

As soon as we pulled away, I stated the obvious:

“Now we just need run to the sea.”