⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

☁︎☁︎☁︎

———— THE DEATH
OF A CHEERLEADER
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

.*･｡. UNSAID EMILY .*･｡.
————PROLOGUE
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

000.
EMILY'S BODY

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
LET'S TAKE IT BACK
TO SPLIT RIVER, 1991

⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━

　
Emily's head hurt.

   She wasn't sure why. It hadn't hurt a minute ago.

   Then again, Emily was pretty sure she hadn't been lying on the ground a minute ago either. But now the cold gymnasium floor was harsh against her skin and her head felt ready to roll off her shoulders. What happened?

"Did you see that fall?!"

Fall? What fall?

"There's no way she survived that— right?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions..."

Emily winced as their voicers grew louder, like they were stood right above her. Three people, it sounded like. Emily didn't recognise any of them.

"But—"

"Rhonda."

Rhonda? She didn't know a Rhonda — which was weird, since the Class of 1991's Split River Angels knew everyone. That was a core part of the cheer team, Emily had learned. At least, according to Veronica. Emily never questioned her on things like that. That said, Emily didn't tend to question many people at all.

"She did hit the ground pretty hard..."

A male voice. It was closer.

"You know," they added, "She's pretty cute."

"Can you save hitting on her 'til she wakes up?" The girl, Rhonda, hissed at him.

"I think Rhonda's right, Wally."

"Sure I am," Rhonda said with arrogant confidence. "It's messed up to hit on a girl when she's unconscious, you know."

    "True. She might be dead," another guy agreed.

...dead?

She wasn't dead. No— Emily was totally alive. She knew she was alive. She wouldn't be lying there, listening to them talk if she wasn't alive, would she? That was ridiculous. They must've been talking about someone else.

    "Uh oh. That's her bag."

   That confused her. Emily didn't have a bag.

   They went silent after that. No one said anything as Emily tried to will her eyes open. There was a few whispers, a faint zipping noise, but nothing else.

   Until, "Does it usually take this long?"

    "Not always."

   Does what take this long? The questions were piling up. It was getting her frustrated. Her hands slowly curled into fists.

"Hey. I think she's finally waking up..."

See? Not dead.

It took a couple moments but Emily's eyes slowly fluttered open. She blinked, trying to adjust to the bright gymnasium lights on the ceiling up above her.

When her vision finally focused, she noticed four faces all around her periphery. Staring.

"Can I help you?" She croaked out.

They jumped back.

"Oh shit," the tallest of them said, eyes wide.

"She's definitely awake," a boy in a backwards cap gave a firm nod. Emily thought he was familiar.

    "No duh, Denny."

As she pondered how she recognised this Denny, the man with glasses leant in and observed her closely. Emily tried to back away, but her head hurt when she craned her neck too far. She grimaced, why did it hurt so bad? Why was she lying on the floor? Who the hell were these people? As if having read her mind, he gave her a small and sympathetic smile. "You take it easy, there. You're confused, I know, but it's important that you let your spirit adjust. It's not used to being outside on its own. It might take some getting used to."

Emily frowned, "My what?"

"Your spirit," Rhonda said. She placed her hands on her bent knees and hovered over Emily's face, tilting her head a little. "You're dead."

"Dead?" Emily bolted upright, ignoring the pains in her head. "What do you mean, dead?"

"Uh..." the tallest grimaced. "You kinda... died."

"I—" she blinked, "Is this some kinda joke? I'm not— I'm not dead, okay? I'm— I'm here, I'm breathing," Emily stood up, like it proved something. She almost tripped as she went, but she didn't pay what it was over any mind. Probably just her pompoms or something. "See? I was— I was at the pep rally. I was cheering, I was a cheerleader. I am a cheerleader because I'm alive, I'm not—"

Before she could finish rambling, Rhonda grabbed her by the shoulders and span her around. The gymnasium wasn't bursting with people like she remembered — instead, it was completely empty. There was no one in sight. They were all out in the hall for some reason. Emily was about to ask why, but she stopped herself short when she glanced at the place she'd been lying when she woke up.

Her breathing hitched, "Is that a—?"

"Body bag? Yeah."

Emily stared at it blankly, watery eyes stinging.

It was exactly where'd she been sat moments ago. How was that even possible? She'd just been there.

   Was that what she tripped over?

The bag was unzipped to the waist; she was too far away to recognise the person inside, but she could just about make out an Angel's cheer uniform. Before Emily could step closer and check, two men walked in and zipped the bag right to the top.

   Her eyes followed them as they lifted bag up from the floor, revealing a deep scarlet stain where the head had once been. Emily's heart sank in her chest.

"You shouldn't watch this..." Denny suggested, but Emily couldn't bring herself to follow his advice. She just stood in the same spot and stared at the two undertakers. They were both solemn in the face.

"Poor kid," one of the men muttered.

The other one nodded solemnly, "Way too young."

    "Bad things happen in this place," he replied, shaking his head with a deep grimace.

"Excuse me?" Emily croaked out as they carried the bag towards the doors. She tried to follow after them but her legs felt too shaky, "Excuse me? Excuse— who's in there? What kid? I'm— I need to know who's in there!"

They didn't reply. Like they didn't even hear her.

They just continued towards the doors and into the halls, where a few gasps echoed. She wondered if they belonged to her friends and her boyfriend. Her parents hadn't attended tonight's pep rally. Her heart stuttered at the thought of her sister being stood out there, alone.

"Who's in there?" She called weakly.

She already knew.

"Please?"

Emily watched the doors slam, shutting her inside without even knowing that she was there. A tear slowly trailed down her cheek as she turned to face the four behind her. She took in the empathetic expressions on their faces, ones that made it look like they understood, like they had been in this situation already. Maybe they had.

"Was that...?" She swallowed harshly.

They nodded.

Emily looked down at her hands, "I'm... I'm—"

"Dead," the tallest finished. When the man with glasses gave him a look, he sheepishly scratched his neck. "Sorry. I forgot that's a scary word for newbies."

Emily felt her chin tremble.

"Oh goodie," Rhonda sighed, "She's a crier."

"Rhonda," the oldest of them scolded, "Please have some grace. She only just—"

"Died? Yeah, well I'm sure she'll get used to it." Rhonda's eyes rolled as she walked past Emily. She slapped her back, making her stumble. "Welcome to your afterlife, pompoms. I hope you hate it as much as I do."

━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━

⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
☁︎☁︎☁︎

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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