"Okay! On you,ya point out like this!" Emi Kimoto extended her arm, pointing with two fingers at some distant point on her right. The forty-one young women facing her all did the same.
"Good!" Emi continued, swinging her arm left. She made several stops as she moved her arm across her field of vision, as if pointing to multiple individual people in the nonexistent crowd seated on the aluminum bleachers behind her trainees. "And then you pan it to the left on any.Do a quick pause on every beat. Don't forget to wiggle while you do!" The aging public address speakers mounted under the scoreboards at both ends of the field pounded the rhythm to B-O-U-N-C-E at the maximum volume they could produce.
Wow, Ranko thought as she strolled across the high school rugby field that had once been home to her triweekly cheerleading practices. She could barely make out Emi's barked directions to the dancers. They weren't kidding when they said they got some girls. Her eyes panned the field, and a quiet sigh escaped her lips. I miss this place. Lot of good memories here.
She adjusted the weight of her pink backpack on her shoulder, making her way not to the group of practicing dancers, but to the opposite end of the field, where a group of three men and a woman were huddled around a video camera mounted on a wheeled arm. "Hey, everybody!" she called out once she was within comfortable speaking range.
A portly man in a loud pink Hawaiian shirt and khakis clapped his hands loudly, motioning to the two strapping men clad in all black. "Hey, guys. Wanna take five?" He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb. "Go and watch the girls?"
"Don't gotta ask me twice," the taller of the two said with a chuckle, and the pair walked off, nodding to Ranko as they passed her.
As soon as the two were out of earshot, the rotund man stepped forward, wrapping Ranko in a friendly hug. "Hey, honey! So! Spill, girl! How was the honeymoon?!"
Ranko's mouth fell agape, and she looked over the short man's shoulder at his remaining companion. "You told him?!"
"Oh, please, sugar," Yuji said, releasing her and waving off her concerns with a limp wrist. "Don't get on Amaya's case too bad about it. I'm on your side." He lowered his voice, leaning in close. "I've been batting for the other team since they were hitting rocks instead of balls. Your secret's safe with me."
Never would've guessed, Ranko thought with a smirk. "Well, um… it was…" She blushed furiously, wringing her hands. "... freakin' amazing. Might have been the best week of my life. Maybe second, after my first week at the Phoenix."
"Oooh! I'm so glad!" Yuji exclaimed, clapping his hands. "You deserve it, kid. The way Kondo's screwing with you is just disgusting.I'm so sorry you have to put up with his shit."
"Speaking of which?" Amaya Uyehara, dressed in a white polo shirt and khaki knee-length skirt, made a grabbing gesture with her hand. "Did you bring them?"
Ranko nodded, slinging her backpack around her torso and letting it slide down her arm to the ground. She crouched down, careful to not drag the hem of her yellow sundress on the grass as she unzipped her bag, extracting a thick manila folder. Leaving her bag open at her feet, she handed the folder to Amaya. "As requested. Proof of straightness," she said, bile dripping from her tone.
"Thanks, Ran-chan. I'll give these to Kondo and see if we can't get him off your…"
"Let me see, let me see, let me see!" Yuji snatched the folder from Amaya's hand, opening it. "Oh, Ranko," he said in an almost unsettling moan, withdrawing the top photo in the stack. "You look simply gorgeous! My gods! Who did your hair?!"
Ranko flushed, looking down as her friend and director flipped through the stack of wedding photos. "Yeah, well, I know it's not a ripped leather jacket and fake dirt on my face, but… I guess I clean up okay in a pinch."
"Speaking of which…" Yuji motioned to the asphalt track surrounding the rugby field, on which a line of RVs and other support vehicles for the video shoot had been parked. "Miki's waiting for you, whenever you're ready to go get your sparkle on."
The redhead chuckled, shaking her head. Man among men? Nah! Fuck that noise, Pop. I'm gonna go get my motherfucking sparkle on, bitch. "Sure! Don't wanna keep everyone waiting!" She grabbed her backpack from the grass and started walking toward the makeup trailer, and Amaya jogged up to walk next to her.
"I don't suppose I can talk you out of your other little stunt?" There was a hopeful, if skeptical, tinge in Amaya's voice. "Might not be the best time to rock the boat, all things considered."
Ranko shook her head as she walked. "Nah. We're doing it, 'Maya. The contract says it's up to us a hundred percent. Nabiki triple-checked everything to be sure, and the band's all behind it, too. Even Shin, and he hates everything. Last week, he bitched about beer! And besides, I'm not doing anything I shouldn't be. Those pictures prove it, right?! I'm just… not a fan of the way this relationship feels lately, especially considering Yokai is rolling in cash 'cause of the tour. I've done my part, and I'm pretty sick of Kondo treating me like shit. I know I can't say anything about it out loud, but…"
Amaya sighed. "I get it. I don't agree with your decision, but I get it. Suit yourself, kiddo." She pulled open the door to the makeup trailer. "See you when you're done?"
Ranko nodded, bounding up the two steps to the open door. "You got it."
* * *
"What's up, girl?!" Ranko reached forward, giving her green-haired friend a tight squeeze. "How's it coming around here? You girls ready for January?"
Blushing, Rin Matsubara squeezed back for a moment before exiting the hug. "I'll have them ready, don't worry! Three-peat, here we come!"
"You'd better," Ranko said with a smirk, smoothing her white pleated skirt with both hands. "I'd hate to have to come back here and kick all your scrawny little butts like I use'ta. Yusue has a reputation to uphold now!" Laughing, she slid her pink sunglasses back up on her nose. Her flesh was slick from the sunscreen Akane had insisted she wear over her makeup for a full day of outdoor filming. "The field looks great! Did they finally fire that old drunk that used to do the groundskeeping?"
"They laid all fresh sod last week. I think they just wanted it to look good for your shoot. But who cares? C'mon!" Rin urged, grabbing Ranko's wrist and hooking her finger into her former captain's ever-present silver dragon bracelet. "You gotta meet everybody!" She proceeded to drag the elder woman across the well-manicured grass field toward a cadre of five girls standing apart from the rest of the group. Three wore all-black cheerleading shells and pleated skirts like Rin did, and the other two had on hot pink uniforms in the same style. The black uniforms bore Ranko's signature in pink across the chest, and the pink uniforms were emblazoned with the Ranko and the Dapper Dragons' logo in black.
Ranko beamed as she made eye contact with one of her best friends, waving excitedly. "Hey, Shi'ri! See?! I promised you I'd have you in the video, didn't I?!" After sharing a quick hug with Shiori, Ranko nodded respectfully to the short-haired brunette in black to Shiori's left. "Hey, Cap. Thanks for bringing the Pixies out for this."
Shizuka Araya nodded, cracking a smile. "Well, you've been pretty good about keeping your whole pop star ego thing to a minimum for the sake of the squad, so… I suppose we can let you have one day. Don't let it go to your head, Tendo." She flashed a playful wink at the college freshman.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Cap," Ranko said, turning to the third woman in black with a quizzical expression painted across her face. "Sorry, have we… met?" I feel like I'd remember another redhead; that's kinda my thing, after all.
The attractive athlete, possibly a year Ranko's senior, offered her manicured hand out for a handshake. She answered in Japanese, though her accent clearly pegged her as Canadian. At least, it would have, had Ranko ever spoken to one before to recognize it. "Hey, Miss Tendo. The name's Tess."
"Ranko, please," the Dapper Dragons' lead vocalist replied with a wave of both her hands in front of her face. "I don't really get into all that formality shit."
And if I did, it wouldn't be Miss Tendo, Ranko thought with a devious smicker. It's Mrs. Tendo. Got the pictures and the sore pelvis to prove it and everything.
Hitomi threw her arm over the Canadian's back, gesturing to her with her thumb. "Tess here leads the Ginza Girlz, the dance troupe Yuji hired to fill out the squads."
"Oh! Shit! Right on!" Ranko returned Tess' handshake with a bright smile, bowing as she did so. "I really appreciate you all coming out to help. Do you or your team have any questions about the choreography or anything?"
Tess shook her head almost hard enough to dislodge the large white lace bow clipped into the back of her wavy, blood-red hair. "Naaah." She gestured to the two women in the pink cheerleading uniforms. "Emi and Hitomi have been working with us on it all morning, and we think we've got it pretty much nailed!"
Bobbing her head in acknowledgement, her eyes panned back to Shizuka and Rin. "What about your groups?"
Shizuka replied not with words, but with the Pixie Dust gesture Shiori had popularized amongst the Minato University cheerleading squad. She spread her arms out, wiggling her fingers in the air as if sprinkling magic powder in front of her.
"The Pride is ready to fly with you, Ranko!" Rin slashed at the air with her left hand in a catlike clawing motion, her braided lime-green twin pigtails flopping over her shoulders as she lunged forward.
"The Pride?!" Ranko chuckled, resting her hands on the hips of her all-white cheerleading uniform. "That's new."
Rin shrugged, smirking. "We thought you'd like it. We're two-time All-Tokyo Invitational champions. We needed an identity, and Yusue Vocational High School Fighting Lions Cheerleaders is a helluva mouthful."
"You ain't lyin'," Ranko said with a grin. "I fuckin' love it. Well, okay!" The redhead threw her arm over Rin's shoulder. "I can't wait to see your freestyle, girl!"
Ranko's successor as captain of the Yusue cheerleading squad blushed deeply, squirming a bit under the starlet's arm. "I still can't believe you asked me to do that. Like, for real?! A solo on a freaking music video? I'm only sixteen, for fuck's sake!"
Shrugging with a tilt of her neck and a scrunch of her right shoulder, Ranko planted her feet and turned Rin around in her grasp until the pair were facing each other. "I did it for a reason. You're talented. Like, really." She motioned over her shoulder to the two women in pink. "After you graduate, don't be surprised if you end up on stage with me and those two freaks over there for good."
"You don't mean…" Rin clasped both her hands over her mouth, her eyes all but bulging out of her head. "Like, part of your band?! Are you flippin' serious?! Are you fucking with me right now?!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Ranko admonished with an easy smile. "You've still got a year and a half at Yusue. But we can probably talk about it after that, if you want."
"Where do you want us," Tess asked, raising her voice to be heard over Rin's disbelieving screech of excitement.
"We're gonna put the Yus…" Ranko interrupted herself with a single snort of a laugh. "Sorry, the Pride, on the left side of the formation, led by Hitomi and Rin. Right side is the Pixies, with Emi and Shizuka up front. Tess, you and your group are gonna be in the middle with me."
"Actually, Ran-chan?" Yuji hustled, as best as his portly frame would allow, to close the last ten meters to join the leaders of the band and the three dance teams. "I was thinking about it," he began despite huffing and puffing a bit from his exertion, "and I think we wanna put you out in front alone."
The songstress rubbed her sunscreen-slick chin thoughtfully. "That could work, but then we're short a second lead for the Ginza group. I guess Tess could pick someone to…"
"It's handled, Ranko," Shiori said, motioning over her shoulder to the tent where the other cheerleaders had gone through costuming, hair and makeup. A girl with shoulder-length silver hair, wearing a pink cheerleading uniform matching Hitomi and Emi's and a pair of silver sneakers, jogged across the field toward the group.
"But… you said she couldn't make it!" Ranko covered her mouth with her hands.
"Yeah, well…" Grinning, Kumiko reached out as she joined the group, wrapping her arms around her best friend's neck. "Surprise! Sorry I'm late! Overslept my damn train!"
Laughing, Ranko hugged her friend tight, lifting her off the ground with a grunt. "You're forgiven, you little shit. But look at you! Two left feet a year ago, and now you're gonna be at the front of a professional dance troupe in a freakin' music video!" She turned her eyes back to Tess. "That is, if it's okay with you and your squad?"
Tess nodded, reaching out and nudging Kumiko's shoulder with her fist. "Don't worry 'bout it, yeah? I won't let her step on nobody, promise." She winced, inhaling sharply through her teeth as she motioned to another person trudging toward the group at the center of the rugby field. The newcomer wore a maroon-and-black plaid pleated skirt, a spiked black leather corset and black combat boots. "That one, I don't know about, though."
Chuckling, Ranko shook her head. "Yeah, you don't gotta worry 'bout that at all. Cheerleading and Zoe King do not mix."
"Ladies? Can we take our places, please? Time's a-wasting!" Yuji clapped his hands sharply, and the group broke up. Shiori offered Kumiko a side hug, walking alongside her toward the left side of the formation of girls in black. A pair of glittery placards featuring the romaji letters B and O rested in the grass in front of them, as did a huge mound of shiny silver pom-poms.
Ranko turned, meeting Zoe halfway as the band's drummer crossed the field. "Well? They get you all prettied up in there?" The redhead gestured with her neck toward the makeup trailer Zoe had just emerged from.
"Most of us, yeah," Zoe replied with a grin. "Ain't no hope for Shin, but they're still tryin' anyhow!"
Ranko began walking alongside Zoe toward the gaggle of dancers, tittering and shielding her eyes from the noonday sun with her hand. "Did they get all the instruments and shit set up?"
Zoe nodded. "Yep. O'er on the far side, just past the red tent. Kinda put us out where God lost his shoes, yeah?"
"Mmm-hmm! Don't sweat it, though. They'll film you guys separate from the dancing and shit, and then cut it all together in editing." Ranko poked Zoe gently with her outstretched index finger. "So! Your first video shoot! You nervous?"
"Who? Me?!" Zoe laughed loudly with their assertion before leaning in close to Ranko and lowering their voice to nearly a whisper. "Scared outta me fuckin' knickers, mate."
Ranko giggled, waving her friend's concern off with the back of her hand. "It's no sweat. Honest. They'll just keep reshooting if you mess up. I promise, we'll all fuck it up at least a couple'a times. Just relax!"
"So long as I ain't gotta be that relaxed," Zoe said, bobbing their head forward toward Hitomi. In the distance, the Dapper Dragons' two backup dancers had led Tess away from the rest of the group and were laughing with her. Emi's hand was drifting down toward the small of the Canadian's back as the trio spoke.
"Ohhh," Ranko exclaimed through a giggle as she walked toward the bank of cameras. "Something tells me, if Hitomi and Emi get their way, she isn't half as relaxed as she will be when those two are done with her."