Original Sins Read Online Free PDF Page B

it came barks and growls. It pitched, heaved, and shuddered. A cheerleader opened the door at the far end and out walked a Chihuahua in a minute blue-and-white vest. The audience howled and cheered.
    As the Terrorizing Machine exited, the captain of the football team lumbered up to a microphone. “Uh, the members of the ball team and me, we really wanna thank all yall for coming out here this afternoon. Uh, it really means a whole lot to us out there on that ball field to know that we got the whole school behind us one hundred percent of the way. Uh, this here game tomorrow night, I reckon yall know it’s real important that we win it if we going to have us a chance at the State Championship …”
    He was shifting from foot to foot and chewing frantically on his gum. While the teacher on duty was strolling to the other side of the gym, Raymond slipped from his seat and ducked down the steps to the exit.
    â€œâ€¦ uh, but we can’t win it all by ourselves. Uh, we need all yall out there tomorrow night yelling just as loud as yall can yell. So, uh, on behalf of all us on the team, and the coaches and all, we just wanna thank all yall for your alls support this season, and ask yall to keep it coming tomorrow evening in this game against the Bulldogs.”
    The cheerleaders bounded onto the court, pumping their arms and screaming, “We got a T-E-A-M , that’s on the B-E-A-M …”
    Sally caught Jed’s eye where he sat on the bench with the team, and they smiled.
    Sally lay on the couch watching “American Bandstand.” Kenny and Arlene were back together again, and doing the Mashed Potato. She was glad for them. Yesterday they’d been fighting and had seemed unhappy dancing with other people. She didn’t look up as Emily came in and stood over her exuding disapproval.
    â€œI mean, if this is how you want to spend your life—fine.”
    Sally nodded her head to the music.
    â€œYou’d sit in front of this thing all afternoon if only there were a conveyor belt to bring you food. Why don’t you do something constructive for a change—come play basketball with me, or read a book, or something?”
    Sally sighed heavily. Emily was always picking on her, had ever since she was first born, she supposed. Jealousy. She wished Emily would learn how to relax. She already had frown lines, and she was only sixteen years old. If she didn’t frown so much, maybe she’d make cheerleader or Ingenue or something and wouldn’t have so much to frown about. She wasn’t that bad looking, it was mostly her personality. And the way she dressed—her sweaters didn’t quite match her skirts, her skirts were baggy because she had no hips. She looked like she belonged with the crowd that came into school every day from the farms. Ina Sue Bascombe, say, who wore her hair in long braids, and who still didn’t shave her legs because her daddy was a Holiness preacher and wouldn’t let her. And the way Em slouched, like she was ashamed of her chest and trying to hide it. Sally just couldn’t understand it. She was proud of her body, loved the ways she could make it move as she led cheers, loved having the boys watch her. Frankly, it wasn’t easy having someone so out-of-it for a sister. People were always saying, “I just can’t believe you and Emily are sisters! Why, you aren’t a bit alike!”
    â€œI practice cheerleading twice a week,” Sally replied. “I go to Devout and Ingenue meetings. To movies and dances and ball games. I’d worry about myself if I was you. And why no one ever asked me out except that creepy Raymond Tatro. And why no girls asked me to join their clubs—so that I had no choice but to stay home playing basketball and reading dumb books.”
    Emily winced. “Do you think I care about your idiot clubs? I would no more join Ingenue than I would … watch ‘American