Flashback Friday #1

Joining Tia in Flashback Friday this week.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures up here. At my parents' house there are literally a gazillion. (We always got doubles. Remember film? Ah. Those were good times.)

I went to the gym with Kyle yesterday. He had PT and I wanted to exercise so I hitched a ride. When I was done with my time on the bike, I went downstairs and sat on the hard gym floor and watched him play basketball.

The gym floor.

It had been so long since I'd sat on one. It immediately brought back memories. I reached my hand down and ran it across the floor. For once, I didn't mind that I had sand all over my fingers. (Or the air force boys giving me weird looks.)

I was taken back to my freshman year of high school. Without a doubt, my favorite year to date. I was on the JV cheerleading team and we kicked ass. (I can't sugarcoat it. We were awesome.)

Tryouts were in the gym. There, I met the girls that would become my best friends (for the 2002-2003 school year, at least.) I was so intimidated. I wasn't on a competitive team, like most of the girls. I was a little eighth grader heading to high school, looking to be a part of something that I knew was amazing.

That year, we practiced in the gym a lot. I spent 2 or 3 hours in that gym, three days a week. We danced and cheered and I got thrown up in the air. It was honestly the most fun I have ever had.

We had pep rallies in the gym and the cheerleaders hosted dances. We decorated beforehand and cleaned up afterward.

We sat in the stands and cheered on the basketball team. We got in trouble for talking about taking our driving test instead of cheering.

I made friends...friends that I no longer have for one reason or another but back then? We were inseparable. Somewhere there is a series of pictures of myself, Megan (another Megan), and Rachael against a cheesy backdrop in the gym at the Valentine dance the cheerleaders did that year. I miss those girls.

It all started in that gym.

The last time I was in the Tracy McGrady gymnasium was on graduation night, before walking the field. I haven't thought about that moment since it happened. We marched out the double doors, through the giant doghouse (our mascot was a Bloodhound), and across the football field.

Tonight is/was our Homecoming game and all of the alumni cheerleaders were invited back to cheer. Although I know it would have been awkward, considering I haven't spoken to any of those girls in years (some of them I never spoke to at all), it breaks my heart that I couldn't make it.

Oh well. I'll always have the gym floor. (And those gazillion pictures.)