Serval and Sheep (Chapter 11)
Cheer practice brings with it friendly gossip.
There is nothing more invigorating for a serval than cheer practice. Hafsa's life is full of hustle and bustle, but between schoolwork and paperwork, most of her activities are sedentary. If she didn't have cheerleading, she would've been arrested for predation a long time ago.
The coach, an eastern grey kangaroo named Charlotte, welcomed her with open arms when she was a freshman. "This is my first time doing this sort of thing, so I don't really know what to do..." Hafsa had explained sheepishly, but was met with only a hearty chuckle.
"With legs like those, you don't need to."
And she was right. Hafsa is a natural born athlete. Her being voted as head cheerleader in less than a year was less a matter of opinion and more of common sense. Gracefully lithe, she can pull off twists and leaps that would normally shatter a less nimble animal's spine. And her supple body relishes every minute of the exercise. Though she shudders upon remembering why her body is so delighted when twirling and flipping in the air, she can sleep easy knowing her brutish carnie strength is being repurposed into a more charming outlet.
Although she just so happened to be phenomenal at cheerleading, athleticism isn't what drove her to join. Her true intentions lie within the social boons of joining the group.
Hafsa enjoys chatting with the other girls. Not only are they sweet, graceful and feminine (perfect to pick up some girlier habits from), but they are her most vital ingress into Noah's Arc Academy's social networking. Popular and beloved, they are fountains of information on the school's gossips and goings-on, as well as being the gatekeepers to a whole tangle of other social groups. Everyone loves a cheerleader.
Meetups always begin with a group circle for warm up stretches. This serves to get the blood pumping, but more importantly, this acts as the office water cooler. The rumor mill.
"Y'know Danny, the floppy-eared rabbit with crazy red eyes?" chirps Poppy, first to get the ball rolling.
"You mean 'End-Your-Lifespan Dan'?" snorts Mari, a ring-tailed lemur. "What about him?"
"He totally asked me out for Lupercalia." Poppy beams, crossing her arms smugly.
Marisol squawks. "What, did you say yes?"
The rex rabbit has a laughing fit. "You're kidding right? Ha ha ha, as if! I couldn't even look him in the eye when I turned him down or else he would've turned me to stone or something!"
"Well, I guess it's rabbit season now." Hafsa jokes, hauling the petite rabbit on her back for a good stretch.
"More like serval season!" Marisol pipes up. "How many confessions does the school idol have so far?"
Hafsa sets Poppy down and fakes a pensive gaze, scratching her chin. "Hmmm, let's see... carry the two... gosh, I just can't keep count!"The circle shares amused giggles.
"Come on, Hafsa!" Marisol teases. "You can't keep your stylish single life forever! When are you gonna get l--"
Coach Charlotte's head snaps up from her phone.
"Llllllove in your life?"
A black cat, Kiki, to her left joins in. "Has the secretary asked you out yet?"
Hafsa's ears can't help but dart up. "Solomon? No way, it's not like that! B-besides, we're not even the same species!"
The cluster of girls share unconvinced looks.
"Species-crossing is super trendy nowadays," Poppy interjects nonchalantly. "Half of the rabbits here only go for hares."
"You guys would look so good together!" Mari giggles.
"Please," Hafsa waves her off, stiffening to a cartoonishly haughty pose. "I'm far too busy for men. They're beneath me."
"Someone's trying to change the subject!" Kiki snickers, nudging Marisol. The flamingo smirks back.
"Even I can see he's a hottie. Your kids would be too good for this world."
"Alright, let's send a final prayer to my non-existent kids and talk about something not completely stupid." Hafsa suggests, perhaps a bit too loudly.
"Ladies! Less chatting, more stretching!" Coach Charlotte yells from the bleachers.
"So, what are you guys doing for Lupercalia?" Brian asks in between spoonfuls of millet.
"Could we not?" Solomon glances down at the weary expression reflected in his bowl of soup. "Lupercalia is all anyone wants to talk about nowadays."
"I'll say," Hafsa adds. "I'm glad the school is in high spirits but it gets a little tiresome."
Brian shrugs. "Sorry, didn't know it was a touchy subject. Plus, I guess we'll all be doing student council stuff for most of it anyways. And we're all single, there's that too."
"Below the belt, Brian." Hafsa smirks. "I can't believe you're single. A nice young bird like you should have ladies lining up by the hundreds."
The pigeon smiles brightly. "My grandma says that too! Thank you!"
Hafsa holds back tears and keeps herself from biting her napkin. He's just too cute!
"I'm not interested in dating anyone right now, though." Brian continues. "My life is pretty busy. Plus, I'm not interested in any girls."
"Ouch! My broken heart!" Hafsa playfully clutches at her chest.
"You're out of my league!" The bird cooes mirthfully. "Besides, every boy here wants to date you!"
"Even Desmond?" She retorts.
"The only thing Desmond would get along with is a cactus." Solomon quips. "Perhaps a wet blanket if he's in a good mood."
"I wish he'd come join us for these dinners, you know..." Brian stirs his millet glumly. "We're all in the student council after all."
"That's his decision. We've invited him before."
"Yeah, but I can't help but think we're excluding him. Maybe he's the kind of guy who keeps to himself."
Solomon gives a quick glance at Hafsa. "Whatever he is, it's only fair he makes an effort to get along as well."
The table stews in an awkward silence, save for the clinking of silverware.
After a while, Hafsa hesitantly clears her throat. "S-so, have you guys sent out any candy grams yet?"
"Ah, back to the topic of Lupercalia." Solomon smirks. "Naturally, I have. Not to ruin the magic, but please expect some come the 14th."
"Right back at you!" Brian winks. "Oh, but sorry in advance if you guys can't understand my handwriting!"
Solomon pats his shoulders. "I think I've worked with you long enough to decipher those scribbles." He turns his head towards Hafsa. "And you?"
"Um, not yet. I think I'll do it tomorrow though!" She smiles sheepishly. "With all the planning we're doing, I haven't had the time!"
"Understandable." Solomon wipes his mouth and politely pushes his tray aside. "You've been very hard at work. I hope you have a chance to unwind a bit during Lupercalia, at least once it's all over."
"Ah, you too! You've been such tremendous help!" She quickly snaps to Brian, a bit flustered. "Both of you, of course! You're both great!"
She desperately suffocated the memory of Kiki's question during cheer practice and moved on.
"I guess, we're all done, wanna head out?"