A lot of the times in my life I’ve been told “Don’t judge a book by its cover” and as I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that whoever said that, was a very wise person. First impressions are, most of the time, completely wrong. When you meet someone for the first time, it’s very hard not to judge them. It’s very hard not to make up an idea about them in your head based just in the first signs you get from them. And I’ve recently experienced this.
My whole life, I’ve loved cheerleading. I started when I was eight and cheered a couple of years after that, but had to quit as soon as I moved to the city. I was getting used to this whole new environment and didn’t want to get involved in any activities outside of school yet. But a couple of months ago, I entered a team called Wizards. As soon as I started, I realized how much I missed cheering. I missed being part of something that felt right, finding a place where I belong.
The day of my fist practice I met Laura. She’s a flyer. One of the best, I should say. I saw her tiny little body walking towards me. Her dark hair matched with her eyes and it was held up in a messy ponytail. She was also wearing a purple headband, I remember. If she had it on to keep her hair from going into her face, it definitely wasn’t working. Her face was a little flat, her eyes were round and they sort of gave the feeling that they were going to pop out.
“What’s your name?” She asked. She wasn’t smiling and had an indifferent expression on her face, which made me wonder if she was really interested in her own question. But I answered anyway, “Desiree, but you can call me Desi” I smiled a little, trying to make myself more comfortable, but it didn’t work. “What’s your name?”
“Laura” She replied, her expression still neutral. “Why did you come here, who told you about us?”
“I take dance lessons here and my dad told me that you guys train here, so I decided to come.”
“Oh… Cool” Her voice came out a little more friendly this time, and I started to relax. We continued to talk for a while, until it was time for me to go. I said goodbye and went off my way.
That night, as I lay in my bed, waiting to fall asleep, I remembered the conversation I had had with Laura a couple of hours before. I realized I hadn’t really like her. She seemed like a snob and the type of person that feels superior to the rest. I was tired of meeting people like that and felt angry at the fact that I was going to have to share a lot of time with her for a long time.
The next day I had practice, I still got that feeling from her. I guess I had unconsciously decided that my first impression about her was right. I didn’t even think that she could turn out to be different from what I had assumed. I sometimes tend to build this big, fat wall as a sign of protection, I guess, to keep people I “don’t like” away from me, not even giving them a chance to show their true self and this was not the exception.
After a few weeks from my first conversation with Laura, I was at cheerleading practice, trying out a new stunt. I was having a hard time trying to get it right and she noticed it. I was surprised when I saw her walking towards me, with a smile across her face, willing to help me. “When you are doing it, do not look down and just keep your leg straight… that should help you.” I nodded and got back up again.
“Don’t worry; we are all here to catch you if something goes wrong.”
I stopped a minute to think about what had just happened. She actually tried to help me. She was not acting the way I always expected her to act. I thanked her for the tip and when I finally got it right, she smiled and said “That was great!”
“Thank you” I replied, smiling back.
From that day we got along better. I no longer think of her the way I used to. The more I get to know her and discover things about her, the more I admire her. I sometimes even think of her as a role model. She has been through a lot and has still accomplished various things that many of us expect to accomplish in the future. Maybe every scar that’s left in her body and in her heart is what makes her seem tough and cocky at first, but underneath all that, it’s still the same innocent, kind girl that once decided to fight for what she wanted, no matter what. Besides inspiring me to become a better cheerleader each day, she inspires me to become a better person. And she has taught me that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, we should read it first. I am still reading hers. And let me tell you, the pages in between are way more interesting than the cover.
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