Stereotypes

In 7th grade the county changed the school district lines, and i had to go to a different middle school than the one i went to in 6th grade. There was only a few of my friends, one being my best friend since the age of 4, Krista, that would also be changing schools. She and I had pretty much grown up together and had been friends for many years. I was really lucky that I wouldn't be going to this new school completely alone. The thing is, she was always the stand out kind of girl and wasn't afraid to do or try anything new, and me, I was the shy one and was scared to step out of my comfort zone. She, being the outgoing person that she is, tried out for cheerleading, made it, and became one of the captains. I was really happy for her, but as time went on she started making new friends while I didn't feel like I fit in with them. I had always thought that cheering would be a lot of fun, but just didn't have the guts to try it that year. I started feeling really left out of her new little "group" and had to make new friends of my own. I just felt that they were so much better than me, and especially since it was a whole new school with almost all new people, it brought me down. I wanted to fit in with them so badly and wanted to be part of their little "popular" group of friends. I just dealt with it for a while, but when 8th grade came around, I decided that I would try out for cheerleading this time. I made it, and I was sooo excited. I was finally going to get to do something new and fun, and I knew I would be able to spend more time with the friend I felt I had lost. She was also excited for me and was helping me learn new stuff before the new school year and practice started. After the dissappointment of 7th grade, 8th grade was so much better and so much more fun. I really did enjoy cheerleading, and it wasn't just because of all the attention that I got, I seriously thought it was fun and enjoyed every minute of it. Even though it seems that cheerleaders are ALWAYS the stuck up girls, and may be true in some cases, for me it was just about having a good time with people you enjoy being around. I'm sure people thought of me as the little snooty girl at times just because of cheering, but it really wasn't like that at all. With this experience I made a lot of new friends not because I was a cheerleader, but because that gave me more confidence and I became much more friendlier which ultimately allowed me to figure out who my real friends were and where I fit in.