Flying was exhilarating.

Being up in the air was complete freedom. For the brief moment he was up his heart raced with excitement and nerves. Sometimes it was a straight up toss, other times he flipped in the air. Landing was always the worrisome part where his sense of bliss evaporated. There was always the chance his teammates would fumble and drop him. He could end up with one of many injuries cheerleaders suffered. He could even end up dead. Regardless, it was that thrill that kept him volunteering for the sky. A bigger thrill than could ever be afforded by performing in front of a spellbound audience in the usual routines where he just strutted, tumbled, and danced.

Just as soon as he fell into the waiting arms of his teammates he was again tossed skyward, or in his case, ceilingward. His heart was several feet below him as he lifted into the air, eyes closing for only a split second to imagine himself as a bird that wouldnt have to worry about gravity eventually catching up with him and pulling him back down. His teammates caught him again. They were good, very good in fact. It was why the Sirens won all their competitions with ease. The A team at a college where there were two co-ed teams plus a stunt team - which he was also a part of.

"I know you can throw higher you babies! Come on!" The megaphone blared with feedback and echoed through the large gymnasium. It was directed at Kurts group, but drew the attention of the B-team, the Spartans, practicing on the other side of the gym. Kurt was used to them watching in what he was sure was awe. There was a reason the Sirens were always number one in competitions. They had the best in talent, the best routines, and pushed themselves beyond the normal limits.

Coach Sylvester was pacing around them as Kurt was tossed again and again. Sometimes he had enough air to flip but most of the time he wasnt able to, thus Coach Sylvesters complaint. This wasnt part of a routine though. Coach Sylvester was making sure all the guys on the team had enough upper body strength to catapult any of the girls up. Kurt was an expert and knew how to fall if he did, so Coach Sylvester had him as the tossing guinea pig presently and he was more than okay with it.

Aside from enjoying flight, showcasing that he was just as good as any of the girls ensured that Coach Sylvester knew Kurt was indispensable. Guys on the team were usually there just for strength and swaying in the background. Kurt could do that, but also anything any of the girls did. It was odd for a sophomore like him to rise the ranks so quickly in cheer. His freshman year though proved that he was a leader, and someone not to be trifled with. When people complained, he got them to shut their mouths. When the formations were sloppy, he directed people back into order. When things were boring, he found a way to spice it up. Cheer wasnt a game as far as Kurt was concerned, it was a lifestyle and one that people needed to commit to.

Up until the this year, Kurt hadnt been concerned about being replaced. Now he cause to be worried and that cause was standing off the the other side of the room on the B-team. Blaine Anderson was recruited for the B-team in Kurts sophomore year, and while he certainly wasnt the only male cheerleader around, he was the most talented aside from Kurt. In fact, the only reason Coach Sylvester hadnt recruited him onto the A team was because she had enough guys and she didnt like how short Blaine Anderson was during tryouts. The B-team Spartans could have him.

Like Kurt though, he had risen to be the top of his teams social pyramid and it wasnt even half way through the first semester of Blaines first year. Kurt was worried that next year Sylvester would see the error of her ways and have Kurt replaced with him, or worse, make Kurt cheer alongside him. He didnt want to go down the social ladder. He couldnt go down. Being a top dog had kept him safe from insults and bashing in high school and now again in university. It made him desirable. It gave him that little bit of power he needed to feel important and he wasnt going to have some short freshman taking that away from him.

It didnt help that everyone liked Blaine either. He had those big puppy dog eyes that made the girls coo and a million dollar smile that charmed anyone. Apparently he was just as gay as Kurt was, but he was one of those alpha gays that no one suspected. People wanted to be with Blaine. Girls, guys - everyone loved him. Everyone except for Kurt anyhow.

Kurt saw him for what he was. Anderson was a big name in Ohio and no doubt Blaine was just another one of the trust-fund babies that that particular family produced. He would live his life being fed with a silver spoon and expecting nothing less than that. Kurt had heard that Blaine had even gone to a private school before coming to SCU, and had turned down Harvard to get his degree here.

Kurt couldnt understand that. The only reason he could think of that Blaine would turn down a prestigious university like Harvard was just to spite him. It was ridiculous of course, but it didnt make Kurt any less wary of Blaine. Blaine, who turned on the charm at all the athletics parties and always had a crowd around him to listen to one of his many boring stories while Kurt had to hang out with whatever losers were left behind. Blaine, who ignored Kurt for the most part even though he paid attention to everyone else. Blaine, who could probably do jumps and flips in his sleep the way he did them on command. Blaine was perfect alright. A perfect asshole, and he was making Kurts life miserable whether or not he realized he was doing it.

Right now Blaine was pointing at him, talking to one of his two sidekicks who would giggle and whisper back to him. It was impossible to focus when he had that kind of attention paid to him. Kurt was used to reverence, not petty mocking when he was practicing. He should have been able to ignore it, but it just infuriated him to the point of telling the guys tossing him let him down and storming over to the other side of the gym, several of his team following because they knew something was about to go down. He was used to having them as his shadow. If the A-team was a gang, he was their crime boss.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! You think this is a game rookie?" Kurt snapped at Blaine as he got a few feet away.

"Uh… no.. its a sport. Practice in fact." Blaine replied, batting his stupidly long lashes ever so innocently. Kurt wasnt going to buy it.

"You pay attention to whatever subpar routine youre working on and stop creeping on us. How about that?"

Blaine looked genuinely surprised by Kurts directness, leaving Kurt to pull on a smug grin. He could handle Blaine, he decided. He was impervious to the Anderson charm.

"Sorry. Was… just…"

"You were nothing. Are nothing. Will be nothing. Now focus on working towards second place - a.k.a. the first losing place and stop watching our routine. It wont help you. Youre not us and you wouldnt be able to replicate our moves if you tried."

"I wasnt… I mean…"

"So what? You just happened to be focusing in on our side of the gym for an inordinate amount of time because you wanted to check to see if the tiles over there are the same as they are over there?"

The girls on either side of Blaine looked ready to pounce on Kurt, and it was only Blaine holding his hands out to either side that kept them at bay. They could try pulling out their own claws, Kurt thought to himself, but he had his own bitches in waiting who he knew could tear them to shreds.

Blaine left quietly and quickly after that, his two girls in tow, retreating to join the rest of the B-team Spartans who had all been watching from a safe distance. It gave Kurt no shortage of pride to know he could shut Blaine down like that. Put him in his place. True he had to pull out his bitch persona to do it, but it was worth it. Blaine stopped looking over, and Kurt could focus on what he did best.

Winning.

AuntieSnix
Reblog if you think SCU Spartans are #1
#SCUspartans #Sirenssuck

Quintessential
Reblog if you think AuntieSnix needs a reality check!
#SpartansSuck #Sirens are #1

FondueForMew
Uh oh. I didnt ask my doctor at my last check up for a reality check? Should I be worried if I have it? Is it contagious?
#lord tubbington also wants to know

KittysKorner
Really? This is why Spartans are #1.
#SCUspartans #Sirenssuck #Your cat is an idiot

JBIatSCU
Check out my new blog posting comparing the hotness level of Sirens and Spartans! Who will come out on top… of the pyramid!
#SCUspartans #SCUsirens #JBI

AuntieSnix
That JBIatSCU article is crap. Theres no way Im less hot than Quinn and Blaine is less hot than Kurt. Who on the A-team is sucking JBI off?
#JBIsucks #SirensSuck

JBIatSCU
I assure all my readers that all my rankings are based on empirically collected evidence. There has been no illicit trade-offs for high rankings. Though if I were approached in thanks for being given a high ranking, I would not object….
#SCUspartans #SCUsirens #JBI

KittysKorner
So definitely Quinn or Kurt then.
#SCUSpartans #SirensSuck FOR REAL!