Citywide Competition

The matchy-matchy uniform extended beyond the green glitter hair ribbons, crisp and wide, flowing from one head to the other. Their metallic red lipstick. A bold choice. When it was time for the photo, the cheerleaders slapped on their smiles, fast and rehearsed, and flashed a feminine ideal I’ve always considered comic book material, truth be told. But as I got to see them and talk before the photograph, they transformed from a uniformed pair of rah-rah ladies, the classic high school spirit girls, into something familiar and lovely. They reminded me of my own best friends. I loved the snatch of their arms around one another, that close squeezy hug. They were jazzed after their event ended, and they were friends, and they knew how to create perfect curly cat-eyes using eyeliner, too.

Vancouver, Canada