Isabel is Ms Popularity, the captain of the cheerleaders. She’s only a cheerleader because it’s what’s expected of her, and she goes full out.

Tess is Isabel’s best friend. She’s only a cheerleader because Isabel asked her to be, and because Tess’s boyfriend Kyle is on the football team. Tess is extremely stubborn, and her and Kyle had an argument before the national cheerleading competitions.

Liz is Isabel’s non identical twin sister. She’s quiet, shy and bookish, but she needs to improve her Phys Ed grade, so she joined the squad. Isabel pulled a few strings to get her there, but she’s not the worst or the best cheerleader in the world.

Maria is a rebellious classmate. She and Alex are dating, but it’s a convience thing, since they are the two main people in the rebel crowd. Alex offered her $500 if she got on the cheerleading squad. Maria needed the money, so she went for it.

Alex is Marisa boyfriend. He has a real attitude, and is a ladies man. Isabel develops a crush on him, but he turns her down. Isabel isn’t used to being rejected, so she begins a snag Alex competition, much to Maria’s amusement.

Max is Marisa older brother, who goes to the cheerleading comps in LA as a chauffer, because the opportunity for Maria blackmail is too good to pass up. He makes it his personal goal to get Liz to loosen up a little.

Kyle follows the gang in his car to the cheer-offs to make up with Tess. He really wants to make up with her, but he’s been a bit of a moron and doesn’t quite know how to make it up to her.

Michael is a hitchhiker who Maria picks up on the way. He needs to get to LA to investigate a sighting, which could lead him to finding his home planet. M&M sparkies ensue.

Courtney is a geek-turned-cheerleader with a desire to destroy all cheerleaders. She has a plan to bring down the entire cheer-off …

Part 1

“They came here in the 40s
And here they are to stay
The Roswell aliens
Are gonna win today
And we’re from Roswell
(Roswell)
West Roswell
(Roswell)

A-L-I-E-N-S
We’re the best, can I hear a yes!
(Yes!)
A-L-I-E-N-S
We’re the best, can I hear a yes!
(Yes!)
YES!”

Courtney Banks smirked from her position at the bottom of the cheerleaders pyramid, watching as that giggling ditz Pam Troy stood on the top. It was so easy. All it would take was a little shove with her mind, and Pam would be off the squad for the season. She concentrated …

And Pam hit the ground, landing on her leg. Courtney smiled as she heard the satisfying snap of the bone. The pyramid dismantled, and Vicki Delaney and Tess Harding ran over to Pam. Isabel Evans pushed them out of the way, shouting to her sister Liz to call an ambulance.

“I think it’s broken,” Vicki offered helpfully.

“Of course its &*#% broken,” Pam said with a yell. Courtney rolled her eyes. Vicki Delaney was her next target. Total ditz. Should never be on the squad.

Well Courts, she told herself. One down, and 4 to go. She’d deal with Vicki next practice, but she wanted Isabel, her ditzy friend and her nerdy sister to be humiliated at the cheer-off.

Courtney had been the ultamite geek at her last 3 schools. The cheerleaders would always mock her, tease her … a personal quest to humiliate her. But now, since she’d moved to Roswell, she’d transformed herself. Dying her hair from mousy brown to blonde, getting contacts instead of those huge wire-rimmed glasses … definite improvement. And now she could get her revenge on cheerleaders. Who made her life hell the last 3 years.

Revenge is oh so sweet.

Part 1b

“So, Alex, you said we needed to talk,” Maria mumbled as her boyfriend concentrated on giving her a hickie the size of Canada.

“Yeah,” he gasped, moving in on her mouth. She squirmed with pleasure, but pushed him away.

“Then talk.”

“You wanna talk?”

“Yeah, we talk now. Nookie later.”

“Fine.”

Alex sat back on the couch in his apartment, and scrutinized his girlfriend. Maria DeLuca looked nothing like her brother, Max. He had dark hair and was friendly to everyone. She was full of attitude and extremely volatile.

“You need $500 dollars for Charlie, right?”

“You know that, Alex.”

“Well, the gang has decided that we’ll give you the money. The last thing we need is Charlie on our backs,” Alex said. “Why’d you do that anyway?”

“I told ya Alex, I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Fine then. But we have one condition.”

“What?”

“Pam Troy broke her leg.”

“Get to the point, Alex.”

“We’ll give you the money if you try out for the cheerleading squad … and make it in.”

“WHAT?”

Alex smirked, and went back to kissing her.

“Alex,” she moaned. “I’m not a miniskirted bimbo queen, okay?”

“Liz Evans aint no bimbo.”

“Please. The entire country knows that she’s only on the squad so she won’t flunk phys ed.”

“Maria, babe. You need the money. Ya know I’d give it to ya, but they want a little action. It won’t hurt you.”

She sighed. “Fine. I guess I join the ditz brigade.”

Part 2

“Izzy, we have exactly a week til the cheer-off, and Pam broke her leg! We need someone, and we need them fast!” Tess exclaimed as she paced around the room Liz and Isabel shared. Tess knew this room, she’d been here over 100 times. It was an interesting room. One side was covered with posters of bands, and a huge mirror. A dressing table was covered in makeup containers and hair accessories. The other side of the room had a map of all the galaxies on it. A telescope sat by the window, and a huge desk with 3 neat piles of books on top sat in the corner. No prizes for guessing who’s was who’s.

“We can just audition,” said Liz, who was seemingly oblivious to Tess’s psycho rant, with her nose firmly planted in a copy of Wuthering Heights. “Or, we could just not go to the cheer off.”

“We are going to the cheer-off, Liz,” Isabel said coolly. “I have not worked my ass off all year just to blow it because of Pam Troy’s clumsy tendancies.”

The phone rang, and Liz absently reached for it.

“Hello? … hi Mrs Delaney … that’s horrible … tell Vicki I hope she gets better … yes, I’ll tell Isabel … bye.”

Isabel looked over, her usually perfect exterior somewhat harried.

“Please don’t tell me that Vicki can’t make the cheer-off?” she pleaded.

“Um, I won’t tell you,” Liz said, a feeble attempt at a joke. “She has chicken pox.” She then went back to Cathy and Heathcliff. Tess sighed.

“Right, so we need 2 extra cheerleaders. Unless, of course, one of us is hit by a UFO in the near future.”

“I’m only auditioning one,” Isabel said. “Better one good one than two mediocre ones.”

“Right,” I said. “I have the uniforms.”

“What? You didn’t tell me?” Isabel shreiked, taking the bag off Tess and digging through it to find her size. “These are so cute! Did you make them?”

“Yeah. I used a little, um, czechaslovakian power. I’m no seamstress.”

“But won’t they like turn into rags at midnight?” Liz asked, her voice coming out muffled from inside the book.

“No, Lizzie dear,” Isabel said slowly. “Go back to Heathcliff.”

“In a minute, shouldn’t I try this uniform on?”

“Sure.”

Tess threw the royal blue top and skirt to Liz, and took out an ensemble for herself, disappearing into Isabels huge walk in closet. She shimmed into the top, and pulled the skirt on. Kyle had liked this.

But Kyle was in serious trouble. He’d forgotton her birthday. That was just bad. And the woozle wasn’t getting anything approaching nookie until he remedied that particular mistake.

Part 2b

“Okay, thankyou all for coming!” Isabel said. Everyone counted as 3 girls, two unco wannabes and - Liz could hardly believe this – Maria DeLuca. Maxs sister, hardcore rebel punk extradonaire. Liz tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear. Maybe Max would show up.

No, instead there was Alex Whitman, Marias bad ass boyfriend. He was incredibly hot, but so untouchable. Nothing on Max though. Max DeLuca was so incredibly gorgeous, and his smile … Liz nervously cleared her throat and blinked a few times. Gaa, it was 8 am. Isabel was a little over the top here. Maybe she could make up a cheerleading chant for it.

I wish I were still in bed
(I wish I were still in bed)
But I don’t wanna fail phys Ed
(But I don’t wanna fail phys Ed)
Sound off
(1,2)
I can’t hear you!
(3,4)
1,2,3,4, 1,2
STAY IN BED!

“Okay, so Gemma, lets see what you can do,” Isabel said to the nervous looking brunette standing with her friend Ivy.

Gemma got up and did an akward backover. She then attempted a handstand and promptly burst into tears, running off. Ivy shot Isabel an apolgetic look, and ran after her.

“Right,” Isabel said, looking a little less collected than she usually was. “Maria DeLuca. You’re up.”

Liz watched with interest as Maria walked to the middle of the field. Just then, Max walked over. He came and stood next to Liz, and she busied herself twisting a strand of hair around her finger.

“This could be interesting,” Max said conversationally. Liz stiffened. He talked to her, he actually talked to her!

“Yeah,” she said softly. “I, um, didn’t think that cheerleading was Marias thing.”

“Me neither,” he said. “Theres something fishy about all of this.”

“I guess so.”

“I wouldn’t have picked you as the cheerleading type,”said Max.

“I, uh, being on the squad raises my B- in Physical Education to an A-.”

“Oh, that would make sense,” he said with a smile.

Maria launched into a very neat walkover and a few hurdle jumps. Liz looked on. Yeah, Isabel seemed impressed. And no one else was showing.

It looked as though Maxs sister was on the squad. Maybe she’d see more of him.

Part 3

“I got in,” Maria said tonelessly over the phone. Alex smirked, knowing she couldn’t see him.

“Congrats.”

“And I have to go to the cheer-offs next weekend.”

“Huh?”

“You’re coming.”

“What?”

“You’re coming, I refuse to make a fool of myself by myself.”

“We have a gig –,”

“No, we don’t. It’s the weekend after that.”

Maria and Alex were both members of a hugely popular underground band, The Whits. Basically, the band had gotten them their social status at Roswell High. And both of them were extremely proud of it.

“So, the rest of the cheerleading squad,” Alex said. “Gimme the inside scoop, the 411.”

“Okay. Courtney Banks. Total skank. Bleached blonde, contacts, the works. I bet she was a real dog, and just changed herself with all this plastic surgery.”

Alex let out a harsh laugh.

“Tess Harding. Just broke up with Kyle Valenti because, get this, he forgot her birthday.”

“Poor baby,” Alex laughed.

“Next, theres Liz Evans, geek girl extradonaire. I mean, seriously. The girl is so bookish. She wouldn’t have had a chance had it been for her sister dear.”

“You mean Isabel?”

“Yah. Isabel Evans. Think complete and utter bimbo queen. Absolutely obsessive about her cheerleading and totally totally little miss perfect.”

Alex didn’t agree. There was something different about Isabel. She was interesting. She wasn’t just a bimbo. But they were too different. No way they’d ever mix.

Part 4a

“Okay, so transport,” Isabel said with an official tone to her voice. “We have Maria’s Jetta and our jeep. Whos going with who?”

“I’m traveling alone,” Maria said with a challenging look at Isabel. “End of story.”

Isabel locked eyes with Maria, each willing to win the battle of the stares. Liz sighed.

“Who cares, Iz. We can use Tess’s dads car as well, you know.”

“Yeah, he won’t mind if we take the convertible,” Tess added.

Isabel, Liz, Maria, Tess and Courtney stood in the middle of the field after practice. Isabel noted with a feeling of satisfaction that the squad was good. Even if Maria did have a serious attitude problem. Her boyfriend was hanging around at the edge of the field. Alex Whitman.

God, he was hot. Isabel would have gone for it had it been for the fact that he was dating Maria, and she’d flip out, most likely quit the squad. She obviously didn’t want to be there, but she was. Isabel made it a memo to herself to find out exactly why.

"You can use my car," said a voice. Isabel turned to see that Max DeLuca had come over. "I'm coming to make sure Maria doesn't do anything dumb."

"No, that would be why I'm coming," Alex said. Isabel had noticed him creeping up, that gorgeous …

"Whatever," Max shrugged. "Then I'll come to keep Ms Evans here company," he said, giving Liz a smile. She blushed and looked down.

Weird.

Part 4b.

"What the hell is going on?" Max demanded. Maria looked up from her magazine as her brother walked into her room.

"Out of my room!"

"Maria … I know you're not exactly cheerleading material. And that equals something is going on," Max said. "What is it?"

Maria stood up, face to face with her brother. Max sighed. His sister was going into lockdown again.

"Look. It was a bet. I need the money."

"What for? You have enough clothes, and Mom gives a pretty hefty allowance," Max said in exasperation.

"Not enough to get me out of hot water," she muttered.

"What?"

Maria sat down, and Max plonked down next to her.

"I sort of need to pay Charlie $500."

"What? Who? Why?"

"Great, next you'll be when, where and how," she muttered.

"Maria."

"Sorry." She took in a deep breath. "Well, you see, the rest of the boys in the gang broke into the mall, and stole this heap of expensive stuff, you know? Then they planted it on me."

"What?"

"I was just starting in the gang, I was stupid, I got in the way. And I thought it was wrong, but I didn't want to get kicked out. So I went along."

"Then this Charlie caught you."

"Uh huh. A junior officer. He said that if we paid him $500, he'd forget about it."

"But you didn't do anything. And what Charlies doing is illegael."

"I know," she sighed. "But the gang said that they'd pay the $500 if I got on the squad."

"What does Alex think about this?"

"Alex? Oh, well, basically he thinks it’s the easiest option."

"Maria, you're gonna get so caught up in this it's going to control your life," Max informed her. "You should come clean."

"Oh yeah, and Moms gonna love that I'm involved with criminals."

"Like you care. Mom hates Alex."

Maria shifted. "I don't really like like Alex. Its just convienent. You know, we're both in the same crowd. Besides, I reckon Little Ms Sunshine's got it bad for Alex."

Max studied her carefully. "And you don't mind?"

"Well, I dunno. I mean, a part of me is like 'hands off my man'. But the other part knows theres someone out theres whos gonna … move me. Nothing like what Alex does to me."

"Okay, that’s a little too much information."

"Sorry. So … Liz Evans. Dish."

"She's … uh … really different than any one else I've dated. Really nice, and sincere."

"You never talk like that about girls," Maria said.

"Well, Liz is different."

Part 5

“Right, so are we all ready to go?” Isabel yelled. “Liz and I in the jeep, Tess and Courtney in Tess’s dads convertible. Maria in her Jetta. We stop halfway at the, um, Dew Drop Inn.”

“Oh god, could that be a lamer name?” Maria muttered. “Yo. Evans? Why are we traveling in, uh, costume?”

She gestured to the skimpy royal blue top and flared skirt.

“It’s a school funded activity,” Isabel explained, not so patiently. “We have to be in uniform so we can be recognized if-“

“One of us crashes the car and we have to identify the scarred remains?” Maria sarcastically added. “Terrific. Just terrific.”

“Right. Lets go,” Isabel began. She headed towards her Jeep, when she noticed Liz wasn’t making any sudden moves. “Liz? Elizabeth Evans?”

Isabel turned around to see Max DeLuca in his truck. Inwardly groaning, she headed towards her.

“Liz? Lets go!”

“Actually, Iz,” Max began, “I was thinking Lizzie gal could come with me. I’m headed to the cheer-off too. To see Maria cheer. May as well, huh?”

“No way,” she said automatically. “And never call me ‘Iz’”

"Why not?" Liz said. "Max is going there as well, and it won't hurt anything."

Isabel took Liz aside.

"Lizzie, look. Max DeLuca isn't exactly the kind of guy you should be trusting to take you across the country, okay? I don't trust him."

"Isabel. I'll be fine."

Isabel sighed. She was about to protest again, but stopped herself. Time you stopped treating Liz like a little kid, she told herself. She's the same age as you. Max can't be that bad, right?

"Okay. But keep your cellphone on, keep your skirt on and make sure you get to the Dew Drop Inn on time, okay? Okay."

Liz nodded and grabbed her bag. Max reached over and took it off her.

"I'll carry that."

"No you won't," Isabel piped up.

"I'm being polite, Iz. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Don't call me Iz again."

"Whatever."

Max and Liz loaded into his truck and drove off. Maria gave a snort, and headed off in her Jetta. Tess gave Isabel a sympathetic look.

"I'll see you there, okay? Courtney, lets go."

Isabel sighed and watched as they all drove off. Terrific. She was about to climb into the Jeep when she heard someone behind her. Turning around, she fixed the intruder with an icy stare.

"What?"

Alex Whitman smirked at her.

"You headed to the cheer-off?"

"Hmm, let me think. No, why would I be? I'm wearing the uniform, okay?" she snapped. She instantly felt bad. "Sorry, I'm having a bad day."

"I was supposed to be riding with M, but she's gone, huh?"

"M? Oh, Maria. Yeah."

"Oh." There was a pause. "Tell her good luck for me, okay?"

"Okay."

Alex walked off.

"Wait!"

He turned around, and Isabel felt her cheeks turn pink.

"Um, I could take you, if you want," she offered.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, you may as well," she said. "I don't bite."

She didn't quite catch what he muttered under his breath.

"Alex?"

"Sure," he said finally. "Why not?"

Part 6

"Can I get some freaking service around here?" Maria yelled at the top of her lungs. Terrific. What the hell was she doing here? In the middle of nowhere at some cruddy looking service station, trying to get some one to fix her beloved Jetta, which had decided to break down on her. "Hello? Anyone?"

"Whats wrong with your car?" came a voice from behind her. She turned around to see a guy, about her age, with spiky hair and a smirk on his face that she just knew was going to irritate her.

"You're the mechanic," she said bluntly. "You tell me."

"Chill out," he said. "Let me take a look at it." He opened the bonnet and looked at it, making a 'hmm' noise with his throat. "I think you'll need to change the oil."

"You do it," she said. "I don't want to see the kind of flip out Ms 'Pep and Cheer' Isabel Evans would have if I got an oil stain on this outfit."

"A cheerleader, huh?" said the guy with a smirk. "You know what they say about cheerleaders …"

"No I don't actually," said Maria menacingly. "Would you like to tell me and have your ass kicked, or keep your mouth shut, therefore saving your skin?"

He rolled his eyes and started to work on the car. Maria rolled her eyes and stood by the gas pump, filing her nails. Just hurry up so I can get out of here, she begged him silently.

Although he was pretty hot. That’s the understatement of the century, she told herself. Tall, dark, handsome and brooding … but a guy. All guys are the same, remember? Plus, you're with Alex. Alex, remember him? Your boyfriend? Equally hot?

Still, she couldn't deny the tingly feeling she got as he brushed past her to get something to fix her car. Mmm. Just look at that butt. Looking doesn't hurt anyone. Nope. Can't hurt.

He closed the bonnet on the Jetta.

"So is it fixed?" she asked him.

"Yeah, but I want to check the gears," he said, climbing into the drivers seat.

"The gears are fine," she said, watching in slight apprehension as he turned the key she'd been stupid enough to leave in the ignition. The car started up, and he took off the break and started to steer. "Hey … hey! Look here buster, this is my car and I'm not in the mood to –"

The car started to move towards the road. In frustration, Maria ran after it, pulled open the passenger door and hopped in.

"What the hell are you doing?" he yelled.

"Excuse me, I believe that’s my line," she retorted angrily. "Why are you taking my car?"

"I just need to get somewhere, okay? Now just go."

"No happening, dude," she said, shaking her head. "I travel with my car. I'm very attatched to this car, okay?"

"Where are you headed?" he asked her.

"The national cheer-off in Los Angeles," she said sullenly.

"I need to get there , too," he said.

"You're a cheerleader?"

"I need to get to Los Angeles, you moron."

"You'd better be a lot nicer to me, boy. I could just call the police right now."

"Oh yeah?"

"Uh huh. There are these nifty little inventions they call cellphones," she told him dryly.

He grabbed the phone she was waving in her hand and tossed it out the window.

"Hey! Excuse me buddy, but that is defacement of property," she informed him.

"Sue me."

"Believe me, I am not going to stand for this," she muttered. Maria glanced out the window and watched the road pass by her. She knew she should be more worried about this, but for some reason …

I am such an idiot.

Part 7

"Turn left there," Alex instructed. Normally, Isabel would have told him that she did, in fact, know how to get there and he could just shut up. But for some reason, the need for that wasn't as great with him.

"Yeah," she agreed. She shot him a glance. He seemed a little bored. She gave a little smirk. Well, she would soon change that. "So, how come Maria left you behind?"

"She's forgetful, what can I say?" he said coolly.

"Yeah, but most girls don't forget their boyfriends," Isabel pressed. And to her satisfaction, a look passed across his face, almost unreadable … she wouldn't have picked it unless she was watching, because it vanished as suddenly as it appeared.

Good. Got him thinking.

"So, you play in the Whits, huh?" she asked, trying for a casual tone. He looked over, and she took the oppurtunity to shuffle in her seat, exposing the full extent of her legs under the blue skirt to be seen.

"Uh, yeah," he said, sounding slightly distracted. Which is the point, she told herself with a satisfied smirk.

"I really like some of your stuff."

"Really?" said Alex, with a surprised look on his face. "I wouldn't have thought you'd like that kind of music."

"Theres a lot you don't know about me, Alex," she said lightly. It was true, she really enjoyed the Whits music. She wasn't just saying that.

I'm not completely shallow.

*****

"Come on, start you stupid car!" Kyle Valenti roared as his trusty vehicle conked out at the side of the motorway. Habib was in a very bad mood at the moment.

He knew it was a stupid thing to name a car, but when Tess had suggested it, he'd found it kind of cute.

Damn it, he inwardly cursed. Why is it that everything you think of can be associated to Tess? You are a sick man. Sick, sick, sick.

He wasn't sure he wanted to be cured, however.

You have to be nuts about a girl to travel cross country to follow her to the cheerleading competitions, he told himself.

Make that you have to be nuts.

A white truck pulled up in front of him. Kyle took a double take.

Max DeLuca with … Liz Evans? Liz 'Ms Boring' Evans? Liz '95% average' Evans?

You're hallucinating. It's just not possible.

Right?

TBC ...

[ Fanfic ]