The Start of Something New: Volume II Chapter 7 — Calendar Shoot

Ok, so it’s time to check in with our favorite cheerleaders, again.  This story is a bit different than many of the others.  Some may say it doesn’t belong on this site.  However, this is about the journey of these girls.  For those who have been reading this series, you know that a Calendar has been teased.  It seems wrong not to present that.  So, it’s time for the Photo Shoot.  I hope you all enjoy what I’ve come up with.

As always, here is a link to the previous chapter for those needing a refresher.

 https://www.hairstorynetwork.com/stories/the-start-of-something-new-volume-ii-chapter-6-explanations-explorations/

  Here is the link to the first chapter of this Volume:

The Start of Something New: Volume II Chapter 1 — New Beginnings

 Finally, here is the final chapter from Volume one.  From there you can find links to all the chapters of Volume one.

The Start of Something New: Mission Accomplished

Alright, so now that you’re all caught up, I hope you enjoy:

The Start Of A Long Day

The rest of the week flew by.  Everyone on the team was excited & looking forward to the calendar shoot.  While none of the girls had any issues with their bodies & were all perfectly fine with showing them off that didn’t mean they didn’t want to look the best they possibly could.  So, they all hit the gym.  HARD.  While many of them already had their own routines, most kept it fairly light & casual outside of their usual Cheer practices.  Not this week.

Evan stopped by on Friday night per his usual arrangement.  This time, to make sure everyone’s hair was on point & looking its best for the big shoot the next day.  Of course, while he still took care of most of the team, Heather was right by his side & was building up her own list of teammates she was responsible for.

Jessie had secured a studio near campus that would be hosting the team & everything was all set to go.  Saturday morning came fast & everyone was outside ready to head over to the studio.  Many of the props & sets had already been dropped off, but each girl had a responsibility for their own month and also assist with some of the others when they weren’t shooting.

JANUARY

Elsa was up first.  While it would be easy to channel her namesake from Frozen, for the Winter theme, it couldn’t be further from who she was.  The Icelandic beauty was perfect to kick off the year though.  Dressed in a white bandeau bikini, her porcelain skin & white-blonde buzzed Chelsea hair blended in perfectly with the white background.  She held a giant Beach ball, that had been painted white to look like a giant snowball.  Elsa posed & changed position while Andre, the photographer, snapped away.  Jenny stood nearby, with Candice, her friend, who was helping out, acting as director.

“She’s a natural” Candice said to Jenny.  “She has a real talent & seems to know her body well.  You sure she’s never done this before?  She could do this professionally.”

“I don’t know.  I think she has done some photoshoots before, actually.”  Jenny replied.

“She has such an exotic look.”  Candice continued.  “Remind me to talk with her later.”

FEBRUARY

Katie was up next.  Her red triangle bikini had slits across her top & the bottom, it gave a very see through vibe without actually showing anything.  Her mohawk, having been dyed red for the occasion, was fanned out in all its glory.  The set was adorned with red & pink hearts of various shades & sizes.

“This would be a horrible swimsuit to wear if I was outside.” Katie laughed.  “The tan lines would be atrocious, but for the purposes of this shoot, I think it gets the job done.”

“You definitely look great!” Candice shouted to her, while Jenny nodded in agreement.  “It’s not fair, you’re all blessed with such good looks.”  Candice turned toward Jenny “This calendar will sell like hot cakes.”

“Hey, you’re no hag either” Jenny ribbed her friend.  “I’m sure there’s a sex-bomb hiding under all that, just dying to come out.”

Candice, dressed in a light brown turtleneck sweater & jeans, laughed nervously, while subconsciously stroking her hand through her long brunette ponytail.  “Yeah, I don’t know about that.”

MARCH

Annie, by far the more conservative & modest of the group, especially after Heather’s transformation, was up next.  She was in an emerald-green, high-waisted bikini, a bit of a compromise, as she generally preferred being a bit more covered up but fully supported the team, & wanted to participate.  She stood behind a giant pot of gold.  She reached in & grabbed a handful of the coins & tossed them into the air & smiled.

“I don’t know what she’s hiding.”  Candice said. “She’s gorgeous”

“I don’t think it’s about hiding anything.  She’s comfortable enough around the house.  I think it’s just different doing something like this.”  Jenny confirmed.

APRIL

Anna, in a Side-tie floral bikini with a front-tie bandeau top, had been filming some behind the scenes footage all day & her Social Media accounts were all blowing up.  Between this calendar shoot & the upcoming head shave fundraiser, Anna was giving her followers a lot to look forward to.  As she approached the set, she handed her camera off & started posing.  While she had plenty of experience shooting content on her accounts, this was a completely different experience, but she still knew what she was doing.  She switched between posing her thumbs between the bottoms of her bikini & the tie in front.  Each snap of the camera & she adjusted her pose.

“She knows we’re not shooting porn, right?”  Candice looked at Jenny.

“Um, yeah.”  Jenny responded a little distracted “I think she’s just excited.  She’s huge on social media & has been promoting the calendar like crazy.”  She explained “I think she’s just excited.  I can go talk to her, though, if you think it’s too much.”

“We’ll see.  I’m glad she’s so into this, but I hope she doesn’t get carried away.”  Candice replied.

MAY

Emma was next up, dressed in a modest patterned string bikini with a graduation cap & gown over it.  She was upbeat & took direction well, but also seemed very nervous, much more than anyone was used to.

“I still can’t believe you captain is BALD.”  Candice mocked.  “This is definitely the craziest Cheer team I’ve ever seen or heard of.”

“Yeah, it shocked all of us too.” Jenny explained “She & a few of the girls went away on a trip a few weeks ago.  That’s how she came back.  She’s been shaving it daily ever since.”  Jenny reached up & scratched her own head.

“That’s nuts.  I remember that fundraiser you guys did last year when she first cut it.”  Candice recalled “You all used to have such long hair, then.”

“Yup, well, those days are long gone.” Jenny, still running her fingers through her hair, which she hadn’t yet styled.  “I love this look.  I doubt I’ll ever grow it out again.”

“Yeah, it suits you.”  Candice nervously touched her own head.  “I have to admit, I’m happy to help you all out & think this calendar is a great idea, but I do have to admit, now, being here, seeing you all, I do feel a bit out of place.”

JUNE

Next up was Jenny’s sister, Jessie.  She was in a knit bikini with lots of fringe.  Her fauxhawk styled high & gelled.  In the few weeks since she had first adopted this look, she had really had fun with it & liked playing with the different lengths.  Occasionally, she would just let it flop free & enjoyed that just as much, but most often she took the time to style it & really emphasizes the stark difference in her hair lengths.

“I can’t get over how different you & your sister look now.”  Candice remarked, gazing off.  “Like it’s not even just your different hair.  It’s your clothes, it’s…” She paused for a moment looking between the twins. “Everything!  It’s like you’re not even twins anymore.”

“Well, we’ll always be twins & have that unbreakable bond, but we’re individuals as well.”  Jenny confessed.  “We really are trying to differentiate ourselves.  We’ve always been ‘the twins.’ Now for the first time, really, ever, we get to be ‘Jenny & Jessie’ & we are embracing it.  This team has been great about it as well, & it never would have happened if we didn’t cut our hair.”

“So, you don’t miss it at all?”  Candice was starting to fish a bit, but cautiously.

“Not at all.  In fact, it’s probably the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”  Jenny smiled proudly.  “I won’t speak for her, but I think my sister would agree.”

JULY

Melissa proudly walked into the studio.  Her long, but only by team standards, white, blonde hair was wet & slicked back.  It had a red & blue stripe on either side.  It hit just above the shoulders.  Her shaved undercut was exposed, making this one of the few times Melissa showed it off.   As she hit the set she dropped her robe.  She was wearing a tiny American flag thong bikini, which left nothing to the imagination.  She picked up an American Flag & held it in one hand, while holding a sparkler in the other.

“How did Melissa manage to get away with keeping so much hair?”  Candice asked innocently.

“No one was forced to cut their hair.  We all choose to do it.  She’s just way more attached to it.”  Jenny answered matter-of-factly.  “She actually did cut a lot, it used to fall just above the small of her back.”

“I’m aware” Candice began.  “She just sticks out so much now, because of her hair.”  She chuckled “Although this is a pretty valent attempt to draw attention away from her hair.”

“If someone is paying that much attention to her hair, something is probably wrong with them.”  Jenny agreed as they both laughed.

AUGUST

There was a short delay after Melissa finished up.  Heather was next up, & her set was all set & ready to go.  Betty walked out.

“Heather just needs another minute; she’ll be right out.”  Betty informed everyone in the studio.

“Really?  She’s not having second thoughts, is she?”  Melissa pipped up.  “I knew this would happen.  I’ll go again, if she chickens out.”

“She’ll be fine, Melissa.”  Emma, who had just returned to the studio, scolded Melissa.  She turned to Betty “She is OK, right?”

“Yeah, she’s fine.”  Betty reassured her.

Heather slowly walked out.  She was in a barely there, multicolored micro bikini.  Compared to how the team was used to seeing her, she might as well have been naked, but she encapsulated everybody there & all eyes were on her.  “Hi.” she said meekly.

“Hey, Heather, you look amazing, by the way.”  Jenny went over to Heather.  “Are you ready to go?”

“Um, I think so; I’ve never done anything like this before, what do I do?”  Heather asked.

“Ok, well, your set is over there.”  Jenny indicated the far-right set, “Andre, here, will be your photographer, just act natural & he’ll help you with different poses.”  She pointed to Andre, who extended his hand, which Heather graciously took & they shook.  “I’ll be right over there, if you need anything.”  Jenny nodded towards Candice.

“I’ll be here, as well” Emma said.

“Me too, kiddo.”  Betty chimed in.

“Oh, ok.  I guess I’m good.”  Heather replied, as she headed towards her set, “Thanks everybody.”

Jenny headed back towards Candice, with Emma, who had changed & was now in a white tank top & blue athletic shorts, & Betty, who had not changed yet, was still in her pajamas.

“No way, that’s the same girl with the long-ass hair who used to always be so covered up.”  Candice remarked in disbelief.

“Same girl.”  Betty confirmed with a smile.

“Okay, I’m definitely WAY over dressed.”  Candice reached at her sweater & pulled it off, snagging her ponytail briefly as it went over her head.  “Arrrggg” Candice let out a brief moan of displeasure.  “I guess none of you ever have that problem anymore.”

“I remember ponytails.  Sometimes I miss them.”  Betty lamented.

“I don’t.” Emma smirked.

“Me neither.”  Jenny agreed.

SEPTEMBER

Janie was in a teal halter bikini, perfectly matching her hair, which had been regularly colored in the school’s teal & white colors, since her initial cut.  Her arms were crossed over her stomach & she seemed a bit nervous.

“Janie, hun, You ok?”  Jenny asked.

“Oh, yeah.  I’m fine.” Janie answered, less than confidently.

“Are you sure?”  Candice spoke up.  “We can get you anything you need.”

“No, I’m fine.  It’s just…” Janie paused “You know, this is all kinda new to me.  I mean I’ve worn bikinis before, but” she casually stroked her hair.  “Never one like this.  I’m not used to being so exposed.”  She explained “I’m used to the attention.  The boys were always around me, I’ve just never sought it out like this before.”

“That’s a shame, Hun.”  Emma said.  “You look great!”

“Thanks,” Janie blushed “I know.”

OCTOBER

Shandra was in a full coverage black bikini.  Her nose was painted black & there were whiskers drawn on her cheeks.  Her head had been freshly shaved & glowed under the lights.  On the set was a black headband with cat ears, which she picked up & put on her head.  There were bats hanging from the ceiling & several pumpkins scattered about.

“I can’t believe you got Shandra to do this.”  Candice, now in a dark grey T-shirt & her jeans, remarked.  “She must really love this team.”

“She does.”  Emma confirmed.  “Honestly, she’s taken it all in stride.  I almost feel bad for her.”  Candice & Jessie, who had recently come over in place of her sister, looked at her.  “Almost.”

“I can’t believe she actually shaved her head though.”  Candice absentmindedly scratched her head.  “She had such an amazing head of hair.” She pulled at her scrunchy & her long kinky hair came tumbling down around her.  She gave a quick scalp massage as her hair rested slightly above her waist.  Emma & Jessie both looked at her & exchanged glances, while Candice quickly grabbed at her hair & put it up in a big bun resting on top of her head.

NOVEMBER

Betty, in a jaw length wig, with straight brown hair, was in a brown bikini with white polka dots.  She was wearing a tan apron over it.  The set was designed to look like a kitchen & she put on oven mitts & was pretending to place a hot tray of Turkey on a table.

“Betty looks so good with her shaved head.”  Candice stated to no one in particular “She doesn’t need that wig.”

“She’s had a really, tough time with it.”  Emma explained.  “I agree with you.”  She paused, “I actually think she would as well.”  Candice looked over at Emma.  “When Betty first cut her hair & had it shaved down, she hated it & she had no idea what she wanted.  She finally got to a point where she was happy with it & then shaved it completely a few days ago.  It was actually the happiest I’ve seen her since the initial cut.”

“So, then, I’m confused?”  Candice scratched her head unsure what to think.

“I think the bald look turned out better than she expected & she’s not a fan of the grow out process.  I think this photo shoot caught her off guard & she just wanted a look that was a bit more ‘conventional’” Emma used air quotes on that last word for emphasis.

“It’s November.” Jessie interjected.  “It’s not inconceivable, that by the time next November comes around, her hair could actually look closer to how she has it for this shoot, then what it actually looks like now.”

“With the frequency, you’ve all been changing your looks, who knows if any of them will be accurate when your month rolls around.”  Candice chuckled.  “I can only imagine what next year’s shoot will look like.”

DECEMBER

It was finally Jenny’s turn.  She hadn’t planned on going last, but in the end, it probably made sense.  She had on a sparkling red bikini with a Santa hat & matching gloves.  It had been a long day & she was tired but wanted to end the calendar on a hot note, so she gave it all she had.

“You know, I was telling your sister earlier, it’s amazing how different the two of you are now.”  Candice related to Jessie.  “Like, it’s not just the hair, it’s everything.”

“Well, we are different people.”  Jessie responded.  “I’m glad people are finally realizing that.”

“How are your boyfriends dealing with it, though?”  Candice asked candidly.

“They’re…” Jessie started, looking for the right word “Adapting.” She sighed.

“I’m sure it’s not easy for them.”  Candice sympathized.

“No,” Jessie began.  “I mean don’t get me wrong.  They LOVE our looks, & we’ve both really played into it, but the big adjustment has been, that we feel like individual people & want to do our own thing.”  Jessie explained.  “We used to go on double dates all the time, & it was always kind of fun, two sets of twins out together, but now Jenny & I have really taken to doing things separately, including our date nights.  The boys have handled it well enough, but we know it’s tough on them.  We’ve decided every once in a while, to still do the double date, to please them.”  Jessie continued “It’s not the same though.  They are still so connected & so “twin” & we’re just not & we look different, even if we decided to dress the same, just for them, we’re different in other ways.  Honestly, it’s been the one & only negative about this whole thing.”   Jessie confessed.  “But I wouldn’t change a thing.”

The Aftermath

The shoot was finished & the stages were struck.  Everyone was gathered together & getting ready to head back to the house.

“I have to make sure I tell you.  You’re great at this.”  Candice tracked down Elsa.  “I really think you have a future as a model.”

“You think so?”  Elsa inquired, intrigued.

“I do.  You’ve got such a unique look.  I’m sure if you put yourself out there, the top brands would be fighting all over you.”  Candice complimented.

“Well, Thank You, very much for saying that.”  Elsa blushed at the praise.  “It is something I will have to think about.”

“Here, take this card.”  Candice handed over a business card.  “Call that number, if you ever want to discuss this further, I can hook you up.”

“Ok, I will.  Thank You.”  Elsa replied as she took the card.

“Ok, Thanks everyone.”  Candice addressed the rest of the team.  “You all did great.  I’ll meet with Jenny & we’ll be editing the calendar over the next few days & then get it to print.  Hopefully, we’ll have the initial run ready by the beginning of next week.  You can have a few copies to take home for Thanksgiving.”

“Be ready to SELL, right after that.”  Jenny added on.  “We’ll offer pre orders over the next week, but we expect the bulk of our sales to come showing off the physical product in the student union over the next few weeks.”

“Remember, ladies, the competition is expensive.  All of our profits will go towards funding that.”  Emma reminded the team.  Just then her phone buzzed & she looked down.  After a moment, “Looks like we’re having an emergency meeting tomorrow night.  I don’t know any more than that right now, so don’t ask.”  Momentarily distracted she then looked up.  “Anyway, let’s head back & enjoy what’s left of our weekend.”

“Wonder what this meeting is about.”  Betty said out loud to no one in particular.

“Yeah, last time we had an emergency meeting on a Sunday night was when you went & cut off all your hair.”  Annie answered.

“I don’t know, but the boys lost today.”  Jessie chimed in.  “We weren’t there & they lost.  They haven’t lost a single game we’ve been at all season, but they haven’t won either of the games we weren’t at, either.”

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