The Pregnancy Penalty

It was only a few minutes' drive to the hotel where the girls were staying, but it felt like an eternity. Elena had never been so tired before. She staggered towards her bed, fell, and was in a deep sleep before her head hit the pillow.

She and the rest of her girls woke up the next morning with a sore pussy, sore asshole, and sore breasts and tits. They took turns showering, one after the other, until they felt somewhat human again. They spoke little to each other. There wasn't much left to say, after last night. Their minds were all on the babies that were, even now, taking form inside of them.

Elena reached for her phone. A quick internet search confirmed what she already knew: the NFL had already uploaded the full, uncut footage of last night's events to their official website for the entire world to watch. It was posted right next to the footage of last year's losing cheerleaders being knocked up, and the year before, and the year before that. Everyone would recognize her face whenever she went out in public.

She hoped she'd be able to find a new job once she arrived back in her home town. Her cheerleading contract was terminated--another consequence of the team's loss--and she need to be able to provide for her baby. By this time next year, a new, fresh-faced group of cheerleaders would be cheering for the boys, and Elena would be stuck at home nursing her baby and trying to make ends meet.

There wasn't a lot of time for extended goodbyes. The NFL had given them all a plane ticket home, and Elena's flight was leaving in a couple of hours. She hugged Sasha and Ramira and told them to keep in touch, promising to exchange baby pictures once their children were born. Then, she packed her single suitcase and walked out the door.

The rest of the team scattered to the four winds over the next few days, returning to whatever lives they'd led before they'd led before becoming cheerleaders. Some went to live with their parents or relatives. Others struck out alone, determined to make a go of it by themselves.

But no matter where they ended up, no matter what part of the country they returned to and no matter their circumstances, they all--on the exact same day and within scant hours of each other--got their first round of morning sickness a few weeks later.