for the first time growing up in channelview, texas, a suburb of houston, one of her best neighborhoodds and classmates, amber heath. >> amber's mom, verna, was also close with shanna's mom, wanda. >> verna actually helped my mom because she was a single mom and she needed help getting us to school, so. being that verna lived around the corner, she would pick us up, take us to school in the mornings. >> both girls began cheerleading young. how big a deal was? cheerleading? >> apparently, it was a very big deal. and it was kind of how you made your name for yourself. >> there are people who felt that your mom was living vicariously through you. >> i believe that she was pushing me in the direction that she thought i would have the most success for long term. >> the irony was that you didn't really like cheering. >> correct. eventually, at first i was i was all about it and i was excited to do it. but in time, i realized i was more into dance than cheer, and i didn't quite get the point of cheerleaders. >> for two years in a row, shanna didn't make the cheer team, but amber did. what was