golden girl (b.t.c.)

chapter seventy-seven

"i can't believe they finally put a tv in here." eliana flipped through the channels, and eventually landed on some cop show.
"i know, right?" sophie shook her head. "i mean, it took them long enough."
there was a tap on eliana's shoulder. "um, eliana?"
she turned around.
"hi, i'm jenna."
"wyndham, yeah?" she smiled. "nice to meet you."
"it's so good to meet you too." she licked her lips. "first of all, watching you on bars is, like, amazing."
"thanks."
"i'm trying to get better on bars, they've never really been my thing. i just wanted to ask you how you get your handstands so perfect."
"oh, strap bar." she said without hesitation. "seriously, i still use it to just do handstands over and over again."
"really?" she furrowed her thin eyebrows.
"totally. it's honestly all about the basics."
she smiled. "thanks."
"of course. your beam is incredible, by the way."
she blushed and smiled. "thank you so much."
"of course." eliana waved as she walked away.
"she's sweet." sophie said.
"she'll be one of the alternates."
"you think?"
"márta loves her. definitely."

"i was getting worried."
"i haven't been able to get to the phone yet. there's always a line." eliana looked to the girls waiting behind her. "so, i just wanted to call and say that i love you."
"aw." ben grinned. "i love you too. anything new?"
"just the usual awful food. you?"
"not much. we recorded the cast album today, that's about it."
"that sounds fun!"
"it was exhausting." he laughed.
"well, i'll let you go, then. there's a line behind me anyway."
"alright. i love you."
"i love you too, ben. see you soon." she hung up the payphone and grabbed her bag of quarters.

"you haven't been quite as glued to your phone lately." neil pointed out.
ben just nodded.
"trouble in paradise?" he asked.
"no, no," he shook his head, "she's at the karolyi camp in texas."
"aren't they the ones who abused all those girls and stuff? like, at that camp?"
ben shot him a look. "that makes me feel so great about the fact that i can't talk to her, neil. thanks." his voice dripped with sarcasm. neil held his hands up. "hey, man, i was just asking."
"you're right." ben said. "i'm just always worried."
"i would be."
"i'm sure she's fine, but i'm constantly worrying. like, she could be in the hospital and i would have no idea."
his phone started to ring, and he dived across the couch in his dressing room to get to it. "ellie!"
neil just laughed.

"you ready?" peter asked.
"yeah, i think so."
"remember, it doesn't have to be perfect. we're just doing it onto the big mat."
eliana nodded and shook her arms out as márta came closer to them.
"here we go." peter said.
eliana hopped up to the high bar and swung around a few times, doing a few releases. on peter's cue, she started to swing giants, then released into a triple twisting double back tuck. by some grace of a higher power, she stuck the landing, even on the unsteady mat. peter grinned and high fived her, then snuck a glance at márta, who was writing something down into a clipboard, a satisfied smile on her face.
"let's start working that nabieva." peter lowered his voice.
eliana caught the bar and kipped up to a handstand, then pirouetted and connected a pak salto to get down to the lower bar.
"gorgeous, eliana." márta said with her thick romanian accent. "wonderful. you train the triple double, yes?"
"yes, i've been messing around with it for a while."
she nodded, her face unreadable as usual. "i want to see it in competition."
"okay." she smiled.
"you, peter." márta turned to him. "you make her bigger and better routine."
"yes ma'am." he smiled, and she walked away. once she was out of sight, they silently did a celebration dance and high fived each other.