Perfect Balance Gymnastics

Chapter Two - Marissa

I walk into the gym in my practice leotard with my long black hair in a ponytail. I spot Savannah, Trista and Carmen doing splits. I smile to myself. For the past few years these have been my closest friends. Savannah yawns as I slide down into my splits. "Bad sleep?" I ask. "Just tired" Replies Savannah. I frown. More like exhausted. After my splits and stretching I get into my grips. Over across the gym on the beams a bunch of level three's are playing. I smile to myself remembering my days as a level three. I quickly chalk up as Alexis and Paige arrive, sinking into their splits. I kip up to cast handstand. I squeeze my body before slowly releasing my hands and turning. I kip back up to a handstand and do another turn. 

I sole circle up and jump to the highbar. My long hang kip is clean as I pull my toes up and pop up in a support position. I cast up and do a clear hip. I do another kip to cast handstand turn before I do an overshoot. Letting go of the bar and twisting my body in the air to catch the bar. I hold my legs up and kip back to cast handstand. I sole circle up to the high bar before doing two giants and a layout flyaway dismount. My layout is slow and clean and I land in a position, bending my knees. I don't even have to take a step! After a few more rounds I peel off my grips and wipe my sweaty hands on my thighs. I walk over to the high beam and perform my mount. I slowly go through my routine being extra careful. I bend down to my back walkover back handspring, squeezing my body together into a symmetrical line. I've been working extra hard to rid my beam routine of wobbles. I want to perform better in meets. 

I always do the same thing as in practice but I want to do better. I do a pivot turn with a tiny wobble. Disappointment fills me as I quickly try and get over the wobble. I arch my back into a back handspring back tuck. Both of my feet connect with the beam hard, sending one of my legs up in the air. I place it back down on the beam, keeling forward slightly by the momentum. I slowly steady myself, embarrassed by my huge beam fail. I do a switch leap into a full turn, placing my foot firmly on the beam. I bend down for my wolf turn and stand up after. I do a clean aerial then back up to the end of the beam, I run into my front handspring and front layout off the beam. I slowly salute the invisible judges. I need to up my scores for three reasons. Number one, to prove that I can do more than just be the same. Number two, to score out to level nine. Number three, to get into state, and regionals. 

After beam I head over to a free tumbling strip on the floor. I run into my hardest tumbling pass, a front handspring front layout roundoff back handspring back layout. I land with a rebound and tip backwards slightly, taking the world's tiniest step to steady myself. After a few more tumbling passes I go to the floor. I watch as Paige moves through the dance and into a front handspring front layout ½ twist. She ends with a step and a salute. Paige is fifteen years old and is going into her second year of highschool. I haven't even finished middle school yet. I go to the floor after Paige steps off and start my routine. I do a full turn leg kick into aerial into back aerial. Next a sassy dance combo and run into a roundoff back handspring back layout ½ twist. I finish a forwards walk into a back walkover. Next my tough tumbling pass. I end with a big rebound and two tiny steps. Heel is right against the out of bounds line. 

Close call. I do a handstand down into a straddled floor position into a straddled handstand. I kick over from the handstand and do my finishing pose. I move over to the vault just as I hear a squeal. I look over to see Alexis cradling her foot. "I landed funny on my yurchenko!" Alexis says through tears. "Grab some ice!" James says, looking at me. I rush down to the area with bleachers and the storage area with the ice. I look up and see Alexis's brother, Ethan sitting on the bleachers, watching Drew. "Alexis is hurt." I say, figuring I might as well tell him. He looks down at me. He's around Paige's age, older than me. "You're Marissa right?" He asks. "Yeah." I say. He climbs down from the bleachers, awkwardly putting his hands in his pockets. I grab the ice and begin hurdling back towards Alexis. "Here." I say to James, handing him the ice. 

"Alexis!" Calls Ethan, as he kneels next to her. "Mom is going to kill you." He chuckles. Alexis glares at him through tears. Trista and Paige walk over, standing next to me. "Shouldn't Drew come?" Asks Trista. "Why don't you ask him?" Said Paige, elbowing Trista. She flushes pink and shakes her head. But it turns out we don't need to ask him because he come's over by himself. "Alexis, aw man what happened!" He asks. She tells him through tears as Paige shoots Trista a sly glance. I have no idea what's going on so I turn to leave. "Hey." Says Ethan. I turn around. "Thanks." He says. "Sure." I say before turning around. I walk away to sit down next to Savannah, who seems to have no idea what's going on. I notice she has earbuds in and her eyes are closed as she bops her head to the beat. I smile and kick up to handstand.