Reaching the Bar

Chapter 5

Jennifer's POV

Laura and I didn't get along any better in the next couple of days. She preferred to work with any of the other girls but Coach wasn't having it. He said that Laura had things to learn from me and we were kept working together.

Laura did leave when I did my morning fitness session the next day. She took one look at what I was doing and ran away. Coach didn't mind and Laura loved it. I started with a fitness circuit making sure to work on different muscles.

Coach pulled me aside to talk to me. He told me that he thought that Laura was a promising gymnast and she needed some help and guidance.

"You do realise that she doesn't listen to anything I say?" I asked him.

"I realise that she might not like you but she should listen to you," Coach said.

"She hates me and doesn't like me giving her advice," I said.

"Maybe if you bond with her?" Coach suggested.

"I tried like I always do but she doesn't want anything to do with me."

I left him and started to work on the bars. I was working on my dismounts from the bar. I'm not doing the whole routine, just the last couple of tricks and then the dismount. I would start on the small bar so that I didn't have to use the springboard and worry about that.

I jumped onto the bar and stood up on it so that I could reach the top bar. I grab it and started to swing on the bar so that I had more momentum. I did a couple of releases and I paused at the top in a handstand ready for the dismount.

I didn't stick the landing. I didn't fall over but I had to take a jump forward. I knew what I did wrong so jumped back up onto the bars and started again. After I got one landing right I would change to a different one.

I took a break and looked around to see what everyone else was doing. Isabella and Claire were both on the beam and the other two were on the floor. I was watching Laura and Claire work on the dance element of the floor.

I was happy with my dismounts so I continued to work on the bars. I was working on the releases and the tricks on the bars instead. I was trying a new release on the bars. I couldn't get the timing right and I kept hitting the floor.

I started again, gaining momentum and then let go off the bar. I was swing backwards and then there was a forward tucked salto over the bar. Once again my fingers grasped the bar but I could hold onto it and I dropped to the floor on my knees.

I leant backwards and lay on the floor. This was a high scoring move and I wanted to improve the difficulty of my routine but at this rate I was never going to. I was too slow getting around the bar and I was too far away from the bar to reach it. Coach noticed me lying on the floor and he came over to me.

I jumped up and started again while Coach watched me. I missed the bar again after the release but I was closer this time. Coach came over and he gave me a couple of tips and I started again. I made the release this time and I dropped to the floor after and I hugged Coach.

"I got it," I smiled.

"This is going to be an amazing routine," Coach said.

I jumped back up and did it again. I missed it this time but I got it the next three times. The next time I dropped down after missing the bar and I landed awkwardly on my knee. There was only half an hour left of our session so I stop.

"I landed on my knee so I'm going to stop," I told Coach and he nodded.

I told Chris what I was doing so he didn't wait for me when I wasn't there. Every gymnast get injuries and I wasn't worried about this one but I didn't want to really damage it. I lay out on our apartment floor and started to tape it. I don't think I did anything.