The Life of a Gymnast

Chapter 21: It's a New Day

I walked up to the front doors of the gym.  Gripping one handle in each hand, I took a deep breath and pulled them open.  I smiled at Lizzy; she just rolled her eyes and went back to texting on her phone.  I walked to the team room.  The door was open and the room was dark.  Perfect.  First one here.  I put down my bag and went to the bathroom to wash off my makeup and go to the bathroom.  When I came back to the teamroom, there still wasn't anybody there.  I pulled out a pink open backed leo and my new ankle brace.  Slipping them on, I walked out into the gym.  The lights were half on, so it cast an eerie but peaceful glow upon the gym.  I stretched out on the mats after doing some sprints to get my body warmed up.  I was determined to make today a good day in the gym.  

I glanced up at the clocked, and was surprised to see that it said 4:00.  Granted, most girls weren't here until about 4:15, and practice started at 4:30, but I was surprised to see I was that early.  

I walked into the corner of the mat, and in my mind pretended that my dream floor music was playing.  With the beats, I stood up and did a turn and jump series.  I posed, and ran into a what was soon to be a tumbling pass.  I sprinted to the opposite corner, and leaned back as if I was landing a perfect double full.  Twisting, I launched myself into a leap pass that must have taken up about half the floor.  Switch leap, torgete full, sashe, switch ring, wolf full, stick.  I danced lightly to the next corner.  Standing on my toes, I imagined I was going into a double front arabian.  I ran to the corner and landed with a little jump, like Gabby Douglas in 2012.  I turned quickly and pretended to run into my second pass in a back to back.  I "stuck it", and danced to the middle of the floor.  With a few pretty dance elements, I dropped and leaned back, my head almost touching the floor.  

I heard somebody clapping.  Thinking it was Catt, who was always here earlier than Emma (she always had to stop for a breakfast bagel), I bowed down politely, laughing.  When I looked up though, my breath caught in my throat.  

"Wow", she said.  "Amazing routine.  Too bad you'll never compete it".  

"And what makes you say that, Kristy".  I was in no mood for bullshit; I wasn't looking for a fight this time.  
"Oh, you know.  With you faking little injuries, you never know what's coming ne-"  she stopped abruptly.  I turned around and saw Lizzy staring, her belly huge.  

"I was just saying that maybe Mia should wait to practice her skills during practice", Kristy said.  That devil - she knew we weren't allowed to practice skills, that was our #1 rule.  I can't believe she could lie like that.  I took a deep breath and turned back around to Kristy.  

"Oh Kristy, sweetheart.  You need your eyes checked.  I was only stretching...a little bit of that can't hurt, can it?  Especially you".  I calmy walked over to the mat stack and slid into a perfect oversplit.  Kristy walked by me to a different mat stack.  

"Show off", she whispered.

"Asshole", I whispered back.  She stopped and slid down across from me, so that we were facing eachother.  

"And what makes you say that?", she asked.  Wrong move, hon.  Wrong move.

"'Cause all that comes out of you is bullshit".  The look on her face said it all.  I switched sides so I was in my left leg split and my right leg was on the mat.  This way I didn't have to look at her.  The clock read 4:25, so I sat up and stretched a pike.

Catt came out and sat down behind me.  

"Where's Emma?" I asked.  

"Oh she has an ortho appointment", Catt replied.  She sounded über distracted.  

"What's buggin' you", I asked.

"Well...there's this boy..."  

"Oohhhh Caaattt".  This sounded interesting!

"He's sooo cute and -"

"Let's go girls!  Off your butts let's get moving.  20 laps and 10 sprints".  I groaned and got up.  I wanted to know his name!  

We took off running.  We did 20 laps, then sprints, then 10 more laps.  I was right behind Catt.

"What...is...his...name..." I panted.  

"E-ethann" she panted back.

"Ooohhh...sounds...cute..." I couldn't even talk.

After we finished our last 10 laps, we spread out in lines to stretch out.  I was next to Kristy - kill me - and Halli.  I kept looking over at Catt.  She would blush, I would laugh, and Kristy and Halli would shush me.  Over and over again.  It was actually quite hilarious.

Practice literally took forever.  Seriously.  I mean, it was good and all to be back, but I had to talk to Catt and we were in different groups.  I was with Emma, thank god, and I told her all about this Ethan kid.  

I burst through the doors of the gym.  

"Okay.  So...tell me all about him".  Emma and I were literally hovering over poor Catt.  

"Well...he's a gymnast..." 

"And..." Emma and I said in unison.

"And...I'm gonna keep the rest a secret", she said with a wink as she got into her moms car.  She smirked as she waved goodbye.  Emma gave her the finger.

"I'm gonna kill that girl", we laughed.