The Life of a Gymnast

Chapter 22: Last Day

Today was Mike's last day.  He decided that he would have to leave early.  He got a new job at a new school, but they wanted him to move right away.  

I pushed open the doors to the gym at 5:45.  I found Catt and Emma inside, splitting a breakfast bagel.  Kristy was in working clothes; she's started working at the gym, since the season's over and she's not doing college gymnastics.  Thank god.  Halli was sitting on one of the black benches.  The gold wall seems dull today.  Laney and Shana were sitting on the carpeted floor, and Lyndsee and Natalia wore matching leos and drank from matching purple waterbottles.  Miley sat, knees bouncing, next to Layla.  Layla was still in a wheelchair, but she could now move her limbs.  She could also talk.  It was hard to believe she was 17.  Alex was in a straddle split, her phone in her hands.  Naomi was tucked up in a ball, and Britt was pacing the floor.  Nobody looked up at me when I walked through the door.  

We silently clocked the minutes until 6:00, when practice officially started.  It was awful.  I pulled out my phone and logged in.  I pulled up instagram and checked my notifications.  It was torture, watching the seconds pass.  Seconds became minutes, minutes became hours.  Finally, it was time.  

We walked out, quiet.  It was an eerie, sad quiet.  It was hard to believe it was such a big deal.  Mike wasn't out there when we walked out.  It was weird, without the usual excited chatter coming from the team.  

Lizzy and GG walked out together, Lizzy looking sullen as always.  

"Okay girls!  What are you waiting for?  LET'S GO LET'S GO LET'S GO!".  What were we waiting for, Lizzy?  Gee, I don't know.  Maybe for some news on Mike, who's gonna replace him, something...anything.  

Catt rolls her eyes as she stands up.  

"What was that, Catrina?" Catt had her back to Lizzy, but damn, this was something.  Her green eyes seemed to flash.  She hated when she was called Catrina.  

She turned around to face Lizzy.  

"What do you think that was", she asked angrily.  You could hear the fury in her voice.  "You're not blind, that's for sure.  And don't ever call me Catrina again".  

"Excuse me, but you will never, NEVER, talk to me li-" Catt cut her off.

"Lizzy, in case you haven't realized this, I'll update you.  Nobody gives a damn what you say anymore".  Catt stood there, challenging her.  The tension in the air was palpable.  Catt wasn't about to back down.  We stood there, watching the two.  Lizzy's nostrils flared, and GG just stood there, doing nothing.  

"Well, miss Catrina, I'll have you know that I am the respectable adult here, not you.  And all of you will listen and do as I say".  Catt looked at her and laughed.  

"And what makes you laugh?", Lizzy was pissed.  

"Are you kidding?", she snorted.  "You may not be blind, but you sure are deaf.  Or maybe that's just your immense stupidity showing through".  She turned on her heel and walked out of the gym.  We all looked at Lizzy, whose face was bright red.  Catt was halfway through the gym, and we started clapping.  Lizzy opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, but was interrupted.  We started clapping, pounding our feet on the ground.  A few of us let out high pitched whistles, and started cheering.  Even GG cracked a smile.  We started laughing, cheering, high fiving each other.  Catt had finally did it.  She spoke was on all of our minds.  She told Lizzy off, showed the unfairness of all of this.  She finally shut her down, and even if she's never coming back again, she stood up for us, and that means more than anything she could say to us.  Our cheering was deafening.  This day was sad, but that doesn't mean it can't stand for something.