Chapter Twenty Nine: Collision
I walk into Swiss Turner's Gymnastics Academy in a pair of black spandex and a black sports bra with a white Nike check mark. My legs are coated in a thin layer of clay. I check the time and see that I'm ten minutes early.
I walk into the waiting room where parents are watching their children, and I see Mr. Turner kneeling in front of Alice. She's wearing a purple leotard and she's frowning. Her eyes drift to me and Mr. Turner turns around. When he sees me he beckons me forward.
I ditch my shoes and socks and walk over to them.
Mr. Turner sighs when I walk up.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"Alice is upset because she's struggling with her cast." Mr. Turner says. "And she keeps saying that you can do it, so she can too."
A cast is something you do on bars where you pull yourself up and lift your body. It's one of the easiest things I ever learned.
"She just started learning it today." Mr. Turner continues.
"Alice, sweetie, at one point I couldn't even do a handstand, but I learned it. I was a level one at one point, too. You're almost level two." I crouch in front of her. "You'll get it! I promise!"
"How long did it take you to learn it?" She questions, putting her hand on her hip.
About an hour...
"Well," I begin.
"It probably took you five minutes! I've been trying since I got here! Can I see you do it? Please?" She whines.
I sigh and straighten up. I walk over to the only open bar and don't even bother putting chalk on my hands. I jump onto the bar and do a perfect cast, and then I hop off.
"Go on." I urge. "Try it." I point to the bar.
She walks over to it with a frown. I put my hands on her hips and help her jump up and grab on. She swings and I spot her to lift her up, and I keep doing it. The next time I remove my hands and she does a perfect cast.
"See? You just did one Alice! You're nearly as good as I am."
She drops down to the ground with a giant grin.
"Can we go get ice cream?" She asks me when she lands on her feet. "Please Bella? I want to get ice cream!" She clasps her hands together adorably.
"Didn't Zane say you can't have milk?" I ask her.
"He said chocolate milk." She bounces slightly on her toes.
Milk is in ice cream though.
"Go get ready to leave." I tell her. I walk back to the waiting room and pull my phone from the waistband of my spandex. I text Zane.
Me: can Alice have ice cream or does that fall into the "no milk" category?
After I put my socks and shoes back on, Alice walks up to me with her belongings and a water bottle and I sign her out and walk out to the car. It's Friday and Mrs. Bennett's daughter is sick so she couldn't train me today. I went to the gym anyways but I'm just going to spend the rest of the day with Alice.
Zane left on Tuesday and I miss him a lot. We don't talk much because he's with his Dad but usually when Alice calls to say goodnight we spend an hour or more on the phone. I miss him a lot.
"Are we going to get ice cream?" Alice asks.
"I'm not sure yet." I say as I pull onto the busy road. I look in the rear view mirror. "Put your seatbelt on."
YOU ARE READING
Leave a Trace
Teen Fiction"What do you say," his voice begins in my ear. I feel his breath tickle my skin. I shiver. "That you and I slip out of here, hmm? We can go to the supply closet down the hall. I'm sure I can get the key." An audible gasp escapes my lips and I spin a...
