Leave a Trace

Chapter Thirty Nine: Tryouts

This is ending soon and there WILL be a sequel but this is going to go by quick so be ready

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Chapter Thirty Nine: Tryouts

My entire family was in the gym when I found out, and Zane arrived later with Alice and his parents. Mrs. Bennett worked me like a dog, but my moves never faltered. I never messed up. I never stumbled.

I'm ready, and as I sit in the gym in Green Bay the next morning, I can feel adrenaline running through my body. Madison made a giant breakfast for me and everyone sat around and watched as I ate it. Alice is so excited, probably more excited than I am, and everyone is here. My cousins are still here, my Grandparents, my Aunt and Uncle, my parents, my brothers, Zane's whole family, Vanessa, Colton, Mr. Turner...

I'm sitting with all of my competition, watching as each one of them goes up. Every single one of them stumbles every now and again. They're going in ABC order and starting at the end.

Some gymnasts got on planes from all over the country for this.

I wait patiently as other gymnasts go. The girl before me is scoffing every time somebody goes up and falters slightly.

When she gets called, I watch as she reaches the uneven bars. She tries to do a 360, which is a level six move, and she loses her grip like Alice did that one time.

Now who's scoffing bitch.

When she lands, she lands weirdly on her wrist and gets taken out on a stretcher.

"Rosabelle Caldwell." My name is called on the intercom. The top left part of the stadium gets really loud.

I know this is probably going on national television, but what do I care?

I stand up and shed my jacket, walking over to Mrs. Bennett, who's waiting for me.

Even her husband and daughters are here. I'm in a leotard that's all long sleeves. The bottom of the leotard is dark blue and it fades up to white, the sleeves just white all together.

"Remember what I told you." Mrs. Bennett whispers to me. "Show them enough to show off but not enough to leave people speechless. You have to leave a little bit for the Olympics. Don't do a quad with a twist on the vault. Hardly anybody can do that. Do a triple. Trust your body. Trust yourself. You've got this. You've won this before. These people aren't even competition. You're already winning."

I just look at her.

"I know."

She smiles and squeezes my shoulder. I glance over where all the noice was and I catch a pair of blue-green eyes. He gives me two thumbs up and mouths "I love you"

I nod in response and chalk up, going where the judges tell me.

They start me off with floor, and I do a basic routine with a triple flip instead of a double like the rest of the girls are doing, which omits are cheer from the crowd. My moves are flawless and I know if I was watching this, I would be pissed off. I stay in bounds, landing perfectly for every move, and then I pose at the end. I can hear my family screaming, and people that are just here screaming also. They move me to beam next, and again I move flawlessly, doing flips and landing. I do front handsprings across the beam, and full twists, never wavering once. To finish it off, I do back handsprings across the beam and a double backflip, landing perfectly on the floor with a pose. Everyone is cheering again, and I know they're waiting for me to mess up, but I don't.

Alexander Caulton may be cocky in looks, but I'm cocky in the gym.

You can't mess up when you're the best.

They send me to vault and I chalk up again just for good measure, something none of the girls did.

I'd rather be safe than sorry. I look at Mrs. Bennett and she nods encouragingly. I wait until they give me the go, and then I run down the runway as hard and I can. I jump onto the trampoline and my hands catch the vault. I do a triple backflip with a twist and land with no falter at all.

People in the Olympics falter with that move. I pose and wait for further instruction. My family is screaming loudly in the stands and I'm slightly worried about what they're going to do if I don't get in.

They send me to uneven bars and I wait for the go, and I get on the lowest bar, doing a couple of moves before switching to the bigger bar. I release it and flip around in the air before grabbing back on. I go back and forth between both bars and flip off of the top one, landing perfectly.
The girls around me are glaring and I grin.

They should definitely be upset. I just won for sure.

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After sitting through another hour of my competitors, they give us a break to tally up the results. All the girls get up and I rise too, wandering over to Mrs. Bennett.

I spin around and see Zane rushing towards me. I know cameras are on us but I don't care. He picks me up into his arms.

"You rocked that, baby girl! I am so proud of you!" He kisses me in front of everyone and I kiss him back. He sets me down and everyone else starts greeting me with hugs, even his parents. Alice is the last to reach me, throwing her arms around me. She pushes her brown curls from her face.

"You won! I know it!"

"Yeah, seriously Belle, you won for sure." Vanessa says. "That was kick ass!"

"Rosabelle?"

I turn around at the unfamiliar voice. A man who looks to be about my fathers age in a business suit stands there.

"Yes?"

"My name is Maxwell Harding." He says. "I work for AT&T and we would love to sponsor you."

Shock runs through me. I remember Mrs. Bennett saying that when you go to the Olympics, you get hardly any money from the Olympics themselves, but it's sponsors that get you rich.

"How about you give me a call." He hands me his business card and disappears into the crowd. I look at Mrs. Bennett.

"You better get used to that happening. I had some guy hit me up in the grocery store once. People are going to recognize you, especially if you go to pick up Alice. When you win next week-"

"I know, I remember from last time, but I didn't get sponsors last time."

"You were a child last time." She shrugs. "And last time you stumbled. This time you didn't. We might as well celebrate now, Belle."

"Dammit, I'm so proud of you sissy." Finn pulls me into a bear hug and Tanner joins him, both of them crushing me.

"Will everyone please settle down." A voice says into the microphone. "Once we announce the results, we need the winner and her coach to come over to meet the nationals team."

My brothers release me as the room falls quiet.

"The winner is...Rosabelle Caldwell!"

Even though I was expecting it, I'm still super proud. Everyone starts cheering and I feel myself being swarmed by family.

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Vote and comment

~Sam

P.S. I want ice water but I'm too lazy to get up

P.S.S another time skip next chapter yay

P.S.S.S. I don't have anything else to say I just wanted to be cool

Ok bye