The Perfect Game

DISCLAIMER: I am not Stephanie Mayer therefore I do not own Twilight or its characters.

Chapter 1 A Long Journey

APOV:

What a long exhausting week it's been. Nationals are in a month and there is still a ton of preparations left to be done. Who would have ever thought that at 24 years old I would be the owner of my own elite gym? I guess it's the next logical step in my life.

At 16 I, Alice Brandon, won 4 gold medals at the summer Olympics. One gold medal for the team, the second gold medal for bars and the last gold for beam along with 2 silver medals on floor and vault. The one, and possibly only, perk to being under 5' ft tall was gymnastics. I am an amazing gymnast, if I say so myself, and my body built for it. From there, I decided to go on to college for business. Though I had no idea what I would do with a degree in business, I figured it would come in handy somewhere.

3 years of college gymnastics and 4 state championships with the Biloxi Badgers and I graduated from Biloxi U. After I finished college, I bought a gym with the dream of making elite gymnasts'. With a few good friends and no clue what to do I started Flying Stars Elite Gymnastics Academy, FSE for short. Look, I never said I was creative, just a very talented gymnast. Finally, after a few months of gruelling work (the place was a real mess) I opened the gym in Silver Plains, Texas and it was a big hit. Located in a sports complex next to the Silver Plain Tornados, Silver Plain Cowboys, and Silver Plain Stars the local professional baseball, football, and hockey teams, respectively, FSE attracted amazing talented girls and we even had a few men.

Though, it must be said that the gym is not a one-girl show. I could not be running this gym if it weren't for my best friends, let alone make it through the week.

"Alice, you'll never guess what I found out!" Rosalie nudged me while I watched girls perform their floor routines. Rosalie Hale had been my best friend since college, where we'd discovered within the first week that we had nearly every class together.

Rosalie was in charge of the marketing and press of the gym. She had such a knack for things like that. Very poised, well spoken, opinionated, and beautiful; interviewers loved her and the big bosses were easily swayed by her beauty very helpful for us.

"What is it Rose? Did we win the lottery?" It never hurts to check this point.

"No, even better. You know that creep James? The guy who always hits on you in the parking lot? You know, the one who plays baseball," Rose said with a grin, trying to jog my memory of said person.

Now memory flicked a bright light switch at the back of my brain. I hated James. He was not only annoying, rude and cocky but he also managed to round everything off by being creepy and perverted.

"Yeah… the one who said I had a nice round ass and I should get implants to make my chest match. And then he said that he'd over look that and let me suck his manhood," I said, keeping my eyes on my girls but also feeling slightly enraged at the memory.

"Yea that one well turns out one of the many fans he picked up wasn't exactly 18 and, well, her parents found out. It doesn't look pretty. He's so busy looking for a lawyer that he probably wont bother you again," Rose said with a smirk.

I grinned - She has all the connections, something I used to tease her about.

" Thanks Rose" I said and then smiled broadly, thinking of the perverted idiot finally staying away from the gym.

Bella, a long student of mine, walked over to me and fell flat on her face. "You know, I could swear that that mat wasn't there a minute ago," She mumbled, brushing herself off.

"Bella, honey, the mats are always there, I think your biggest problem might be the heels you have on. They really don't help you any," I said, thinking to myself that nothing will likely help Bella - coordination was just not in her DNA.

"Here are the rules, here's the forms you have to fill out and you have to have your top 5 spots filled out and mailed in 2 weeks. That means we'll have to decide quickly who is going to Nationals" She thrust the papers at me and walked back through the sea of mats, tripping over a low beam on her way back to the office.

Bella Swan, my roommate from college, worked with me as well. She did the finances and legal stuff because she knew that if she left them to me I would be so deep in dept right now that even the moles would be snickering. Well, either that or I'd be in jail. Gymnastics is a very expensive sport - from running the gym, to housing the girls, to invites, nationals, team leotards, and certification… I truly have no idea how she ever balances it.

"Ali, we need to take the girls out for a fun day. I mean look at them! They've been working their butts off and they're young. Wait… you remember fun right?" Esme asked me, a slight smile on her lips

"Is there a line of people somewhere waiting to get to me?" I laughed

"You're very busy Ali I know its just really important the girls have fun" She said in her motherly tone.

"Okay, two weeks." I shrugged. We might as well – we had been working very hard. "Plan something fun for all of us!" I turned to the girls, who had stopped to listen in. "To the beam! Start warming up routines."

Esme was apart of our lovely Cullen family. Esme and Carlisle, an amazingly loving couple who cared deeply for the girls. They couldn't have children of their own so they were a perfect fit at the gym. Esme acts as the mother to all the girls, and they love and look up to her as they love their own mothers. Carlisle is our doctor, sports trainer and advisor extraordinaire - he always has the best advice especially for young girls who want to date and cant. There we have the down side to gymnastics: no dating boys. Gymnastics takes up your time so there really is no time for boys. And as for me? Gymnastics was my life. At 24 years old, I was a single virgin who's only sexual experience was when she made out with a boy from her grade 12 English class. Yes, I am only one step away from becoming a cat lady at the young age of 24.

Ugh… tonight would be a good night for a carton of ice cream and a sappy romantic comedy.

JPOV

Drafted! Drafted straight out of college to a pro team! Dreams really do come true. I grinned happily into my milkshake. We were all going to the Tornados!

I was a Texas Long Steers for the last 5 years with my best friends, first baseman Edward Masen and catcher Emmett McCarty. And me? Jasper Whitlock, number 8 back up pitcher for the Tornados. My Mama is gonna be so proud.

I know that you're probably thinking back up is not starting, Jasper, but I'll take what I get. On the bright side, I know that their starting pitcher James is old and he's probably not gonna last much longer, not to mention the rumours going around about him and his buddy catcher Laurent being pedophiles might also get him fired.

You know, only yesterday we were drafted and were holding a press conference, and now we were packed up and headed towards my home town. Emmett, Ed, and myself were going to visit my Momma in Cherry Falls since its only 10 miles from Silver Plains. We decide to stop at my Momma's because we all knew that if we didn't we'd never hear the end of it. Well, that and the fact that my momma makes the best food south of the border and west of the Mississippi.

I grew up at Whitlock Manner, a huge giant stereotypical southern plantation house. My great, great, great, great, great, great granddad (or something along those lines) founded Cherry Falls and so we naturally had to have the biggest house. I was more than a little embarrassed of it; it seemed to be big simply for the sake of being big, as if the architect had been given unlimited funding and had been told, in no uncertain terms, to go nuts. There are a few perks though, like the lake and the stables, where I kept my horses. And then of course there was the land, the big rolling hills that I had spent exploring as a boy, not believing that it could all be ours.

As we pulled up, we heard a familiar voice; "Look at y'all in those super fancy cars!"

I looked for the source of the voice, to find that Momma had been waiting for us on the front porch, sitting in her usual chair.

I guess that compared to the brand new F250 I bought her Ed's BMW was fancy and my 09 camaro was nice, but Ems jeep was, well, a jeep. We keep joking that he should trade up for a Range Rover now that we're in the big leagues. My thoughts at this point were interrupted by my Momma running over and smothered all three of us in hugs and kisses.

"I am so proud of you boys! All grown and professional baseball players at that… You're gonna make me cry, boys," Momma said, her eyes beginning to tear up.

Grateful for her support (and also in an attempt to stop from growing too damp) we all hugged momma again. She wiped away her tears.

"Alright now, boys, wash up - sup will be ready in a tick. I been a-fixin' your favourites all day," Momma smiled with pride at her cooking. She loved cooking and was so lonely now that Daddy had passed and we all grown up and left.

Ed, Em and I ran up stairs to the big huge bathroom I use to share with my brothers.

"All boys, huh? So that's why you're so socially awkward when it comes to women, Jazz," Emmett shoved me with his hand I landed in the door.

"Dude, when are you gonna learn your own strength?" I laughed.

"We noticed the hot girl you were staring at during the press conference," Ed slyly pointed out, "What was her name? Oh yeah… Maria Sanchez from Arizona Daily," He said, mimicking how she had announced herself at the press conference.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm sure." I rolled my eyes at them while drying my hands.

"Sure you don't – that's why you were drooling and couldn't answer her question. Lucky for you I know all your answers," Emmett joked skipping the last step on the way down.

"Emmett McCarty! You break my floor boards and you will be here fixin' them, baseball or no baseball!" Momma yelled from the dinning room.

Dinner smelled wonderful. It was, in essence, a heart attack on a plate but that's what you need to feed a bear the size of Emmett. Mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, French fries, corn on the cob, Momma's home made tacos - the only vegetables were for Ed and they were okra.

"Apple dumpling's for dessert boys," Momma said, making motions for us to dig in. "Who's this girl they're talking about? Jay?" Momma asked knowingly. Nothing gets by my Momma, nothing.

"It's no one, Momma, just a news reporter from Arizona, Maria Sanchez," I said, knowing she would question.

"Oh! Is she nice? What does she look like?" …And Momma's questioning begins.

"Big," Emmett answered, holding his hands out to gesture her large chest. I kicked him under the table as my Momma turned her head towards him.

"-Hair," he covered with an innocent smile at Momma. Ed and I snorted and laughed.

"She is Hispanic, Mrs. Whitlock. Long black hair and average height, TV news reporter, and that's about all we know," Ed the All-Knowing said with a smile.

He loved impressing my momma. It's even gotten to the point where I think he would marry her if he could. I stuck my finger down my throat and faked gagging. Emmett laughed and Ed became slightly sour-faced. After we'd finished all the food and dessert, we helped Momma clean up and do the dishes. All I can say is, the soap fight that started was not my fault, no matter what Emmet tried to pin on me. He's the one who can never do anything without making a game of it.

"You boys should stay the night. I have plenty a room in this big old house and you don't need to be back till tomorrow! I'm sure your fancy cars can make it there in time." She looked at us pleadingly.

I turned and looked at my friends. Ed had already begun nodding his head and Emmett just laughed.

"We would love to, Mrs. Whitlock," Ed said smoothly.

"Fine, but Ed gets the room farthest from my mother," I said stepping in between them.

Ed blushed and looked at his feet. Who knew he blushed? Oh, it's something I won't let him forget in a hurry.

"Jasper, why don't you take the boys for a ride to the lake? I'm sure it would be fun and the horses could use the exercise," Momma suggested, causing me to grin. I love the horses.

We suited up my three favourite and prized horses – Casanova, who was my best horse, Fast Ball, who was the fastest one and the one I felt Ed would enjoy, and Princess Mary, who was not as fast but very spirited and as suited to Emmet as he was to her.

"Seriously, you're gonna make me ride a pony named Princess Mary?" Emmet seemed to be praying that no one else would ever get hold of this information, judging from the looks he was sending at the clouds.

"She's a great horse. Don't let her name fool you - she could buck you right off!" I tried to make him feel a little better, but I knew he'd come around.

"Yeah, right. Princess Mary… oh, I can tell from your very name that you're gonna be trouble! Who needs a horse called Vader anyway?" He grumbled at the horse. One of the other horses we owned was called Vader, from my slight Star Wars fixation when I was younger. "Why the hell did you name her Princess Mary?"

"I was 5, she was the only girl horse we had at the time and my mothers name is Mary. It fit." I shrugged.

"Your mom is definitely a princess," I heard Ed's voice say, and I watched his eyes glaze over slightly. Narrowing my eyes, I smacked his horse and he started off with a jerk.

"Come on! Give me some warning!" Ed moaned.

"Call my mom a princess again and it won't be the horse I smack," I stated flatly.

We rode back through the trails until we reached the clear lake on the edge of our property. We swam and splashed and acted like little boys. It was great to be home with my momma and friends. We headed out early the next morning. We weren't just driving to work but we were on our way to Silver Plain Texas to play professional baseball. We were the new Tornandos.

END NOTES:

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