1~ First Meeting
"Mommy are we there yet?" asked the excited five, nearly six-year old girl named Elsa.
"Soon," said Iduna, Elsa's mother.
"I can't wait," said Elsa bouncing in her seat anxiously. "I want to flip and jump."
"And now you can stop flipping and doing cartwheels in the house," said Elsa's mother. "Daddy wasn't too happy about cleaning up a broken vase."
Elsa giggled. She had been practically doing flips since she started walking at ten months. By the time she was three, she had taught herself a cartwheel, a handstand, a forward roll, and a backward roll. And she could almost do a full split. At first, Mama and Papa tolerated it, but things started getting out of hand when their second born child, Anna, bumped her head trying to copy Elsa. Then they decided enough was enough.
"Let's put her in Gymnastics," said Adgar. "It'll be good for her."
Thus then, Flipstar Gymnastics was built, and Mama got Elsa signed up a couple weeks after the gym opened.
"We're here," said Mom turning into the parking lot in front of the huge, gray building.
Elsa quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and tried to open the door.
"Hold on little button," said Iduna pressing the unlock button on the car.
Elsa opened the door and got out. She ran to the door and opened it, and went inside the gym.
"Elsa, wait!" said Iduna walking inside after her daughter.
Inside the gym, Elsa's jaw dropped. It was like she had walked into a dream. Boys and girls of all ages were busy training around the gym. There was the smell of chalk, mat, and sweat in the air. But to Elsa, it smelt glorious. And it felt like home. She didn't even notice her mother walk up behind her.
"Hello," said a heavy-set, middle-aged man walking up to them. "My name is coach Kai, and i teach the girls and boys gymnastics team program here."
"Nice to meet you coach Kai," said Iduna shaking his hand. "It's a pleasure to be here."
"Thank you," said Kai. "It's also my pleasure to help your little one get started."
"I'm going to jump on the trampoline!" Elsa said removing her shoes and socks, then running across the tumbling floor to the trampoline.
"Elsa come ba- oh, be careful!" yelled Iduna nervously.
Kai chuckled. "Enthusiastic," he said.
Elsa bounced high in the air, laughing and doing splits in the air and turning. Then she bounced her way to the end of the trampoline, turned around, and did a backflip into the foam pit.
"Wow," said Kai impressed. "How old is she?"
"Five, but she'll be six in a couple of weeks," said Iduna.
"What's her name?" Kai asked.
"Elsa, Elsa Anderson," said Iduna.
"Elsa," said Kai with a smile. "Pretty name."
"Thank you," said Idune.
In the foam pit that was filled with yellow blocks, Elsa pulled herself out from the bottom and slowly treaded her way to the other side of the foam pit, pulling blocks out of her way. There, she saw a boy with ginger hair lying there in the foam pit by himself.
"Hi," said Elsa.
"Hi," said the boy staring up at her.
"Why are you here alone?" Elsa asked.
Hans shrugged. "Because i feel like it," he said.
"What's your name?" Elsa asked.
"Hans," said Hans. "Who are you?"
"Elsa," said Elsa. "I'm new here."
"Me too," said Hans.
"How old are you?" asked Elsa.
"Seven," said Hans.
"I'm five," said Elsa holding up five fingers. "But i'll be six soon."
"And i'll be eight soon," said Hans.
"Maybe if we can be friends you can come to my birthday party?" asked Elsa.
Hans suddenly felt shy and sunk back a bit behind the foam blocks.
"Maybe," said Hans.
Elsa smiled. "Can you do a cartwheel?" she asked.
"Yes," said Hans.
"A handstand?"
"Yes,"
"A forward roll?"
"Yes,"
"A split?"
"Yes,"
"Wow, you can do a lot!" said Elsa.
"Can you?" asked Hans.
"Yes," said Elsa. "And i almost have a split."
"Elsa come here!" Iduna called out to her.
Elsa climbed out of the foam pit and said "bye!" to Hans. Elsa ran up to her mother who put an arm around her.
"So," said Kai. "I suggest we put your daughter on pre-team and see how things go from there. If she shows proficiency, then she can immediately jump to the team program."
"You really think so?" asked Iduna in surprise.
"I have no doubt," said Kai.
"When will she have her first practice?" asked Iduna.
"Come back this Friday at three PM. Pre-team and team usually come in at that time, and we open at that time as well," said Kai.
"How long are the practices?" asked Iduna.
"Non-compete and pre-team lasts about two hours. Team training lasts about four hours. Five hours on Saturday," said Kai.
"Wow," said Iduna rubbing the back of her head. "That's alot."
"Well, thank God for breaks, right?" said Kai.
"Yes," said Iduna. "Thank God."
They shook hands again, and promised to see each other again on Friday.
"Come on sweetie," Iduna said to Elsa. Elsa followed her mother out, and as she did, she saw Hans at the water fountain getting a drink. Elsa waved goodbye to him and Hans smiled and waved back.
Hans loved gymnastics so far. It was a breath of fresh air and a sense of peace for him to escape the chaos at home. Like Elsa, he too started walking early, and developed a natural talent for teaching himself skills. Hans had twelve older brothers. They either picked on him or ignored him entirely. Lars wasn't so bad however. In fact, he encouraged Hans to start gymnastics. And when Hans did, his eleven other brothers joked on him, and said that it was a "girl sport", despite him showing that both men and women alike did it. Hans was fed up living in a house where nobody seemed to care and understand, except for Lars and his mother. His father practically looked down on him as well. So, Hans made it his duty to impress his father. He came to Flipstar Gymnastics three weeks ago and impressed coach Kai. Hans was immediately assigned to the TOPS boys gymnastics team. And so far he was doing well. Just a few more practice, and he would have his roundoff back handspring. He couldn't wait to have his first meet in December. Hans finished his drink of water and headed to the tumbling floor where his fellow teammates sat with coach Kai. Hans smiled to himself, hoping that Elsa would return.