Author Note:
Thanks for all the reviews so far.
Hipster – don't worry, I won't. Kaylie is one of my favourites.
beyoncefan – I don't think so. It might be an element but this isn't intended to have main characters. And I don't think Sasha would ever cross the line.
Lizagirl – thanks for all the great feedback and suggestions. I started this on kind of a whim and haven't done any planning at all so I don't know how successful it will be but we shall see.
'Just a half day of training today girls,' said Sasha, grinning to himself at the astounded looks on the gymnasts' faces. 'Opening ceremony tonight and I'm sure you all want to be prepared and well rested for it. We meet the rest of the American competitors at five.'
The girls looked at each other in excitement. Lauren was desperate to explore Oxford Street, Payson wondered if Rigo might have some free time and all the girls were keen to see the sites of the British capital. But first they had a morning's work in front of them.
'Payson, you're still not landing your Amanar consistently enough and Lauren, you need that Yurchenko double. You two can work together on the vault. Wendy and Jordan spot each other on the beam please and Colleen, your bars dismount needs practice. Kaylie, stay on the floor for this morning please, I want to see your dance elements.'
The girls quickly got down to work.
An hour's hard training saw Lauren nailing her vault 8 times out of 10 and a huge improvement in Payson's Amanar. 'It's still not strong enough to beat Ivanka though,' mused Payson in response to Lauren's praise. ' I need to keep going.'
'Come for a bathroom break with me first. I want to talk to you anyway.'
As the girls left the gym floor, Wendy slowly approached the vault they had just left. 'Little creep.' muttered Lauren to herself.
_ Chapter Break _
Lauren perched on the sinks in the girls' bathroom, swinging her legs backwards and forwards and chewing on her lip. 'I had a voicemail from Austin this morning,' she said quietly. 'He said he was on his way to the airport. He'll be here by late this afternoon.'
'That will help Kaylie, I'm sure,' replied Payson. 'I almost thought her and Austin were going to get back together after the trials. But anyway, she seemed better this morning. She ate enough breakfast anyway.'
Lauren choked on the water she was drinking and pulled a face at her friend. 'Oh please, you're not going to fall for that pathetic charade are you?' Payson raised her eyebrows questioningly. 'She purged it, idiot. Kaylie's so transparent it ought to be laughable but unfortunately I actually care about what happens to her.' Lauren gave the hand dryer a vicious kick and brushed tears angrily from her eyes. 'Dammit, I hope Austin can talk some sense into her.'
Payson sighed and hugged the smaller girl. 'Things will be ok Lo. They have to be. Come on, let's get back to work.'
_ Chapter Break _
Payson stood at the end of the vault run up, gazing down the track in determination. Her Yurchenko 2.5 was perfect but it was rumoured that Ivanka had a triple. Her Amanar therefore had to be 100% accurate and she kept jumping forwards at the end. Sasha was watching her this time, his pen poised above his clipboard. Taking a deep breath, Payson began to run.
As her friend started off towards the vault Lauren looked over towards her other team members. Her eyes were searching out Kaylie but it was Wendy on whom her gaze fell. The small girl had her eyes fixed on the vault, a small smile of excitement and … was it triumph? … on her rather hard little face. With a jolt Lauren's memory pulled her back to a vision of herself at sixteen, watching in grim satisfaction as Emily Kmetko raced at full speed towards the springboard that Lauren had tampered with. At the same time she remembered Wendy's move over to their vault just minutes before.
'Payson! Stop!' Lauren screamed. The whole gym turned and stared at her and Payson skidded to an inelegant and hurried stop a couple of feet from the springboard.
'Lauren? What the hell …?'
'The board Payson, she's moved it, I know it. Wendy's messed with your vault.'
'Lauren!' shouted Sasha, storming angrily to the over excited girl. 'You never distract a gymnast while they are working, you know that. You could have caused Payson an injury.'
'I could have caused her an injury? Sasha, I just stopped one. Measure her vault. I swear to you that Capstick bitch has moved it.'
'Lauren, that's a very serious accusation …'
'Sasha,' interrupted Payson, staring down at the board in front of the vault. 'It … it has moved. A little. It's not huge but I probably would have hit the vault.
An uncomfortable silence fell over the gym.
'Why does that mean I did it?' exclaimed Wendy, her voice shaking and her eyes darting nervously from side to side. 'Anyone could have knocked it by mistake. Maybe I knocked it by mistake. Maybe Payson didn't measure very well. It's just an accident.'
Sasha approached the girl, a curious and slightly wary expression on his face. 'Wendy,' he said quietly, 'I want to trust you. I don't want to believe that you could do anything so unbelievably stupid, cruel and dangerous. Do I have your word of honour?'
'Lauren has it in for me Sasha. Just because I made that one mistake with Kaylie, I would never … I didn't … I wouldn't…'
'Wendy, do I have your word?'
'Yes Sasha. I promise I didn't do it.'
Sasha looked around at the faces of the other five girls; Lauren's flushed with anger, her eyes shooting daggers at Wendy, Kaylie's suspicious and wary, Payson's and Colleen's confused and surprised and Jordan's frankly disgusted. He took a deep breath. He thought Wendy was lying but he had no proof and suspected he was no longer impartial where the team captain's well being was concerned. He also needed to keep his team as united as he could.
'I hope not Wendy,' he said. 'I really do hope not. Now I suggest we call it a day. I will see you all this evening.'
_ Chapter Break _
Lauren took off at a run after the already departing Wendy. 'Lo, just leave it,' shouted Colleen after it. The warning fell on deaf ears. Lauren caught up with Wendy, grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her round to face her.
'What the hell do you think you're playing at Wendy?'
'I don't know what you're talking about,' the girl answered defiantly. 'I haven't done anything to you. Or to your precious friends.'
'Save your breath Wendy. I know exactly what you're like. I know how your mind works and I will not let you destroy this team with your games.'
'You don't know me at all,' retorted Wendy, turning her back on the blonde girl and beginning to walk away. 'Just fuck off and leave me alone.'
'I do know you Wendy. I do because I used to be just like you.'
Wendy paused and Payson and Kaylie glanced at each other in surprise. Lauren was surprised to feel a kind of compassion rising in her for the shaking teenager standing in front of her. She took a deep breath.
'I know what it's like to want to be the best so badly that you'll do anything and hurt anyone. Why do you think I'm so protective of my friends now? It's because I've hurt and betrayed them in the past. I've been so bitter and consumed by ambition that I have willingly damaged their chances to improve mine. I don't want you to make the same mistake. Mainly for their sake but also for yours.'
'W…what do you mean?' asked Wendy cautiously
'When I was 16 I tried to get Kaylie kicked out of our gym so I could rank one place higher. When I was 17 I leaked information about Payson that damaged her credibility and confidence. Just so I could try and improve something in my own life. We had another team mate, Emily. I tricked her into losing her spot in an international competition. And when she first joined the Rock I moved the board for her vault because I was frightened she was going to beat me. She fell and hurt herself. That's how I guessed what you'd done. I get how you feel Wendy, I really do. At the training centre you thought Kaylie was your biggest threat so you tried to get her taken out of the running. Now we're here you feel the same way about Payson. I get it but I'm not going to stand by and watch you hurt my friends again. Now, come with me to talk to Sasha and, if you can tell him the truth, I will support you.'
There was a long silence as Lauren and Wendy stared at each other. Finally Wendy's eyes dropped and she gave a small nod. Lauren slipped a tentative arm around her and together they turned and walked back towards the gym, leaving the other girls looking after them in astonishment.
