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Chapter 4 (July 2010)

IV

Payson pulled herself across the pool, making sure to keep the rhythm of her arms and legs steady as she closed in on the wall. Flipping onto the wall, she used her legs to propel herself under water before emerging to continue on her last lap of the set.

As soon as her hands touched the wall she was griping the backstroke lunching bar and ripping of her goggles, her breathing hard from the effort.

"That was a great time Payson. You progress is amazing." Bob, one of the physical assistants and her personal trainer, approached, noting down her times on his clipboard. "Take ten to hydrate and catch your breath, and then I want you to do another set. After lunch you have Yoga class with Jillian and then ballet with Miss Viola."

Payson nodded her agreement as she used her arms to climb out of the pool on the spot, without having to go around to the stairs. Two weeks ago, before the surgery, she wouldn't have been able to do that. The movement itself would have caused too much pain. Now, not only was there no pain, but her arm and stomach muscles were coming back to how they had been before.

The swimming, yoga and ballet were all part of her rehab program, along with other expected physical therapy classes. After her surgery and recovery at the hospital in San Francisco she had moved to a physical rehab facility on the outskirts of the city, just as her parents and Becca – who had been staying with her aunt Chris so they could be there for her – moved to Minnesota after many assurances from her that she would be alright.

After that, her physical therapist had showed her the plan for her recovery. Physical conditioning was something that she could start almost right away. In fact, she could start everything except high impact training almost right away. On one hand that meant that almost all gymnastics skills were completely out of the question. On the other hand though, it meant that she could start with endurance and flexibility training, hence the new activities. She was immediately on board with swimming and Yoga. Swimming was probably the most exhausting sport that required zero impact on her back – especially when she was being careful and not using the jumping board – and while she was not exactly a very Zen person, she could see the advantages that Yoga would have on her body.

Ballet, however, she had been extremely skeptical about. She had told her physical therapist about how she couldn't dance to save her life and how she didn't see a purpose in it, since she probably could use that time to get her stamina level up by doing another activity. He had answered by saying that ballet was a perfect blend of a flexibility and endurance sport, while still being low impact. He had then smiled and said then she didn't need to go and win any ballet competitions, she just needed to practice it. She had started three days later, even though she continued to be uncertain.

Well she was uncertain no more. She had bowed to the evidence. The blasted ballet was helping. Miss Viola – a part time instructor at the center, since she had her own ballet practice to run - was a strict teacher who treated the students at the rehab center like they were aspiring to became prima ballerinas, but she was incredibly efficient in teaching novice students from all ages. Payson's dancing skills had definitely been improving. After her initial resistance to all things ballet related, which resulted in two terrible classes, she had made herself promise to at least give it her honest try. She didn't want to live with anymore what if's or regrets. And so, she had found that ballet could be almost fun. Almost.

"Pigeon toes Payson, pigeon toes! I thought we had solved that problem already!" Miss Viola said, rapping her walking stick on the floor.

"Yes, Miss Viola!" Payson grimaced. And here was the reason why she could never fully appreciate her classes.

"Alright, that's it for today class! See you all in two days"

As Payson left the studio, she saw her aunt Christina – "Call me Chris or you're dead!" – waiting for her.

"Hey, Pay! You ready for your appointment?" Chris asked smiling. Payson was truly grateful for her aunt's support. Chris worked as a marketing consultant and was usually super busy, but she had always made sure that she had time to visit her every other day, and to be present during her doctor's appointments.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess" They moved across the building to the doctor's offices were the doctor responsible for her surgery would be giving her a checkup, in conjunction with the physical therapist, in order to evaluate her progress.

The conversation between them had always been easy. Chris was her father's much younger sister, from his father's second marriage. She was a very relaxed and sporty person, so she and Payson always had something to talk about.

As the doctors arrived and the examinations started, Chris sat down at a chair in the corner of the office and observed. By now they were both used to the process and the battery of tests she had to go through.

"Well Payson, everything seems to be perfect for this point in time. In fact, we believe that you can start doing level A gymnastics next week." Said her doctor with a smile. "We would allow you to start right now, but we want to give you a few extra days to get stronger."

"Thank you, so much!" She said with a grateful as she hugged her aunt who had come to sit beside her after the tests were done.

"Have you considered any clubs or coaches to help you in the gymnastics department?" Her physical therapist asked. "As you know, the program only includes physical therapy provided by this center. Since you're not scheduled to be formally released for another two to three weeks, we can either give you leave to go out for a few hours for the gymnastics rehabilitation or we can give you access to one of our training studios and your coach can come here."

Payson grimaced. Since the showdown with Marty she had been stupidly avoiding the subject of coaches, and now she would have to accept the consequences.

"If you don't have anyone in mind, I can ask around for recommendations" Said her physical therapist, correctly interpreting her silence.

She sighed. It was time to admit defeat. "Thank you. I appreciate it. I guess anyone with some experience would do for now, since I can only do basic skills. I will also get in contact with some friends. Maybe they know someone in California."

The doctors nodded and they wrapped up the meeting. As Payson left with her aunt to take a walk in the garden before Chris had to leave, she decided that when she spoke with Lauren on the phone that night she would talk to her about this.

Everyone knew that Steve Tanner had a list of all the elite coaches in the country, in case he needed a sub for Marty – read: in case Marty pissed him off and he needed someone to replace him – and Lauren could ask him if he knew anyone in California.

Lauren made sure her dad was out with his mysterious girlfriend before making her way to his home office.

The day before, after finishing her daily call with Payson she had gone to his office where he was working and asked him if he knew any good coaches and gyms in California, preferably not too far away from San Francisco. He had taken out a notebook from a desk drawer – he could be so twenty century sometimes – and given her the name of a gym in the outskirts of San Jose that she had never heard of before, that apparently had a decent coach.

She had been suspicious from the start. She knew all her dads tells. First, he had paused for too long at the page before he gave her the name of the coach. And then when she asked for details he had been evasive.

There were only two options. Her dad had given her the name of a lesser coach on purpose, or he had been planning to.

She had researched the coach and his Gym in the Internet, to find out more about them before she gave the information to Payson. Dmitri Osin was a Russian born gymnast that had won several individual medals in Rings and horse at the European and World level, but never made it to the Olympics due to injuries. His gym was a good facility in terms of equipment but none of his gymnasts had ever ranked higher than a 16th at Nationals. He did, however, hold one of the highest numbers of NCAA scholarship awarded to gymnasts from a single gym.

In conclusion, the guy was good but had zero experience in training an Olympic hopeful. Most of his gymnasts probably went to school and came in only in the afternoon if they were only on the NCAA track. Certainly nothing that explained her dad's reaction.

So now Lauren was snooping in her dad's office, looking for the keys that would open the drawer where he kept the notebook. She could understand that her dad might not want to give Payson a coach that could bring her back to her previous level, because that would mean one more person she might have to beat. If it was anyone else except Payson, Lauren might even agree with him. But she owed Payson too much to ever contemplate hindering her dreams this way. Payson deserved the best. Marty had been a jerk and refused to train her, so she needed someone at least just as good as him.

"Found you!" She eventually found a bunch of keys in a box sitting at a bookshelf near the window, and started trying the different keys in the locks.

It was actually incredible how close you could get to someone just by talking on the phone. Who knew she and Payson would one day be closer than her and Kaylie, and they didn't even see each other every day!

These days Kaylie was only focused on two things: Carter and gymnastics. She didn't care that Lauren had always liked Carter. She kept on talking about how awesome he was. It made her blood boil sometimes. Kaylie was losing a bit of focus on her training again, but not enough that Marty or the NGO had noticed. Lauren on the other hand had been spending more time on the Gym, since Kaylie never had time to spend with her anymore, and when she did, it made Lauren want to beat someone – she beat the uneven bars instead.

So, Payson had slowly become her best friend. She had calmed her down and told her to focus her fire on her training. To attack the apparatus that she was weaker on and to pester the trainers to help her. So, she deserved the best possible.

She let out a sound of triumph as she got a key to work and opened the drawer and took out the notebook. She flipped the pages, looking for Dimitri's name. Whoever was the real best Californian coach should be on the same page, since she saw her dad's eyes shift from something at the top to the bottom of the page. She finally found it a few pages in and scanned the page for anything that stood out.

She found the name right on the first line.

Sasha Belov.

There it was. Sasha freaking Belov followed by an address and a phone number with a note that it might not be correct since no one had ever picked up. Sasha Belov. The legendary coach and Payson's dream coach and favorite male gymnast of all time, who had occupied a part of her friend's wall for years. The Sasha Belov.

Now she knew why her dad had wanted to keep him away from Payson. Sasha Belov was not just someone capable of bringing Payson back to her previous level. He could make her even better.

For a moment Lauren was tempted to forget about this name. To just close the notebook and give Payson Dimitri Osin's contact information.

But, no. Payson deserved the best. Who had given Lauren advice about moves that were well suited for her on the beam and would raise her difficulty level? Payson. Who had told her how to approach Marty about training said elements? Payson. Who had given her a pep talk about how she should focus on being the best beamer in the country and how that would make Ellen Beals just need to take her to China? Payson. Who had she called at a ridiculous hour in the morning when she was feeling sick to her stomach and almost choking in China? Payson. And who had patiently calmed her down and basically phone coached her trough her first international gold medal? Payson.

Yes, Payson had been the most amazing influence in her life. She was currently her closest friend, someone who had guided her in a way that had allowed her to beat that pipsqueak – so not fifteen – Chinese, something that no one else had been able to do. She smirked as she remembered Beals surprised face. It had definitely been worth it, even if neither Kaylie nor Emily had talked to her for a week.

Yes, Payson was her closest and dearest friend. And she deserved the best.

With that in mind, Lauren took a picture of Sasha's contact information with her phone and straightened her dad's office so everything was back where it was supposed to be.

Payson waved goodbye to Melanie, a girl in her Yoga session she had started to hang out with, and walked into the rehab center garden to meet with Chris, where she had told her she would be waiting for her last session to be over. It was still morning on a Friday, a strange hour of the day for her aunt to visit, but Payson was glad for it, since she was hopping they could discuss weekend plans. She had a coach to find.

Yesterday, just as she was leaving her last class of the day, she had gotten a text from Lauren with two names and respective contact information. Another text had followed with the extra information Lauren had found about the first name, Dimitri Osin. But it was the second name that had left her frozen in the hallway for almost five minutes.

Sasha Belov.

She had been equal parts excited and nervous at the idea of being coached by Sasha Belov. Could she go and ask him? Would she have the courage?

She rounded the corner made by the bush hedge and rounded into the bench she knew her aunt would be seated at.

"Surprise!" Payson jumped and let out a delighted scream as she raced to hug her parents and her sister.

"Oh my god! How did you get here!"

"By plane! Duh!" Becca said smiling.

"It's a holiday in Minnesota today honey, don't you remember?" Her mother asked, giving her another hug. "We got a discount flight that left early in the morning and goes back tonight. We would stay for the weekend but the flight prices for Sunday were ridiculous."

"A little time is always better than no time" She smiled delighted. "Where is aunt Chris? Was she even here?"

Her dad laughed. "No, she texted you from work. She said she would call you tonight. She as to deliver some reports today and might not have time to stop by." Payson nodded, understanding.

"Tell me everything you've been doing. Is Miss Viola really as mean as you say? What Ballet moves can you already do?" Becca asked in quick succession. Payson laughed. It was nice to see her family.

They sat together in the bench and caught up on everything that had been going on. Payson retold them little stories about her classes that she had already mentioned on the phone, and Becca went on and on about all the girls at the gym and how nice and fun it was to train there again. She was trying to learn a new move on bars and Payson gave her some pointers on how to do it.

After approaching a staff member about the possibility of her parents and sister staying around for the rest of the day, her family was given a pass so they could follow her around all day, and Becca immediately asked to see every corner of the building, from Payson's room, to the pool and Miss Viola's studio.

After her last class of the day, they found themselves back in the garden, as Becca complained that she hadn't had the chance of seeing Miss Viola in action.

"Sorry Becca, she is only here part time." Payson said laughing.

"How is the coach search going? Did Lauren's dad know anyone around here?" Her dad asked looking more serious.

"Yeah, she sent me this" She took out her phone and showed them the text messages.

"Sasha Belov!" Becca screamed "Oh My God!"

"Becca, calm down!" Her mother admonished. "What are you thinking of doing Payson?"

"It's Sasha Belov mom! She's going to ask him to coach her!" Becca looked expectantly at Payson. "Right?"

Payson took a deep breath. "The idea of him being my coach is amazing, but... How do I know if he'll even say yes? I'm just me, and it says here that he doesn't even answer Steve Tanner's calls."

"Are you just afraid he will say no?" her mother asked. "Honey, a 'no' is always guaranteed. You don't lose anything by asking."

"I... yes, I'm afraid he will say no. But it's also something else." At her parents' expectant faces she continued. "If I start training here, with a coach that is based here, then I will have to stay here. Not just for the next six months, but until the Olympics. And I would have to be away from you..."

She swallowed tightly, not wanting to cry. She had known deep down that she wouldn't be able to go back to train in Minnesota. She had left for a reason after all. The coaching level there just wasn't high enough.

"Oh honey!" Her mother reached out to hug her "We knew the moment you came here that you wouldn't end up back in Minnesota. Whether it would be here in California or somewhere else, like Huston, we didn't know, but we knew it wouldn't be Minnesota."

"But..." Payson interrupted, confused.

"We all went back to Minnesota, because we knew it didn't make sense to stay in Boulder." Her mom explained. "If you really want to go back to Minnesota with us we will of course be happy, but if you want to go somewhere else we will support you." She said as she brushed a lock of Payson's hair behind her ear.

"What your mom is trying to say is that we trust you. And we respect your choices. If you hadn't decided for the surgery you would probably be going to college in January for the spring semester." He took her and squeezed it softly. "As long as you are doing what you want, and are happy and safe, we will support you. And distance? What is that with skype and phones? I know it's not the same thing but we can always talk when we want to and visit each other."

Payson hugged her parents tightly. It felt good to know that they would always be there for her. And even though she would miss them, she knew that the place for her was not in Minnesota.

"So, will you go see Sasha?" Becca asked.

"Yes, she will" her mom said, nodding at her. "Tomorrow she will go with aunt Chris."

Payson laughed. Just leave it to her mom to tell her what to do.

"When you know how much you will need to pay for coaching fees, you tell us and we will forward the money to Chris, ok?"

"Dad, no. I don't want you to pay for anymore coaching fees for now." As her father looked ready to interrupt, she continued "I know you think it's your job, but if you guys keep visiting me, that's gonna cost money. I will take care of coaching fees for now. I have the twenty thousand from being part of the test trial. You use your money for the plane tickets, ok? I'm not taking no for an answer" She arched her eyebrows at her dad until he relented with a sigh and a shake of his head.

Becca laughed as she hugged her again. "I'll miss you a lot! You have to promise to call every day and skype every other day!"