Hi, everyone! I know that it's been a long while since I updated so please go back and read/skim the previous chapters if you don't remember what's going on!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Maddy...and Peter. Who's Peter, you ask? Get reading... :)
Chapter 11: Partners
Maddy embraced the darkness as she pushed open one half of the double doors that led onto the floor of the Rock, the pale swath of light from the approaching dawn making the room around her appear gray until the heavy door closed behind her with a soft clunk.
Alone in the pitch black gym, Maddy took a deep breath, savoring the scent of chalk in the air as she pushed her hands deeper into her jacket pockets and rolled her head on her shoulders. Entirely by memory, she strode over to where she knew she would find the balance beam, resting a hand upon its smooth length as she kicked off her Chucks and rested her duffel bag on the floor. Shrugging out of her jacket, she raised a leg and proceeded to stretch her cold and stiff muscles until she was so warm that she reached behind her head and pulled her hair into a haphazard ponytail to keep its weight off her back.
Still enswathed in the darkness, Maddy reached down into her bag and retrieved her handgrips, strapping them onto her hands as she turned and jogged over to the bars. Clapping the excess dust from her hands, Maddy lightly grasped the bar with a hand to guide her to the middle where she tightened her grip and let her legs swing from the floor.
After several rotations, Maddy stopped her movement and carefully arranged her frame horizontally on top of the high bar, as she used to do in her gym back home in Maine. It had always been the one place that she could block out the world and simply retreat into her mind to think and reflect…and she now had several things on her mind.
At the very top of the list—as it had been all night—was the conversation that she had shared with Summer just a few hours ago. Summer had known ever since Sasha left that something had transpired between him and Maddy. She had known that he had loved Maddy, but still the woman had found it in her heart to figuratively grab Maddy by the shoulders and shake her awake. Maddy had been going through life with her heart guarded, pushing everyone away—friends and lovers alike—but she admitted something to herself last night that simultaneously disquieted and inspired her.
Maddy didn't know how to love.
For as long as she could remember, the only person in Maddy's life had been her mother, but since her mother had passed, Maddy had shut herself down to feeling anything for another person, never truly allowing herself to explore the feelings of loneliness and loss that had stemmed from her mother's death.
Maddy realized now that the real Madelyn Reynolds—that effervescent, quick to laugh, and temperamental kid she had once been—had disappeared with her mother, not following the betrayal by Coach Tim as she used to think.
She had made a promise to herself last night. Maddy had promised to begin living her life again and the first thing that she had to do was allow herself to become closer to her gymnasts. They trusted her with their careers and their lives…now it was Maddy's turn to do the same.
Second on her list of topics to debate with herself was Sasha, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. It was still too soon. Someday she knew that she would have to sort through her feelings about him, but she wasn't ready to just yet. First, she had to find her heart before she could explore the emotions within it.
Pushing Sasha from her mind indefinitely, Maddy then moved on to the third order of business and the one that she knew was going to be the worst to resolve: she had to apologize to Steve Tanner and rescind her unfair and counterproductive ultimatum. Maddy had considered driving over to Steve's house after her talk with Summer last night, but she knew that Steve would handle her apology better after a full night's sleep…or so she hoped. The thing that she was most regretful about from yesterday's temper tantrum was her demand that they find a new coach quickly and she mentally kicked herself for her selfishness.
Finding a coach was an arduous process. First, you had to find someone with the ability and desire to be a full-time coach of such a demanding and prestigious gym. Then you had to find someone that the gymnasts could work well with and respect. There were several other factors, but Maddy cringed when she suddenly realized that the coach also had to be amenable to working with her, the pariah of gymnastics.
Time. That was the most important thing that was needed to find the right coach. This person would be responsible for taking the gymnasts to the Olympics and if the process was rushed, the results could be disastrous.
Guilt twisted in Maddy's stomach. She had done just that. She had forced Steve to rush and now she had to take it back before it was too late, which was the reason that Maddy was here at the Rock literally at the crack of dawn. She wanted to make sure that she was the first person Steve saw so that she had a prime opportunity to grovel at his feet for forgiveness.
Sighing, Maddy gripped the bar underneath her tightly and swung down from her position, letting her body rock back and forth like a pendulum while disgust left a bitter taste in her mouth as she prepared to swallow her pride.
When her body swung itself into a standstill, Maddy released her hands and landed nimbly on the mat, ready to start the new day.
A few hours later, Maddy finally breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Lauren enter the gym, knowing that Steve wouldn't be far behind her. Just as she thought, Steve entered the gym moments after Lauren, looking like he was in a good mood.
"I'll be right back, Em," Maddy told Emily as she looked up at the girl practicing on the balance beam.
Emily nodded and so Maddy quickly headed in a direction that she knew would intercept Steve's path to the office.
"We need to talk," Maddy began when she finally came within speaking distance of Steve, noting that he looked both surprised and happy to see her. Confusion swept through Maddy and she wondered for the first time if Summer had relayed her apology from last night.
"Yes, we do," Steve answered with a smile. "Let's head into the office, shall we?"
Following closely behind him, Maddy waited until she placed one foot inside the office before launching into her speech. "I want to apologize before anything else is said," Maddy quickly interjected before Steve could speak. "What I did yesterday was…embarrassing to say the least. I'm so sorry for the things that I said and—"
Steve interrupted her. "It's all right," Steve said with a wave of his hand.
Shocked, Maddy stood absolutely still for several moments, her mouth quite literally hanging open in her surprise. That was it? Steve Tanner was placated with a simple apology? No way. There was something else going on here. "It's all right?" Maddy finally choked out in a voice that didn't sound exactly like her own.
"Yes, of course," Steve beamed with a dismissive shrug. "I know that you've been under an incredible amount of pressure lately and it was only to be expected that you experience a minor breakdown."
Maddy frowned at Steve's explanation, but didn't say anything, not sure if she was more upset by the insinuation that Steve believed she couldn't handle the responsibility of being head coach or his use of the word "breakdown".
"In any case," Steve continued as he grasped Maddy's upper arms, "You're looking much better today and your apology is appreciated."
Still unable to accept Steve's acceptance, Maddy blinked furiously as she expressed her gratitude. "Thank you," she began and continued honestly, "for being so understanding about yesterday. I expected to have to promise you the moon in order to convince you to forgive me."
Steve scoffed. "Why?" he said, placing his hands on his hips. "All you did was tell us the things that we needed to hear. And I think you'll be pleased to know that it worked."
Maddy's gratitude was instantly replaced by sinking dread. Clearing her throat, Maddy asked apprehensively, "What do you mean it worked?"
What have I done? Maddy thought frantically to herself.
"You gave us the push we needed to finally get serious about finding a new coach," Steve replied, oblivious to Maddy's obvious discomfort.
Relief coursed through Maddy. She hadn't done anything that couldn't be taken back.
"Good," Maddy replied. "I want you to know that I understand finding a coach is a tough thing to do right now, especially so close to the Olympics. I also want to make sure that you know I didn't mean what I said yesterday. You take all the time you need to find us the right coach. I'll be here until you do."
Steve opened his mouth to speak, but before any words came out, a voice from behind Maddy interrupted, saying, "I told you, Steve."
Maddy turned around, pleased to see that Kim had arrived and didn't look upset with her for yesterday's shenanigans. That pleasure quickly evaporated as Maddy realized that Kim was very upset with Steve. What had happened?
Kim dropped her purse heavily onto the desk and rounded on Steve. "I told you that she didn't mean any of it," Kim snapped. "I told you that we had time."
Steve shrugged and Maddy asked quietly, "Time for what?"
"Finding a better coach than the one Steve hired!" Kim exclaimed loudly.
Maddy brought her hand to her mouth to quiet her gasp of surprise and regret as she turned away from Kim to face Steve, staring at him with wide eyes.
"What did you do, Steve?" Maddy finally asked, lowering her hand from her face.
"Regardless of how Kim feels and of your apology," Steve began, "I still stand by my decision. She came highly recommended by the NGO and she too was an Olympic medalist. Not to mention that she already knows many of the girls."
"She knows the girls?" Maddy repeated. How could a coach know the gymnasts from the Rock? Had they taken lessons with her before?
"Yes," Kim said with a sigh. "Which is why I don't think it was a good idea. They'll have a hard time accepting her as an authority figure."
"She'll make them accept her," Steve countered. "She is their new coach, after all."
"But—" Kim started, but she was interrupted by Maddy.
"Time out!" Maddy said forcefully as she stepped between Steve and Kim, stopping their bickering. Turning to Steve, she asked, "Whom exactly did you hire?"
His smug smile and tone suggesting that he thought Maddy would be delighted at the news, Steve replied, "Darby Conrad."
Maddy's breath flowed out of her in utter surprise and disappointment. "Darby Conrad?" Maddy breathed disbelievingly. "That's it? That's the best you could do?"
Without waiting for an answer, Maddy's disappointment forced her to turn her back on Steve and Kim and practically sprint out of the office. Conscious of all the eyes on her, Maddy reminded herself to slow down and take the stairs one at a time and to shorten her strides as she headed toward the back door, refusing to think until she could do so alone.
Emerging into the still crisp morning air, Maddy began to pace back and forth in a fevered frenzy, her arms folded across her chest as she absentmindedly chewed on her thumbnail.
Darby Conrad? She was as much a child as Maddy was! What had Steve been thinking?
I did this, Maddy thought despairingly. Reflecting on what an untested and untried coach meant for the gymnasts, she couldn't help but groan. If Darby didn't work out, then all the Rock's gymnasts' Olympic hopes were about to die because of Maddy, because of her temper, because she couldn't bring herself to move on from Sasha's betrayal in time.
Falling heavily onto the brick wall, Maddy leaned her head back despairingly, but then a new hope stirred within her chest. Steve had said that the gymnasts knew Darby. Perhaps things weren't so hopeless as Maddy feared. If the gymnasts had someone to look up to—someone to respect and push them—then maybe they would maintain the discipline and drive to finish the work that Sasha had begun and hone their skills to compete to the best of their abilities. And maybe Darby—a gymnast who had been on the circuit a few years before Maddy—would be more forgiving of Maddy since she was so much younger than other potential coaches and needed Maddy's help to assimilate to the Rock. Maybe they would work well together since they were of a similar age. Maybe they could be friends.
Granted, Darby wasn't the sort of coach that Maddy had hoped for, but maybe that was a good thing. Maddy had trusted and believed entirely in Sasha and look how that had turned out. Maybe throwing a completely different sort of person into the mix was just what the Rock needed to pull itself out of this funk.
Unusually optimistic, Maddy nodded resolutely and grinned.
Pushing herself off the wall, Maddy reached a hand out and pulled open the door, slipping back inside the gym and purposefully walking back to the office. Sprinting up the stairs two at a time, Maddy turned quickly back into the office, interrupting a hushed argument that Steve and Kim were hissing at each other, clearly upset. Kim turned toward Maddy with a look of despair and commiseration on her face, frowning once she saw the reassuring expression on Maddy's face.
Addressing both of them, Maddy stated, "We'll make this work."
"But—" Kim protested as she stepped forward, stopped by Maddy's ensuing interruption.
"This will work," Maddy reassured Kim firmly, staring intensely into the woman's eyes. Smiling deprecatingly, Maddy shrugged, "I'll make it work somehow."
Without waiting for another response, Maddy turned her back on Kim and Steve and walked down the stairs, but she heard a small part within her plead, Please let this work.
The following morning, Maddy absentmindedly angled her SUV into a parking space outside Caffeine Bean, the local café at which she stopped most mornings to pick up a beverage before heading in to the Rock. Sliding out of her seat, she couldn't keep from returning to the thoughts that had been running through her mind ever since Steve had told her about Darby becoming the new head coach at the Rock. As she did so, Maddy felt a gnawing in the pit of her stomach that felt an awful lot like dread… and fear. There were no remaining traces of the hope and certainty that she had felt just yesterday.
Oh lordy, she thought to herself. How the heck am I going to make it through today?
Silently, she wished with all her might that the day would end quickly, that she could hasten through all the awkwardness and trouble that today would most certainly bring and just skip to tomorrow where things would hopefully be slightly better and somewhat less painful.
Sighing audibly, Maddy thunked her head against the steering wheel more forcefully than she had anticipated. Scoffing humorlessly at her own clumsiness, she took a deep breath and pushed open her car door, sliding down to the pavement as she thought back to the previous day. The day that had followed her fatal blow-up with Steve, Kim, and Summer, which Maddy referred to affectionately as "The Day I Royally Fucked Everything Up."
Slamming the car door behind her, she rolled her eyes at herself.
She couldn't explain either the fear or dread that churned in her stomach. She had known Darby. While they had not been friends—due to the age and geographical difference between them—Maddy had seen her training ethic first hand and it had been impressive, but still… something was bothering her. Maddy just had this gut feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong this morning.
Was it jealousy? Was that what was causing Maddy's spidey-sense to jangle? Did she just not want to give up her position of head coach at the Rock? Even as she thought it, Maddy discounted the very notion. She had told the parents' board the truth when she said that she was too young and the responsibility was too great for someone as inexperienced as she was. But was Darby Conrad—who was only two years Maddy's senior—any better?
Shaking her head as Maddy stepped up to the counter, she ordered a cup of black coffee and then, with a distracted smile, thanked the young lady who handed it to her. Instead of returning straight to her car however, Maddy found herself gravitating toward one of the small, round tables next to the window, sitting down and leaning back comfortably in the chair, her hands resting on the table as she continued to stare into space, lost in her thoughts.
She was so absorbed in her wanderings in fact, that she jumped horribly and just managed to keep from spilling her coffee as a male voice greeted, "Hi, there. Do you mind if I join you?"
Running a hand through her tousled hair to push it out of her face, Maddy looked up at the handsome man who had interrupted her worrying. He was young, probably in his late-twenties, with dark brown curly hair that brushed down over his ears and golden brown eyes that were hidden behind delicate, black-framed glasses. He was smiling at her, his teeth white against his lightly tanned skin, but Maddy noticed that his cheeks were tinged with a faint red color. He was blushing.
Intrigued, Maddy gestured with her free hand to the chair situated opposite her, smiling back kindly in response.
"I'm Peter," he continued once he had taken her invitation to sit, meeting her eyes boldly.
"Maddy," she offered with a bemused smile.
"Well, Maddy," Peter said with a charming, warm smile. "It's nice to finally meet you."
Bewildered—and blushing horribly—Maddy smiled genuinely and responded, "Likewise."
There was a comfortable silence then as the two gazed at each other, smiling foolishly, but Maddy broke it with a small chuckle as she brought her coffee cup to her lips, blowing on the hot liquid gently before taking a small sip.
A thought occurred to her suddenly and she pulled her cup away from her lips. Narrowing her eyes at Peter, she asked with a puzzled smile, "Finally?"
"Hmm?" Peter asked confusedly at her seemingly random question.
Playfully suspicious, Maddy clarified, "You said that it was nice to finally meet me."
Peter's eyes widened and his blush deepened, suggesting to Maddy that he had let some awful secret slip. Sighing, Peter gathered his courage and divulged, "I come here every morning for coffee. Did you know that?"
Sheepishly, Maddy shook her head no, wondering where he was headed with this comment.
"Didn't think so," Peter replied, as though he was disappointed she had never noticed him. Waving his free hand in a dismissive gesture, he shrugged as he lied, "It doesn't matter." He shifted uncomfortably in his chair as he leaned forward, again gesturing with his hand as he continued, "But anyways, I come here every morning at about the same time you do…and every morning, I try to work up the nerve to talk to you." His eyes, which had been avoiding her gaze previously, quickly met hers before darting away again, betraying his embarrassment.
Feeling a blush tint her own cheeks, Maddy raised her cup to her lips and took a scalding sip as she reflected on what Peter had said. How had she never noticed this man before? Taking another quick look at his face, Maddy allowed herself to really study him and realized that he was drop-dead gorgeous. And he was too intimidated to talk with her? Sitting across from him, she could barely remember her own name.
Forcing herself to calm down, Maddy raised her eyes and caught his, forcefully holding his gaze despite the roiling of the butterflies in her own stomach. Giving him a small smile, she raised her coffee cup to her lips as she said, "I didn't realize that I was so terrifying."
Just as she hoped, he laughed, his face breaking into a crooked, charming grin.
"Yes, well," he began, the grin slowly fading, "I've never seen you smile. Mostly, you just frown."
"I do not!" Maddy laughed, shocked.
He didn't answer her with words, but instead cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow, giving her a look that said, "You know I'm right."
Sighing, Maddy nodded her head concessively and said, "All right. I suppose that I've had a few unpleasant things on my mind lately."
"Such as?" Peter inquired in a friendly manner.
Surprising herself, Maddy found herself answering honestly, "My job."
"What do you do?" he asked conversationally.
"I work at the Rocky Mountain Gymnastics Center," Maddy replied hesitantly, not yet wanting to divulge her entire sordid past.
"Oh," Peter acknowledged. "You're a Rock girl, huh?"
Maddy laughed. "Something like that," she answered, rolling her eyes. Trying to change the subject, she turned the interrogation onto him. "And so what is it you do, Peter?" she asked.
Leaning back in his chair, Peter replied, "I'm a history teacher at the local high school."
"No way," Maddy responded, surprised that he was a teacher and so young. "Do you like it?" she questioned interestedly.
"Yeah, I do," he said with a smile. Frowning, he leaned forward again and rested his elbows on the table as he said, "But, we were talking about you." Smiling, he returned to the previous subject, having noticed her pathetic attempt at evasion. "So what is it about your job that has you frowning lately?"
Sighing heavily, Maddy was pleasantly surprised to find that she didn't mind his questions. In fact, it was almost nice to have a conversation with someone who seemed to know nothing about her. Normally she would have been angered by someone interrogating her, but Peter's easy-going attitude and friendly demeanor were exceptionally pleasing to her.
But that didn't mean she wanted to dump all of her cumbersome baggage on him right away. Licking her lips, Maddy answered, "It's sort of complicated and I'm not sure I want to talk about it just yet." Smiling to let him know that she wasn't upset with him, she hurriedly continued, "Maybe some other time though?"
His grin fading, his eyes grew serious as he replied, "Sure. Maybe over dinner? Tomorrow night?" He tried to suggest it casually, but his tapping fingers gave away his nervousness.
Maddy's eyes widened in shock. Had he just asked her out? Running his question through her mind again, she was even more surprised when she confirmed that, yes, Peter had just asked her out on a date. Should she go?
Immediately, Sasha's face swam before her eyes, the picture as clear as if he were standing right in front of her, as if he had never left. There was a time that she had thought maybe she and Sasha would have made a handsome and compatible couple, but she had been proven utterly wrong only a few months ago. His proclamation of love had only filled her with anger.
But Peter was not Sasha. In fact, from what she could tell, he was the exact opposite of Sasha.
Peter smiled where Sasha rarely had. Peter was polite and outgoing where Sasha could often be taciturn and withdrawn. Peter had something about him that made her want to smile and laugh all the time, like she used to.
Perhaps Sasha had been right for the Maddy that she had been three days ago, but, after turning over her new leaf the other night, perhaps someone like Peter was more her style.
Realizing that she wanted to accept Peter's proposal of a date, Maddy suddenly knew that it was unfair to say yes without explaining how complicated her life truly was right now with the Rock, Darby…and Sasha.
"I wish that I could say yes," Maddy replied honestly and disappointedly, pausing as she tried to figure out a way to continue.
"But you're seeing someone," Peter filled in the silence for her, avoiding her eyes now.
"No!" Maddy contradicted quickly, leaning forward and placing her hand lightly upon his own. "No that's not it at all."
Peter looked back up at her hopefully.
"It's just that—" Maddy broke off, again trying to find the best way to explain. Sighing, she pulled her hand away and tried, "Remember how I said that things were complicated at work?"
Peter nodded.
"It's not just at work that things are complicated. I have a lot going on in my life," Maddy clumsily explained. Closing her eyes, she spat out, "What I mean is that it's not a good time for me right now, but maybe in a few weeks?"
Peter grinned again and reached for a napkin, pulling a red Sharpie from his pocket. Leaning down over the linen, he wrote for a moment and then pushed it toward Maddy. She looked down at what he had written and smiled. Across the table, Peter grabbed his coffee cup and stood. Picking up the napkin on which he had scribbled his number, Maddy looked up at him from beneath her light eyelashes and asked coyly, "And what is this for?"
"For when things are less complicated," Peter answered, shrugging. He then leaned down toward her slightly and continued softly, "Or even before." Standing upright again, he winked at her and turned to walk away. After a few steps, he turned quickly back to a bemused Maddy, tipped his cup at her, and said, "See you tomorrow, Maddy."
Blushing as she watched him leave with a giddy smile on her face, Maddy again wished fervently that tomorrow would hurry up and come soon, this time for a completely different reason than before.
The giddiness and good mood that stemmed from her unexpected encounter with Peter that morning sustained Maddy for almost half the day. Whenever her nerves became too great or a cold sweat beaded on her forehead, just thinking back to his embarrassed smile brought her butterflies back to life, dispelling any sense of dread that she had been experiencing.
She couldn't remember the last time that she had had such a good feeling about someone. Hell, she couldn't even remember the last time she had felt this good!
Peter seemed like the perfect gentleman and Maddy often found her thoughts wandering toward him, wondering where he was from, what grade he taught, how he had decided to become a teacher, and did he really get coffee every morning?...
"Maddy!"
An insistent shout yanked her from her reverie. Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, Maddy looked up to see Payson gesturing to her from near the vault. Nodding her head, Maddy told the young woman she had been working with to continue and then she strode over to Payson.
"What's up?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest.
"'What's up?'" Payson repeated incredulously. "I've only been trying to get your attention for the last five minutes."
"Sorry," Maddy apologized quickly. Smiling, she explained, "I've just had something on my mind."
"Yeah, you and everyone else in the gym," Payson responded with a roll of her eyes.
Frowning, Maddy asked confusedly, "What do you mean?"
"The new coach?" Payson replied hesitantly. At Maddy's confused expression, Payson's eyes widened and she clapped a hand to her mouth. "You didn't know?"
"No," Maddy quickly contradicted. "I mean, yes. I did know. I just didn't know that everybody knew. I was under the impression that it was a surprise."
Payson rolled her eyes again. "Steve told Lauren so, naturally, the entire gym knew in a matter of minutes," Payson explained drolly.
Maddy laughed. "So what did you need, Payson?" Maddy asked, wondering why Payson had asked her to come over.
Taking a deep breath, Payson nervously twisted her hands as she hesitantly divulged, "I was thinking about changing my vault routine a little."
Maddy settled back on her heels, listening.
Payson nodded and hurriedly finished in a single exhale, "I want to turn it into a front handspring under the horse into a front tuck half."
Maddy's only immediate response was to blink twice.
Raising her hands toward Maddy, Payson quickly continued, "I know that it's a really difficult power vault, but—"
"You're right," Maddy interrupted authoritatively. "It is a difficult power vault. Power vault, Payson," she repeated for emphasis.
"I know," Payson conceded, but she was far from ready to give up trying to convince Maddy. She took a deep breath to keep going, but Maddy placed a hand on Payson's shoulder, silencing the girl.
"I know this is hard for you," Maddy began, "but—"
"No, you don't know," Payson interrupted quietly. "You chose to be an artistic gymnast. I didn't."
Smiling gently, Maddy responded, "I had no more control over the growth of my body than you did. My body decided that I would be tall, but I understand what you mean. I embraced artistic gymnastics. I loved it. Still do."
"I do, too," Payson sighed, frustrated. "But sometimes I just wish..." she trailed off.
"So did I," Maddy confided, knowing that Payson meant she wished she could still do power gymnastics.
Payson's head whipped up to meet Maddy's eyes. "Really?" she asked.
"Mhmm," Maddy confirmed. "There was this one time—after the gym had closed and my coach wasn't watching—I must have spent hours trying to land this vault I'd seen a girl try earlier that day. Man, I was so convinced that I could learn to do it."
"Did you?"
Leaning forward toward Payson, Maddy replied honestly, "I've never eaten more mat than I did that day. Ever."
Payson smiled.
"I wanted that vault," Maddy continued. "More than anything. I set all my determination, all my strength, into mastering it, but my body just wouldn't let me." Maddy paused, "It was hard. Admitting that I couldn't do something I set my mind to, but I don't regret trying. I learned what my limits were that day. One day, you'll understand yours."
There was a long pause, but then Payson asked with a sigh, "So you won't help me?"
Slipping back into her coach mode, Maddy stood up straight and said forcefully, "I was perfectly healthy when I tried to master that vault. And I still couldn't do it. But you, Payson, after what you've been through? I'm afraid that you'll seriously hurt yourself if you pursue this. So no, I will not teach you this and—if I see you trying?—I'll have you clean every mat in this gym. Twice."
Without waiting for her complaint, Maddy spun on her heel and walked away, hoping that she had managed to get through to the young gymnast.
The moment finally came.
"Excuse me, everyone," Steve's voice rang through the gym at about noon. "Can I have everyone's attention, please?"
Maddy closed her eyes and bowed her head, pinching the bridge of her nose with a sigh. To herself, she whispered, "Here we go," but then when she raised her head and walked over to Steve, there was a bright smile on her face as she tried to convince everyone that she was happy with the upcoming events.
"As you all know," Steve continued when Maddy had made it to his side, "We've been looking for a new head coach and I'm happy to report that we've finally found someone qualified and honored to come and work with us."
Looking out over the gathered gymnasts, Maddy's sense of unease grew as she saw several skeptical and unimpressed expressions and she couldn't help but wonder what they knew about Darby that she didn't.
"She's a two-time silver Olympic medalist who trained right here at the Rock," Steve continued obliviously, "please join me in welcoming our new coach, Darby Conrad!"
Steve turned and opened one of the double doors behind him, revealing a beaming woman standing behind the door. Confidently, she strode into the gym with a bouncy gait and raised a hand, waving it excitedly as she said, "Hi!"
Her enthusiasm surprised Maddy, but she refused to show any discomfort or foreboding, aware of all the eyes that were on her, waiting for her reaction.
Darby continued speaking like an overexcited teenager. "First of all, yay!" she screamed. "I am so stoked to be here in the company of the three most elite gymnasts in the country…"
Darby continued talking but Maddy stopped listening as she heard Payson whisper to Emily, "And from serious gym to silly sorority."
Frowning, Maddy bit the inside of her cheek. She had been under the impression that Lauren and Darby had met at gymnastics camp and had hit it off, assuming then that Payson must also have liked and respected Darby, but her comment seemed to suggest the opposite. Clearly, Payson wasn't pleased with the turn of events.
The knot in Maddy's stomach grew.
Tuning back into what Darby was saying, Maddy heard, "…So I won't be imposing all these rules on what you eat or even when you come into the gym!" Darby clasped her hands in front of her, smiled conspiratorially at many of the gymnasts, and finished, "And I also won't be imposing any sort of dating policy on you guys. I believe that you're all mature enough to make your own decisions."
Thoroughly shocked, Maddy let the first sign of her worry show on her face as her mouth fell open in astonishment. She hurried to close it, but with Darby's next comment, it fell open again, this time accompanied by her eyes widening and a small head shake at the absurdity of the situation.
Serious, Darby bowed as she finished, "You are the masters of your universe and I bow to the powerful goddess within you all."
Glad that everyone seemed to be staring at Darby and not their assistant coach, Maddy took the opportunity to gather herself and returned her expression to one of support and approval, albeit with a great amount of effort.
Looking around her, Maddy saw that many girls were huddling close to their neighbors and whispering softly, giggling and smiling behind their hands in their pleasure at the lifting of the dating ban. The boys seemed quite pleased as well, though they didn't show it in such an obvious manner.
What was Darby thinking? In just a moment, she had taken away all the structure and guidelines for these kids, leaving them to "be the masters of their universe". What she being serious?
Maddy considered those rules exceptionally important, not just to keep their gymnasts from getting into trouble, but to keep the atmosphere in the gymnasium professional. Furthermore, enforcing those rules clearly delineated the lines between coach and gymnast. Would the kids follow Maddy's instruction so closely and without hesitation if they didn't need to follow her other rules?
Maddy snapped back to the present as she felt Steve's hand upon her arm. "Shall we convene in the office, ladies?" he asked with a smile.
Still glancing uncertainly at Darby, Maddy nodded and allowed Steve to steer her toward the stairs and the gym's office, trying to debate how she could easily broach her concerns with Darby. Kim and Steve had both informed her that this was Darby's first real coaching job and as such, Maddy feared that she would be adamant about making her own way, thereby refusing and resenting any advice that Maddy might give.
Sighing, Maddy reflected that it had never been this tense and awkward working with Sasha. She had never questioned whether to speak her mind or respect his decisions. He had been completely open to her ideas and they had worked as a team, as partners.
But Maddy could already tell that that wasn't going to be the way with Darby. Already, Maddy felt a coldness and standoffishness emanating from her, most likely stemming from both Maddy's checkered past and Darby's desire to succeed as a coach on her own. There would be no team, but instead the clearly defined roles of head coach and assistant.
Readying herself for the ensuing confrontation, Maddy rolled her head on her shoulders subtly and planted her feet as she folded her arms across her chest, turning to face both a beaming Steve and an equally ecstatic Darby.
"Darby," Steve began, "I'd like to introduce you to our assistant coach here, Madelyn Reynolds."
Politely, Maddy extended her hand and smiled, that smile disappearing in shock as Darby grasped Maddy's hand with both of her own and replied, "I know. We've met. It's a pleasure to be working with you."
Thoroughly shocked at the apparent sincerity of her words, Maddy spoke without thinking. "It is?" she asked incredulously.
Darby laughed at the confused expression on Maddy's face. "Of course it is! I can see that you've done an amazing job holding this gym together after…" Darby trailed off and looked back uncertainly at Steve, sensing that she had begun to broach a subject that was still sensitive after all this time. Whether it was Darby's own evaluation of Sasha as a sensitive topic or whether Maddy had instinctively stiffened slightly at the approaching mention of Sasha's resignation, Maddy couldn't be sure, but she was determined to quell the awkwardness that had suddenly pervaded the room.
Bravely, she retrieved her hand and let her posture relax, hoping to soothe everyone's nerves as she said with a smile, "Sasha's leaving was…hard…for this gym to take, but I believe that we've all moved past it and we're looking forward to seeing what you will be able to do as a coach here. I myself am more than happy to help you in any way that I can." Maddy paused and gestured toward the floor of the Rock, continuing, "I've worked with all of these gymnasts since Coach Belov's departure and so I know their strengths and weaknesses and, while I'm sure that you would like to observe them for yourself, I would be glad to give you the basics."
"That would be fantastic," Darby said, just as Steve's phone rang shrilly from his pocket. After excusing himself, Darby leaned closer and said with a heavy sense of relief, "I'm so glad that you're on board with me coaching here. I was afraid that you would make it hard for me."
Again surprised, Maddy immediately asked, "What do you mean?"
"Well," Darby began, "I know that you've been acting as temporary head coach and I wasn't sure that you would be willing to return to your previous position as assistant."
"They didn't tell you?" Maddy asked incredulously. Shaking her head, Maddy divulged, "I asked them to find a new coach. I didn't want to be the head coach anymore."
Darby's eyes widened in an unspoken question and so Maddy quickly answered it, "When Coach Belov offered me the job here, I took it because I saw that I would be able to work one-on-one with the gymnasts. I saw that I could focus my attentions on a few gymnasts a day and I knew that I could help make a difference in their skill. But the last few months, I've been too busy to really give them the time that I used to and I've seen their performances suffer as a result."
"Why not ask the board to hire an assistant coach and then stay on as the head coach?" Darby asked with a frown.
Maddy laughed, deciding that it was time to change the subject. "I don't like doing paperwork," she said with a smile, hoping to ease Darby's fears that she would stage a coup and demand Darby's job back as her own.
Darby laughed as well and both she and Maddy turned when they heard Steve enter the office again, his arm around Summer's shoulders as he followed her into the office.
"Hi," Summer said as she walked forward with her hand extended. "I'm Summer Van Horne. One of the co-managers here at the Rock."
Darby shook her hand and smiled. "Kim Keeler is the other, right?" she clarified.
"Yes, that's right," Summer confirmed and leaned back on her heels. Following a brief, almost awkward silence, Summer launched into the role of tour guide, leading Darby around the office. "So, Kim and I share this desk and this is Sash—" she just managed to catch herself and then finished, "—this is your desk. Maddy's is over there, but she rarely does her work in here. Mainly, she's out on the floor and Kim and I handle the office responsibilities."
They all looked to Maddy, who gave them an innocent shrug with her hands held out to her sides, as though saying, "What're you going to do?",
"Oh gosh," Darby exclaimed. "It's a little tight in here. You guys and Sasha must have been all over each other." Darby finished with a small laugh, but Summer averted her eyes and Maddy forced herself to remain impassive.
"So," Steve said, clapping his hands together as he noticed the awkward tension in the room, "Do you have any questions or concerns?"
"Um," Darby took a moment to think and then shook her head. "I can't think of any."
"I can," Summer spoke up. "Structure is important for girls at this age and they've always had a strict starting time in the morning."
God bless Summer, Maddy thought to herself. She had been wondering about when and how to bring up the abolition of the more important rules that had previously been imposed upon the gymnasts. She was grateful that she wouldn't have to be the person to question Darby's judgment.
"With all due respect," Darby said with a smile, though her stiff posture indicated her defensive attitude, "they're no longer girls, they're young women. And I trust them to get to the gym on time because they choose to."
"Well," Summer rebutted, trying just as hard to remain polite, "sometimes they make the wrong choices, which is also why I'm concerned with lifting the no dating rule." Summer turned to look at Steve for support. "We've had problems in the past with girls fraternizing with boys in the gym."
"So the rules are just there to be broken?" Darby asked coldly.
"They're there to set the bar for what's expected of them," Summer explained.
"A dedicated gymnast sets her own bar higher every day," Darby replied, "but I'm only here to help her realize the expectations she has for herself. Look, oppression encourages rebellion, so why not liberate these young women and trust them to make the right choices for a change?"
Darby turned away from Summer then, effectively ending the conversation, but Maddy had a clear view of the glare that Summer gave to Steve, wondering if maybe Summer had not been on board with hiring Darby in the first place.
Deciding that, for now, it would be easier to work with Darby and convince her to change her rules if she cemented their friendship, Maddy made a spur of the moment decision. "You know, Steve," she began, "I was thinking that we should throw a party. A sort of 'Welcome to Rock' thing."
Steve's face brightened and Summer replied stiffly, "I think that's an excellent idea."
"Yeah, I thought so," Maddy replied, turning to Darby. "How's tonight? We can do it at my place. It'll give you a chance to get to know the gymnasts personally."
Darby smiled in appreciation and Maddy knew that it had been the right move. She and Darby needed to get along in order to work together, especially if Maddy wanted to maintain the same amount of authority and freedom that she had enjoyed when she had worked under Sasha. She and Sasha had respected each other, trusted each other, and she needed to build that relationship with Darby if she wanted this to work.
"I don't know what to say," Darby began, but Maddy cut her off.
"Say yes," Maddy laughed, walking over to the doorway before Darby had agreed.
Standing on the landing outside of the office, Maddy looked out over the gym and gave a shrill whistle. "Hey, listen up!" she called. When all the gymnasts had congregated near the stairs and Steve and Darby had joined her, Maddy continued, "In honor of our new coach, the Rock is throwing a welcome party for Darby." There was a scattering of applause and Maddy finished, "It's going to be tonight at my place. If anyone needs directions or a ride speak with Steve or myself." The gymnasts continued to stare at her, waiting for her to say something else, so Maddy made a shooing gesture with her hand and demanded with a smile, "Well, go on. Get back to work."
As the gymnasts walked away, Maddy turned around and led the way back into the office. She leaned down beside her desk and grabbed her duffel bag, straightening as she said, "I hate to run, but I was thinking maybe it would be best for you, Darby, to have the Rock to yourself today. What do you think? It'll give you a chance to get to know the gymnasts."
Darby looked suddenly nervous, but she replied, "Sure. That's a great idea."
"Awesome," Maddy said. "In that case, I'll see you tonight."
Maddy then began walking towards the doorway of the office, lightly snagging Summer's arm on the way. "Come on, Summer," she cajoled, "We're going shopping."
Laughing, Summer just managed to hook her fingers around the straps of her purse as she was dragged out by Maddy. Maddy led Summer down the stairs and then turned to look back up at Darby. With a smile and wink, she called, "Have fun."
Walking out of the Rock, Maddy sincerely hoped that Darby would be able to hold her own.
Thanks for reading and hopefully I won't take too long writing the next chapter!
