Bitter Rivals
Chapter 11
Eavesdropping
Bailey and Kenzie stood in front of dozens of photographers posing together as if they were the best of friends. Bailey wrapped Kenzie in a hug, and both girls smiled. Then they turned so that they were back-to-back, and looked into the cameras without smiling.
"Okay, guys, I think that's enough for today," Bailey said. Kenzie looked over at Amanda, who was standing behind all the photographers. Amanda was too busy glaring at Bailey to notice.
All the photographers started to leave. "How often do you have to do that?" Kenzie asked Bailey.
Bailey smirked, "I have to do it all the time. You, however, are second best, so no one is going to want to interview or take photos of you when I'm around."
"Didn't you just tell a reporter you want us to be friends?" Kenzie asked.
Bailey laughed, "Of course I told him that. It's good for publicity for people to think we're friends. But, just so you know, we're not." With that, she walked to the locker room.
"Told you she was a bitch," Payson said with a smile.
Kenzie laughed a little, "Yeah. Pay, can I ask you something?"
Bailey walked out of the locker room over to the stairs where she had left her cell phone. Payson and Kenzie didn't notice her.
"Of course," Payson replied.
"Is Nicky Meghan's father?" Kenzie said. Bailey stuffed her fist in her mouth to keep from making any noise. She grabbed her phone off the stairs and ran behind some mats to eavesdrop.
Payson looked away from Kenzie toward the window. She remained silent for a moment before she spoke, "Yeah."
Kenzie's eyes widened in shock, "Does he know?"
Payson shook her head, "No. And I don't ever plan on telling him."
"Why not?" Kenzie asked.
"He has his own life now. He doesn't need me to ruin it by telling him," Payson said quietly.
Kenzie gave her a disbelieving look, "Right, how about the real reason?"
Payson sighed, "Meghan and I didn't exactly have the perfect life when she was younger. I worked two jobs, and our neighbor babysat her. I'm afraid that if she meets Nicky and sees what a great life he has, she'll resent me for not letting her be with him."
"Payson, Meghan loves you. She'd never resent you for that, but she deserves to know her father. Plus, you know Nicky better than I do, and I think he'd love Meghan," Kenzie assured her.
"He probably would. But Kelly told me at Nationals that he was married. Then Bailey told me yesterday he was sleeping with Kelly, so I don't know what to do. If he's married, I don't want to throw this on him, but if he's not, then I want to tell him," Payson said.
Kenzie smiled, "Here's a crazy idea: ask him."
"I'm not going to ask my ex-boyfriend if he's married," Payson said.
"Then look at his hand?" Kenzie suggested.
"I did. He didn't have a ring on, but maybe he took it off for practice?" Payson said.
"You should tell him either way," Kenzie said.
Payson sighed again, "I might. Go get ready. Practice starts soon."
Kenzie nodded and sprinted to the locker room. Bailey walked out from behind the mats with a big smirk on her face.
--
"Still mad at me?" Nicky asked Payson. She had been avoiding him the entire practice. They both stood beside the bars, watching Claudia do her routine.
"I was never mad," Payson said.
Nicky rolled his eyes, "Good, because you would of had to get over it. We have to pick the girls we're taking to London at the end of the week."
"Doesn't the National Committee do that?" Payson asked.
"Not since the Rock beat China ten years ago. Now they just approve our selections," Nicky replied.
Payson smiled, "Good. Because I know who we should take."
"Oh? And who would that be?" Nicky asked.
"Kenzie, Amari, Claudia, Natalie, Marcy, and Paige," she said.
Nicky laughed, "They will never, ever, let you leave Bailey behind."
"She deserves to be left here. She's unfocused, she doesn't listen, and she's just a bitch," Payson said.
Nicky shook his head, "She's not a bitch. She's just misunderstood. Her life wasn't as easy as Princess McKenzie's."
"Please, Kenzie's life isn't easy. I don't think Amanda even knows her name," Payson said.
"She's rich, Pay. Bailey wasn't until she won her first gold," Nicky said.
Payson shook her head, but before she could reply, Claudia dismounted and looked at them for approval.
"That was great, Claud," Nicky said.
"Spectacular," Payson agreed. Claudia smiled and walked over to the water cooler to get a drink.
"Did you see her routine?" Nicky asked Payson.
"Nope. You?" she replied.
"No," he said.
--
"So, Nicky, what do you think of your co-coach?" Bailey said with a smile. He looked up from the report he was writing and saw the blonde girl standing at the door to his and Payson's office.
"What I think of Payson doesn't matter. Bailey, you're going to have to be nicer to her," Nicky said.
"Why?" she asked. She walked over to his desk and sat down on it the way Fran did Mr. Sheffield's on some TV show her mom liked to watch.
"She wants to leave you here, Bailey," Nicky said.
Bailey looked at him confused, "Huh?"
"She doesn't want to take you to London," Nicky said.
Bailey laughed, "The National Committee won't let her do that."
"They don't have a choice, Bailey. I told her that they approve our selections, but they don't. She and I pick the team that goes," Nicky said.
"Well you won't let her do that, right?" Bailey asked.
Nicky rubbed his forehead in frustration, "I don't want to disagree with her, Bailey. We have to work together for the next year. And we're just starting to get along again."
"So you're going to leave me here?" Bailey snapped at him. She jumped up from his desk and stood in front of him.
"I don't want to, so try to be nicer, and listen to her, okay?" Nicky said.
Bailey gave him the angriest look he had ever received, "No. If you and her want to leave me here, fine. I'd like to see you try to win without me." Then she stormed out of his office.
"Bailey, wait!" Nicky shouted. He chased after her. He caught up with her halfway down the stairs. He put his hands on her arms and looked right into her eyes.
"I don't want to leave you here. And I know we can't win without you, but I do not want Payson mad at me over this," Nicky said.
Bailey glared at him, "Right, because it'd be pretty hard to get back together with her after that."
"Is that why you're so mean to her?" Nicky asked. "Things between us ended almost six years ago. I proposed, she said no, she moved to New York. Not exactly a fairy tale."
Bailey nodded, "I just have one question: did you love her more than you love Kelly now?"
"To be honest with you, I don't really love Kelly," he said.
"Really?" Bailey asked.
"Yeah, I got with her after Payson left because she was Payson's opposite," Nicky said.
Bailey smiled, "What about now?"
"Now, I think I love you," Nicky whispered. No, I don't he thought to himself, I'll always love Payson. But she hates me now.
Bailey smiled again. She leaned up and kissed him softly.
Unbeknownst to them, a red haired women had seen everything. And so had her brand new video camera.
