Chapter 13: But to cry in front of you, that's the worst thing I could do
"Well that's the last of them." Leo said, taping up a big brown cardboard box.
Kaylie bit her lip. She knew it was stupid that they were going to have to sell their house, but she'd spent hours choosing the colour of her room and organising it just how she liked it. She was neither a snob, nor a princess but she was worried that she wouldn't cope living in a much smaller house. Most of all she was worried for Ronnie. Her mother was very house-proud. She'd come from modest beginnings but she'd become accustomed to not having to work and to having a very wealthy husband.
Leo gripped his little sister's hand tightly. "It's going to be ok, Kayles."
"But how do you know that? Have you seen Mum, she looks exhausted all the time and she hasn't made any plans to support herself. She hasn't applied for any jobs."
"If worst comes to worst I'll get a second job. It's only one more year before I'll be fully qualified and be able to earn a decent salary anyway."
"No Leo! You're already working eighty hours a week. You don't need to earn more money. If anything I should be helping both of you. I've got enough money."
"Kaylie! Don't be stupid, you're going to use your endorsement money for university."
Kaylie rolled her eyes. "I can get loans to pay for college, and Dad will pay for it anyway if I ask him. Or I could get a scholarship."
"For what? You've given up NCAA."
Kaylie glared at her brother "we shouldn't fight. We are always fighting these days. I don't know how Emily and Payson did this?"
"Did what?"
"Living while having to worry about money."
Leo let out a bitter sounding laugh. He loved Kaylie but sometimes she was so naïve.
"Oh Kaylie, welcome to the real world."
Kaylie bit her lip and Leo instantly felt like trash. His kid sister had just offered to give up her college money for her family and he was telling her to grow up. "I'm sorry, that was tacky." He hugged Kaylie tightly while his sister dried the two tears that had snuck down her cheeks. "It's going to be ok, I promise."
Kaylie nodded and lent her head on his chest. "I know – I just wish things could be like they were before, but they can't."
"No, they can't. But things will get better. Mum will snap out of this, she'll get a job and make new friends. She's tough, you'll see."
"I love you, Leo."
"I love you too, Kaylie."
"Eurgh! Come on guys, break it up – we've got a house to move." Kelly said brushing past the siblings and picking up the box.
Leo grinned, trust Kelly Parker to lighten every possible situation. "Chill out Parker, and I'm carrying the box."
"Whatever Leo, I'm totally stronger than you." Kelly said taking the box outside to Sasha's van.
XXX
A week later Austin and Sasha were manning the barbeque in the Cruz's new back yard. Payson and Kelly were sunbathing on deck chairs while Leo and Summer were teaching James how to throw and catch a rugby ball. Ronnie had just finished tossing a salad and brought it out onto the table on the deck. She smiled. The past week had been awful, everything she did reminded her that she and Alex were totally broken up, it was really hard adjusting to the size of the new house as well. But seeing her kids and the Rock community whom she regarded as a second family made her hopeful for the future for the first time in years, really.
"Where are Lauren and Kaylie?" Ronnie asked.
Payson, Darby, and Sasha laughed and Ronnie raised an eyebrow.
"They're on mat cleaning duty." Darby said, sounding very evil.
"Lauren thought she would be late for practice." Payson added by way of explanation.
"And I reminded her that kind of behaviour isn't acceptable two weeks away from nationals." Sasha said quietly.
"So all the girls going to nationals are cleaning mats tonight instead of coming to the barbeque." Darby finished.
"Which means we get icecream!" Payson said excitedly, that was one thing she'd hated about being an elite – the crazy dietary restrictions that they had placed on them. While Kaylie and Lauren were back in training she didn't want to tempt them by eating unhealthily, but now that they weren't here she figured that they could eat what they wanted.
Kim laughed "I can remember the girls complaining about how tough you were Sasha, but I think that you're going to be nothing compared to Payson with toughness."
Sasha snorted "that's an understatement."
"Lies!" Payson said "I just don't want them to regret anything."
Kim hugged her daughter. Payson was a bit sensitive sometimes, and there was still some tension about Payson's decision to leave coaching after this season. But she'd really matured with her coaching. Payson smiled at Kim and kissed her mother on her cheek. Kim had slowed down quite a bit after her hospital visit, for which Payson was grateful.
Emily came and took the last deck chair, next to Kelly. She was really ripped from all her running, and she'd grown even taller since the Olympics. She was completely gorgeous, and looked like a supermodel in her white dress with blue floral prints around the waistline. She was completely oblivious to her beauty of course, which made Kelly respect her a thousand times more.
"Chip?" Emily asked, holding the huge bowl of salt and vinegar chips out to Kelly.
Kelly shook her head "no thanks" Emily might be able to keep a perfect figure but Kelly knew that she wouldn't be so lucky.
"Who are you texting?" Kelly asked curiously. Emily had been practically glued to her phone all afternoon and she knew she wasn't texting Damon because he was in recording all day, Emily had said.
"Just a friend from New York, who I go running with."
"Robin?"
"Yep – he's bored because his work's really slow. He works at a restaurant, saving up for college."
Kelly didn't want to pry, but she had a sinking feeling that there might be something going on. She knew that her friend had made up with Damon but they had been freezing each other out for ages. She changed the topic to nationals in the following weeks. Their Olympic team would be all reunited for the competition where they would be inducted into the hall of fame. Then Emily and Kelly would have one week back in Boulder before moving up to Harvard for the start of the semester. The idea was quite terrifying for Kelly, but she was getting quite bored being back in Boulder. Sasha had suggested she help with the booster club, but she wasn't that bored.
XXX
"Why the hell did you not come to training on time?" Kaylie snapped at her best friend.
Lauren rolled her eyes as she dragged a huge mat to the other side of the room "I was three minutes late, how was I to know they'd go crazy on us."
"Lauren it's Sasha, Payson, and Darby. Of course they'd go crazy!" Rachel piped in.
"Whatevs! There's no point arguing, we're here now." Lauren was pretty much over her depression, but sometime conflict made it flare up, even if it was just semi-serious banter between her friends. She couldn't wait to be off her stupid meds and be back to normal.
After what seemed like an eternity the six Rock elites finally cleaned their mats.
"Hey girls, do you know what would be awesome?" Kaylie asked. Lauren rolled her eyes. She had a sinking feeling about where this would be going.
"What Kaylie?" Lauren asked dryly.
"If we had a sleep over! Listen it would be perfect, we could use the old sleeping bags, and we each have a change of clothes and stuff for showers."
The younger girls were grinning. "Yes, yes!" Ronnie and Tori squealed.
"And Lauren can we try out your new nail polish you bought the other day? I saw it was still in your locker!" Nessie Piped up.
"Come on, Lo. Aren't you up for some team bonding?" Kaylie asked hopefully.
Lauren forced herself to smile. "Of course. I'll just go get changed." She walked passed Kaylie "you are so dead, Cruz" she whispered in her best friend's ear.
Kaylie smiled "you love me, you know you do. Besides we really need to bond as a team."
"Well if you really think so, then you can tell Sasha about your wonderful idea."
Kaylie suddenly looked very nervous.
XXX
"You know I was actually looking forward to sleeping at home in a bed when I came back to Boulder for the week." Emily snipped at her former teammates.
"How the heck is it that when you're late for practice you end up getting a sleepover? Marty would never have allowed it and I'm pretty sure Sasha's going soft!" Kelly added grumpily.
"And I'm not sure we'll make good chaperones." Emily added.
"Oh don't worry, we will." Payson looked maliciously at her athletes. "Come on; let's get the beds set up then." She said grumpily.
Kaylie hugged her teammates "you guys are the best!" She went and got the bed gear, the three new elites following her. All three girls looked incredibly starstruck by the presence of almost all of the Olympic team.
They spread their gear so their heads were all facing each other in a circle. There were bowls of celery sticks in the middle. Emily couldn't help smiling; she'd missed the camaraderie that came with being an elite athlete. No one could understand you like your teammates.
Nessie groaned, Emily found that weird. Nessie was the quietest of all the elite girls. She was the newest and didn't have a sister to support her.
"What?" Emily enquired.
"Oh it's nothing really. Just this girl at my old gym being arrogant all over twitter. 'OMG look at my adorbs new leo, can't wait for all my gorgeous fans to see me at championships xoxo' ick. She's so tacky."
Emily raised an eyebrow. "Wow I take it the two of you didn't get on?"
Nessie looked embarrassed. "I know it's poor taste to insult your teammates but Lisa is a bit of a pain. She was all buddy buddy with me till I beat her at our gym rankings, then she sort of ignored me. She's a bit two faced. And ever since she placed second at the Classic behind Rosa she's all like 'OMG future Olympian.' Of course she's gorgeous so everyone loves her."
"Oh Lisa Barnados?" Ronnie asked.
"Yeap that's her."
"Well you'll just have to whip her sorry little arse at Nationals then." Payson said, and the younger elites looked at their coach in shock.
"I'm sorry for being crass but I can't stand cattiness. It's tacky. And honestly Nessie you're one of the toughest competitors I've ever met but you're also one of the nicest, and at the end of the day that's what's important."
Lauren felt guilty, she felt she had to hide. She was such a bitch! She had treated her friends horribly. Suddenly she had to escape.
"Excuse me I have to use the bathroom." Lauren said quickly and ran towards the locker room. She slammed one of the toilet doors shut and pulled out her phone. "Leo?"
"Tanner?"
"Can you come pick me up?" She failed to suppress a sob.
"I'll be there in five." Leo didn't bother to question where she was going.
Back in the main area Kaylie and Payson both made moves to follow Lauren, but Kelly put a hand on Payson's shoulder.
"No I'll go. You guys enjoy your sleepover."
Kelly walked towards the locker room. She didn't really understand what Lauren had been through over this past year, but she saw Lauren as a sister. Not that she would ever admit that to the blonde girl; her ego was plenty big enough. But she also knew that being around such successful and nice people like Emily, Payson and Kaylie must be hard. Especially when Lauren had a lot to be guilty for. Kelly walked into the locker room to see Lauren, tears streaming down her face.
"Please Kelly – I don't want a pep talk at the moment – no offence."
"Lo, please? We're all so worried about you."
"No Kelly, just this once let me go home and feel sorry for myself." Lauren started crying harder. "Please."
Kelly's heart broke. She was used to seeing Lauren the bitch, Lauren the competitor, and even recently Lauren the selfless friend. But seeing Lauren the nervous, scared and depressed person hurt her. "Of course. But if you don't call me tomorrow I'm coming over."
Lauren kissed her friend's cheek. "Love you. Now go enjoy that stupid sleepover that Kaylie's inflicted on you."
Kelly chuckled as her friend went out the side door. She went back to her teammates and told them what had happened.
XXX
Lauren started crying in earnest once she got outside. She hated feeling like this! So much. Before long Leo drove his 4WD ute into the carpark. He jumped out of the vehicle and hugged his girlfriend tightly. And Lauren sobbed into his hair.
"Can you take me home?"
"Of course" Leo whispered tenderly.
They drove back to Lauren's house in silence. The lights were off: Steve was working late as usual. Lauren gripped Leo's hand and dragged him towards the front door.
"Lo – what the heck?"
"I want you, Leo." Lauren said desperately as she pulled him inside.
A/N Sorry, sorry, sorry for the late update! And for the short chapter but next time we're going to nationals! So that should be exciting. Who do you guys think will be the fourth US team member for Worlds? (After Kyla, Simone and McKayla?) I hope it will be Peyton. And also, who do you want out of the Rock girls to go to worlds? As always let me know what you thought! xx