Ch.25
"I have the mother, sister, and first cousin of all hangovers." Kelly moaned into the mat, as she collapsed mid push-up. "My arms are burning, my head is spinning, and I cant breathe."
"Maybe if you stopped complaining so much, you'd be able to use your oxygen supply more effectively." Sasha called from the edge of the mat.
Kelly rolled her eyes, and turned to her friend for support, only to be met with a scowl. "We got drunk, in front of our coach, we deserve this." Payson whispered.
The brunettes mouth fell open in disbelief. The sex couldnt be that good, Kelly glanced back towards Sasha, who was walking towards the stairs to his office, or was it? She shook her head to refocus her thoughts, those were questions for another time. Right now she needed to snap her whipped friend back into reality, and that reality was full of pain for them, and loathing for the aforementioned coach. "First of all, how are you not more hungover? Because you look awful perky to me. Secondly how are you not more pissed? No one deserves this kind of treatment. I'm not sure if I've told you this lately but, your boyfriend is a psychotic sadist."
A male voice answered. "For once I wasnt the one who got drunk. I spent the night reliving moments from The Exorcist while taking care of my girlfriend. I shouldn't even be here!" Austin groused from Paysons right side. She'd had almost forgotten he was there suffering right along with them.
Payson turned her head to the other side. "Exactly. Your girlfriend, you and Kelly are dating and you live together. Im not even sure how many rules that breaks. A little extra conditioning is nothing compared to what should be happening." Payson wheezed as she struggled through her last set of push-ups.
Austin stopped with his arms fully extended and turned to glare at the blonde. "Really Payson, you want to go there with me, right now. If we're breaking the rules then what the hell are you guys doing? Your little Romanian boytoy should be down here doing the same exact thing as us." He stood to catch his breath as he finished his last set of one hundred. "If anything I thought your 'unique' relationship with our coach, would save us from things like this."
Kelly jumped in, "Yeah. I mean cant you just take him upstairs, and I dont know, take one for the team. It's not like we don't already know you enjoy it."
"And on that note, I'm no longer speaking to either of you." Payson deadpanned.
"Dont talk to us, go talk to him." Austin suggested as he began his first set of sprints.
"Less talking more conditioning ladies and gentleman. After all if you two plan to incorporate binge drinking into your training regime, we have to make sure your bodies are in optimal condition to handle it. Isnt that right Mr. Tucker?"
"I dont understand why I'm here." Austin muttered under his breath.
"I'm sorry, I was under the impression that you felt the complusive need to involve yourself in every aspect of 's life. Why should her new training regime be any different. Now if that's not a good enough reason, you're also here because despite my effusive warnings to the contrary. You've found yourself engaged in yet another relationship, with yet another one of my star gymnasts. And this time not only are you involved, but the two of you thought it was a good idea to secretly play house." Sasha answered from the podium.
"Glass houses, Sasha. Glass houses." Austin muttered to himself loudly enough to make Kelly snicker. The young man wasnt sure how much his coach knew of what he had learned about his own illicit relationship with a certain blonde star gymnast, but he knew the older man was well aware that Austin knew something was going on. It took all of his self restraint not to call him out on his double standard. He might not be playing house with Payson but that was probably only because she still lived at home, and Mark Keeler had a thousand yard stare that would make Floyd Mayweather back down. The only thing scarier than Mark Keeler would be Kim Keeler, mama lion extraordinare. He wondered if his coach would be so smug when he was on the other side of being discovered.
"I can tell you three doubt my methods. Let me remind you that the American Cup is in four weeks. I simply want to make sure that I'm doing my job. You will be the most well conditioned gymnasts there. A well conditioned gymnast is a winning gymnast. It's not all flashy tricks and flips, we have to make sure that you build a solid foundation. With that goal in mind, after the fifty sprints, I want all of you on the ropes. Thirty climbs in fifteen minutes, make that fourteen minutes. When you finish that, cool down and you can start the circut all over again." His speech might have been inspiring had it not been thinly veiled sarcasm delievered with a sardonic smirk.
Kelly glared at the now empty podium in anger. Unlike Austin she didnt feel the need to hold in her anger. "He's mad because we live together! He's slutting it up with one of his 'star gymnasts', and he's seriously holding living arrangments against us? He wasnt even supposed to be there!" She stomped her foot in frustration before whirling around to face the duo. "Payson go talk to him!"
The blonde wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. "Just for the record. We talked and decided that we leave our 'unique' relationship at the door. When we enter the gym, he's the coach and I'm just like any other gymnast. My going to talk to him won't do anymore good than you or Austin going up there."
Kelly rolled her eyes, and stalked over to the floor to begin her sprints. It was a lost cause, her friend refused to use the power they all knew she wielded over their coach, to get them out of this. She might as well suck it up and get it over with so that actual practice could start.
As they neared the end of the exercise Kelly noticed Payson slowing down, while rubbing at her side with her hand. Serves her right, the brunette thought, if she'd gotten him to call off this hellacious mockery of training, she wouldnt be groaning in pain. Kelly took the opportunity to make her point yet again. She jogged closer to the blonde, "I knew you guys were kinky, but I had no idea that you got off on pain." Payson tried to speed up, but Kelly matched her stride, as they caught up to Austin, who was sipping from his water bottle at the edge of the floor. "I'm just saying, I think you should be the one doing the spanking this time. Sasha's been a very bad boy."
Austin choked on his water before hopping to his feet suddenly in a hurry."Im going to take this opportunity to be somewhere else. There are some things a guy never needs to hear about another guy." That said he made his way over to the ropes.
Sasha appeared out of nowhere, intercepting him midway, and directing him outside towards the annex.
Kelly smirked at the uncomfortable grimace on his face, as he left the building, before refocusing on Payson. "On second thought I forbid it. No special attention for him tonight."
"I wish I could be somewhere else." Payson muttered.
Her friends obvious embarrassment forced Kelly to continue, she was in a staggering amount of physical pain, therefore no one would begrudge her some form of happiness, even if it did come at the expense of her friend's tomato red blush. "I mean it. You cant reward this type of bad behavior. It will only encourage him."
Payson decided to ignore her jibes, either that or she was to winded to talk. It didnt matter which as Kelly was happy to carry on the conversation without her.
"Why am I even worried, you'll be to sore to engage in any sort of sexy times tonight. Although maybe you could have him do things designed to make you feel alot bet-"
"Kelly, there's my girl."
The voice that interrupted them didnt have the clipped British tones that she had been expecting. It was so much worse, nasally and phony. Sasha came out of his office to stand on the podium and Payson turned towards the sound. Kelly remained stock still, in the middle of the floor, with her back facing the entrance. She saw the anger wash over Payson's features as the recognition set in, but she didnt need to turn around to know who it was, her mother.
"Well aren't you going to say hello to your mother?"
"Hello mother." Kelly deadpanned
Shelia narrowed her eyes. She did not tolerate attitude and back talk.
Sasha was making his way downstairs and towards them, when Payson walked over and caught his wrist, shaking her head gently. He gave her a confused frown but stopped, just off the floor.
"So I see you've finally pulled it together, and stopped moping around feeling sorry for yourself." Kelly didnt respond, but she widened her stance and took a deep breath. "That was an impressive showing in Greece. You still arent at your best," Her eyes cut to Payson, "But at least I've managed to turn that in your favor. Everyone loves an underdog. It wont take me long to whip you back into shape, and get you back on top of that podium.
The sponsors are already calling. I told them we'd get back to them in a couple of days. I would have said longer if I'd known beforehand the way you've let yourself go," She let her eyes linger on Kelly's hair with distaste. She had taken to wearing in one ponytail, in it's naturally wavy state. Sheila preferred it parted down the middle in two ponytails, or pin straight. "It shouldn't take me long to whip you back into shape." She gave Kelly an appraising once over, and then reached for her arm.
That seemed to snap the younger girl back into the moment. "Dont touch me."
Shelia looked slightly taken aback. "Kelly, I'm your mother. Now stop showing out in front of your friends and let's go some place where we can discuss business."
"No." Kelly stated firmly.
"No?" Shelia responded, this time she looked really put out.
"That's right, I said no. I'm not going anywhere with you. I dont want you anywhere near me, or my career."
Sheila rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. "I get it your a teenager, you felt the need to rebel, you did a good job. You ran away, found you a bad boy who rides a motorcycle and got yourself a fancy new hairdo, but playtime is over. Go get your things we are going back to Denver now."
Kelly didnt move, but that didnt deter Shelia she crossed her arms and widened her stance. "Don't worry I'll wait."
Sasha had seen enough, he shook his hand from Payson's grip and moved to stand in front of Kelly, plastering an obviously phony smile on his face, and held out his hand, "I'm sorry, I dont believe we've been introduced."
Shelia gave him a lazy glare, ignoring his outstretched hand. "Yet you still know who I am, and I know who you are Coach Belov."
Sasha pulled his hand back, but left his smile in place. "Good, then there wont be unnessecary confusion when I tell you to get the hell out of my gym."
Sheila didnt flinch at his words, but simply returned his smile."Happily, as soon as I get my daughter back."
Kelly's voice was clear. "I'm not going anywhere, I have practice."
Sasha gave an exaggerate shrug, stepping closer to Kelly. "Well there you go. Now as it is your first time here, you may not be aware of the rules but there are no parents allowed on the floor during practice. So you need to leave."
Shelia narrowed her eyes, and turned back to Kelly, her features set in disbelief, "Are you really going to chose this bunch over me, your family, your blood, your mother?"
The brunnette stepped around the blonde man to face her mother head on, she was grateful for Sasha's intervention but this was something she had to do on her own, there were things she'd waited a lifetime to get off her chest. "I dont have a mother. You've been many things to me a manager, a publicist, an agent, even sometimes a coach, but you have never been my mother. I dont have a mother."
Shelia adopted a softer tone. "Honey, you know that's not true. Since the beginning it has always been me and you, we're a team. Are you letting these people brainwash you? You realize they only want to keep you down, if you stay here you will only ever be second best. They only pretend to care to keep you complacent; managable.
You and I both know that you are not a pleasant person. It's not as if anyone could actually like you. You're bossy and mean and rude, but that is what make you great, what made you extraordinary. I'm the only one who can see that, nurture that. It's why you couldn't make friends when you were younger, they feared you because they couldnt control you; until now. You have given up your power for something as trivial as friendship and puppy love." She pointed between Payson and Sasha, and her tone hardened. "Do you think he will ever promote you over her? Wake up! Did they tell you that you were a part of the team, that they cared about you. It's all lies, I thought you were smarter than that. When did you become some silly ordinary little girl? Where is the champion that I raised? Where is the fight, the drive? That killer instinct that you were born with? I thought you wanted to be extraordinary, a winner. What happened to you?" Her tone was tinged with disgust towards the end.
Kelly's face was wet and her voice shook uncontrollably as she half yelled half sobbed the answer. "You want to know what happened to me? You want to know why I'm so ordinary? Why no one likes me? You happened to me! you made me, molded me into that person. But you're right I have changed, only they didnt change me; I changed me. And it was the best thing I ever did; getting away from you was the best thing I ever did." The declaration was strangled by the flood of tears that accompanied it. Kelly wiped her eyes fiercely, clearing her throat firmly and putting as much resolve into her words a possible. "I like the life I have made for myself here. You want to know the best part? You're not in it, and you never will be!"
If she was expecting her emotional declaration to affect Shelia in any way she would have been disappointed. The woman simply backed away and shook her head in a patronizing manner. "You ungrateful, simple minded, ordinary little girl. You may not want me here, but you will soon realize that you need me. I'm the only one that is going to look out for you. You'll realize that when youre standing on the sidelines watching all of you new found friends succeed. Maybe it will sink in when you're sitting in the audience in London instead of performing. Just remember this moment, when I tried to save you. Remember the moment you chose sentimentality over gold."
Sasha could see Kelly's spirit break a little more with ever word that her mother spoke. If anyone knew anything about overbearing parents and the damage they could do it was him.
"Enough, you need to leave now." All of the faux courtesy was gone from Sasha's voice.
Sheila's gave a derisive snort, and spun on her heels slamming through the gyms double doors. Sasha had a feeling it wasn't the last they had seen of the vile woman. He turned back to the floor to find Kelly locked tightly in Payson's embrace, as her shoulders shook gently.
"Practice is over."
A/N: Sorry about the wait and the brevity of the chapter. Life has been horribly busy! Senior year coupled with a new job does not leave one with alot of free time. I'll do my best to prioritize this story. Anywho hope you enjoyed it and there is much more left to come. feel freeto leave a review with any comments or suggetions, they keep me on task.