Sorry for the wait. It wasn't for lack of trying though, I must have rewritten this chapter like five times, Metallicababy55 can attest to that. Anyway I made it pretty long, but I haven't edited it but if I wait to post this until after I edit it, you won't see it for awhile so I decided not to make you wait. Anyway if I get at least 35 reviews I will post a sneak peek at the end of each chapter…. And first five get to ask a question.
Meg
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns my characters, USA gymnastics owns itself, and my Psychology teacher owns the joke.
Over the next few weeks, my life began to resemble an actual life instead of the semi-life that I had been living.
We were training a lot. We figured out a system that seemed to work for us, one that incorporated some of what Carlisle had taught me while also compensating for the lack of training time that we have to deal with.
Sunday, we worked on flexibility and dance elements. Monday, was 'Vault day.' Tuesday, we worked on uneven bars. Wednesday, we tackled the balance beam. Thursday we focused on floor. On Friday, since our school got out at 1:30 for faculty meetings, it was free-for-all, no bars held conditioning. Finally Saturday was our routine day. We were building new routines to fit the new requirements. It would have been perfect, if we hadn't had school. Yup that's right, we both attended Fork's high school. I didn't really have much choice, but Kaity chose to, saying it would be a 'challenge.'
Kaity and I had become best friends really quickly. It was almost like we had been hanging out together our whole lives. Jake called us his chocolate and vanilla girls. I was chocolate, and she was vanilla, which was funny because she was tan and I was… pale to say the least. It was kind of a long story involving a mock fight over what ice cream was better, chocolate or vanilla. The weird thing was the whole fight happened over ice cream, and with our diets, we couldn't even eat it anyway.
But that was just how we were.
Kaity, it turned out, was a native Philadelphian like me. She had moved around a lot as a kid, her dad being in the navy, but her 'home base,' as she called it, was Philly, and she had the accent to prove it.
Once we got to talking about Philly, it was so much fun. All of a sudden it was like being back home. The funniest part though, was poor Jake. Once we got started it was like we were talking a foreign language. He got so confused the one day, that it just kind of became a running joke. Running being the operative word, we were talking so fast that I doubted even Alice could've kept up with us.
It was a Sunday, and we had just arrived at the gym, all at the same time. Kaity had a bag of fruit with her.
"Ya'eat?"she asked me quickly.
"Nah d'you?" I responded just as quickly.
Jake just stared at us in amazement. "What the hell did you guys just say?" It's like a foreign language or something."
"I said, 'Ya'eat?'" Kaity said, a smirk on her face.
"And I responded, 'Nah d'you?'" I said, catching onto her joke.
"Wait….. what?! Did you just call her a Jew?"
"No I said, 'Nah d'you," I said in mock exasperation.
"No, I am a Christian," he responded confused, causing both Kaity and I to burst into laughter.
And it didn't just end there. Workouts and school weren't the only things. We hung out after practice. Charlie could never say no whenever Kaity wanted to stay over. She charmed him completely, or that is what she said. I think he was just happy to see me with another friend, and a gymnast at that.
But of course it couldn't stay like that. I was on the edge of a precipice. I knew I couldn't hide my gymnastics for much longer. Besides the fact that someone was bound to catch on, I knew that I needed to make a decision for myself.
I knew the only way for me to fully move on would be compete again. I was almost back to top shape, and was working on my new routines, so now all that was left was to get my ass in gear and get over my fear.
I procrastinated however, pushing off my decision, telling myself that I would decided the next day, or next week, or if I could stick this trick or that. But I always pushed it off.
I needed a catalyst, and that was just what I got.
I had just come home from Jake's house. Kaity, Jake, and I had been cheering Alice on in Dancing with the Stars. It was becoming a tradition where we would watch, and then immediately bombard the phone and internet lines with votes from landlines, cell phones, and laptops alike.
Well Kaity and I did. Jake just watched us and shook his head at our 'girliness.' He said he was too masculine to watch the show, and resolutely hung out in the corner of the room talking with Quil and Embry whenever we forced him to put it on. But every once in awhile, we would catch all three boys cheering or shouting as they stared intently at the television screen.
But anyway back to the catalyst. I had just gotten home after dropping Kaity off at her house. I walked into the kitchen humming the Killer's Somebody Told Me.
As I rounded the corner I caught sight of Charlie trying to hide something behind his back. He wasn't quick enough though, I caught sight of an envelope addressed to me. I also noticed it was open.
"Chief!" I said, pretending to be shocked. "That is a federal offence!"
"I…uh…what is?" he stammered.
"Well now I know where I got my amazing lying ability from," I said wryly. "The envelope addressed to me that is open and hidden behind you," I clarified, holding my hand out.
"Oh." He sheepishly pulled the letter from behind his back.
I took it from him and glanced at the return address.
USAG Official Committee.
I froze before taking a deep breath. I glanced up and shone my performance smile to Charlie. It was the smile that had captured millions according to Sports Illustrated, and it seemed to work on Charlie too. Relief flooded his eyes, replacing the fear that was present before. The fear that plainly said he was waiting for me to have another meltdown.
"I'm going to start my homework," I stated, walking casually to the stairs. Charlie was so relieved that he didn't register the fact that it was a Friday night, a Friday night leading to an extended weekend. Therefore homework shouldn't even be a consideration at this point. But whatever as long as I got away without an interrogation, I didn't care.
Making it to my room quickly, I flopped down face first on my bed. Turning just my head, I glanced at the envelope.
Decision one: do I open it, or reopen it, I guess, or just forget it even came?
Decision two: what do I do when I do open it?
Before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed the envelope and pulled out the sheaf of papers inside.
I skimmed its contents.
Dear Ms. Swan,
We are writing to invite you to the Karolyi Ranch for a training and selection camp….
I skimmed over the details of when and where and got to the news part.
…new invitational and we would like to give you the opportunity to compete for a spot on the American team….
….We do hope to see you at the selection camp,
Sincerely,
Marta Karolyi and the USAG.
I spent the rest of the night just staring at the letter until I fell asleep.
"Five. Six. Seven. Eight, and one, and two, and three, and four, five… six… seven… eight and…" I counted aloud to myself.
This time, I tried it with some of the music.
"La Traviata? Seriously Bella?" Kaity interrupted.
"Its classical," I defended.
"Yeah a classical bore!" she chipped in from where she was lying on the floor, her legs inclined and her feet resting in Jake's reclined lap.
"Fine… How about this?" I pushed the seek button on the portable CD player on the edge of the floor area.
The jazzy notes of Aaron Goldberg's OAM'S Blues, filled the gym.
"Maybe if you are my seventy-year-old grandma," Jake joked, sending Kaity into a paroxysm of laughter.
"Fine!" I huffed, flopping down next to my two friends. "I give up! You choose my music if you are so good at it.
"Yay!" Kaity squealed. "Ok so here is the thing Bells, they are good songs, but they aren't you."
"What do you mean they aren't me? I picked them!" I said irritated. Ok so I was being a bitch, but I was really stressed over the whole training/selection camp thing.
"Yeah you did, but why did you pick them? Cause they are good for you, or because they are what is considered good by the big wigs?"
I opened my mouth to protest, but quickly closed it when her words sunk in.
Was she right? I mean I had used classical or alternative music for my floor routines in the past, but even then they weren't the types everyone else used. Was I trying to conform because I was afraid if I didn't, I wouldn't make it back in?
"Ok what about Supergirl? Without vocals of course," I suggested.
"Nope," Kaity said. "That was written for the old you."
She had a point there. I mean I was a completely different person and gymnast from who I was then. The song still applied, if anything I was stronger than before, but if I had any chance of holding on, I needed to reinvent my whole style.
So we pulled out my ipod and made Jake go get his speakers. Finally we had a song that was perfect.
"Now about those moves…" Kaity said.
I just looked at her, a look of understanding dawning on my face. Look out here I come!
"I think that might work," I said a while later as we were stopping for some food.
"Yeah it will be perfect to premier at the Karolyi Ranch, knock the socks off everyone."
I paused, my forkful of salad halfway to my mouth. "What?!" I practically choked.
"The selection camp we are going to in a few weeks. You must have gotten the letter cause I mean if they actually sent one to me they must of sent one to you."
"We're going?" I asked, mentally beating myself up because I hadn't thought of the fact that Kaity would know about it. I still hadn't made a decision on it.
"Yup! This is the perfect opportunity to get back into it," she explained cheerfully. "Besides it will be a challenge" she and Jake chorused.
Oh boy, I thought. Ready or not I was going, and I had a feeling that it was going to be the latter.
R and R!