The Other One by starpixie
"Geez Janet, what was up with those uneven bars? I thought you had those down."
"I don't know. I'm just feeling sort of sluggish today. I'll be better tomorrow, Coach, promise." I pleaded to Coach Banks, as I washed the chalk out of my hands.
"Well, that's ok. I don't blame you for being a little off. Especially with what your family situation has been like."
I winced at the mention of my family. Just two months ago, my mom and dad died in a car crash, leaving my brother, Darry, in charge. I really haven't gotten used to the idea. I sighed as I removed the ponytail from my yellow blonde hair and pulled on my warm-up. "So I'll see you tomorrow coach, for individuals, right?" I asked.
"Yeah. And we're doing floor exercises. So get some rest."
"Okay," I mumbled and walked out to the lobby to wait for my brother Darry to pick me up. He always picks me up on the way home from work. I go to a gymnastics academy, with a school within it. I received a full-scholarship to attend here until I graduate from high school. I am considered one of the best in the school and many think I will make it to the Olympics and easily obtain a college scholarship. But that's a long time away. I'm only twelve and I 've just started seventh grade. I wonder what it would feel like to win a gold medal, I thought. I started to drift off when I heard Melly, one of my friends, call me to wait up with her.
"What's going on girl?" Melly asked all bubbly, as she is normally. She has dark brown, curly hair, and has the best tan of anyone in the academy. And trust me, everyone here knows the importance of having a good tan. "What was up with Banks and your uneven bars? They weren't that bad..." she trailed off.
"Yeah they were fine, he's just picky. What are you doing later?"
"Oh, nothing," she twisted a chocolate-covered curl as I got my things out of my locker. "Probably watch TV. Maybe go tanning."
"Yes, because you really need it," I said, laughing.
"Um, maybe not, but I think you do. Want to join me?"
"Yeah, if Darry will let me." I sighed. "Well, there he is. I gotta go. Call me." I waved goodbye and walked to the car. Darry and my other two brothers, Ponyboy and Soda, looked much different from me. I was considered the "adopted child" of the family. I was really short, for starters. I stood at 4'10 and 76 pounds. The doctor says I could grow maybe to five feet, but gymnastics will definitely prevent me. Darry could lift me up by one arm, but I rarely let him. I have long, thick yellow blonde hair that I usually put up in a bun for gymnastics, and I have bright blue eyes and long eyelashes. I'm really not that pretty, I have a fake tan that my family is against in every way, and my body is nowhere near developed as most of the girls my age. I haven't even gotten my period yet. I doubt I ever will. As for my chest, well, let's just say that I never need to wear a bra.
"Hey kid, how was practice?" Darry smiled as I jumped into the car.
"Umm not bad," I said, a little bit surprised. Darry usually wasn't in a good mood ever since the funeral. I was always afraid of him. And I had reason to be. He was a BIG guy. He was about 6'2 with a very muscular build, with biceps literally the size of my head. He had thick, dull, brown hair, and blue-green eyes as hard as ice. A lot of people think he's really handsome, but they don't know him very well. At least he appreciated my love for athletics; Darry was an amazing football player in high school and played football for the University of Oklahoma. He just turned 23, and he has all this responsibility now. Maybe that's why he's always in a bad mood. He works for a roofing company at the moment, but he got a job in sales for some business in Tulsa. I just hope he can support all of us.
"Well, that's good. Have a lot of homework?"
"No, I only have some algebra to do and I've already finished half of it." Thank god for study hours at the academy!
"Well, I'm glad to hear that because we are all gonna do something really special tonight. I just got a raise and I proposed to Stacie. We're getting married and we're all gonna celebrate tonight!"
"Darry that's awesome!" I said. I was glad that he got a raise but I wasn't exactly a fan of Stacie, Darry's now-fiancée. What was he trying to do, rebuild our family? Whatever. Thankfully I was able to hide this. Darry was too excited to notice anyway.
When we got home, Soda and Pony were yelling, excitedly, along with their gang: Two-Bit, Dally, Johnny, and Steve. And their girlfriends? GEEEEZ. I can't stand the girls around here. They dress so slutty it makes me sick. "Go get that homework done girlie," Darry said, pushing me along to my room and shutting the door. Uggh. I always found that extremely annoying. I opened the door a crack and went to my desk and did my algebra. I yawned tiredly as I finished the last problem. I just began to realize how tired I was from practice. I went and laid down on my bed with my security blanket, which I called "blanky". No one could believe that I still had a security blanket, but I wasn't going to give it up anytime soon. I fell into a doze, when I felt someone open the door. And I knew exactly what they were going to do.