Chapter 25

Next day
3 pm

Aisha was reading a magazine, sitting beside Kimberly, as she laid asleep on the bed. Kimberly finally woke up.

"Hey you," Aisha said standing up quickly.

"Hey. Where am I?"

"The hospital."

"What happened?"

"You hit your head pretty hard."

"I did?"

"Yea, don't you remember?"

"Tommy...and Jason!"

"Fine, fine. They are both okay."

"Where's Tommy?"

"No one has seen him since yesterday."

"What?"

"He was...the cops took him to jail when your vitals crashed. We didn't think you would make it. We tried to go get Tommy...he had already called his parents and they came up. They paid the bond and..."

"He's okay right?"

"His parents got him out last night after much protest from the cops, but you were okay by then, unconscious, but stable."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. The judge forced mandatory anger management."

"Anger management? Tommy doesn't have a problem with anger!"

"It's was the only way to keep him out of jail."

"Is it really 3?"

"Yea."

"Competition starts in 2 hours!"

"You are not competing today!"

"Aisha!" Kimberly went to undoing her lines

"You are not even medically stable to leave the hospital!" Aisha pushed her back to lay down.

"Aisha, either you go and get my suit or I will."

4pm

Coach Blair was shocked to see Kimberly walking into the complex, carrying her bag.

"What are you doing here, Kimberly?"

"I'm fine."

"I was under the impression you are not medically cleared to compete. I just off the phone from your doctor.."

"I said I was fine! I can compete. I know I can."

"Kim, as your coach..." Coach Blair held her shoulders.

"Please. At least let me work out. I've trained too hard to just stop now. I need you two to believe in me. I need you to trust me. I'm fine."

"I will be watching you."

"I know." Coach Throne Henderson came over.

"Me too." Kimberly went and put her things away. "We shouldn't be allowing this, right?"

"Right," Blair said to her husband.

"Doctors did say she..."

"I know. Let's watch her practice. If she looks good...then we'll let her. The doctors are on standby, come on. We have a meet to win. This team needs fire. Maybe she can bring it."

5:10 pm

The team was in their locker for the famous peep speech before every meet. Locker was filled with nearly 20 hyped up girls, getting each pumped up and ready for the competition head

"Okay girls! We have a battle on our hands this afternoon. Stanford and Washington are coming off great wins at home. Arizona is looking for revenge after that devastating collapse, so let's keep it together. I know my girls can beat any teams out there. We have the poise, the skill, and Bruin spirit. I want 4 clean rotations ladies. You 3," Coach Blair Henderson pointed to Kimberly, MJ and Jenna. "will be our rocks. Anna, just need vault and floor, can you handle that?" She nodded with a smile. "The rest of you will give you all. I want sticks from all of you. Faith, got one perfect 10 beam for me?"

"You know it Coach!"

"Great. I believe in all of you, ladies. I know you can do. On 3, go Bruins. 1-2-3.."

"GOOO BRUINS!"

For college meets, it is much like Olympics with a little twist. This meet felt like a huge conference finals, with tv cameras everyone, since the reigning Olympic champ was competiting for the first time in a year. 6 girls for each apparatus. With 4 teams at this meet, this means, every equipment will be going on at the same time. There will be 4 judges at each station decided on the scores. With 6 girls going at each station, but only 5 scores to count, which gives one bad mistake, as long as the other 5 pick that person up. The home teams, UCLA this time, gets final go on the floor. Stanford and Washington started on floor and beam, respectably. Arizona and UCLA on bars and vault. UCLA getting a schedule of vault, bars, beam and finally floor. UCLA dominated vault. The team averaging the highest scores on vault in the conference, early this season. There is only one shot at vault, so you gotta stick it. Kimberly during practice, notice she wasn't getting enough speed or height to do her double front with a half twist vault. Each time she tried, she came up short. Right before she stood at the line, she decided to switch up her vault. Not a smart move without talking with the Coaches first. Kimberly stood at the line after the girl before her went, earning a 9.9 with her vault. She clapped and smiled her as she came up. Kim raised her arms to indicated she was ready. Her vault, if done correctly, could earn a 10, highest score. Kimberly took off. She did a cartwheel, half turn onto the horse into her double front. Coach Blair gasped, but it faded as Kimberly stood there perfectly, with a stick landing. She turned to the judges with a huge smile. Coach Thorne hugged her as she came off the mat.

"What a way to start, way to go!" He patted her back. All the girls hugged Kim as she came down. The judges gave her a 10. Never happened before for a freshman in her first competition. The team moved to bars. With Kim's giving the only perfect score, the team was tied for second place with Stanford after their great run on floor. Kimberly was powdering her hands for bars. She was to be going first. With only one mistake, Kimberly was finishing her lower beam work into her transition to high bar when she came to a complete stop. She had to press to raise herself to swing, and ended up hitting her foot on the lower bar as she passed. She did a full twist before her double layout, another stick landing. Judges gave her a 9.75.

"Way to save it," Blair said as Kimberly passed by.
"Thanks."

Beam had been eventful for every team on it. Stanford and Washington with key great performance mixed in with terrible falls on girls that normally wouldn't do it. UCLA team boosted themselves into first place after great all-around 6 routines, lowest score of 9.7. Kimberly added another perfect 10. She was defending Olympic champion on beam from '96, her credentials spoke loudly and she followed it up with the most difficult beam in the entire competition. Kimberly however, felt winded after beam. Kimberly was to be last up on floor. Team had clinched the title after the 4th girl went with her 9.95. Kimberly went out the floor and placed her hands on her head waiting on her music to start.

"She's pressing!" Coach Thorne said as Kimberly finished her dance sequence into her spins.

"She looks tired."

"We should.."

"NO! Let her go on!" Kimberly stood at the end, her final pass coming up. She took several deep breaths. She ended with a double pike, coming up short, but stuck the landing with catlike feet. The crowd erupted in cheer. The girls ran to her and hugged her. Kimberly smiled and took to steps before simply falling forward. The air was sucked out of the gym with a collapsed Kimberly on the ground.

Third cliffhanger in a row...I am sooo evil :)

Teaser:"Why so surprised?" Tyler asked.
"It's nothing. You sure you don't want anything?"
"Maybe some apple juice would be nice."
"Ok. I'll be right back." Kimberly got up and straighten her blue paisley poncho. She went down the hall to the vending machine. She loaded a dollar and saw Tommy in the reflection. She turned around, but the hall was empty. Kimberly sighed and pushed the button for apple juice.