Chapter 10
New Horizons
Caras POV
Things went on pretty uneventfully as school started up again. It was nearing Halloween and I was sitting beside Oliver in Potions when there was a knock on the door. Professor McGonagal stood in the doorway.
"Excuse me Professor, could I have Jameson please."
"Fine, leave your stuff there, you can test your truth potion when you get back." Snape said with malice laced through his voice.
"Sorry Severus I'm afraid she won't make it back on time, it would be advisable for her to take her stuff now"
"Very well, I want a two foot essay on the use and misuses of truth potion, now get out of my sight." With that I gathered my stuff and gladly followed Professor McGonagall out of the dungeans. We walked all the way up to her office where I took a seat at her desk. I couldn't think of anything I had done wrong that she would know of, and the twins weren't ones to rat on people!
"Cara, I have been in touch with your parents, and it has been arranged that you will leave the school for the Hallween break for some training in Sheffield, you will be flooing home tomorrow, any questions?" Wow cool!
"No don't think so, thanks professor."
"Ok dear, just try not to hurt yourself, we need you if I want to keep this cup in my office!"
"I'll try!" I walked back to the common room and began to organise my stuff.
The next day I was standing in Professor McGonagal's fireplace, ready to go.
"I trust you have everything secured safely. Do have a nice time and be carefull with that knee of yours Cara."
"I will thanks professor!" With that I yelled our address and took off.I soon arrived in our living room and was met by my parents.
My mother greeted me in her dressing gown, I hugged her and ran over to my dad. He picked me up and swung me around as he usually does.
The next day my father woke me up early and he drove me to my training base, the same arena as the world championships. We met my coach, Mike inside and I headed to the dressing rooms to change. I took out my new leothard and put it on, it was mostly red with a bit of yellow and sparkles on my chest and wrists. I grabbed my bag and headed back out to Mike and dad. I was walking out when I passed by a junior gymnastics class who must only be around eight, and had just finished training. They are so cute in their little leothards! All of a sudden one of the ones at the front with black hair screamed at me!
"You you're Cara Jameson! Oh my God, mummy says you're a really good gymnast, would you sign my gym shoes?" O wow that was unexpected! Then I noticed a picture of me on the beam upside down. I remember pictures like that in the gym I used to train at when I was little. We used to look at them in amazement and try to copy them. Snap out of it James!
"Am, sure!"
"Mine, mine too?" another little red haired girl asked.
"Will you sign my hand-gaurds?" Merlin, this is kinda scary, scary but good scary, I think! I just finished signing items for the group when I heard a mans voice.
"Megan, you ready yet, hurry up!" I looked up and saw a seriously fine guy calling to the little black-haired girl. Wow he was really tall, at least 6 foot, he had black messy hair and blue eyes. I must have been staring because he noticed me and smiled. Tee hee he smiled at me, beautiful smile
"Tony, Tony, that's Cara Jameson, she's like an Ooimpic champion and she signed my gym shoes!" She screeched at him, making me giggle. He looked over at me as I lifted my bag up again so I gave him my best smile and walked over to my dad and Mike.
"Hey kiddo, first slice of fame!" Mike teased me.
"Right I have to be getting to training, watch your knee and I'll see you later hun!" He said as he kissed the top of my head and left the arena.
"So warm yourself up and decide on an apparatus and I'll adjust some equipment."
"Yes sir!" I exclaimed as I began to stretch. Oh no he's heading for the vault!
"Hey Mike, step away from the vault! 'Tis an evil thing!"
"Ah I was worried you would say that. You have to get back on it sometime!" He said gently as he walked towards me.
"I know. Please make sure it is the right height!" I was defeated!
"Of course, you trust me don't you?" I was being silly. I finished my warm up and headed to the vault. I wanted to avoid eye contact with it so I let my eyes wander over the empty seats surrounding the arena. I noticed a few occupied seats, oh great I have an audience for my first time back on the vault. Damn there's one from the press with a big camara! Then I noticed the tall guy and his little sister sitting in the closest seats. Megan waved at me, so I grinned and waved back before I inspected the vault. It was the perfect height so I jogged the distance away from it to the white strip and stood behind it. Mike nodded to me and I decided to do a simple vault. I started to run. it was getting closer and closer. My foot hit the spring board and I panicked. I jumped sideways off it and landed softly on my feet. That was stupid, can't believe I did that!
"Mike put it up 2 please."
"You sure? You should try something simple first!"
"No I need to do it."
"Ok, if you feel you can do it." I was pissed off with myself, if I didn't do this now, I never would. I stood at the line and took a deep breath. I began to run. I slowly gathered speed. I reached the springboard. My two feet bounded off the board, I began the vault I should have done at the World Championships. I soon spotted the ground and straightened my body. My feet hit the ground, knees bent and straightened and I put my hands in the air. I did it! I ran over to Mike and hugged him! The small crowd were clapping me, I was chuffed!
"Knew you could do it! You actually did an extra twist, you got so much height!"
"We're back" I said to my knee as I rubbed the support I had on it. I'm a loony, what can I say! I practiced on all the apparatus to get myself back into it then hit the showers. I dressed and went to say goodbye to Mike. When I reached him I saw he was talking to the guy with the camara and Tony, the cute guy! I walked up to them and he introduced me to them.
"Cara, I work for Sky sports, I was wandering if I could ask you a couple of questions?"
"I guess so." He switched on the camera which he had on a stand.
"So Cara, I can see you have recovered from your knee injury, how has it been?"
"It's back to normal now, I had great physios and doctors, who made the recovery quite speedy, so I just have to be careful now." He went on to ask me questions about upcoming competitions and it was finished pretty quickly.
"Thank you so much Cara, that was great!"
"No problem!" The man gathered his stuff and I headed out of the arena, it was a nice day for a walk. I zipped up my jacket and began to walk when I heard someone calling me so I spun around to see Tony and Megan running towards me. I waited for them as they caught up.
"Hey!" I greeted them.
"Hey where you heading?"
"Home, it's just a couple of blocks away."
"Cool we'll walk you!"
"Am ok, do you live near here?"
"Well we live that way," he said as he gestured to our right, "but Megan here is a fan, so I thought I'd let her stalk you!"
"Hey, it was you that wanted to!" She protested, I laughed and his ears turned pink!
"Ok, you've caught me! So do you live in Sheffield or are you just here to train?
"Training trip, I'm on my halloween break from school so I'm living here for the week."
"You're in school? Where do you go?" Oh shit I'm a witch, can't see that going down too good!
"I'm in boarding school in Scotland, I just went back last year and I do most my training there. How about you?" please change subject!
"I'm in a nearby school." Thank Merlin for Megan who began discussing gymnastics and asking for advice, which kept me busy till we arrived home.
"Do ye want to come in?"
"I don't think we should, mummy will be worried!" Megan answered.
"Oh god ye should get home, sorry I kept you. I'm sure I'll see ye around the gym?"
"Ok bye Cara!" Megan sang at me, Tony stalled.
"Am, thanks for helping her, she is a big fan of yours. Am, I don't suppose you'd want to...am go somewhere sometime?" I giggled. "With me, I mean."
"I'd like that, why don't you call by here or the gym when you want?" He smiled his beautiful smile and agreed as Megan grabbed him and pulled him down the street. Hmm looks like I will have a bit of holiday romance, I thought, with a smile on my face as I shut the door behind me.