Kimberly
"Cindy, I know you aren't trying to weasel out of here for a boy." I said, rolling my eyes. Behind me, I heard the all too familiar huff of a teenage girl.
"Miss Hart, I promise you this will be the only time. It's just that Tony-." Turning, I cut off Cindy Harrison, the sixteen-year-old blond that stood in front of me. Her blue eyes looked up at me, pleading in them as she tried to give me yet again another sob story about her and her boyfriend, Tony. Sighing, I shook my head.
"This is your last chance. I will give you tonight to think about it, but you need to decide whether or not you want to be here on this team. Do you understand me?" I asked, locking eyes with her. She nodded quickly.
"Yes! Thank you, Kimberly." She wrapped her arms around my neck tightly for a hug before running up the hallway towards the direction of the girl's dorms. Rolling my eyes again, I turned back to the bulletin board I was standing in front of. In front of my face, the poster for the tryouts next week hung. It was officially that time of year again. We would be trying to decide which of our athletes would be able to make it for the Olympic team. I had to admit, I was nervous enough for everyone here and I wasn't even competing. Pressing a thumb tack into the bottom of the paper, I stepped back to admire my poster hanging abilities. The girls would be able to write their names under which event they wanted to try for.
I've been a coach here at the Schmidt Gym for almost eight years now. It's something I love to do, and I enjoy helping girls try to make their dreams come true when it comes to gymnastics. It feels like a lifetime ago when I was trying out to become part of Coach Schmidt's team. After I landed a spot, I travelled from my home in California to train here in Florida. I made it to the team for Pan Globals where I scored first place. From there, I made it to the Olympic team. It took a few years on that team for me to earn a medal, but I finally did. I took bronze my first two years, silver the next and then gold for my last three years on the American team. By the end of those games, I knew my time competing was done. I had suffered an injury in my knee that already had two surgeries and the pain was still there. I made my decision to retire from the team. That's when Coach Schmidt offered me a job teaching at his training school. I would have been a fool to turn it down. After eight years, I am now one of the head coaches and I run the dorms for the girls. That was something I was starting to regret.
Grabbing the folding chair, I walked up the hallway towards my office. Peaking down at my watch, I saw it was nearing six o'clock. I had to get back to the dorms to start my office hours there. I try to be there every night from six til ten. It was my job to ensure the girls made it back for curfew. It was open practice tonight, the gym open to anyone that wanted to work on their routines and fine tune their movements. The other girls' coach, Andrea Slocum, would be watching the gym. We take turns most nights, her opting for the gym more than the dorms. I didn't blame her. It seemed like the girls always had a new problem going on in their lives. Between boys, other girls and whatever made them tick, I felt like I was dealing with more drama now than I did when I was a teen. Of course, I didn't have the typical teenager crap to deal with. My crap was a bit more difficult than that.
"Hey, Kim." Andrea said as I walked into our shared office. The red head looked up from her cell phone that was in hand, her green eyes seeming to twinkle as she smiled. "Did Cindy find you?"
"Of course, she did." I replied, setting the chair in the corner of the room. Our office was small with beige painted brick walls. Her desk sat on the right side of the room by the door while mine was diagonally across on the left. Andrea shook her head, scoffing.
"I take it she won't be joining us for open practice tonight." She said. I nodded, sitting in my seat behind my desk. Sighing, I leaned back in my chair. My knee was bothering me today. Every time I moved it seemed, a popping noise would come from it. I saw a visit to my doctor in the near future. It would need to be soon though. We only had about six weeks before the first round of qualifiers for this year's games.
"I told her to take the night to think about whether she wants to be here of not. Her and that Tony kid are way too serious for their age." I said.
"It's kinda sweet, ya know?" Andrea commented, sliding her phone into the pocket of her sweat shirt.
"More like pathetic." I mumbled, moving the mouse of my laptop. The screen turned on, the roster of our girls opening on it.
"Oh, c'mon, Kim. Don't you remember being a kid and having a boy be the center of your universe? I do. His name was Craig and he was this bad boy at my school." Andrea sighed, looking off into the distance as she reminisced. I smirked in her direction. Andrea was always the dreamer. She always has new ideas and ways to make them come true, even if they were a little out there. A dopey smile crossed her lips.
"Can't say that I do." I replied. I entered Cindy's absence into the program, noticing she had four just this month. The girls were required to attend all practices and at least six open ones. She was cutting it close. "Cindy is walking a fine line here. I hope she realizes what she's risking here."
"I'm sure she will. She's a smart kid. Love makes us do stupid shit." Standing up, she grabbed her eyes and her whistle from the top drawer of her desk. Looping the whistle over her head, she shoved her keys into the pocket of her pants. "Suppose I should go open the gym up. I'm in the mood for something good for dinner. You up for some Mexican tonight?"
"Sure." I replied, shrugging my shoulder.
"Just text me your order and I'll pick it up on my way back to the dorms." She said, walking out the door. Turning off my laptop, I closed it and gathered my belongings. Tossing my bag over my shoulder, I walked out of the office. I made sure to close the door behind me before heading towards the exit that led to the parking lot.
The dorms were located about a mile away from the training center. Each day, there was a shuttle that would bring the girls to and from the center to the dorms. The same was for the boys whose dorms were next store. I don't see why they thought it would be a good idea to put teenagers of the opposite sex so close together but, that was why we were assigned dorm duty each night. My apartment was also located in the same building. It wasn't anything impressive and I share it with Andrea, but it was free. It was at the very top of the building, twelve stories above the ground. The girls didn't have access to our floor, only people with a key for it did. It was a nice getaway from the drama. We did have the option of living off campus, but it was silly to give up a free apartment. Especially with a roommate like Andrea. Before her, I had a bratty twenty-year-old who would try to throw parties every night. Thankfully, she didn't last long.
Hopping into my little white Ford Focus, I pulled out of the parking lot and heading towards the dorms. I mindlessly flipped through the radio stations, songs and commercials playing on most of the channels. I stopped when I heard a man's voice speaking.
"We have breaking news to report out of Orlando. We have been receiving reports that a beach has been filled with dead marine life. One witness is reporting that there was between 200 to 400 dead sharks on the shores and at least five dead hump back whales. Officials on the scene are trying to figure out what has happened and what could have caused this. Other witnesses are reporting that it seems that all of the creatures were injured. Once we have more information, we will pass that along."
"How strange." I whispered, glancing towards the sign that pointed to the highway that led to Orlando. What could have caused something like that? Of course, animals behave in strange ways. Perhaps it was something like that. I was sure those who protest for animals' rights would be all over that in no time. I shoved the report from my mind a I pulled into my assigned parking spot at the dorms. The building stood tall over me as I yanked my stuff from the passenger seat. The building was twelve stories high and housed about a hundred students. It was a grey building, tall windows on each floor that led to balconies with cast iron railings. These were locked though, administration not wanting the kids to risk falling from these. On the ground floor, the front of the building had two glass doors that I pushed open to get inside. There was an identical building next to it where the boys lived. There were security cameras in the lobby and on the front of both buildings.
"Good evening, Miss Hart." George Thurman said from his post behind the security desk. The middle aged African American man was dressed in his uniform, a belt filled with different objects at his waist. He smiled brightly at me, pointing at the metal detector in front of me. I set my bag on the table next to it before stepping through. He waved his little wand over the bag before handing it to me. Behind him, I saw the lobby. It was a good-sized room, a door on the right and the entrance to the stairs on the left. Four Christmas trees were set up in each corner, gold and silver tinsel streaming on them. The girls had decorated last week, the Christmas season in the air now more than ever. I was finding it hard to believe it was December already.
"Hey, George. How are you?" I asked, putting my bag back on my shoulder. He shrugged.
"Oh, I can't complain. And you?"
"Same old. How's the smart phone going?" He laughed, shaking his head.
"My son is still trying to teach me. I'm starting to get used to it. And I mean, I kinda like bossing Siri around." He replied.
"It's fun! Let me know if you need any help. The iPhone can be confusing. I know it took me forever to learn it when I first got one. The girls had to show me how to do stuff on it. Nothing makes you feel older than that."
"Ain't that the truth!" He said, smiling. I gave him a little wave, turning towards the office in the corner of the lobby. From there, I could see the elevator and the stairs that led up to the rooms. No one could go in or out without me seeing them. It also meant that they could all see me too. In front of the door, I saw a box filled with mail. When the girls get mail, it comes to the building and it was our jobs to sort it and give it to them. Unlocking the door, I slid the box in with my foot. Flipping on the light, I saw that the little office was slightly trashed. That was a clear sign that Andrea had been here last night. Rolling my eyes, I dropped my bag on a chair near the door. There was a desk in the middle of the room, a computer on top of it. An old chair was behind that along with a shorter filing cabinet. That held all of the girls emergency information and medical records just in case something was to happen, and they needed to go to the hospital or emergency room. On the desk, there were candy wrappers, a banana peel and an empty can of soda. I slid all of the trash into the garbage bin on the side of the desk, swearing under my breath.
Once it was tidy enough for my liking, I started sorting the mail. I like to sort them by girl and then wrap them in rubber bands by floor. It made it easier for when I deliver them. There was a lot here, the upcoming holidays making everyone want to write their children to make sure they would be coming home for the occasion. I also saw a lot of the girls were getting magazines, making the bundles heavy. Once everything was sorted, I tossed it back in the box and made my rounds. Most of the kids were at practice, a few of them here trying to catch up on homework. I greeted them all, making sure they knew I was there. After making my last delivery, I went back to the office and got to work on my own paper work. Each night, we were in charge of keeping information up to do, attendance on file and the girls performances graded. It was going to be a tight competition this year when it comes to picking our top contenders. Most of the girls here have been training for two years, joining the program when they turned 14. This meant that they were in their prime and could make it all the way. It also meant there would be plenty of cuts. This was why we were pushing the girls to try out for more than one event, giving them more chances to make it.
My cell phone dinged from the front pocket of my bag, breaking my concentration from the computer. Standing, I walked over and grabbed it. The screen lit up and I saw it was a text message. I slid my finger across the screen and opened it. Give me a call was written in the text and I noticed it was from Jason Lee Scott. My best friend since grade school, he has been trying to get me to call him for the past few days. It keeps slipping my mind each night when I get back to my apartment. Glancing in the lobby, I saw that George was the only one there. Tapping his contact information, it switched to the calling screen and I heard it ring as I brought it to my ear.
"Holy shit. You are alive." Jason's voice said as he picked up. Rolling my eyes, I closed the office door slightly and made my way back to the desk.
"Oh, ha ha." I replied. "What's up?"
"Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing." He replied.
"I'm fine. How are you?"
"Good. Never been better. Come home." He said in one breath. I rolled my eyes again, letting out a huff.
"Jase, do you really want to have this argument right now?" I asked.
"I wouldn't call it an argument. I would call it a compromise that needs to happen. C'mon, Kim. It's almost Christmas time. I need to know if you'll be here for the holidays."
"I already told you I wasn't sure. The games are right after that and I'm not sure if Schmidt will give me the vacation time." I lied. I knew I would be able to get the time off. Schmidt tells me all the time that I need to take more time. It wasn't something I do often.
"Everyone is going to be back in town. It'll be just like old times." He stated.
"Everyone?" I asked, knowing he was trying to tread lightly.
"Yeah! Aisha and Rocky, Adam and Tanya. Billy is going to try and make it. Zach's going to be staying with Angela."
"Jason…" I said, a warning tone in my voice.
"….and Tommy." He said quickly.
"I knew it." I said, shaking my head. "No. No way."
"Oh, come on, Kim! It's been ten years. I think that at 27, you two should be able to get over yourselves and spent one weekend together."
"There's nothing to get over." I replied. "He's happy. I'm happy. Why make it complicated?"
"Why does it need to be complicated?" He asked. "Your break up was ten years ago. I don't understand why you two can't just move past that. I thought you were on good terms after the whole deal with Divatox." Closing my eyes, I rubbed the bridge of my nose with my index finger.
"We were. It's personal. Honestly." I muttered.
"Will you please just consider it? Even if you just come for Christmas. We can keep the two of you separated. The rest of us would love to see you." He pleaded.
"I don't know." I said, softly. Opening my eyes, I thought about the last time I had seen all of my friends together. It had been for Jason's wedding to my other best friend, Trini Kwan. That was about five years ago. I did miss them all. "Let me think about it and ask about the time off, okay?"
"Awesome! I knew I could sweet talk you if I tried hard enough."
"You are such an ass." I said.
"You know you love me though." He chimed. He was right. No matter what he said or did, I knew Jason was a good guy and one of the few of them I knew I could trust. He's always been there for me and we're closer than my own brother and I are. He's been my rock since we were little, and God knows what I would have done without him there for me.
"So, what did you get Trini for Christmas?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.
"Please. I still have a good three weeks before I have to worry about that shit." He replied. "But, I do have a plan. She really wants this new tablet computer that came out this year. You can sync it up with any type of device. I think she'd be able to use it for work and everything."
"Sounds perfect. I'm sure she'll love it." I said, standing from the chair. I walked over to the door and pulled it open more. "Jase, I gotta let you go. I'm on shift still. I can give you a call tomorrow before I head in though and let you know what I decided."
"How about I call you? You seem to forget how to return phone calls in a timely manner." He teased.
"Good-bye, jerk." I said before hanging up the phone. I set the phone on my desk and shook my head. He's been bugging me about coming home for Christmas since the end of August. Him and Trini had the grand idea to have us all together for the yule tide celebration, something we used to do when we were teens. I knew I could get the time off for it. I'm sure Schmidt would be willing to buy me the ticket if it meant using my PTO. I just didn't know if I could muster the courage to go back. It's been so long.
"Miss Hart?" A voice asked, making me jump slightly. Glancing behind me, I saw one of the girls standing in the doorway. Fifteen-year-old Maria Romero. She was a tiny thing with jet black hair and olive skin, the kind of complexion that girls would kill for. I smiled at her, gaining my senses.
"Hi, Maria. What's up?"
"The toilet in our dorm is clogged and the maintenance guy told us to ask you to plunge it." She replied meekly.
"Fantastic." I muttered. This day just keeps getting better.