I am sooo sorry that I didn't update last night. I didn't get home until almost 2:00 am and my mom wouldn't let me online, so to make it up I wrote a super long chapter- almost 3000 words- 7 pages. Anyway thanks to my reviewers I have reached 100 reviews!! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!! Thanks to PinkPJ's, Twilight-is-love, i.heart.twilightxx, readingxinxthextwilight, ANGELOFTHEBLACKROSES, I.Like.My.Men.Immortal, Arekandera, weirdness.of.the.cutie, missmeyer, cowzgomoo722, Says The Schizophrenic, therealBellaSwan-Cullen, CammieSwan1785, and Corrupt My Youthful Innocence, and anyone who favorited or alerted this story or me. I hope you enjoy if I can get 20 or more I will write another super long chapter.
XOXO,
Meg
We were the first members of the team to arrive at the gym. I saw Carlisle nod at me in approval. He was talking to a woman who was faintly familiar, but I didn't immediately recognize.
"Mom!" Alice called joyfully, running over to hug her mother. Oh, I guess that this Esme Cullen. Gold medallist in the 1984 team Olympics. She wasn't able to compete in the individuals due to a bad leg injury in practice.
" You must be Bella," Esme greeted me warmly as I made my way over. " I'm Esme Cullen, Carlisle's wife."
" Nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen." I smiled shyly.
" It's really nice to finally meet you, dear. I've heard so much about you."
Oh, my face fell.
" Oh, no dear," Esme spoke quickly. " I heard many good things about you from both Alice and Carlisle, I'm sorry that I didn't clarify. I also heard about the little bit of trouble that you fell into. Don't worry, we all make mistakes when it comes to boys. How do you think I ended up with my Carlisle?" She jokingly nudged him and I smiled again.
By this point the rest of the team had entered the gym. Carlisle gathered us in a loose circle as he explained what he wanted us to do for the day.
" Ok, ladies, first off this is my wife Esme, she is going to be helping everyone out today." He paused while everyone welcomed Esme.
" Now, since qualifications are tomorrow, I just want you each to do the routines you are planning to use, so that we can fix any last minute glitches. I want to work with everyone individually, so wait until Esme or I are watching to do your routine. Do warm ups in the meantime. I don't want anyone to strain themselves before qualifications. Alright Alice you will be first up on beam after warm-ups and Bella you'll start floor."
We all headed off to warm up. Alice and I grabbed a corner of floor together. We pulled of our sweats while talking. " You know I tried some of those exercises that you showed me, and they really help," Alice was saying.
" I'm glad they help." I was a little preoccupied. I stood up and used the wall to brace my leg as I stretched it.
" I love your leotard," Alice spoke, trying to drag me from out of my own thoughts again. " Blue is really your color."
" Thanks," I was now circling my ankles to loosen them. Facing the wall, I didn't see them enter.
" Oh, my gosh," Alice gasped.
" What!?"
" It's Bela Karolyi and a journalist. Wow, they must have brought him here to comment on your gymnastics while they interview you!"
I gulped. I was just about to respond to Alice's concerned and excited look when our names were called.
" Bella, Alice, if you are warmed up properly, start the exercises," Carlisle instructed us.
" Good luck, Bells," Alice muttered as we split for our separate apparatuses.
"Ok, Bella," Esme said. " Just run through your routine and try to ignore them, it will all be fine." She gave me a comforting squeeze and I stepped onto the mat. I did what I did at competitions and let it all fade away. It was just the mat and I. I raised my arms and began…
My floor exercise was a combination of senior level ballet moves and hard tumbles. It was what gave me such a high start value, but also made it harder to stick. This wasn't the hardest routine I had in my arsenal and I knew that I could do it flawlessly, but I had problems with confidence sometimes.
My first set of tumbles were a little shaky, I under-rotated the first and had a hard time getting the momentum for the rest from that first mistake.
For a second I let my guard slip and I caught sight of Lauren trying to chat with the journalist and get the attention of the photographer. With my next step I was resolved and back in action.
I leapt, straightening my legs out into a perfect in-the-air split. I put more energy into each movement, and my next tumbling set was almost perfect. I felt the rush of air and adrenaline fly past me as I flipped and twisted through the air.
All in all it wasn't the absolute best routine of my career, but it was definitely one of the most improving. I could feel myself higher than ever in the air, my leaps shooting up as though I was taking flight. I had more momentum which took a little time to adjust to, but opened me up to the possibility of increasing the difficulty of my tumbles. I also knew that if I could keep up this amount of concentrated force, I would be able to do more flips and twists in combination.
I stuck my last flip and without fully ending the move, I span low until I landed on one knee on the floor, the other leg extended as I came to a full stop. I caught my breath for a minute before heading over to Esme for the breakdown of my routine.
" Very nice Bella, the beginning was a little off, but you came back strong. You were getting amazing height by the end. You even turned one of your double twist combos into a triple. Just watch confidence and with the new added height, you came close to the line a few times. Overall very nice. I think you opened yourself to new potential." Esme gave a really good breakdown. She had just the right amount of praise and constructive criticism in her review that it helped me visualize exactly where I needed to work.
" I don't think that you need to run it again, it seemed pretty solid. Anyway Carlisle said for you to go talk to the reported while you wait for a chance on the beam. Here." She handed me a water bottle and gave me a little nudge toward where the reporter, Bela Karolyi, and the photographer were waiting.
" You must be Isabella," the reporter simpered as I drew within hearing distance. Mentally I groaned, I knew as well as she did that she knew who I was because the name on her press badge was the same name that came with the photographs. Outwardly I was smiling as warmly as I could.
" Yes, and you are?"
" Nikki Carter, I'm a reporter with the Evening Standard, and this is Jonathan Randall, my photographer. I'm sure you have met Bela Karolyi."
" No, I haven't had the pleasure, but his reputation precedes him." Karolyi had coached some of the best including Mary Lou Retton, and led both American and Romanian Olympics teams to success. He was a legend.
I shook each of their hands, but when I reached Karolyi, he took my hand in his and kissed it. " Your reputation precedes you also dear, and I'm glad to say after your floor exercises, that I am disappointed in what I have heard about you, you have clearly not been done justice my dear."
I blushed as I thanked him for his high praise, and the interview started on a good note.
" Thank you for your time, Bella," Nikki told me after awhile. " I think we are about finished here, but do you mind if we stay and watch for a little? Get some more pictures for the article?"
" I don't mind, but you will have to ask my coach." I shook hands with everyone and yet again Bela Karolyi kissed my hand instead of shaking it. " It was so nice to meet you all," I spoke again, using my well instilled manners. There were mummers of agreement and I then turned and checked if my muscles were still loose, as I headed to take my turn on the balance beam.
I mounted the beam, starting in a handstand. I went through my routine, opening with a combination of three flips. I had very little trouble with the routine until I tried my full twist. I caught myself with a small balance check, mentally chagrining myself. And continued on. I dismounted with a basic handspring full twist landing from a back flip. I didn't stick it though, I took a tiny half step at the end. Needless to say, I was a little frustrated with myself. I was normally very good at the balance beam, it was my second best routine after floor. I consoled myself, however with the thought that this was only practice and not the real thing, as I headed towards Carlisle. I listened to his tips and then tried the little parts that gave me trouble under his advice and scrutiny and felt better as I slowly improved the routine.
In my peripheral, I caught Bela Karolyi staring at me with a speculative expression on his face. I turned and waved as I headed toward the uneven bars and he smiled and nodded back at me.
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The rest of the practice went the same, some triumphs, some failures, by the end I felt tired, but pleased with my progress. I was sitting in the corner that Alice and I had warmed up in earlier, now cooling down my muscles, when Bela Karolyi approached me.
" Isabella," he said in his thick accent. " May I speak with you for a moment?"
" Sure, Mr. Karolyi," I answered standing up from the butterfly stretch I was in on the floor.
" Please call me Bela, shall we," he said indicating that we should walk. I followed him a short way away from the other gymnast before he stopped.
" Isabella, I was watching you closely today and I think that you have great potential, there are a few rough edges to smooth down, but overall I think you have what it takes to be a champion."
I was in shock, blushing as I took in his extravagant praise. He wasn't done shocking me yet.
" I have a proposition for you," he continued on. " I still like to help with the coaching of the gymnasts, and after watching today, I have a feeling that it will be you and Alice Cullen who will qualify for the individual all around. I was wondering if you would like another coach as well as Carlisle, I talked to him about it today and he thought that it would be a very good idea to have another coach around, of course, it's up to you. So what do you say would you like to do some training with me, I will warn you now that I am a very tough coach and it will not be easy, but it helps having more than one coach at this level."
It took me a minute to remember how to do something other than to stare blankly. When I had regained my senses I did something even more embarrassing, I babbled like an idiot.
"Oh, that would be amazing, I'm honored. I'm not sure your right about the qualifying, I made some stupid mistakes today, but I would love the extra help. I really don't mind hard work either, I can't believe this…
Bela cut off my rambling quickly. " You will have to get a few things straight," he said in the tone of a coach. " I do not take on anyone I don't think can succeed, but if you think that you are not good enough, then you will not succeed and then you must ask yourself why you are here. I think you can do it and I have some experience in this matter, I usually am right, so I know your good and the first step we take is making sure that you know it too."
I nodded solemnly. " Good now, get some lunch and rest and meet me at the practice track at four for some laps before dinner."
I ran off thinking of all that had transpired with a slightly awed edge.
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Edward Pov:
It was crazy. All day I have thought about Bella Swan. Since she left the roof this morning with a promise to meet me again tonight, I can't get her off my mind. And the funny thing is, it helped me. All through my warm ups today, I swam faster and better than I ever have before. My coaches were thrilled and so was I since I was taking on eight races this Olympics; a huge undertaking.
I tried running through them in my head to forget about Bella.
August 10, 400 m individual medley
She was so pretty.
August 11, 4x 100 m freestyle relay
But she was also such a mystery.
August 12, 200 freestyle
I want her to like me so much, but she seems to hate me.
August 13, 200 m butterfly
She is always so quiet, is she shy or just distant?
August 15, 200 individual medley
I felt like I was falling into space when I looked into her beautiful brown eyes.
August 16, 100m butterfly
She looked beyond beautiful that night at the pub.
August 17, 4x100 m medley relay.
Ah, Bella.
My attempt at distraction was a failure and so I continued to think about her for the rest of the day. I thought about her as I got a massage before my first race, I thought about her as I warmed up in the practice pool, and I thought about her as I hit the wall at least a yard ahead of any of my competitors; winning the first medal of the Olympics.
I took a brief break from my constant thoughts of her as I was proudly awarded the gold medal, but as I stood there talking with reporters and hugging Esme, I thought about how I could make everything up to her tonight. A plan began to form in my mind. I hated to admit it, but I think I needed some help from Alice. But how can I ask her without letting her in on my secret?
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Bella Pov:
Owww! I hurt everywhere. Bela was not kidding when he said he was tough and that there would be a lot of hard work involved. I arrived on time and after having me warm up, he had me run laps for and hour. Then we headed back to the gym for more workouts. I did crunches with weights. As his last torture device, after having me use almost every piece of equipment in the gym, he had me go 50 skin-the-cats.
I gingerly made my way around the hotel room after eating a light salad. I ran a bath of ice-cold water and felt muscles I didn't know I had as I leaned to turn on the spout.
While the tub filled, I turned on the TV to a local news coverage station and then slid into the artic water. I submerged my body and was relaxing as I heard something on the TV that jogged my memory.
" Edward Cullen of the United States of America took gold in the 400 m individual medley, thus earning the first medal of the Olympic games. I jumped out of the bath and grabbed my robe, ignoring my protesting muscles as I ran into the other room. I made it just in time to see the replay of an amazing win. Edward was at least a yard ahead of any of the other swimmers!
Crap! As his face flashed across the TV, jubilant in his glory, I remembered my half thought out promise this morning. I had promised to meet him on the roof at 11 tonight. I returned slowly to my bath, deciding not to meet him. 20 minutes later I had changed my mind and was getting changed to go meet him. About 10 seconds later I had changed my mind again.
The rest of the night followed this pattern of indecision, and it was Alice who finally made my mind up for me. I'm going out with Jazz, tonight," she enthused. " You can come with us if you want."
" Nah, I'll be ok, you go have fun with Jasper, I am going to be sitting here cursing my muscles into oblivion.
Alice looked at me carefully. " You know, Bella, gymnastics isn't everything, and you can have it all, if you think it's worth it. Anyway, I'll be late, don't wait up."
I thought about everything she had said as the clock struck 11:00.
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Thanks again to my reviewers. Keep it up guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Meg.