This was too much information all at once. A total surprise to her. “Wow,” she said. “I had no idea.”
“Nobody at the gym knows, except Coach Kim and Tasya, of course.”
She hardly knew what to say. “My baby brother’s adopted. Adoption is very cool.”
Nels grinned at her. “Someday he’ll be proud to call you his sister.”
“That’s nice of you to say.”
“I mean it, Jenna.”
They walked across the wide lawn in front of the gymnasium. The sun, having risen only a few hours before, shone brilliantly. Not a single cloud in the sky. The day was exceptionally warm for April in the mountains.
“I’m sorry I deceived you,” she got up the courage to say. At last. “I don’t know why I didn’t just tell you my best skills.”
“Probably my fault for being such an odious bore.”
She laughed. “The last thing you are is boring.” Then she caught herself. “I mean—”
“What do you mean, Captain Song?”
She turned to face him. “Will you please stop calling me that?”
“Only if you’ll agree to call me your friend.”
This was exactly what she’d hoped for. Prayed for. But she’d never dreamed a conversation with Nels Ansgar would turn out like this.
“Call you friend? Sure, why not?”
He held the door for her as they entered the gym.
“Before I forget, my father wants to speak with you.”
His father?
She was completely baffled. “What?”
“My father, Sandy Williamson, is the national team coach.”
Gasping, she clutched her throat. “Coach Williamson is your dad?”
He nodded, grinning as they climbed the stairs. “Has been for ten years now.”
She made the mental calculation. Nels must’ve been adopted around age three. Maybe that was the reason for his different last name. She rejected the urge to know. She would not ask nosy questions. “This is so unbelievable!”
“Well, you can believe it, Jenna, because my father is very impressed with you.”
“With me?”
“I should let him tell you,” Nels said, waving to her.
They headed in opposite directions. Nels to the men’s locker room, and Jenna to the women’s. She scarcely knew what to think. So many surprises in one morning. And such an early morning at that.
She kept the news to herself. It wouldn’t be the coolest thing to blurt out this info to her teammates. Not after everything they’d just been through. And survived!
No, she wouldn’t breathe a word. Not to Cassie or Lara. Not even to Livvy and the rest of the Girls Only club members. She had to hold this close to her heart for now.
Changing into her warm-up suit, she thought of her chat with Nels. He was the adopted son of the well-known national team coach. And both of them were related to Coach Kim and Tasya. Wow!
She hadn’t thought to ask Nels if he was planning to stay in Alpine Lake after camp. Or if he had enrolled in school for the rest of the semester. Surely not, because school would be over in less than two months.
So many questions, yet she didn’t want to pry. Maybe Nels would tell her on his own. Now that they were friends, maybe he would.
She had to make herself walk and not fly across the gym floor. Coach Williamson wanted to speak with her. His son had said so.
Better Than Best
Chapter Nineteen
Jenna took the lead in helping unify the team during warm-ups. Instead of taking a tough approach as captain, she decided to think of herself as an extension of the group.
Coach must’ve noticed. “Nice job today, Jenna,” he said, wearing his AAG shirt. “By the way, Coach Williamson wants to chat with you after this next session.”
She couldn’t help but grin.
“Tasya and I will sit in on the meeting with you.”
The meeting?
She could hardly wait. What was this all about?
* * *
Tasya demonstrated a point by hanging from the uneven parallel bars. “Tuck up very tightly to make the turn,” she said, following through with a visual presentation.
Jenna watched carefully, memorizing every move Tasya made. She was eager to try the skill but waited her turn. While she did, she stood with Cassie and Lara. “How’re we doing?” she aked softly.
“We’re pulling together,” Cassie said, wearing her red-and-white leotard.
“Yeah, we really are,” Lara added.
“It’s a good feeling, isn’t it?” Jenna said, reaching around and hugging her teammates.
“Actually, I’m glad you stole my leotard,” Cassie said.
“Hid, don’t you mean?” said Jenna.
“Well . . . you know.” Cassie grinned. “We cleared the air.”
“Big time!” Lara said, laughing.
“We sure did,” Jenna said. As strong a competitor as she was, she was beginning to feel like part of the team again. She would never stop comparing herself with the others. With Tasya, Kim, and the outstanding Olympic gymnasts—Nadia and Mary Lou Retton. Even with someone like Nels, who had such agility, as well as explosive movements. She wanted to observe and learn from everyone.
* * *
“Coach Williamson is very interested in you,” Coach Kim said as she walked with him across the gym.
“I can’t believe this. I’m still so young.”
Coach grinned, patting her on the back. “Just wait till you hear what he has to say.”
She stood in a little circle with the two coaches and Tasya, her eyes dancing. Jenna had a hard time standing still, she was so excited.
Coach Williamson had some big ideas. He wanted to help her with consistency in performance, building on her physical abilities, as well. “Jenna, I believe you have amazing potential. I can see you going very far in this sport,” he told her. “You’ll have to continue to work hard.”
Coach Kim nodded. “Jenna never quits,” he said, grinning at her. “She has nerves of steel.”
“And she’s the perfect size for a first-class gymnast,” Tasya said.
Jenna’s spirits soared. Yes, being small was very cool!
Coach Williamson continued. “On recommendation from your coach, I’d like to refer you to the University of Arizona. They’re offering a terrific short-term program for gymnasts of your stature.”
The way he talked, she felt tall! It was happening. Her dreams were coming true.
“I think you’re much too talented not to stretch yourself, Jenna.”
“And I agree,” Coach Kim said as Tasya winked at
her.
“Thank you very much,” Jenna replied softly. But inside she was shouting for joy.
* * *
Sunday, April 9
This has to be one of the best days of my life, and it all started with a heart-to-heart talk on a hiking trail in Vail. And a view of the sunrise with my ballet coach.
Mom and Dad are so excited for me. Arizona, here I come! I’ll be on my way the minute school’s out in June.
Nels and I are going to be good friends, I think. He and I are much too focused on our sport for any romantic stuff. Besides, we’re both too young for anything but friendship. He’ll be doing some one-on-one training with his uncle and aunt—Coach Kim and Tasya. I’ll see him at school, too, because he’s finishing up seventh grade in Alpine Lake. It’s a very small world!
My short-term goal is to shoot for the Junior Olympics. Livvy, Heather, and Manda are thrilled. So are Cassie, Lara, and the other All-Around Team members.
No more stepping on toes to get where I want to be. Life’s too short to shut out friends. I’m glad I finally got my head on straight. Thank heaven—and that’s the truth!
Photo Perfect
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I wish to thank my daughter Julie for her help with the modeling-agency scene in this book. Thanks so much, honey!
Also, my great appreciatio
n to the U.S. Figure Skating Association and the International Skating Union (http://www.usfsa.org and http://www.isu.org for additional information about ice dancing and free skating).
To
Janell Hall,
a faithful fan
(and homeschooler!)
in Fortson, Georgia.
Photo Perfect
Chapter One
It all started at Dottie Forster’s Boutique, situated across from the skating rink in Alpine Lake’s shopping mall. Heather Bock sat waiting for her mother, who was getting another one of her funky, too-curly perms. Eager to pass the time, Heather reached for a teen magazine and began paging through until she came to the fashion and trends section. Her gaze zeroed in on an article titled, “Pin Thin: The Stick Clique.”
She peered closely at the young and glamorous models featured on the two-page spread. “Wow, that is skinny,” she whispered.
“What’s up?” asked Mom from the beautician’s chair.
“Oh, it’s just these pencil-thin jeans,” she replied, absorbed in the new spring styles. “I think it’s time I get some new clothes.”
“Well, save your pennies,” Dottie Forster piped up from her salon cabinet, where hair-color concoctions and clean combs and brushes were stored. “That’s what my mother always used to say.”
Yeah . . . back during the Great Depression, thought Heather, dismissing the beautician’s offhanded remark.
But the mental picture of tall and super-lean girls smiling back from the pages of the fashion magazine stayed with Heather the rest of the day. Even as she dusted and vacuumed her bedroom, and later worked at her computer, doing research for a homeschool project, thoughts of the ultra-thin models lingered in her mind.
Writing the final paragraphs of her paper, Heather stopped for a moment and stared up at her poster of world-renowned British ice dancers, Olympic stars Torvili and Dean. She daydreamed about her own athletic goals, well within reach. With every ounce of zip and vigor, she longed to be a skating sensation, right along with her older brother and ice-dancing partner, Kevin, who was just as blond and nearly as focused. No, he was as equally caught up in the sport as she.
Sometimes, though, she convinced herself that between the two of them, she was the skater most eager for Olympic gold. The sound of boisterous applause thrilled her, as well as the unmistakable echo of the loudspeaker broadcasting her name—with Kevin’s, of course.
Finished with her assignment—the history of the Olympics—she stood and stretched at her desk. Then, turning toward her calendar, she flipped it to the month of July, counting the weeks and months until the next big skate contest. She circled the second Saturday and wrote in big letters: Summer Ice Spectacular.
Only four more months. If she and Kevin could land a first-place medal for that event, they’d have a good shot at the Junior Olympics. She hugged herself, ready to take on the world of ice dancing.
* * *
Joanne, Heather’s six-year-old adopted sister, came in without knocking. The chubby brunette sat down hard on Heather’s bed, her feet dangling. “Can you help me?”
“With what?” Heather went and sprawled out on the bed, waiting to hear what Joanne had to say. “What’s spinning around in your little head tonight?”
“Nothin’s spinning,” came the quick reply. “And my head’s not little!”
“Oh, really?”
“Yep, and besides, I’ve been thinking that it’s time I start getting in shape.”
“For what?”
Her sister’s eyes were playful. “You know, in case I decide to go out for something like . . .” She stopped for a second, then continued. “Something like ice hockey or maybe even Alpine skiing, like your friend Miranda.”
Heather didn’t dare laugh. Even though Joanne’s eyes twinkled with mischief, Heather wasn’t sure just how serious her sis was. “Have you been thinking about this for a long time?”
Joanne’s head bobbed up and down. “Oh yes. I want to build up my muscle tone, start doing more sit-ups every day. Like Mommy does with her workout DVD.”
“That’s nice.”
“No, really . . . I want to be a healthy vessel for God.”
Heather let a tiny laugh slip past her lips. This was too much. “Don’t you mean a willing vessel?”
“Sure . . . that, too.” Joanne jumped off the bed and bounced toward the door, her long hair hanging loose around her shoulders. “So . . . will you help me?”
She had no idea where this conversation was headed. “What do you want me to do?”
“Help me get rid of my flabby muscles.” Joanne pointed to her upper arms.
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Heather eyed her sister. Slightly plump around the middle, but lots of six-year-olds had little or no waistline. Nothing to worry about. “You’re fine, Joanne. Kids your age are supposed to be chubby. Besides, when you grow a bit taller in a few years, you’ll slim right down.”
“But I don’t want to wait.” Abruptly, Joanne turned and left the room.
What’s that about? wondered Heather, reaching for her teen devotional Bible.
Morning training sessions came very early in the Bock household. Both she and Kevin had a long day tomorrow, and Coach McDonald expected them to be prompt. After practice, they’d have to hurry home to shower, change clothes, and hit the books around the dining-room table, with Mom as their teacher. At the present time, one of their homeschool study units was personal hygiene and nutrition. Mom’s idea, as usual. She was a stickler for eating healthy foods and, in general, taking good care of “God’s property,” as she liked to refer to her children’s bodies.
Opening the pages to the devotional for the day, Heather was caught off guard. Surprised, really. The Scripture reading was 1 Timothy 4:8. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
She thought of Joanne’s comments about wanting to get in shape. Had her sister been reading Heather’s devotional book? Joanne was a good reader, advanced beyond her years, one of the benefits of being schooled at home—you didn’t get stuck in a single grade level for a full year.
Hmm. She wondered about her suspicions. Not that Joanne was ever known to nose around in her big sister’s bedroom. Mom was totally opposed to it. And the younger children—Joanne and Tommy, both—knew enough not to cross any of the clearly defined boundaries set up in the house. Joanne must have come up with the notion to work out entirely on her own.
Heather hurried to her dresser and picked up her brush, beginning her nightly ritual of brushing her shoulder-length hair twenty-five times on each side. As she did, she thought of the skinny-minny models she’d seen in the magazine at Dottie Forster’s Boutique. Did they exercise vigorously to look that skeletal, or did they go without eating? And what would cause a girl to want to starve herself that way?
Photo Perfect
Chapter Two
Heather flew through her day, dragging out of bed before dawn, dressing for practice. She breathed a prayer before rushing out the door with Mom and Kevin. “Help us meet our skating goals for today, dear Lord,” she whispered.
“You’re rehearsing your lifts today,” Mom reminded them on the drive to the skating rink.
“I’m ready,” Kevin said, grinning and proudly showing off his arm muscles. “I’m in great shape.”
Mom nodded. “You’re strong because you lift weights. Keep up the good work.”
Kevin groaned. Lifting arm and leg weights wasn’t his favorite thing to do, but it was essential to build and strengthen the upper torso, as well as a skater’s legs.
“Thank goodness I’m still shorter than Kevin,” added Heather.
“If you pass me up, maybe you can start doing the lifts, with me over your head,” Kevin said, laughing.
“No, thanks,” she replied.
When it came to lifts, there was no set rule that the guy had to be the one to lift the girl. Actually,
a short girl lifting a taller partner would shock the judges. And no skater wanted to risk offending or upsetting a judge.
Heather was ready for anything today. Totally pumped and eager to work.
* * *
Mom pulled into the mall parking lot, pausing to look at each of them before opening the door. “I’m so proud of you both,” she said. “You work so hard.”
“Coach McDonald insists on it. We have no choice.” Kevin grinned at Heather, his blue eyes shining.
“Okay, so let’s get going.” Heather opened the car door and raced her brother to the mall entrance.
Coach greeted them with a grin and a wave and sported a bright red tie. He always wore a pressed white dress shirt and a bright tie when coaching. His trademark.
To warm up—to avoid tearing muscles—both Heather and Kevin did their off-ice training, working on calf, thigh, and hip muscles, as well as spine, shoulders, and neck. Flexibility was important, the foundation of all aspects of skating. Stretching and bending three or four times a day, for several minutes at a time, was crucial to good skating—something Coach McDonald had instilled in them. So was ballet class, which Heather took from dance instructor Natalie Johnston, along with three other Girls Only Club members.
Physical conditioning, the regular scheduled routine of exercise and repetitions, was their protocol. Heather and her brother trained this way without fail each day, except for one full rest day per week. In addition to that, one other training day was less of a workout day.
After the off-ice warm-ups, they laced up their skates and did some hard stroking on the ice, including high-speed skating. The stroking helped develop their upper-body strength. Holding arms at a level between the chest and waist, they skated separately for a full two and a half minutes, the time required for the short program.
Girls Only! Page 13