by Sally Henson
“Whoa. TMI and way too fast.” My lungs burned just listening to her, so I took a breath too.
She glanced down at her feet with a giggle. “Sorry. I get excited sometimes. The coaches don’t mind if you give me some pointers. Just any feedback you have … Thanks.” She had a bright smile too. Out of all my teammates, she seemed the friendliest. Her wide shoulders rose with her deep breath. Tessa’s blond hair, blue eyes, and kind smile made her stand out among a team of mostly brunettes. She blew it out in a rush and asked, “Did you really train full time before you came here?”
I fastened and refastened my grips in place. Sharing about Elite Powerhouse Gym was fine. I loved it there. But my chest tightened at the issue of why I was now at MLA. I didn’t want to think about it, let alone tell Tessa that my parents had plucked me out of a perfect world and thrown me into the ocean full of icebergs and man-eating whales.
“Yeah. I need to go.” I nodded toward the bars and walked away.
“Oh … Okay.” Her voice was laced with surprise and confusion.
On my trek, I pushed the icebergs out of my head and focused on my routine. Coach Phillip pointed and instructed one of the freshmen. He lifted her to the tall bar, and she went through the end of her routine again.
When it was my turn, I refastened my grips and focused, tuning everything around me out. Minus the dismount, it had been perfect. Coach Phillip even complimented my handstand pirouette.
Beam would be harder, because I wasn’t supposed to do no-handed tricks on my ankle yet. Me being me, I pushed it and landed my tuck on one foot. No wobble.
Tessa let out a whoop. I heard a non-coach male voice cheer too.
I completed my full turn, split leap, and choreography to the end of the beam. Dismounts were forbidden for today, but I wanted to go as far as I could. I turned and readied myself. Roundoff, back handspring, step out, back handspring, step out and stop.
Perfect. Warmth filled my stomach and spread throughout my body. I so wanted to finish but hopped off the beam.
“That was so perfect!” Tessa gushed, clapping while doing some kind of wiggle dance.
I giggled at her excitement. “Thanks.”
The clapping behind her drew my attention. I saw Ryan in the background. Tessa’s excitement combined with mine launched me into a run toward him. I didn’t know why or how he managed to be there, because practices where closed with the exception of one person per gymnast a week. Whatever. I was too excited about how well I’d done on my first night back to care about the reasons.
His blue eyes sparkled. The closer I got, the wider his smile grew. When I was close enough, I leaped toward him with outstretched arms, and he caught me in the air and spun us in a circle.
“Did you see that?” I asked in a breathy voice.
“That was fan-freaking-tastic.” He squeezed me tight.
Laughter spilled out of me like a fountain. “What are you doing here?” I asked. My heart wanted so badly for him to say he was there for me.
“I couldn’t let you come back without your support team.”
Tears pricked my eyes. It had been months since I’d actually hugged someone, months since anyone had cared about what was important to me. The warmth between us felt so right. “Thank you.”
Coach Phillip shouted my name. I guessed clinging to Ryan with my arms and legs wrapped around him like a koala bear on a bamboo tree did not meet Coach’s approval.
Ryan murmured near my ear. “I think he’s using his outside voice.”
I giggled, wanting to enjoy the moment a little longer, but released the grip my legs had around his waist and slid down. It had been so long since I’d been excited about my performance that I’d almost forgotten what it felt like. But there was something new in the mix … Ryan. And he was just as exciting.
As I stared into his dreamy blue eyes, my heart swelled until it was so uncomfortable, I had to break his spell or risk it exploding. “I have to go.” I forced myself to turn away, biting my lip to hide the giant smile that felt like it took up half of my face. Jogging back to Coach, I tried to get my head back where it needed to be, chanting, Focus on gymnastics, focus on your dream, over and over.
Chapter 10
“This is stupid,” I lamented as I plopped onto Gamela’s leather chaise chair. Her tastes were much posher than mine. Since she didn’t usually wear makeup, we seemed more alike when we were side by side in our uniforms. With the exception of how comically different our heights were.
She rummaged through the back of her closet. “It’ll be fun. Not stupid.”
“The gym is where I need to be, not a dance I don’t want to go to.” I pulled my bare feet underneath me. “Requiring attendance for a Valentine’s dance is stupid. What kind of school does that?” My fingers danced along my ankle, testing, reassuring myself I was one hundred percent.
Gamela spun around, holding a dress up to her body. “What do you think?” The shiny light blue looked gorgeous against her darker skin. Judging by her smile, she knew it was perfect already.
“The color is amazing.” I stood and waved my hands at her. “Put it on.”
“I will,” she said, but she turned back to her closet. “But I want you to wear this.” She revealed a sequined rose-gold … shirt?
My eyes widened so much they strained against those tiny little muscles that held them in their sockets. “You want me to wear one of your shirts? To the dance?”
She giggled, “No, silly. It’s a dress.”
A dress? I tilted my head back and forth. “If that’s a dress …” I grimaced and pointed a finger. “… Not sure that piece of fabric would cover my booty.”
She swatted my words right out of the air. “It will fit. I promise.” She handed it to me. “Let’s get dressed.”
Two hours later, we were dressed, hair fixed, makeup on, leaving the dorm for the dance at Hayes Hall.
I tugged the hem of my dress down. “I appreciate the thought, La La, but you must have thought I was four foot two instead of five foot two. I should have just worn my school uniform.”
“Bite your tongue! You look gorgeous.”
A rumble of frustration vibrated in my throat. “Thanks, but …” I tugged on the hem again.
“Please,” she sighed. “You work out for hours in a leotard. You can handle a dress above the knee. Quit being so grumpy and enjoy the time off.” She bumped my side.
Gymnastics was going great. I was so close to the skill level I’d been at last summer, before the third-degree ankle sprain and parent abandonment. Back when my life had been … fun. “Okay, okay. You’re right” Swimming with my friends back home, our poolside dance-offs, was my downtime. I missed being silly like that. My heart warmed at the memories. “Good thing we don’t have dates. We can dance as crazy as we want.”
She pulled her phone out of her handbag, tapped on the screen, and slipped it back in. “Um, about that …”
Chapter 11
Two attendants dressed in black tuxedos opened the doors of the building as we approached. I was still getting used to the extras the place had.
Gamela picked up her pace, which meant I practically had to run to keep up with her.
“Gamela,” I hissed as she passed yet another set of doormen and entered the dimly lit ballroom. What did “um” mean?
She called something over her shoulder, but it was hard to hear over the music. I thought I caught the words “blind” and “date.”
The doors closed behind me as I struggled to keep up. My short legs where no comparison to hers when it came to the length of her gait. I slowed and took in the flashing lights, small round tables covered in white linen and flickering red votives that surrounded an ample dance floor. Teens danced in choreographed motion together.
If Gamela had set me up on a blind date without my knowledge … ugh! My gaze travelled from the various groups standing on the outer edge to my soon-to-be ex-friend.
Gamela pivoted, planting one hand on her hip, hair swi
rling around—a total model move. She gave a look that said, Hurry up.
As I neared, all of the things I’d been about to say magically disappeared when Ryan came into view. He had on a tailored gray-on-gray suit with a tie and a handkerchief that were strangely the same color as my dress. I glanced down and then back to his tie. Same.
If it were possible to pull my gaze away from those lips of his, I would’ve given Gamela a death stare that would have her shrinking to my height.
Slowly, I put one foot in front of the other.
Ryan met me halfway. “Hey.”
“Hey.” My words came out so breathy, I wasn’t sure he heard me.
“Ally.” He took my hand. “You look outrageously beautiful.”
I giggled. “Outrageously?”
“Definitely.”
“Thanks.” I wanted to tug the hem of the dress down, but I curled my fingers into my palm instead. “You too. A suit suits you.”
He chuckled, and my belly did that flip thing that seemed to happen when he was around lately. “So you’re telling jokes now?” he asked.
I shrugged. The fact that my hand was still in his hadn’t escaped my whirling thoughts and heart. “Gamela set us up?” I asked.
The up-to-no-good grin stretched across his face. “Something like that. Dance with me?” he asked.
The music, as loud as it’d been when I’d walked through the doors, faded when I first saw him. I hadn’t noticed the slow song that started to play. “Okay.”
Ryan was an outstanding dancer. Slow, fast, it didn’t seem to matter. My butterflies had a way of capturing my breath when we slow-danced together, though.
As the heat rose in the room, I decided I needed to take a dance break. We stood next to our table as I finished my fiftieth glass of sugary punch for the night and was doing a mental calculation of how many more calories I would need to burn off tomorrow.
Ryan leaned down and asked, “Do you mind if we get out of here?”
My eyebrows drew together. The dance was winding down, but it wasn’t over yet.
“I’d like to show you something.”
Although he had so many opportunities to hang out with Simon or other people, or to make a joke out of our situation, Ryan had been a perfect gentleman. As I looked into his dreamy blue eyes, I felt myself nod.
He laced his fingers with mine, slipped his jacket off the back of the chair, and escorted me out of the building. It had gotten so hot inside.
“Ah, the cool air feels so good,” I said.
“Are all gymnasts great dancers?” he asked.
I snickered. “Sort of. I guess. It’s different. But me and my friends back home used to dance all the time. The three of us.” I sighed. Jamie, my best friend from home, hadn’t responded to the message I’d sent to her two weeks ago.
“You miss home?” he asked.
“Yeah …”
Ryan sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. “I miss my dad.”
We took a different path, one I hadn’t been on yet. The dark sky was brilliant with the Milky Way.
“You were close?” I asked.
“No. Not until the end. I respected him, but I couldn’t stand him at the same time. You know what I mean?”
The second part I could relate to. “Sort of.” We rounded a corner, and I saw the library ahead.
“His expectations of me were on the extreme side.”
“I don’t think my parents ever set expectations. But my failures …” My throat had tightened. The sting of tears hit, and I did not want to go there. I stopped and turned to him. “Tonight has been the best I’ve had in a really long time. Can we talk about something else?”
He touched his forehead to mine. His minty breath danced across my skin when he said, “I’m the best dance date you’ve ever had. That’s good to know.”
I giggled and pushed him away, running ahead a little way. “Yes, but I have nothing to compare it to. So …” I taunted him.
He chased after me, capturing my hand again. “What is this blasphemy? This was your first dance?”
I skipped, danced, and twirled around him. Feeling light as a feather, I sang, “First everything.”
He lifted our hands and twirled me across the cobblestone of the gardens to the bench we had shared what felt like weeks ago. Giggles continued to pour out of me. I’d never felt so light and free.
“Have you ever stargazed on a date?”
It was then I saw the blanket folded on the seat and a large telescope off to the side. The flips my stomach did were too numerous to count—so many they were making me dizzy. But that could have been from holding my breath. Not sure. But I had to ask, “Are we really on a date?”
He stepped in front of me and asked in soft voice, “Do you want it to be a date?”
My heart only pounded this hard after I had completed a routine at an important competition. I swallowed. Did I want it to be? I glanced at his silk tie for a moment and answered softly, “I’ve never been on a date.”
One corner of his mouth lifted. Yeah, it was dark, but nothing could dim his smile. Why did I always end up watching his lips move?
“It’s official,” he said. “I’m your first date.”
It would be nice to not be the weird sixteen-year-old who had never gone out on a date for once. “Okay.”
His finger brushed a stray strand of hair from my cheek. “Let’s recap, shall we?”
Those lips were … hyp-no-tiz-ing
“First date.” He leaned closer. “First dance.” Even closer. “First kiss?”
I breathed in his words. Literally. Breathed. Them. In. Our lips were that close.
It was a bad idea. Not because it was Ryan, but I was putting the boy thing on hold to concentrate on gymnastics. Making the Olympic team was priority number one.
Ryan had become much more than an annoying class clown. He was a friend.
And it was just a kiss. With a friend. Right?
I pushed up on my toes, becoming breathless with every one-hundred-miles-per-hour beat of my heart. I swallowed, ready to see, to feel what a kiss was like.
“Ally!” Gamela’s squeal of laughter jolted me like a slap across the face. “Tell James I’ve been jogging with you on the weekends.”
Ryan moved to the telescope while Gamela and her dance date bickered as they crossed the pavers.
I glanced back at Ryan, but I could tell the moment was long gone.
So much for my first kiss.
Chapter 12
Our first meet went well. My uneven bars score was a nine point eight, and the beam was a nine point nine. Senior Alexa Steel came home with the all-around, but only because my coaches didn’t want to risk tweaking my ankle on the floor or vault.
The following week, I was ready to get my floor skills under control.
“Your floor routine was so on point today. Are you ready to kick butt Thursday?” Tessa asked. Ever since I’d given her a couple of pointers on beam, she’d been working out and stretching with me during team practice.
I reached forward in my straddle-sit and answered, “So ready. I love the adrenaline from the floor competition.”
“Do you ever get nervous?”
No one had ever asked me that question before. I considered it for a moment as I sat up. “Coach Romanoff said once that if a gymnast was nervous, they weren’t prepared. I work hard at being prepared.”
“The Coach Romanoff?” she asked, her eyes as round as her mouth that hung open.
“Yeah,” I giggled. “You look like a blond Betty Boop.”
She scrambled to her knees and crawled closer. “Oh my gosh. Have you trained with him?”
“A—”
“Ally, can I have a moment?” Coach Heidi called as she crossed toward the trainer’s room.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, standing and jogging after her.
She folded her arms against her chest and started in, “At MLA, academics come first, and then athletics. Coach Phillip and I are kep
t up to date with every girl’s grades on a weekly basis.”
My stomach tightened, but I didn’t look away. Gymnastics came before academics for me. That wasn’t going to change. Not until I competed in the Olympics.
“Mr. Graff reported your grade is in decline. He suggested you may need to spend more time on your studies and less on your sport.”
“He gives tons of homework.” Besides that, all I could think of in that class was how much he resembled a birdlike villain from Batman. It was so distracting.
“I don’t want to hear excuses. You’re not the only one to have Mr. Graff as a teacher.”
I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Get some tutoring and change the trajectory of your grade, or you’ll find your gym hours cut.” Her tight expression told me she meant every word.
Pressure rose in my chest. Training harder, more time in the gym, was what I needed. Not more math. If my parents hadn’t plucked me out of Elite Powerhouse Gym and ruined my life, I wouldn’t have to deal with Mr. Graff or Billionaire Academy and their perfect GPAs. “But Coach, I need to get ready for trials. I can do both. I promise.”
Coach pressed her mouth into a thin line. “One week. If you don’t make it happen, your gym time will be cut and your name won’t be on the roster for meets.”
My tight stomach twisted. “Yes, ma’am,” I agreed. “I already have someone in mind who might be able to tutor me.”
“Good.” She planted her hands on her hips and let out a long breath. “I know you’ve had a big life change coming here. But you are also disciplined and the most talented gymnast I’ve ever worked with. You may not realize it, but these girls look up to you.”