Dawn Everhart
It cost me my pride to admit that Xavier and I were dating. As much as I loathed being entitled to another, one thing I enjoyed was that scoundrel friend of his who dropped his guts and resolved his conflict with me. At least the guy still knows what he values.
My problem doesn't end there as I can feel daggers from Caroline's gaze when William said that Xavier and I are dating. Jenna and I have ignored her most of the time after she trash talked me and Jenna which felt so unreasonable since we did nothing to her anyway. I do feel guilty to just drag Jenna into my side. Let me make it clear, it was her who chose to stay.
At the end of class, I grabbed my tights from my locker since it's time for my first practice as a gymnast. It was easy making it into the team, considering that most of the girls trying out are clearly there for fun. They can't even do a split and those lousy moves are an eyesore to be honest.
Just as I grabbed my hair tie, someone's hand slammed my locker shut almost snapping my wrist into two if I reached out any further.
Now who's trying to get on my nerves now?
I turned to see who rudely slammed my locker and got ready to punch someone hard in the face. Unexpectedly, it was Xavier, whose eyes glimmered like a toddler when someone gave them a candy.
"W-what...?" I was too stunned to speak.
"You just told William I'm your boyfriend." He said, cackling uncontrollably.
"Just like you told Jenna. How does it feel to take a dose of your medicine?" I swatted his arm away from my locker. He's a few, or many inches taller than me so whenever he reaches his hand out, his arms would be the same level as my face so it might be easy for him to smack me down.
"It's good." He grins. "So back then, you aren't angry that I claimed we're dating?"
"I was." I marched my way for gymnastics practice.
"I must've been mistaken to think we'd be the same but I guess it was all but a hopeful thought." I sighed.
"Opposites attract." He said.
"It's nothing but a norm." I shut the door behind me.
Jenna was talking to one of the teachers who must've been the judges during the tryouts. When she saw me, she told something to the teacher and pointed at me. The teacher, who must be in her twenties looked at my direction and nods at Jenna. I turned around and saw a freckled girl with braces grinning at the teacher.
I must be assuming, I thought.
I shrugged it off when Jenna joined me and dragged me just as one of the teachers blew her whistle calling the gymnasts attention.
"That's Coach McLisse, she teaches the newbies." Jenna whispers.
I looked at the sour-faced woman who must be 40 or so, she looked like a dumpling. Nah, I thought. I wonder how she teaches gymnastics without making an insult or even smacking us with a wooden stick, because it usually happens. She introduced herself as Mrs. Nora McLisse and she teaches the newbie gymnasts. So I guess I'm stuck with her for a while.
The young teacher whom I saw talking with Jenna earlier butted in and murmured something in Mrs. McLisse's ear.
"Ms. Dawn Everhart?" Mrs. McLisse called.
Hesitantly, I raised my hand. "Here."
"Head over to the artistic gymnastics area with Ms. Boulein." She said.
I gave Jenna a what-is-going-on look. She smiled and shrugged before dragging me off to the artistic gymnastics section across the room.
"You owe me an explanation." I grumbled.
"I told Ms. Boulein, the new coach that you don't need to do the basics since you're already flexible and can do a split. Just a little training and you'll be ready in no time." Jenna explained.
Then, a blonde girl who must've got a tan in the summer approached us with a friendly gesture.
"Hey, newbie. What's your name?" She asked.
"Dawn." I replied.
"Cool, I'm Carla. Ms. Boulein just told me to teach you a bit of our thing while she's off on a meeting. Let's do some limbering up, shall we?" She said.
"Okay."
I sat on the mats and spread my legs wide apart because it's obvious to me what she's gonna do. As her feet made a stopper to my own, she invited me to reach her, which I did, and pulled me close, further stretching my thighs. I remembered my first time doing this during cheerdance training then I had to limp after that which made it harder to stand hard like statue when tossed. It didn't hurt anymore now that I've gotten used to it. Jenna assisted by taking a hold of my waist then pushing it all the way to the floor.
I could tell she was impressed it didn't take an effort.
"Well, no wonder you get to skip Mrs. McLisse. Everybody wouldn't dare to provoke her no matter how painful it'll be." Carla smiled.
"Were you a gymnast before?" She asked.
"No, I was a cheerleader." I replied.
"Then why did you join gymnastics?" Carla asked wondering.
"To try something new besides being tossed up in the air." I answered flatly. She gladly took my answer without hesitation.
"Can you do a split?" She requested.
I did a left one.
"She can do the left and middle but not the right." Jenna told her.
"We'll fix that, I'm sure you'll learn it in no time." Carla grinned. "Jenna help me with this one."
I yelped. Probably loud enough to get an audience. It deja vu'd me back to where I first attempted to split with a battalion of cheerleaders holding me down.
And there goes my dignity. I'm pretty sure that the newbies were slacking off because Mrs. McLisse was not there. Technically, they're just messing with the apparatuses while they have their time. Only a few of them were doing basic stretch they probably got while watching others and my groans are louder than theirs.
Ain't my left and middle split enough?
My right leg felt weak and I can barely stand on the beam. Let alone do a cartwheel routine.