Take One for the Team

Chapter 6: From Sad to Determined

Some people say that double dutch is their favorite jump rope event. Others say that theirs is singles. But to tell the truth, I think that everyone's favorite is pairs.
I went home that night and cried. I sat on the couch and cried and cried and cried. I went through a box of tissues. I was still angry, so I went upstairs to my room and went through another box of tissues. I was still mad, and out of tissues, so I got into my bed and and pulled out a pillow. I called it my anger pillow. When I was mad, I would punch my anger pillow until I wasn't mad anymore.
At first I was just sad, but now I was mad at Coach Melissa for not giving me a partner. She did this to me. To ME!!! Why me!!! She could have picked anyone else. Someone who hadn't been on the team as long, or someone younger, but she choose ME.
I took out my pillow and started punching it. I punched it again and again and again. Finally, I started laughing and felt a little better.
I thought a good nights sleep would help me feel better and that I would forget about it in the morning, but I didn't.
I practically woke up crying. I thought that maybe school would get my mind off it, but it didn't. I didn't do anything fun at school. It was just another boring day of 6th grade.
As soon as I got home, went up to my room and started crying again. I
I don't know it you've noticed, but when you cry for too long, your eyes get all red and puffy, and your vision blurs. Then your nose starts running and won't stop. You want to cry forever, but at the same time you want to stop crying but don't know how to.
I had been crying for three hours when my mom told me to come downstairs for dinner. I ate some salmon and rice, and I felt a little better.
I went back up to my room and started doing my homework. I finished my assignments, and then I started crying again. My mom called me down for dessert. I didn't really feel like it, but I went downstairs anyways.
Lucky for me, it was hot fudge sundaes (my favorite!) and it did cheer me up. I felt better and went to bed.
The next day after school I had practice. I didn't want to go, but I went anyways.
We were all anxious to work with our new groups, and we started with pairs double dutch. Pairs double dutch was really fun. Zoey is adorable, and I thought of a million ways we could use that to our advantage.
It was kind of hard to get Joey and Zoey to focus, but that was ok. I'm good with children. I have patience and know how to handle them.
Then we moved on to double dutch. Brandon lives in Santa Barbara, so obviously he wasn't at practice, but Becky and I started working together and making up our parts. Becky is fun to work with, and we had fun making up our parts.
Then there was pairs. I sat around and moped and watched other people work on their routines. Coach Melissa told me to stop sitting around, and to go out there and practice FED. I did for a little bit, but then I got bored and started practicing singles. Everyone looked so happy practicing pairs. There's a special connection, a special friendship, between pairs partners. And I didn't have that. There's s reason everyone loves pairs. You don't make it all up on your own. You do it together. With your partner. That special friendship comes alive through your routine.
I remember that with Rosie. Before our fight. We had always been partners, and working online routine together was so much fun.
And now I just watched her and Leia work on their routine. They looked like they were having so much fun. Rosie caught my eye and smirked at me. I wish that we had never gotten into that stupid TV fight. We had made up, but we would never be as close as before.
I hated that show. The only good thing that had happened in the last few months was that show being put on hold.
As I watched everyone working on pairs, I started to tear up a little. So I rushed out the front door and started crying. I don't know if you've noticed, but I cry a lot. I don't cry over a lot of things, but when there is something to cry over, I cry and cry and can't stop myself.
I stood there outside trying to hold back tears. Then Jake and Ashlyn walked out.
"Julie, are you ok?" Ashlyn asked. "What's the matter? said Jake. "I'm just upset because I don't have a pairs partner," I replied. "Shhh, it's ok," Ashlyn said. "You're a great jumper Julie, and this is your chance to show Coach Melissa how great you are. Practice a lot. Go win for your single rope routine at Regionals. When Coach Melissa comes back, she'll see what a great jumper you've become," Jake continued. "This is your chance to shine, and there's still singles, double dutch and pairs double dutch."
"Not exactly," I said. "I'm with Becky and Brandon for double dutch, which is great, except that I'm in the 18 and over boys age division. And for pairs double dutch, I'm with Leia and the little kids. They're adorable, but hard to get to cooperate." "Oh," said Ashlyn. "I know my little sister can be annoying. Don't worry, you still have singles."
"Thanks, you guys, for cheering me up. You're awesome."
"No, you're awesome," Jake said. "Now get out there and practice your awesome single rope routine."
I felt better after that. I have great teammates. It was nice of them to cheer me up.
That night at the end of practice Coach Melissa said, "Guys, I'm going to be leaving at the end of the month. A week from Thursday will be my last practice."
Only four more practices with Coach Melissa! I didn't know Kelly or Kyle, I had only heard of them. I didn't know what I could do.
That night after my mom picked me up from Jake's house to drive me the rest of the way home, I started to cry again. My mom said to me, "Julie, I've given you three days. You can go home and cry tonight, but after this, that's it. I want you to stop. Otherwise I'll make you quit the jump rope team. It's not healthy to cry like this and be this sad. Tonight's your last night to do this. Then I want you to get out there and practice. What type of person do you think Coach Melissa would put on demo team. Someone who hides and cries and quits the team when she doesn't get the groups she wants, or someone who gets out there and practices and gets better?"
I did think about that. Demo team had been a dream of mine ever since I joined the team. Demo Team was made up of the best jumpers on the team. There were 8 right now: Summer, Sierra, Savanna, Brandon, Lexi, Cara, Annie, and, since last year, Rosie. I wish I was on demo team with Rosie. I thought about Jake's and Ashlyn's words: "It's your time to shine," and "Get out there and practice your awesome single rope routine." I knew what I needed to do. I wasn't going to be sad and cry anymore.
I was going to practice and become a better jumper.