Isla Reid is a collegiate gymnast at Oklahoma University. Back in high school, Isla and her best friend, Harry Styles, became very close to one another. However, when exposed to an awkward situation, a rut was left between the two of them. Harry wen...
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November 1, 2022
"Nice, Styles!"
My body weight propels myself around the bar, torquing it into all different positions. Harsh puffs of air leave my nose, the power of my tap underneath the bar launches me upward and off the bar. As I fly over, I flip my body in a straight, laid out position, before regripping the bar. Controlling my momentum, I continue the rest of my routine, executing it perfectly.
"Come on, Styles! Tap it up!" my coach shouts from the side of the bar.
I round the bar once more, releasing my hands, flipping and twisting in my dismount. My eyes find the ground with plenty of time for me to spot my landing, making it an easy stick. As soon as my feet hit the mat, the boys cheer, running over to give my high fives and slaps on the back.
My heart races and adrenaline pumps through my veins as I walk towards my grip bag. Picking it up off the ground, I stick it underneath my arm, flexing it to ensure that it doesn't fall. I undo the buckles and pull my grips off my fingers, experiencing the normal numbness in my hands. Dropping them to the ground, I pull off my wrist bands and place them into my bag.
Squatting down, I begin to shove my grips into my bag as I hear my teammates start to cheer again. Looking up from the bubble I put myself in, I see Niall being placed on the bar in preparation for his routine.
We have about two months until our season begins, and we're actually ahead of schedule. About this time of year, we're usually just starting to put routines together, but we're already having mock meets during practice. Because of this, we have to do all six events in one practice, and I'm exhausted.
"Let's go, Ni!" I shout from my spot, standing up to walk where the rest of the team is. As I do, Coach Mooney walks to stand by my side, watching Niall as he begins his set.
"Great routine," he mutters, his attention being broken by Niall doing his first release move of his routine. He claps in support, eagerly cheering on my best friend. "Be sure to keep your shoulders open on your giants. They were at an angle after all of your releases."
I nod, bringing my hands up to cup my mouth. "Toes up, Ni!" His dismount soars through the air, making a loud thud when he lands on the mat, perfectly sticking it like I did. "Let's go!" I cheer as I run up to him, bombarding him with the rest of my teammates.
His easily recognizable laugh melts into the air, making everyone else join in as we each give him high fives. I take a couple steps back, ensuring that I will be the last person he celebrates with. Racing towards me, I bring my hands up, waiting for the impact of his. A loud slap cracks through the air, and my hands sting, but the smile on my face spans ear to ear in joy.
"That was sick, Niall," I say as I spin around, walking with him back to where everyone's grip bags are. "You're in meet shape already. That's crazy!" Slapping his bare back, he lets out a hiss, turning his head to send me a glare.
