The things we can't control

Chapter eleven

It was nearly Christmas and Grace and I've spend a lot of December together. We went Christmas shopping where I helped her choose a present for Macy and we went ice skating. If my mother knew I did that, she would certainly kill me. But she doesn't have to know everything and I am planning to keep it like that. It was a little strange considering the weather in the southwestern US isn't cold and snowy, so we had to go to an indoor skating rink, but it was still fun.

Today she wanted to show me the soccer training grounds, just like I showed her the gym before Thanksgiving. I reached the door of the building, she said we would meet and went inside. Loud chatter and laughter could be heard from one of the doors. The door opened and Lilly came out, laughing with another teammate. "Hey, Evie. Grace will be out in a second. She just has to finish getting ready." I thanked her and continued waiting for Grace.

Like Lilly said, Grace came out of the room a few minutes later, looking freshly showered and smiling happily. She gave me a quick hug and indicated that I should follow her.

"Okay, let us begin our tour in this torturous room." She said, opening the door to a recovery room with a full ice bath. "Why torturous? It's a recovery room." I asked.

She nodded. "Exactly, don't you see that monster?" She pointed to the ice bath. I shrugged my shoulders. "I love Ice baths. They're so relaxing." I stated and she looked at me with an expression of shock. "Okay... Anyways, let's carry on."

She showed me the equipment room, a small common room and the changing room with her little cubicle. Grace got a ball and finally we walked onto the pitch. It was huge and she led us to one of the goals.

"I will show you how to hit the ball perfectly and then we're going to do some penalties." She said. I nodded and watched concentrated as she explained the perfect hit. Grace demonstrated a shot and I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that ball. I mean I actually know how it feels but I have no desire to repeat that experience.

"Okay, ready." She asked, walking to the goal. I put the ball on the grass and took a few steps back, then I ran up to it and struck it just like she said. I thought it was pretty decent but she easily grabbed the ball out of the air. "That wasn't bad. Try again and aim for one of the top corners.

I did as she told me too and after about ten shots one ball actually went into the top right corner. Evie jumped up but couldn't get to it and it hit the net. I mean yes, she isn't a goalkeeper but that was a good ball. I threw my hands in the air and sprinted around celebrating. The next thing that happened was just embarrassing as I tripped over my own foot and landed in the gras. I could hear Grace laughing and a few moment later she was at my side.

"Are you alright." She asked still chuckling. I nodded my head and she helped me to my feet. "That was a good ball." She complemented me as we stood opposite to each other. I looked into her eyes and realised how close we were. And then she leaned even closer and my mind slowly registered what was about to happen. I took a step back and laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, but I still have to learn how to walk." She also chuckled al little, although this one sounded fake, and redid her hair.

The rest of the afternoon was nice, even though we both tried to ignore that one moment.

***

On the next day I flew back home to Dallas. I was not in the mood for Christmas but I was even less exited about all the training and controlling I would have to endure during this visit. My Mother picked me up from the airport and immediately talked my ear off about how amazing the next three weeks were going to be. Suddenly I caught myself thinking, that I wanted to be back at the Preath's home and all the love and comfort it brought me on Thanksgiving.

I stepped into my childhood room and looked at all the pictures of me doing gymnastics. The more I studied my room the more I distanced myself from the girl that used to live here. This room belonged to Evelyn Hansen and it was as if I didn't even know that girl. Evie didn't exist here and I hated it.

As I unpacked the last of my stuff my mother came into my room and handed me the schedule for the next two weeks as well as informations about some companies that wanted to sign me. As if I could choose to say no to any of the deals. My mother manages my sponsors and takes nearly every deal she's given. The big deals would come right before the olympics and I already had no desire to film those commercials. I'm an actress and the process of filming commercials always makes my skin crawl.

I studied the schedule for the next weeks and it looked stressful to say the least. I head no off days for the entire time and often two practices a day. I groaned and buried my head into my pillow dreading the time I would have to spend at home, having to pretend to be Evelyn Hansen, the perfect daughter and gymnast. Even though I raver wanted to trade lives with the next person I saw on the streets.