Wrestling with destiny

2

Phoenix's POV

The faint light of the early morning sun streamed through the blinds as I blinked my eyes open, nerves already starting to twist in my stomach. Today was the day. The big competition. One that could qualify me for Nationals. My heart was pounding before I even had a chance to move, but I couldn't let the anxiety win. I sat up quietly, careful not to wake Emily, who was still snuggled under the covers beside me. She'd stayed over the night before, so we could head to the competition together. It was her first time watching me in a professional competition, and I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and pressure.

I glanced at my phone. The alarm hadn't gone off yet, but I figured it was close enough to start getting ready. I carefully slid out of bed, tiptoeing across the room and grabbing my gym bag from the chair. My competition outfit, all laid out and pristine, was waiting for me. The sparkly black and silver leotard shimmered slightly in the dim light, and just looking at it made my stomach flip all over again. I needed to stay focused. I needed to remind myself that I was prepared. I'd trained for this, poured hours into perfecting every routine.

A soft groan came from the bed behind me. "Is it time already?" Emily asked groggily, her eyes still half-closed as she peeked out from under the blanket.

"Almost," I said with a small smile, turning back to her. "But we should probably start getting ready."

Emily sat up, rubbing her eyes before stretching. "Right, right... your big day. I'm excited, Phe! You're going to kill it out there."

I appreciated her enthusiasm, but the knot in my stomach had other plans. "Thanks. I just... need to keep calm, you know? I've never done anything this big before."

Emily yawned and gave me a playful nudge as she climbed out of bed. "You'll be fine. You're Phoenix Frost. You've got this."

I smiled at her words, but they did little to quiet the anxiety bubbling inside me. I headed to the bathroom to get changed, the soft padding of my feet on the cool tile grounding me for a moment. As I slipped into my leotard and started pulling my hair back into a neat ponytail, I caught my reflection in the mirror. My eyes lingered on my face for a moment longer than usual. It was the same face, the same girl. But today... today was different. This was my chance to prove myself. Not just to the judges, but to everyone who doubted I could make it this far.

Emily knocked lightly on the door. "You good in there?"

"Yeah, almost ready," I called back, quickly washing my face and brushing my teeth. When I opened the door, Emily was already dressed and waiting with a bright smile.

"Let's do this," she said, bouncing on her toes slightly, clearly more excited than nervous.

"Yeah, let's do this," I echoed, feeling the familiar butterflies in my stomach take flight once more.

Janice's POV

Downstairs, the house was already starting to buzz with morning activity. Janice stood at the kitchen counter, her hands gripping her coffee cup a little too tightly. She took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task at hand—making breakfast—but her mind kept drifting back to the competition. Today was huge for Phoenix, and Janice couldn't shake the feeling of anxiety gnawing at her. She'd always supported Phoenix's dreams of being a gymnast, ever since she was a little girl twirling around the living room, pretending to be on a balance beam. But this... this was big. The biggest competition Phoenix had ever faced. And if she did well, it could send her straight to Nationals.

Janice couldn't help but worry about the pressure her daughter was under. She'd seen Phoenix work so hard, push through injury and self-doubt, and she was so proud of her. But what if something went wrong? What if the pressure was too much? As a nurse, Janice had spent years watching people at their most vulnerable, and it had made her realize just how fragile life could be. She wanted more than anything for Phoenix to succeed, but she also wanted her to be happy and healthy.