Wishes

Chapter 1

I wish they would notice me. I wish when they look at me, they wouldn't see my knees. I wish when they thought of the best, they would think of me. But all they see when they look at me is a small girl, who is has inflexible 'legs, shoulders, wrists, and any other body part you can think of. I have lived at the gym since I was three years old. When everyone is having sleepovers at each others houses or going to the mall, I can never go because of gym. I come home with bruises on my wrists from my grips, and pain in ankles from all the pounding. If my mom knew nine years ago that I would turn out like this, she would have never put me in gymnastics.

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"Shape, shape, shape!" My couch yells at me as I fly off the bar. I love the feeling of defying gravity as I float in the air. I'm flipping through the air not once but twice in a tuck position. Reality hits me literally as I come into the pit with a thud, barely making my second rotation around.

I climb out the pit waiting for my coaches comments, but see that he is long gone watching Savannah. I watch her as I walk to the chalk bucket. She lets go at the perfect time and completes her double back with a stuck landing.

I turn green with envy watching her. I've been working on my double back for seven months and still haven't mastered it. Then, here comes Savannah, who is two years younger than me, works on it for a week and already has it on the regular bar. I snap out of my day dream when I feel a squirt of water on my face. I look over to see Reilly with a squirt bottle in her hands.

"Sorry" she says with a sympathetic look on her face.

"It's ok" I say. I walk over to a station on the floor to work on a drill for pirouettes. I am soon accompanied by my best friend Faith. We have been friends since we met in hot shots with years ago.

She she's the look on my face and can immediately tell that something is wrong. It's like we have a telepathic link between us. I just glance over at Savannah and its like I told her everything. "Come on Allie. Don't let her get to you,"she says. "You know her form is going to kill her at states, so just chill."

"I know"I reply. She walks away to another station to avoid being yelled at. Bars is my best event. At my level, it doesn't require much flexibility to complete a decent bar routine, so I consider it my best. I start my drill so I won't be yelled at either. Not that a coach would take two seconds to look at me, when they could be looking at Savannah.

Once we got off of bars, we were given a twenty minute snack break. Faith and I take our usual seats in the back corner of the locker room. Everyday, the rest of the girls offer us a seat in the front with everyone else, but we always decline and take our usual spot. Sometimes Rockell will join us like she did today. She is a year older than us, but since we are the next oldest, she hangs out with us.

We take out our lunches: a turkey and cheese sandwich on rye with carrots for Faith, a chicken Caesar salad with crackers for Rockell, and a peanut butter and banana sandwich on white bread with apple slices for me. Faith and Rockell talk about an upcoming election at their school while sit and listen.

Ever since I became an optional gymnast, I've been homeschooled. It's easier since I have a tight schedule, that I can be flexible with what time I have school ( at least I can be flexible at one thing!)

"I heard Tony Rodriquez is going to run for Vice President" says Rockell. Faith gets a look on her face as if to say 'whatever, he's got no chance' ."Also, Brittany Lovelace is running for president."

Faith starts to turn pink and slowly into red. She has told me thousands of times about her. Brittany this, Brittany that, OMG Brittany was totally kissing up to the teacher today so she wouldn't have to do the assignment. "Well, I wish her my best of luck"she says angrily and takes a big bite of her carrot.

I try to hold it back, but I can't help but laugh a little. I cover my hand up over my mouth and so does Rockell. Faith pushes us to the ground, but we're already half way there from laughing so much. Soon Faith is on the floor as well. If someone were to walk in and see us, they might think we were having a Spatz attack.

Then, something hit me. "Faith, why don't you run for president?" I say excitedly. Her jaw drops and soon her mouth is hanging wide open. Her face turns pale, but soon fills up with color... a little too much color.

"Me president?" She screams. "Are you crazy?

"No I am not! You have just as good of a chance as that goody two shoes Brittany," I said.

"All this election is a big popularity contest and I'm not exactly popular," Faith says.

"No. All you have to do is have a great campaign and get them to vote for you," Says Rockell. I see Faith's normal color return to her face. Couch Mark's voice booms through the locker room telling us its time to go back out and stretch. We gather our trash and walk out onto the floor.

After about fifteen or so minutes, we head to beam. I climb up and start my toe raises. 5,6,7,8 I count through my head. Beam hasn't been my best event this last season but I managed to get through.

"You will work on your upgraded skills. Ten of each wherever you feel comfortable," says Mrs. Lindsey. I throw my head back with a smile in my face. I hop down off the beam and rush to the floor. A without back walkovers is a day I love.

I prep my arms over my head, swing them down and throw them backwards. I do my backhand spring twice in a row with only minor flaws. I do it a couple more times then decide to move it to the low beam. I stack up panel mats on both sides to where they are level with the beam. My first try, I make one hand and one foot on the beam. After a couple more try's, I am getting both my hands and feet on the beam.

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They noticed me. My wish came true.