Watch Me

Chapter Six

It was Saturday and Tara walked down Harley's driveway with her things. She climbed the marble steps to the front door and let herself in. "Harley, I'm here!"

She looked up to the top of the stairs and saw Harley peeking over the mahogany rails. Tara waved and ran up the spiral stair case. She walked to Harley's room and set her things on her bed.

Harley was dressed in her leotard and huge sweatpants. She was working on taming her curly hair enough to pull it up into a French braid and tuck it under. She groaned and took it out to start over. Tara jumped up and asked "do you want me to do it?"

"Yes." Harley sat on the floor and Tara kneeled behind her. She began braiding tightly, smoothing each piece before continuing.

With the braid finished, Harley jumped back up and began to pack her gym bag. "Thanks for coming today."

"I know it's a really big meet and I couldn't miss it!" Tara patted her bag and added "I'm staying the night by the way."

Harley laughed and nodded. They finally got everything and headed out the door. Harley's dad was waiting in the car and her step mom was in the front seat doing her make up. Harley rolled her eyes and let Tara in first, sliding in the seat next to her. They drove for almost an hour before they reached the gym where the meet was being held. The girls read license plates in the parking lot as they searched for a spot. There were people from all over the country, some as far as Florida, Maine, and Arizona.

"You girls go on in," her dad said, frustrated. "Harley, you know where to go."

They jumped out and went inside. Tara caught a glimpse of a few cold stares from other competitors directed towards Harley. Harley lifted her chin and waltzed right into the room, ignoring the other girls. She signed in and led Tara to her team's assigned room. "I need to drop off my things and head to practice."

The small gym was being used for warm up and practice. Tara found a seat next to one set of uneven bars and watched Harley stretch and warm up her muscles. She slipped out of her sweat pants and put on her hand and wrist braces. She chalked up and ran to the bars. She jumped and grabbed the first bar, swinging up and around. Tara watched her fly through the air and land on the next bar only to flip around and swing back onto the first bar. Harley did flips and turns and handstands on the bars, her body moving flawlessly. Harley landed and rolled her wrists to loosen them up more.

"So what events are you doing today?" Tara knew Harley could do them all, but her favorite was the uneven bars.

Harley sat down in front of her and stretched her legs some more. "I'm doing everything today. Vaulting, beam, floor, then bars. I didn't really want to do floor, but my coach said the competition isn't much in that category this year."

"What song are you doing this time?" Harley had a tendency to go with not so common floor songs. They often ended up being heavy metal or rock. She very rarely went with a classical track.

"Phantom of the Opera." Harley grinned. Her black leotard made sense now. "It's gonna be great!"

The meet began and Tara took her seat with Harley's coach. She wasn't usually allowed to sit anywhere outside of the bleachers, but Harley convinced them to let her stay. They started with vaulting and Tara watched the girls sprint and flip over the vault. It was finally Harley's turn. Harley smiled and sprinted down the runway then launched over the vault, sticking her landing perfectly. The crowd cheered and Harley waved. She came over to her coach and watched the rest of the team.

Each event went by and Harley placed in the top three each time. They announced the beginning of the floor routines and Harley took her place by the floor. She smirked and stepped up to the corner then posed dramatically. The organ blasted through the speakers and almost everyone jumped back. Harley started her routine and hit every pose and nailed every flip with an intensity and fire Tara couldn't really fathom. She bounded across the floor and twisted in the air and hit each leap with incredible strength and control.

The song ended and Harley stood strongly in the center of the floor. She skipped off and hugged her coach then hugged Tara. "A few more routines and then I go for bars!" Harley seemed so excited.  She loved the uneven bars the most and she truly excelled at them.

The announcer spoke into the microphone. "And now, we have the final event, the uneven bars."

Harley and Tara watched girls from across the country do their combinations. One girl, a girl from the only Utah team, slipped and landed on the mat, breaking her arm. They put the line up on hold and waited for paramedics to splint her arm and escort her out of the gym. The announcer came on and said "let's get a round of applause for miss Tiffany Kranchov."

The audience applauded as the Utah girl left and then the meet resumed. Harley was the last gymnast called up. She slipped into her braces and chalked up. The crowd cheered as she prepped to jump up onto the bars.

Her hands found the bars and moved across them as if they have done this a million times. She tucked and leapt to the small bar then swung back up. Each time, her hands gripped the bar and her body moved around. She dismounted with a double tuck and stuck her landing, ending a flawless routine.

In the end, Harley placed second overall. She stood on the platform with her medals and a large bouquet of flowers, waving and smiling brightly. The crowd cheered and celebrated in the stands. Tara cheered the loudest. She jumped and clapped and yelled Harley's name.

They waited for the crowd to die down some before leaving the team's room. Harley was wearing her sweatpants again and she wore her medals with pride. Some girls from the other teams scowled as she walked by and she simply returned the look with a smile and air kiss. Sometimes, her sass was too much.

Harley's dad met her at the front door and his trophy wife was already in the car, touching up her bright pink lipstick. He held the door open for Harley and Tara then sat in the driver's seat. "You're on fire this season!" He pulled into traffic and turned onto the road home. "I think that was your best floor routine yet!"

"I don't know." Harley began. "We are the Brave was pretty sick. This one was a lot of fun though."

"You won't get to the Olympics based on fun, dear." Her step mom smiled in the rear view mirror. Based on her expression, she obviously missed Harley's eye roll and scowl. "Maybe you need to start increasing your gym time."

Harley began to speak, but she shut her mouth when she saw her dad look at her in the mirror. He knew she didn't like the new wife, but he also knew it wasn't worth fighting right now.

To change the subject, Harley turned to Tara and asked "how is Jewel coming along?"