One Flip at a Time

Chapter 2

/Anastasia above/

7 months later

Right now it's the fall season tomorrow is one of the National Championship, it's really important for my career.

Coach is about to yell at me i can tell. I walk over to the matts to work on my choreography. I needs to be perfect, I start of doing dramatic signs with my hands I do that while walking over to the corner of the matt.

I begin leaping and spreading my arms while doing so.

I do my biggest leap when I feel so much pain shoot down my thigh.

My coach comes rushing over "stop moving", he says. His wife comes rushing over but he yells at her to get ice, so she turns around and runs back.

I pain hurts so bad it's like it's consuming me, pushing away all other thoughts. It is almost making me start to burn up.

I hear muffled voices then a soothing relief comes I look up to see its the ice.

I look up at coach as he gives me a worried glance. I know what he's thinking I just refuse to believe it.

He opens his mouth to speak but I shake my head no, I can feel the tears swell up in my eyes making it near impossible to see.

"Anastasia, your not going to be able to compete tomorrow", he says sadly. He isn't allowed to admit it but I'm his best student. I learn the stunts quickly and give him an 110% effort every day.

I win most of the competitions, well me and my team and the only reason is I'm just more experienced. In this world you have no allies just your coach but even sometimes not even them.

*************************************

The Next Day

My thigh feels better it only hurts a little. But when coach asked I said it felt brand new. Yet I still walked in their with my team my head held high.

When everyone was warmed up the first person went up Janise. She thinks she's all that just because her dad runs a bank down here in Moscow. (Russia)

She goes up on the high bars but she is unbalanced and waves her arms a little, that cost her points. She ended up getting a 3.4 .

Marlee from my team is up next she is a shy little thing well not little she's taller than me. I'm the shortest on the team.

She goes up and does the uneven bars and falls a little when she lands, she ends up getting a 4.3 it wasn't that bad but the judges are absurd.

It goes on like this for the rest of the tournament. I feel antsy through the entire thing it's like it's bubbling up inside of me and I'm about to burst.

I finally walk up to coach "yes",he says with out turning his head. "I want to compete",I tell him with confidence. "Okay", he says dully.
"Really"
"Yes, you say your leg is fine it's fine",coach tells me.

I'm officially up next and I have a moment of doubt what if I mess up because of it. Janise comes up to me and says,"break a leg" with an evil smirk on her face.

I just roll my eyes at her childish tactic.

I go up to the high bar and lift myself up. I start walking as it gets really hot in here. I go and swing my arms and then turn around to do by cartwheel when I lose my balance and wall.

I shake my head and get back up focus, Anastasia, focus I chide myself. I do the cartwheel and go and do a flip off the end. I land but something happens to my ankle a searing pain shoots up my leg.

Because I had fell I grab onto my leg, the next thing I know I see Coach's face near mine telling me to hold on. The pain is really bad, it gets even hotter in hear.

The last thing I see is the white ceiling getting darker, until it's pitch black.