Can't Help || Auston Matthews

Ch. 2

Esmeralda's POV- July 2016

"So how is Toronto treating you?"

Kyla hummed as she waited for my answer

"I really like it here" I admitted.

"That's nice to hear"

I nodded and adjusted my earphones.

"What about you? How are you adjusting to going to school again" I said.

I was a year older than Kyla, but she had graduated from highschool last year. She deferred college for 1 year in hopes of making the 2016 Olympic team. Her plans changed though, and she retired from elite gymnastics a few days before I announced I was retiring from competitive gymnastics. I had knee surgery in 2014 during my sophomore year of college, and was never able to fully recover. Injuries prior to that did not help my recovery as well. Kyla and I were the only members of the "Fierce Five" to maintain college eligibility. Since the beginning of my elite career, my parents were clear that I needed a career after gymnastics. My mom is a well known forensic anthropologist, and my dad is a world class surgeon; money was not a problem at the time.

"It is so hard to wake up early"

"8am classed are the worst, I do my very best to avoid them" I stated.

"I get to nap after my 8am, but it is so hard to get out of bed and look nice"

The only class I had taken at 8am was a Calculus class my freshmen year and it was brutal. The class was incredibly easy, but it was so hard to get up at 6:45 and get ready to go to class.

"Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm going downtown with my housemates" I told her.

"Are you going to a club?"

"All I know is that we're going to dinner" I stated.

I glanced up whent the door to the room opened. My roommate Alyssa smiled at me as she closed the door behind her.

"I'm going to shower, but I was hoping you could help me do my make up after?"

I smiled and nodded as I took an earbud off.

"Of course" I told her.

"Do you like Sushi?"

I nodded.

"I eat anything" I admitted.

"Ok good cause the guys wanted sushi"

I glanced at the screen as Kyla gasped.

"Guys? You live with guys and you didn't tell me!"

"What time are we leaving?" I asked.

Alyssa looked at her phone.

"I told them to be ready by 6:30, and I'll actually call to reserve a table right now"

I nodded and glanced at the time, it was 4:30PM.

"Are you watching a movie or something?"

"I'm talking with a friend" I told Alyssa

She gasped.

"I'm sorry that is so rude of me to just interupt you"

I smiled.

"It's ok" I assured her.

She nodded.

"I'll be back in a bit"

I nodded at Alyssa as she closed the door.

"You live with guys?"

I turned my attention to Kyla who was wiggling her eyebrows at me.

"Yes, 2 guys actually" I told her.

She grinned.

"Are they hot?"

"One of them is my roommate's boyfriend" I said.

"What about the other?"

"He's an international student" I stated.

"Oooh tell me more"

"His name is Andres and he is from Colombia" i told her.

"Is he hot?"

"He's a handsome guy" I admitted.

I laughed as she wiggled her eyebrows at me.

"What are you wearing tonight?"

"I actually do not know. Help me pick something out" I said.

I got out of bed and placed my laptop on my desk.

"Wear the booties I got you"

I was incredibly stubborn when it came to wanting to defend my World Title on vault. Going into the 2012 London Olympics I was the reigning world vault champion, and everyone thought I was going to be Olympic Champion in that event. I was supposed to be the first American Women to win that title, but I fell on my butt during my second vault. I came home from London with 2 Olympic medals, 1 gold and 1 silver. Floor and Vault were my strong events but during the Olympics I was only allowed to compete on vault. I competed with an injured toe that later became the reason I had to have foot surgery that year. I took a year off to recover, but my goal was to recover and try to make the World Team. 

I maintained my college eligibilty and started college in 2013. In order to compete for the US National team my freshmen year I decided to take the minimum 12 units my first quarter and redshirt the year. I defended my world title and was the first American women to do so. I didn't know that it would be my last time competing in gymnastics. I remember being in so much pain, but I just pulled through and smiled.

I returned to UCLA, and the summer before my sophomore year I noticed that my knee always felt sore. Miss Val made me get it checked and the doctor told me I would need surgery. I was unable to compete my sophomore year because I had to recover from knee surgery. The summer before my junior year, I called Miss Val and with a heavy heart I told her I was going to retire. She told me not to officially announce it and to let her figure something out. I was on the roster at the beginning of the 2015-16 season as a redshirt junior, and right before winter quarter began I got an email from UCLA telling me that after careful consideration they had decided to terminate my athletic scholarship. I was an exemplary student, and it was decided that I would be receiving an academic scholarship.I announced my retirement from competitive gymnastics in February, a few days after Kyla announced her retirement from Elite gymnastics.

"Which one of the two?" I asked.

"The brown ones with the heel"

It had been a long journey, but I was finally able to wear heels. 

"You should wear a dress"

The surgery had left a nice lengthy scar on my knee, and I had been incredibly self conscious about it. It took 2 years, but I had grown to accept the scar on my knee. Like my parents had told me, life continues after gymnastics. School helped me cope with the fact that I was not competing anymore. After 2 years, I was able to admit that I wouldn't change the way my career ended. The media could talk all they want, but that wouldn't change the fact that I was a two time Olympic medalist. My goals had changed since London, I was focusing on school at the moment. 

A/N: Three more episodes until they meet!