𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗧 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗜𝗧? ✰ w. bjerken

•5•

PERREYS POV

The buzzer beeps. Eyes on the four-inch wide beam in front of me, I take a couple steps and hurdle into a round off. My feet hit the beam solidly together and I throw my body back into a a double pike. As I land, feet together and upper body forward, a small pain in my left leg bone cries out. It's very small, but similar to the pain I have during the nights. I stand straight to salute. I stuck my landing! My brain immediately goes back to the pain in my leg. I bite my lip and suck it up. One last event. Then it's over. My scores have been really good so far.

Vault. My last event. I'm going second in the rotation this time. I take a deep breath and adjust my leotard. You got this, I tell myself, and watch another girl do her practice vault beside me. I already did my practice vault, and I stuck one of them. My heart keeps skipping beats, and I breathe deeply to calm my heart. My leg cries out in pain, and I suppress the feeling. One last event.

"How's your leg feeling?" Coach asks.

I shake my head. "It's not feeling too good." I run my hand along the back of my leg.

He raises an eyebrow at me. "Are you sure you can do this?"

"Are you crazy? It's my last event, and it's not that bad. I need to finish this. My scores are really high."

Coach sighs. "Ok... listen to your body."

"I am."

He shrugs, and walks away.

The girl in the lineup in front of me hurdles herself onto the spring board, taps the vault table lightly for a split second, and throws herself in the air for a double layout. Her weight throws her backwards, and she falls flat on her back. A frustrated look crosses her face, but she salutes.

"You're next." Coach taps me on the shoulder.

I jerk out of my reviere and pull my ponytail tighter.

Stepping up on the podium, I take a deep breath.

After what seems like forever, the judge finally gives the sign to salute, and I salute. Deep breath. I take off running down the runway, and roundoff onto the vault table, and flip off into a twisting double layout. My feet hit the mat solidly, and my arms fly up to salute.

I stuck it again, and sink my shoulders in relief. Coach gives me a high five and nods in approval.

"One more." He whispers.

I nod, and jog back to the start of the runway for my second vault.

Salute, and I rush down the runway, and roundoff onto the spring board again. I tap my hands quickly onto the table and push off into my twisting double. The world spins quickly, and then slows as I feel the ground coming closer.

My feet hit the mat, and suddenly, I feel a sharp pain shoot up my leg. There's a loud snap, and I scream. My leg sinks beneath me, and all I feel is pain. Unbearable pain.