Emma's Gymnastics Story

Pretty Little Liar

"Alright, well you excited to finally be home?" My mom asked me while carrying me and then dropping me onto my bed.

"No!" I exclaimed, still mad from what Doctor Michelle told me. "I should've just stayed in the hospital—no difference, anyway!"

"Why, sweetie?" she asked me.

As if the doctor didn't tell her that I had to rest without going to gymnastics.

"You know why!" I exclaimed.

"Aren't you excited to go back into your routine—gymnastics in the morning almost everyday of the week?" My mom said, tucking me in.

That's when I realized the doctor hadn't told my mom everything she told me. She didn't know that I wasn't able to go to gymnastics for weeks yet, so I could easily make up a lie and play along with her, saying the doctor is allowing for me to continue doing gymnastics. A little grin slipped through my face and I tried to hide it so my mom wouldn't be suspicious of me.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed excitingly to her. "I'm just so glad that the doctor allowed me to participate with gymnastics continuously, Mommy."

"You have it tomorrow, Tuesday, in fact, Em!" Mom exclaimed to me and then snapped the lights off. "Are you going to take your casts off?"

My body probably still needed healing time, but I couldn't risk wasting time recovering when I should be doing roundoff back tucks right now.

"Yeah, I'll do it before practice tomorrow, Mom." I told her and then she finally told me good night and left.

I felt guilty for lying about something serious to my mom, but at the same time I was impressed with how smart I was for being eight years old only. This was the first big lie I've made, and hopefully the last one, too.

The Next Morning...
"Rise and shine, buttercup!" I heard my mom exclaim happily.

I opened my eyes to find my mom opening the curtains enthusiastically. She went over to me and started tickling me. Good thing she didn't tickle me where it hurt, or else she would've found out I wasn't fully recovered yet.

I giggled and said,"Mommyyyyy! Stooppp!"

She chuckled and then said,"Then get up already, my little eminem!"

My mom had never called me 'eminem' until now, so it was a little strange to hear her say it, but it did fit in with my name.

"Okay, I will, geez!" I exclaimed and got out of my bed so my mom could finally leave me alone.

"Remember to take your casts off, and if you need help with that, just tell me!" she reminded me and at last, I was left alone in peace.

I walked to my closet tiredly but ready for my first day of gymnastics in awhile. I picked out a leotard that was diagonally half dark purple, and half metallic silver, with some black outlines sparkly stars on it. When I changed out of my pajamas into it, I also wore some comfy dark blue summer shorts from Justice, and lastly put on some white nike tennis shoes.

When I was done with that, my mom tied my hair into a very tight, high ponytail and added a purple floral scrunchie onto it. Then I took my casts off to see the swollen wounds on my arm and leg, which seemed pretty bad, and when I lightly touched them, it stung and ached.

As we were on our way out, Josiah and Haley followed us into the car, too. I wondered why as they never came with me to practice.

"I expected Emma to have to stay at home longer before she could go to gymnastics again." Haley, who was sitting to the right of me in the car, said as my mom started driving.

"Yeah, well, my little eminem told me the opposite." Mom replied.

Haley looked at me with a confused expression on her face. Then I remembered that I had told Haley about my doctor telling me that I couldn't do gymnastics until I was fully well. I gasped and then quickly whispered something into her ear.

"I'm lying to Mommy about it—pleaaaseeee don't tell her, Hale!" I whispered into my big sister's ear pleadingly.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Fine. But in order for me to not tell Mom, you have to share your teddy grams with me all the time!"

I groaned quietly. I loved my teddy grams that Daddy always gave only me when he visited us, and I never once in my life had shared them, not even with my friends. That's how much I loved with them. But I would be in so much trouble if my mom found out this was all a lie, so I just agreed to it anyway.

"Ugh, okaaay." I said back to her and crossed my arms, annoyedly.

But it was a very close call, so I'm glad she agreed to it, however of course she had to be mean about it and blackmail me for it. She always gets what she—nah, I get what I want more than her. Probably cause I'm youngest in the family.

Soon, we arrived at the gymnastics academy, so I said bye to my siblings and Mom, and then walked into the bright building. I was pumped up for practice. I soon realized how hard it was for me to walk with a swollen right leg. I tried to walk normally in order to be believable that I recovered fully.

When I walked into the main room, all my teammates turned at the door and ran for me. Oh no. I was about the be tramped on by these little girls...

They all ran to me and hugged me tightly. I really needed some space, so I kind of pushed them all gently a bit.

"Um, guys!" I exclaimed to them. "I just recovered recently, you might hurt me by hugging me so tight!"

"Oh right, sorry." Bree said embarrassingly and apologetically.

I smiled slightly and I hid all the excitement that was really in me. I was so happy to be in my second home again. I really missed it.

"Emma, you're back!" Coach Katie exclaimed, walking over to me with a big smile on her face. "I missed you, how are you doing? Are you feeling all right?"

I nodded my head, lying, and answered,"Yeah I am, Katie. And you have no idea how much I missed being in here! I can't wait to catch up with all the work I've missed!"

She chuckled and said,"That's my Emma! Now if you girls could all back away for a second and continue stretching so I could get a word privately with your teammate, that'd be great!"

I watched all my eight teammates walk away from here and make their way onto the mats to stretch. Then I wondered what my coach had to talk to me about.

"You've missed quite much, Em." she explained to me. "The whole team has gotten their kip on bars, their flyaway, the back walkover or handspring on beam and their back tuck and front tuck on floor. This means that you will have to work extra hard both at home and in the gym, so i want you to try and get your back tuck at least, on floor at home before next practice, which is this Friday."

This was too much for me to handle right now. Maybe I shouldn't have lied and took the extra time to recover instead. It's insane to think that I have to get a back tuck on the floor in less than three days just the day after my release from the hospital.