3 weeks 0 days

Three Weeks Zero Days
Saturday

Bethany M. Evans

“Perfect!” Olivia said as I landed my full. “Hey,” she called, “I want Vivi, Kay and Lindsay at beam NOW! Bethie, you stay up there. I want them to see it done properly.”
Again, my full came out perfectly. My precision made beam my strength, while my vault scores were only improved by my ability to “stick it”. I can perform a complex move with precision and poise, but hurtling through the air while flipping—I think not. That’s more of Viviana’s style. Quick, impatient, and courageous. That pretty much defined Viviana. She lacked the graceful patience necessary for beam.
The only sour note about my perfect full was that Amanda and Layla could both have easily done the same. Even Nicole could do it, just not quite as well.
“Girls, I’m going to pair you up to rotate through the events,” Olivia instructed. “Amanda and Layla, you two start on bars, then move to vault. Nicole, you can work with Kay and Lindsay on those three beams—“ Viviana swore. “—and yes, Viv. You and Bethie will share that other beam, then move to vault. And it’s not worth arguing over if you want to stay on this team. Bethie will help you with your routine, and then on vault you can help her.”
I had long given up on anyone calling me Bethany, but being paired with fiery Viviana would just lead toward a very long day. Nine-thirty on a Saturday morning and my patience was already wearing thin. Two more hours of work before showers and the eight of us (that included Olivia) would head out to lunch. After that we had another four hours of hard work-out, and then a drive home would complete my day.
Three weeks before States, my life totally revolved around gymnastics. It wasn’t easy completing my homework for these few months before States, as well as tasks of being 8th grade president and head of student council.
Back in reality, Viviana was walking across the beam as if it were a tightrope. I rolled my eyes. “Viviana, are you three? You heard Olivia. You’ll have your chance to criticize my vaulting, but for now we’re stuck together, and unfortunately it’s on beam.”
She sighed, stuck out her tongue like the spoiled three-year-old inside her, and flipped off the end of the beam.
It was going to be a very long day.
Three Weeks Zero Days
Saturday

Nicole

“Yikes,” I murmured to Kay and Lindsay. “Bethany and Vivi working together? And on beam? It’s a disaster waiting to happen. What the hell was Livvy thinking?”
“How long do you think they’ll last?” Kay asked innocently. We cracked up.
Lindsay shrugged, like her usual pessimist self.
“I give them half an hour at the most before Livvy switches them with Manda and Layla,” I said. “I’d bet my whole savings account.”
Kay giggled. “Come on. Let’s start.”
I noticed that Vivi and Bethie wouldn’t look at each other, much less talk or comment on the other’s form. Apparently, their arguments had a TON of effect on them both.
After only five minutes, Vivi refused to get on the same beam as Bethie. But by then, Kay, Lindsay and I had moved on to bars, freeing up the other beams for Viv. And Livvy, who had been working with Layla and Manda, relieved Bethie by taking over the tiresome task of Vivi.
But soon Livvy moved on the help us with our routines, and Bethie started commenting on Vivi’s moves. Not even five minutes later, Viv yelled something extremely high on the bad language scale and stomped to the bathroom. And even across the gym I could hear the stream profanities pouring out her mouth. She stayed there a full ten minutes, and the swears kept coming.
That girl has serious anger management issues.
Thankfully, she came out a new person after her last round of cuss words. She seemed calm and fully composed. I began to get worried and freaked out at her manner until she and Bethie started yelling at each other again.
In the end, Livvy did switch them with Manda and Layla and things calmed down immediately. Vivi was always happy doing her tricks over the vault, and Bethie seemed content with working on her tumbling passes on the tumble track.
And I—and everyone else—ha sure been glad for the peace and quiet. Everything was always so stressful before States.

I could easily tell that Livvy was glad for the break from the troublesome two, and we were all relieved to be hitting the showers and heading off to lunch.
Kay and Vivi went to the deli store that was within walking distance to get sandwiches, while the rest of us ate out of bag lunches on the cold stone steps that lead up the front door of GCA. Eventually, Kay and Vivi came back to join us because the deli is super crowded at lunchtime and there’s barely room to breathe, let alone eat lunch.
Layla, Manda and Bethie began discussing a French test they’d all had. They were all in advanced French. Kay and Vivi were whispering to each other, probably planning another one of their lame pranks everyone cracks up at. Lindsay and I just sat there in silence, watching everyone else.
My friendship with Lindsay is kinda strange. We’re complete opposites—she’s dark-haired with brown eyes, and has a totally pessimistic personality. I’m blond, with hazel eyes, and have a way more up-beat attitude—but we’re somehow best friends. I guess that saying about opposites attracting really is true.
Our moms had known each other forever, and stuck us together on numerous occasions. Had our moms not forced us to get to know each other, we would barely acknowledge each other. But they did, and even though Lindsay just moved from a nearby town, we were really close.
After lunch, we headed back to the gym. Livvy told us to warm-up and stretch, and we set to work immediately. She must have realized that Vivi wasn’t here yet, because there wasn’t any chaos. For now.
She and Kay came in ten minutes late. I have to admit that I hadn’t noticed their absence—I must have been too wrapped up in the strangely peaceful environment.
“You’re late, girls,” Livvy called. “And for that, you get to run extra laps—in the pit.”
Vivi and Kay’s eyes lit up at the thought and they dashed over to the pit. I watched in amusement. What the hell had Livvy been thinking? Things could only get worse from here.
Livvy sighed, immediately regretting her “punishment.” “What was I thinking?” she muttered as they scrambled around the pit, throwing the foam cubes at each other.
I don’t know about the others, but I was itching to join them. But I knew better. Livvy would kill all of us, and not even a miracle would lighten the mood after that.
So we continued with our work-out, trying to ignore the fun Kay and Vivi were having.
Livvy tried to ignore them to, and helped me add some finer detail to the complexity of my beam routine. Then a stray block sailed out of the pit and hit her square in the chest. She fumed for a minute, the indecision in her eyes clear. Making her choice, she ran full speed for the pit. As Livvy won a silver medal in Olympic vaulting, she ran pretty damn fast. She became a coach after severely injuring her ankle on a bad landing. But anyway, the two once laughing girls were booted out of the pit by a not-so-happy and immensely frustrated and annoyed coach. Naturally, Bethie and Lindsay didn’t even crack a smile, but Layla, Manda and I burst out in giggles.
“Kay! Learn Layla’s floor routine. Viviana! Learn Bethie’s beam routine. NOW!”
“But—“
“No buts!”
“I DON’T KNOW BETHIE”S FLOOR ROUTINE!”
“THEN ASK HER!”
“Fuck you,” Vivi stalked away.
Livvy took a deep breath before changing plans. “Why don’t we end practice early and go see a movie or something.”
This was not a good sign for practice just three weeks before States.