Nothing Better Than Gym Friends by Melisa Torres

Author:Melisa Torres
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dancing Water
Published: 2022-08-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Rond de Jambe to Arabesque on Beam

“Solid start ladies,” James says to us when we are done competing bars. “Beam is next. We have to wait for beam to finish competing and then we’ll head over there.”

I look over to the beams and see a girl is, in fact, competing. I watch her kick up into a perfect handstand for her dismount.

“Are you excited for beam?” I ask Trista.

“Yes! It was hard to sit out. I’m ready for the other events.”

Just then the meet director’s voice comes over the loud speaker. "Gymnasts, that concludes our first rotation. Please march to your next event." I start to scramble for my warm-up jacket and pants.

"Just grab them, Savannah, you don't have to put them on. We can walk to beam in our leotards," Paige says, scooping up her jacket and pants. "Take us to beam, shrimp."

Me? I have to lead again? My teammates are all lined up in order of height waiting for me to get to the front of the line. I hustle to the front and wonder which way to go. I see the lonely beam standing on the other side of the gym. I decide to walk how I was taught in our gym, between the equipment. I walk between the edge of the spring floor and the vault runway and over to beam. As we are walking, I hear my mom cheering. "Looking good PBGA!"

When we get to the edge of the mat that sits under the beam, James rounds us up into a huddle. “Okay ladies, you are going to warm-up in the order you are going to compete.

"Who wants to be first this time?" James asks.

"Me!" Trista raises her hand and bounces up and down.

“Okay. Trista, then Paige, Marissa, Savannah, and Alexis.”

“You are going to jump up in the order I just put you in for warm-ups. Each person gets 30 seconds, which is plenty of time up there to get comfortable. I want you to walk through your routine. Do all the major skills the direction you will do them in the meet. Got it?”

"Yes," we nod in agreement even though I am not sure what walking through a routine means.

James looks over at the girl sitting next to the judge. She is holding a stop watch. "Ready?" she says.

"Ready," James says and looks over at Trista. Trista jumps up and does exactly what James says. I see that walking through a routine means you can skip the dance poses.

“Ten seconds,” the timer girl says. Trista hurries over to the middle of the beam for her dismount. Paige jumps up next without a word and does exactly what Trista just did. Then it’s Marissa’s turn. After she does a few skills the timer yells, “Time!” Marissa jumps down and I know it’s my turn to climb up.

I quickly climb up on the beam. I stand all the way up. It looks weird and scary up here, not at all like at PBGA. I walk over to the section of the beam where my handstand will be.

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