The Kip by Melisa Torres

Author:Melisa Torres
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Melisa Torres
Published: 2022-07-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Back Extension Roll on Floor

“Are you staying?” Alexis asks Trista.

We are finishing our Friday workout by climbing the rope and stretching. “Of course,” Trista says grabbing the rope just above her head while Alexis holds on to the knot at the bottom to keep it from swinging. “I’m terrible at bars. I need all the help I can get.”

“I’m staying,” I chime in.

“You are?” Alexis looks at me surprised. “I thought you had chess.”

“I do, but I’m going to skip chess on the nights we have Kip Clinic, just until I get my kip,” I explain.

“I’m so glad you’re staying!” Savannah smiles at me, “Some of the drills require an even number of people and we have been uneven all summer.”

“I’ll spot you,” Alexis says, as Trista reaches the top of the rope and starts making her way back down.

“You can spot kips?” I ask.

“Yeah, James taught us to spot each other so we can learn the tempo of the swing and get more kips in,” Alexis explains. “You’ll love it, you can practice on me.”

Trista jumps down off the rope, “I think I was last, did you guys all go twice?” she asks and we all nod.

“We’re done then,” Paige says getting out of her splits and standing up. “Let’s grab a snack before we start Kip Clinic.”

I follow my teammates out of the gym, into the lobby, to our cubbies. I notice that Alexis, Carmen, and Savannah don’t stop at the cubbies. They walk over to the stairs and head up.

“Where are they going?” I ask Trista and Paige.

“To the Kip Club Cubbies, remember?” Paige says.

“I think it’s lame. No one should be allowed to go up there until the entire team gets their kip,” Trista pouts. “I’m going to be stuck down here by myself forever,” she says, pulling out her bag and rummaging through it.

“It is sort of a rude caste system,” I observe.

“What’s that mean?” Trista asks.

“Like royalty and serfs. Kings and queens versus peasants. It keeps us in our place like kings kept their subjects poor,” I explain.

“It’s supposed to motivate us, like the star chart,” Paige says.

“Yeah, well, it just makes me feel bad,” Trista mumbles.

I think about this for a moment and realize the Kip Club Cubbies don’t make me feel bad, but the star chart does. I look over to the star chart on the wall next to our team picture. Most of my teammates have a whole row of stars. I’m missing so many. I walk to the chart and study it closer. I still need my jump-to-high-bar, cartwheel on high beam, back extension roll, vault without a spot, and both kips.

When did I get so far behind? I used to get all my skills before everyone else. I used to be the hardest worker, and it always paid off. I still work hard, but it doesn’t seem to be enough anymore. What happened?

Even as I ask myself that question, I know the answer. I was busy doing orchestra and chess this summer while my teammates came to the extra workouts.

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