Tumbling by Caela Carter

Author:Caela Carter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2016-05-05T14:52:07+00:00

CAMILLE

Camille thought about approaching Wilhelmina right there in that crowded, chatty, giggly room. She thought about walking up to her where she stood frowning against the wall by the door and explaining that it had been a mistake. But what would she say? “I don’t want to go to the Olympics anyway”? “I sort of wish you’d beat me so that they’d choose you over me”? Wilhelmina wouldn’t believe any of that. Plus, she had been kicking butt all day ever since Camille had made her so angry. Maybe Camille should let her stay angry until the end of the meet. If Leigh’s vault somehow meant Wilhelmina got to go to Rome and Camille got to stay home, she’d try to explain after that.

It was awful that Wilhelmina was mad at her now. The list of people who hated her always seemed like it was growing.

Camille shot Wilhelmina a weak smile, then plopped on the floor in front of Samantha and Maria. “Hey, fogey,” Samantha said, nudging Camille with a knee.

She shouldn’t be here, in this room. Katja loved her. Her vaults were quick and easy and fun and probably enough to get her into the Olympics. And she didn’t want to go. She should not be here surrounded by these hopeful gymnasts. She could be killing one of their dreams and making herself miserable in the process. Everyone in this happy room should be as mad at her as Wilhelmina was right now. But, the wrath of a gaggle of gymnasts seemed easier to take than the incessant silence of her boyfriend/ex/whatever-he-was-now.

Still, maybe she should leave. Maybe she should stop trying to pretend to be one of these girls, to want what they wanted, to think how they thought. Sixteen-year-old Camille belonged in this room, but that girl was gone. Camille moved toward the door.

Then, suddenly, the crowd hushed. They all seemed to sit straighter. Some even folded their hands.

“It’s good to be here, Jim,” Katja Minkovski said. “Thank you for taking the time to pay attention to our little sport of gymnastics.”

Jim giggled. Several of the girls giggled.

Camille almost retched.

Katja was going on national TV or whatever this was to call gymnastics little?

Somehow they were all supposed to believe it was little? Like just because the athletes were young and small, the sport was insignificant?

Why had they—why had she—given up their whole life for a sport if the figurehead was going to call it little?

And then, even though she knew it might make some more people hate her, Camille stormed out.

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