Bending Over Backwards (9 page)

“If we do it Molly's way, we're going to be all messy and sweaty,” Roseann said. “I thought we all decided we wanted to look pretty. Kind of like models.”

“We do,” Grace agreed. “Our moves are very sleek. We just need to fix the timing, so we do them at the same exact moment.”

I didn't agree. The moves might be sleek, but they were boring. We were dancing to a fun, upbeat song, yet we were barely moving.

Then I remembered all of Eden's advice.
Be happy. Be a joiner
. I sounded like a downer. I shut my mouth and did the moves the way Roseann wanted them.

“Molly!” Alex stuck his head out his second-story bedroom window a while later.

“What?” I called back, apologizing to everyone for stopping in the middle.

“I'm driving you to gymnastics in fifteen minutes!”

“We're not finished,” Anna said to me.

“I'm not going today!” I yelled up to Alex.

“Oh, yes, you are! Mom left me in charge, and I'm doing everything on this list. That includes driving you to gymnastics!”

I groaned. I really must've scared him earlier.

“I won't tell Mom about the cupcakes!” I called. “I promise.”

“No deal. I planted daffodil bulbs, and I organized the tools in the garage. I'm doing it all, because I need the car tonight to go to the library. Be ready!” He slammed the window shut.

“Ignore him,” I said to the others. “Let's practice.”

“But don't you have to go to the gym?” Roseann asked. “We don't want to mess up your training.”

“You're not messing me up.” My stomach twisted. I wished I'd told her the truth days ago. If all the others weren't here, I'd do it right now. “I can be a little late to finish the dance with you. This is important.”

“If you're sure . . .” Roseann sounded worried.

“I'm sure.” I turned the music back on and took my place next to Miranda.

As we hit the third twirl, a burst of water shot up. Automatically I lifted my head, searching the blue sky for rain. It took a moment to register that water was spraying
up
at me from the ground. And not from one spot. A second and third geyser started up.

“Help!” Roseann squealed as a stream hit her on her neck.

“What's happening?” Fiona cried. Water splattered her blue-framed glasses.

“Molly?” Miranda screamed, dodging the rotating spray.

“The sprinklers!” I yelled. What were the in-ground sprinklers doing on?

More sprinklers popped up from the ground. Cold water blasted at hurricane force from everywhere at once. My clothes stuck to my body, and wet hair flopped in my eyes.

The dirt quickly turned to mud. My friends screamed. The water wouldn't stop spraying. Tiny grass seeds swirled in small puddles.

“Follow me!” I started towards the sliding door to the family room, then thought of the new carpet. We had to go in through the garage.

“This way!” I changed direction and raced towards the side of the house, where Alex had been planting what I now knew where daffodil bulbs. My sneakers slid out from under me. I tumbled to the slimy ground and landed with a
splat
! Mud oozed through my short black skirt.

“Gross!” Fiona shrieked.

I scrambled up. No one else had fallen, but they were all soaked and dotted with dirt. Water sprayed everywhere.

“This way!” I cried again, running into the open garage and leading them away from the crazy sprinklers.

“I'm sopping wet!” Roseann cried. “What's happening?”

I had no idea.

But it was nothing good.

Alex stood in the garage. His eyes grew huge at the sight of us. “Oh, wow. Are you okay? I'm so sorry. That was a huge mistake.”

“You—you think?” I sputtered. My mud-caked skirt hardened to my thighs. Drops of dirty water ran down my arms and legs. “
Why
did you do that?”

“I'm sorry. All of you, I'm really sorry.” Alex's face flamed. “I was getting Mom's chores done. I came out here.” He pointed to a plastic box with a dial and a bunch of buttons hanging on the garage wall. “I've never worked the sprinkler system before. I was going to water the front yard while you guys were in the back.”

“And you messed up,” I guessed. Our shoes left a jumble of wet prints on the garage's concrete floor.

“You could say that.” Alex shrugged sheepishly. “There were so many little buttons, so I figured it was
easiest to hit the ‘All System' switch. I'm guessing now that one means—”

“All the sprinklers!” I finished. “Every single one of them!”

“Stay there. I'll get towels!” Alex disappeared into the house.

“Look at us!” Miranda began to giggle.

“It's not funny,” Roseann said. “I'm a mess! My shirt is a mess! And we have to wear them
tomorrow
!”

Everyone inspected the water and dirt on their silky shirts. Mine was the worst. Streaks of mud swirled across the silky red top I'd borrowed from Roseann.

“I'm sorry,” I said. “I'll clean it. I promise.”

“Lauren's going to be really upset,” Roseann replied.

I didn't know what else to say. Once again, I'd messed up. I should have never been on the dirt. I prayed Mom's grass seeds hadn't completely floated away. I hoped mud came out of silk.

Why were things like this always happening to me? I looked at everyone's unhappy faces.

“Oooh!” I used the same spooky voice as I'd used on Shrimp's brother. “I am the mud monster. Watch me do the mud monster mash!” I whipped my wet hair around, sending droplets across the garage.

“Molly, stop!” Grace cried. “You're getting us even wetter.”

“I can't stop,” I moaned, walking stiffly like a mud monster. I'd hoped to make everyone laugh. No one did.

I stopped. “Just trying to find the funny side of it,” I explained sheepishly.

“I know the sprinklers weren't your fault,” Roseann said. “But it's not funny.”

“I got the worst of it.” I twirled. “I look like my bottom half was dipped in mud.”

“Like a soft-serve cone,” Miranda supplied. “Chocolate dipped.”

“Exactly!” I cried. Miranda giggled with me. I wished Roseann could find it funny too.

Alex reappeared with towels. I offered to lend dry clothes, but no one was too bad off.
I
desperately needed a shower, though.

“We can practice more inside after I rinse,” I offered.

“Oh, no!” Alex said. “No more practicing. I have to drive you to gymnastics.”

“I'm going late today.” I shot him my most meaningful look. With a little more time, I could smooth everything out.

Alex either didn't get my silent message or chose to ignore it. “I need to drop you off when it starts. Mom is
going to be mega-upset about the yard when she gets home. I don't want to add something else.”

“That's your problem. You ran the sprinklers. You ate the cupcakes,” I reminded him.

“You allowed all your friends to dance on the grass seed,” he countered.

I did. We were in this together.

“I just texted my mom,” Grace said. “She's coming soon.”

“Me too,” Fiona added.

“We can figure out different tops to wear tomorrow if these don't wash out,” Roseann offered. “The dance was done anyhow. I think we're good to go.”

I turned on the TV in the family room. Everyone laid towels on the rug and sprawled out while I took the world's fastest shower and pulled on my red leotard.

I hurried down the stairs. Chrissy Bleeker stood in the hall, talking to Alex.

“Hey, Molly.” Chrissy grinned like we were old friends. She wore a neon-yellow hoodie, her field hockey skirt, and sneakers. “Roseann texted that you had a washout. I came to get her.”

“Crazy, right?” I grinned back. “You should've seen my legs.”

“Always lots of excitement with you,” she remarked.

“You don't know the half of it.” Alex said. He stood awkwardly.

“Hey, how's Myrtle?” I asked.

“Excellent. You should visit her again,” Chrissy offered. “With . . . what was the name? Captain Hook?”

“I'm thinking Captain Hook and Myrtle are better off having a long-distance relationship. He'll just watch Myrtle from afar.”

“Who's Myrtle?” Alex asked.

“Chrissy's best friend,” I replied.

“Really? I'd like to meet her,” Alex said, overly enthusiastic.

“You may not like her. She's a little stiff. She can be a real stick-in-the-mud.” I chuckled. So did Chrissy.

“What?” Alex said, looking between me and Chrissy.

I left her to explain as I stepped into the family room. All the girls had their backs to me, talking and watching the TV. I paused in the doorway and listened to the natural way they finished one another's sentences. Anna had come up with a new top option. Roseann thought we should bow, one by one, at the end. Miranda wanted to review the dance steps, and Roseann used her fingers on the floor to show her where to go.

I didn't speak or let them know I was there. Even
though this was my house and these were my friends, I felt oddly as if I were intruding.

I'm not
really
part of the group,
I realized. Not yet. Unlike with Eden, Roseann didn't miss me when I left the room. Would that time ever come?

Suddenly I was tired of working so hard at the Roseann Project.

“Alex,” I said, returning to the hall. “Time to go.”

“We should really wait for everyone to get picked up.” Alex spoke to me but gazed at Chrissy.

“You said I can't be late.” More than anything, I wanted to escape to my room and crawl under my comforter. Since that wasn't going to happen with everyone sprawled in my family room, I'd go to the gym. Anywhere but here.

Alex continued to give Chrissy a goofy grin.

“I could wait here with the girls until their rides come, while you run Molly to the gym,” Chrissy offered.

“Really? But will you stay until I get back?” he asked. “Stay here, I mean.”

I rolled my eyes. Now I could see what was happening. Alex was so crushing on Roseann's sister!

“Definitely,” she agreed. She wandered into the family room and sat on the sofa with her long legs tucked behind her.

“Let's go!” Alex grabbed his keys off the front hall bench and nearly sprinted for the car.

I glanced back. No one had come looking for me. I wished Eden was here to tell me how to make things right with Roseann. Grabbing my gym bag, I followed Alex out the door without saying good-bye.

“You made a mistake,” I insisted after the warm-up and stretching. “I'm not supposed to be in this group.” I waved my arms towards the girls in red leotards around me, most of who were in elementary school.

“It's not a mistake,” Nastia said, her arms crossed. “This is where you belong.”

“No, it's not,” I protested. Nastia had bumped me down another group. A lump rose in my throat as I tried to figure it out.

“We need to strengthen your fundamentals. No more sloppy! Sharpen your focus. Tighten your body. Commit to practice
every
day. Until that happens, this level is best.” Nastia's tone was clipped, and she turned away from me. “Over to the beam, all of you.”

As I followed, I gazed longingly at Sofia and her group lining up to vault. Sofia shot me a look of pity. Since she'd met me, I'd been pulled down two levels. If
I continued at this pace, I'd be doing somersaults with the toddlers by next week!

“Handstands,” Nastia called. “First on small beam. If I like your position, you move to the big beam.”

We lined up in front of several low beams only an inch off the mats. Nastia clapped loudly. Together we placed our hands on the beam and kicked up into split handstands.

“Weight on fingertips, not palms!” Nastia called, walking among us. “Straight body! Slowly move your legs together.”

Upside down, I concentrated on not arching my back and on squaring my hips. With her hand, Nastia tried to push each of us over. To each girl who wobbled or fell, she barked, “Tighter!”

Nastia made us lunge up to a handstand on the small beam many times before graduating us to the big beam.

“Focus!” she called again and again.

The cheerleaders' chants floated over the wall. Music stopped and started for the girls practicing floor routines. Their feet thumped as they stuck the landings of their tumbling passes. I couldn't block out the noise. I couldn't focus on tightening and straightening my body. I wanted to twist and flip. I wanted to move to the music, the way I had for years at Daria's gym. My
feet flopped down, and I jumped off the beam.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” I told Nastia. She scowled before letting me go.

Once again, I sat alone on the bench in the empty locker room. I fixed my ponytail, digging out the bits of dirt I'd failed to wash out. I'd need another shower later. I hoped Mom would agree to blow my hair straight for the talent show tomorrow.

Everything would be okay with Roseann, I decided as I replayed the afternoon in my head. She hadn't been mad at me. In fact, she'd been quite nice about the mud on the shirt and getting all wet. I was the one who overreacted. Just because she didn't know I was standing silently behind her was no reason to run off.

I'd text her when I got home and say sorry. I could fix this.

I stood to go back to the gym, but my feet took me towards the cheerleading door. A strong urge made me want to peek again. Slowly I slipped inside and squatted by the same pile of mats I'd hidden behind before. The tall cheer coach was out on the floor, too busy spotting stunts to notice me. I watched the cheerleaders and grinned when I recognized Shrimp. She had an enormous purple-sequined bow in her high ponytail.

“Let me see full extensions, group by group,” the coach
called. She moved to Shrimp's group. “Ready, okay!”

Shrimp stepped her feet into the cupped hands of two girls facing each other. Another girl stood behind and supported the wrists of the two girls. The girl in the back counted out the beats, as the girls raised Shrimp halfway, and then all the way, into the air. Shrimp stood tall, extending her arms in a wide V. She smiled widely too, her braces glinting against the bright lights.

She looked amazing, towering high above the squad. She completely trusted the girls who held her. They kept their eyes glued on Shrimp, watching out for her. Then I noticed the slight tremble in the arms of one of the girls on the bottom. The coach noticed it too.

“Ready, okay, and . . . down!” she called.

The girls on the bottom popped Shrimp into the air. She flew, folding gracefully into a pike position, and landed safely into the cradle of the girls' arms. “Whoohoo!” the four cheered together, pumping their fists and jumping.

“What's shakin', bacon?” Shrimp nudged the girl whose arms had trembled.

“My arms!” The girl began to laugh at herself, and the others joined in. Even the coach laughed.

“Okay, we're going up again,” the coach said. “Shannon, put those arms into lockdown mode this time.”

As I watched Shrimp sail into the sky supported by Shannon and the other girls, I realized that gymnastics was no longer fun. It never had been at Andre's gym. And I certainly wasn't going to the Olympics or even training for it, no matter how hard I worked. I had to find the courage to tell Mom that Top Flight wasn't the place for me. Simple as that. I couldn't keep hiding and pretending.

The girls cradled Shrimp on the release. As the coach moved to the next group, she glanced over her shoulder and noticed me. She winked. Embarrassed, I scurried back into the locker room and then into the gym.

My eyes roamed the huge room and all the red leotards. My new group was no longer by the beam. Where was I supposed to be? Along the far wall, a neon-yellow hoodie stood out in the sea of red. I blinked, then looked again.

Was that Chrissy Bleeker?

My brother, Alex, stood next to her. What were they doing
here
? Why were they
together
?

My brain whirled as my gaze landed on a girl standing next to Chrissy. I caught my breath. Roseann!

Roseann was here!