“Okay. Either you’re single or you don’t enjoy sharing a twin bed with a dude. I can’t say I blame you on that one. Or a girl, I’m not judging.”

“Well, yes to both. Possibly.”

“Still deciding?”

I snort. “No, there’s no boyfriend and definitely no girlfriend. But you’re right. Someone would definitely end up on the floor.” I know I’m all of five feet tall, but I like my space when I sleep. I’ve never shared a room with a guy on a regular basis to know the difference anyway.

“You’d be surprised how creative you can get with the lack of space.”

Cara would be all over that response, but I keep my comments to myself. “I’ll have to take your word for it.”

After a few more questions, we finish up the meeting. Drew actually turns out to be a pretty cool guy and not the total clown I pegged him for. He definitely has a fun side, but takes his job seriously too. I’m comfortable around him—the exact opposite of the way I feel around Kipton.

“How’d it go?” Cara asks from the comfort of her bed. She definitely has the right idea. I’m excited to relax in mine the rest of the night. I haven’t sat down for more than a few minutes at a time today and my body is aching from all the heavy lifting.

“Drew seems cool. I’m excused from the meeting and can go to bed anytime I want.”

“Is he hot?” She questions hopefully.

“He isn’t bad to look at, no. Not my type, but he has a nice body.”

“Since we’re staying in, maybe I’ll go say hello before the meeting. Or would that be too forward of me?”

Cara forward? Never. “You do whatever your little heart desires. I plan on watching a movie and falling asleep. The drive caught up with me.”

She contemplates her decision for a few short seconds. “Well, you only live once right? Wish me luck.” She scurries out of bed, gives herself a quick once over in the mirror and checks her own ass out. Literally. “It’ll have to do. Goodnight,” she whispers before leaving the room. Something tells me Drew will be intrigued by her. He’s just the right kind of crazy to handle her too.

Hoping to fall asleep in a reasonable amount of time despite the ruckus in the hallway, I turn on Pretty Woman and watch the classiest hooker I’ve ever seen get swept off her feet. A timeless treasure from the nineties I can watch over and over again.

The credits are rolling and I’m still awake when Cara returns. “Night, guys. Bye, Drew.”

I smile; not at all annoyed I’m still up. “Mission accomplished, Cara?”

She squeals and jumps on my bed so hard she almost launches me right off. “Whoa, shit. Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I laugh. “I take it you kinda like him.”

“He’s freakin gorgeous, Sophie. And he’s funny. I swear he could have told us we could only shower once a week in cold water and I would have agreed. For all I know he did because I couldn’t stop staring at his lips.” She tips her head back and groans. “So hot. Mark my words, Soph. This mission has only just begun! Now get some sleep so you don’t hate me in the morning.”

“Okay. Night, Cara.”

“Night!”

SIX O’CLOCK SEEMS TO COME faster than usual and I’m filled with butterflies from the moment I wake up. Thankfully, I was exhausted and was able to get several solid hours of sleep despite Cara’s late night excitement. Dressing quickly, I pack up my things as quietly as possible so I don’t wake her. Slinking out of the room while being extra careful not to let any light in from the hallway, I close the door with a click.

I stand up a little straighter once I can make noise again. The halls of the dorm are silent, and campus is deserted at this early hour of the morning. Watching a random paper plate left behind by the retreating garbage truck take flight is distracting enough to refocus my nerves. My heart’s been pumping powerfully since I woke up much like it would after I get done with an exhausting floor routine. I’m so hopped up on adrenaline; I know I need to rein it in so I don’t hurt myself on the equipment. As the most recent recruit and reigning new girl, there’s so much for me to prove today. I deserve this opportunity and by the end of practice today, I want everyone else to believe it too.

Inside the gym, I notice I’m not the only one eager to begin. There are already a handful of other girls warming up so I join them on the floor and begin stretching. A few smile at me, while another eyes me up and down, sensing competition. Averting my eyes, I focus on each championship banner hanging from the rafters. I’m reminded of the time my mom brought me here to watch the team take home the title. It was Coach Evans first year with the team, and as an eager thirteen year old gymnast, I wanted to meet him so bad. Mom said we had to beat the traffic and didn’t have time to stick around. Of course I pouted, but instead of getting angry, I got determined. Determined to perform here myself one day. Maybe that’s why this is all so surreal. Finally a dream come true—one that I never saw coming to a lonely girl from Ashland.

“Everyone, let’s welcome Sophie to the team. She’s our newest addition and I have high hopes she’ll fit seamlessly into the lineup.” A few hi’s and hello’s come from the circle of girls and my spirits lift when they aren’t staring holes through my skull anymore.

“You’re starting over here, Sophie. Follow me.” Coach puts me to work right away. His presence dominates the room, making me want to disappear into the wall when I mess up. Considering how nervous I am, I’m fairly pleased with the way my vaults go. My landings were slightly off the mark, but my body was solid in the air. After a critique of my form, I’m sent to try again. Each vault I do is slightly better than the last, but they still aren’t acceptable enough for Coach. Worried he’s going to stick to me like glue the entire day, I’m relieved when he focuses on a teammate long enough for me to get my act together. I’m panting and struggling to catch my breath from the exertion, but once it’s my turn again, he’s right by my side critiquing each move I make whether good or bad.

“Faster, push harder with your leading arm! And for the love of God get your legs straight, Sophie. If I’d wanted mediocre, I wouldn’t have spent so much time recruiting you,” Coach Evans yells. He’s known for his hard-ass-demeanor in the gym, and my future on the team depends on meshing well with his style.

I take note of the adjustments he wants me to make, but on the next vault, I miss the landing entirely, ending up on my ass. Peeling my already tired body off the mat, I get back up to fight through the next landing. Over and over, I’m corrected and challenged.

“That last one was completely worthless, Sophie.”

It only takes one word linked in a sentence to set me off.

Worthless.

“You spend so much damn money on her shit, Victoria. And for what? So she can get a meaningless medal around her neck and feel like she’s somebody for ten minutes? That’s not how the real world works. They don’t give awards for not falling on your ass.”

“Dean, it’s not about medals. It’s the life lessons the sport offers. That’s what matters. It’s both a mental game and a physical.”

“Life lessons,” he barks out with a laugh. “Did gymnastics teach you how to be worthless because you’re damn good at that? Who knows, Vic, maybe she’ll follow in your footsteps.”

“Dean. That’s not what I mean and you know it. If you weren’t drunk ninety percent of the time you might be able to tell the difference.” But he’s always drinking.

He gets up in mom’s face and challenges her—his authority towering over her small frame. She takes a few steps back and the fear in her eyes is unmistakable. “You’re both worthless,” he grumbles before stalking out of the room and planting himself in front of the TV.