hless over this shocking decision. How could he do this to me? I was ready. There was no doubt about it that I was ready. I practiced harder and longer than the other girls. I worked my ass off, only for him to take me out of the meet. My heart started to crack, tears formed behind my eyes. But I refused to cry.
“Wha…” my throat was dry as dirt. “Why?”
“Where you may be tighter with jumps and sequences, your dismounts are not solid and your releases are not clean. That is not enough, you need more time. It would only be setting you up for failure.”
“I don’t know why you’re surprised. Your skills are not that difficult or steady,” Reagan chimed in. I glared at her, my face conveying every emotion strumming through me
“That’s enough, Reagan,” Kova snapped.
“That’s because I have an injury, you idiot.” Turning to Kova, I said angrily, “You made me scale back my skills so I could continue training. Of course my skills are not that complex. This isn’t fair.”
“It is what is done when anyone is hurt, Adrianna. We did not single you out purposely. We did what we did to avoid any more injury, as we do with any gymnast.”
Kova clapped his hands and addressed the group. “All right, girls. That is all. Practice early tomorrow as usual. The next week will be long and grueling before you break for the holidays. We want to get in as much practice time as we can.”
Everyone stood up and went on their way as I sat stunned for another minute. I didn’t see this coming a mile away, and I couldn’t believe he would do this to me after everything. A tear slipped from the corner of my eye as my chest tightened. Not because I was upset, I definitely was, but because I was livid over the change.
“Aid,” Hayden said, rubbing my back. “You okay?”
I nodded, not meeting his eyes and stood to walk away. Hayden wasn’t the one who I wanted to talk to right now. It was Kova. I was going to rip him a new one.
Walking out of the gym, I made my way down the hall and toward his office. Each step pumped adrenaline through me at a high velocity. I was seeing red, and my blood was boiling. My routines were solid, there were other gymnasts doing skills as I was, I’d seen it on television. So there had to be more to his asinine decision than he alluded to.
I strode into his office and slammed his door shut with as much force as I could muster. Screw the repercussions. I didn’t care if anyone heard me, saw me, whatever. I was so stark raving mad I couldn’t see straight. My entire body, down to my fingers and toes, were trembling. How dare he do this to me!
Kova’s head snapped up, glaring at me with fire in his eyes. I didn’t give a fuck. He just told me I wasn’t competing in the meet that I worked my ass off for, a meet already paid for by my parents. He had no choice but to hear it from me.
“Adrianna.”
“How dare you not allow me to compete, I worked my fucking ass off for that position. You have no right!”
I was so angry I couldn’t stop the bite dripping from each word. My hair stuck to my face, my cheeks were beet red. I was already starting to sweat.
Kova stood slowly, flattening his hands on his cherry wood desk and leaned toward me. “I have every right,” he spoke slowly. “I am the coach, you are my gymnast. I make the decisions in the end, you do not.” He paused, swallowing. “And do not ever come into my office the way you just did ever again, or I will kick you off the team. Now, goodbye.”
Goodbye? Fuck that!
“You’re jeopardizing my future!”
Kova resumed his seat, picked up his pen, and continued with whatever bullshit he was working on before I stormed in.
“I have already made my choice. End of discussion. And try to refrain from slamming the door on your way out.”
I ignored him. “My parents paid for that meet.”
“And I already called your mother and explained you are not ready just yet, that you need a little more time. She did not sound surprised at all and said to put someone in your place who has what it takes. Very nice and understanding lady she is.” He calmly replied without giving me a glance.
A knot formed in my throat. I was beginning to despise my mother. How could she say that?
“You’re lying. You wouldn’t do that to me. You know how I feel about her.”
He shrugged indifferently. “Call your mom. Though, I would wait a bit. She was not too happy about losing the money.”
She’d gloat if I called her. “That money means nothing to her.”
“Not my problem, Adrianna.”
“Oh, so now I’m Adrianna to you?”