Execution (Off Balance 2)

Reagan's nose scrunched up. She scowled and rolled her toes to crack them, then snapped her neck from side to side, all while glaring at me.

"Ladies, get moving!" Kova yelled.

We formed a straight line and walked along the edge of the floor. I stood behind Holly, swinging my arms up and around and front to back to loosen my joints. I lightly jogged with my knees high to my chest before transitioning into sashays. I shot a quick glance at Kova, I was curious to see the mood he was in, but he paid me no attention.

With enough space between each gymnast and my arms out to my sides, I stepped into a front kick—leg straight in the forward kick—until my leg came down and I shifted into back kicks—this time with my knee bent and head thrown back. We completed a variation of different warm-up skills, numerous ballet inspired ones, which went on for thirty minutes. Static stretching was important and helped prevent pulled muscles. And in my case, sprained Achilles.

"Ladies, drag the folded mats out. One on each. Jump on, jump off, legs straight and toes pointed. Kick up to a handstand on the mat, then snap back down into a back tuck."

Sounded easy enough, but executing it was another story.

"Whip those toes down!"

"Faster!"

"Tighter. Lock those knees and set!"

My abs were tight, blazing with burning heat. I knew my body—I needed more spring in my jump and for my knees not to wobble. I had to be tight, so I worked on all three at the same time. I took steady, measured breaths, and tried to be fast, but I knew if I wasn't breathing correctly that I'd wear myself out a lot faster than I should. Everything had to be timed and properly executed—even when conditioning and warming up. Otherwise I'd only be working against myself. Luckily, I made the change quickly. Gymnastics wasn't just physical, it was mental too.

After a set of twenty, Kova said, "Now start on to the mat. Punch down to a front tuck, then turn around and punch to another front tuck to land back on the mat."

This drill was difficult. It required me to keep my body in a tight form and steady my balance, hips raised and not dropped low. If not, the mat would slide, and I'd slip and fall.

"Adrianna, do not drop those hips. Any lower and they will be kissing the floor."

I often wondered if his choice of words were due to English not being his native language. Maybe he could teach me Russian and I could teach him how to use correct words…and contractions.

"Same for you, Reagan."

Laying on my back with my arms extended above my head, it was ab time. Breathing in through my rib cage, I lifted my chest and raised my straightened legs so they met halfway and were flat to my body. I tapped my toes, then lowered my legs to a straddle position and balanced on my butt. Then back to tap my toes again, never once touching the floor. If I wasn't firm, I'd fall over. It sounded easier than it was. Ten of these drills were completed in a row before I laid back and rolled onto my stomach, then back to my back to complete another set of ten.

No one spoke during this time—not that we could. It was focus, focus, focus.

"Do not stop until I say," Kova ordered, standing off to the side with his arms crossed in front of his chest speaking with Madeline. They spoke behind their hands as they took turns looking in our direction. Madeline nodded her head, agreeing to whatever Kova suggested, then they split up.

"Keep going," he ordered. I shot a glance in his direction. His sleeves were three sizes too small compared to the rest of his shirt, but they hugged his biceps nicely.

Kova walked toward us. He looked at every one of my teammates, purposely skimming over me.

"Line up along the edge of the floor. Front aerials, back handsprings, pirouettes. Five minutes. Go."

When it came to conditioning, five minutes never felt like five minutes. It felt like fifteen minutes, even twenty minutes, like it was never actually timed and ran longer. Once finished and warmed up well, I tightened my ponytail and got in line behind Reagan. It was tumbling time, my absolute favorite.

"Why was Kova at your house?" Reagan asked right as Holly took off tumbling.

&n

bsp; "My dad and Kova are friends, you already know this. He invited Kova and Katja to our New Year's Eve party."

"And Holly and Hayden were there too," she stated more than questioned. The resentment in her voice evident. I should've felt bad about not inviting her, but she'd treated me like garbage this past year, so it was only fair I felt nothing for her.

"Yes, I invited them."

Reagan huffed under her breath before it was her turn. Within seconds, she finished her pass and I was going. Taking only a few steps, because it was a deduction if I ran too far, I hurdled long and low to build speed into a round-off back handspring, whip back, right into a double back tuck.

"A little lower on that whip back, Adrianna," Kova said. I glanced at him, but he was already looking in another direction.

"I bet you guys had loads of fun," Reagan said sarcastically once we were back in line.