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Two giants and I released when he told me to, feeling for the right t
iming. I spotted the floor in rotation, Kova prepped, ready to catch me with his arms raised in the air. A little nervous, I kept calm so I wouldn't freak out mid-rotation. I had to have faith in my coach and myself, even when I was terrified.
But I landed. On my own.
On. My. Own.
Excitement hit me hard and I immediately looked at Kova with a beaming smile. My landing was a little messy, but at least I did it. The first time was always the hardest and scariest.
Of course Kova didn't smile. In the gym he was on autopilot and incapable of feeling.
"Not too bad considering you are an elite, but nothing we could take to a meet, that is for sure. We need to perfect your timing. Get back up there and let us do it again."
I was still smiling. I was happy that I was able to do it the first time. When you let go of everything to make a courageous decision, you saw the greatest reward in gymnastics and gained the confidence to do more.
Kova playfully slapped my shoulder and pushed me in the direction of the low bar. His eyes lightened, and he said, "Go."
After completing so many double layouts that I lost track of the number, Kova was ready to move on to the next step. I was getting a little tired again, and for once, I was hungry, but I wasn't going to tell him that. We were on a roll and I didn't want to stop.
"I'm just going to grab some water and go to the bathroom. Is that okay?"
"Yes, just do not take too long."
I nodded then skipped out of the gym to the locker room. Shuffling through my bag, I searched for my little orange friends, when it dawned on me… I’d gotten rid of all the Motrin because of the treatment I had to my Achilles.
I groaned inwardly, annoyed as hell. I wouldn't last all day, not with how intense the pain already was. Maybe Kova had something I could have.
I went searching for Kova and found him standing by the bars. He looked down at me when I approached his side.
"Good. You are back."
"Um, actually…" I twisted my fingers together, hoping he wouldn't shoot me down. "Do you have anything I could have that's at least similar to Motrin? I know I can't take it, but my ankle is killing me and I have a headache."
"Follow me."
Thank goodness he understood how important anti-inflammatory was in a gymnast's life and didn't ridicule me for it. Eagerly, I followed behind Kova out of the gym and to his office. He opened the door and flipped on the light, then walked behind his desk where he opened a few drawers as I stood off to the side.
"I am glad you came to me instead of just taking them."
I gave him a tight-lipped smile. Just as he found the bottle, a light knock sounded and I turned to see who was there.
Katja.
* * *
"Konstantin," Katja said in a way of hello.
"Katja, what are you doing here?"
She tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. "Did you forget we had a lunch date?"
Kova gave her a blank stare. He had clearly forgotten about their lunch date. Looking toward me, he threw the bottle in an underhanded throw and I caught it.
"Oh, Adrianna, I did not see you standing there." Her eyes raked down my body. I was in nothing but a leotard and covered in chalk. "Have you lost weight?"
I shifted on my feet and gave Kova a fleeting look of unease. "Uh, I've been working really hard and might have lost a few pounds, but I also put on some muscle mass," I lied. I mean, I was working myself to the bone, but I didn't think I had lost any weight.
She looked down at my hands, then toward Kova. "You give all the gymnasts medication?"
