Until There Was You

The change

Last week before spring break. I need a break. The first half of the school year had been rough to say the least. Spring also meant a lot of my extracurriculars were winding down too. It gave me a chance to breathe a bit. Gymnastics is year-round, but at least I wouldn't have my other sports to try and work around. Competition season ended in early May, unless I made it to nationals. I qualified for the regional championships in Kentucky, but I wasn't feeling super confident about making it to nationals. Practices were definitely more intense the last few weeks, but at least that's all I had to focus on.
"Are you ready for regionals?" Lynn asked as we prepped our grips at the chalk bowl.
"Ready as I'm gonna be I guess," I replied. "I just don't think my routines have a high enough difficulty level to score where I need to for nationals. God knows I get major deductions on beam every time because of not connecting my flight series. It's like a mental block I can't shake."
"You and me both. This fly-away-full on bars is kicking my ass."
"Lynn, you're up!" Coach called from behind the bars.
Practices were 3 hours long this week with 45 minutes of conditioning. I was exhausted by the end, not to mention in pain most of the time. My pediatrician said I was going through a "growth spurt." So, now I have to wear knee and wrist supports all the time. Lynn and I sat on the edge of the floor as we packed up our gym bags.
"So, I haven't heard you mention Cam in the last few weeks. What's that about?"
"Nothing much. We chat in the halls sometimes and he did ask me to sit with him at lunch once. But, I think he just felt sorry for me because Brie and Rachel were both out sick that day and I didn't have anyone to sit with."
"That is so sweet the way he looks out for you. Any more problems with Janey and 'the snob squad'?"
Lynn always called them that. It always made me laugh but I guess it was easier than listing them all off by name. I chuckled.
"Actually, no. They have pretty much left me alone. Hannah and Damien have said hi to me in the hall a few times but the others don't say anything. Frankly I prefer it that way."
"So you don't think anything will ever happen between you and Cam?"
"No. Nothing more than just friends. And with him leaving for high school next year it wouldn't last long anyways. There are, like four other schools that feed into our high school. So I'm sure the hot girl options will be overflowing. It's fine. I'm just glad we're still friends. He even congratulated me on making it to regionals. I know there was an article in the paper but I can't imagine he read that. His mom probably told him. Either way it was nice of him to say something to me."
Lynn nodded in agreement.
"Hey, the new Romeo and Juliet movie with yours truly comes out to rent this weekend. Maybe we can rent it and you can sleepover?," Lynn suggested.
"Oh, yeah! I totally forgot. I will ask my mom when I get home. I'll let you know what she says tomorrow."
"Ok!"

Romeo walks towards a large fish tank as music starts to play in the background.
"Pride can stand a thousand trials. The strong will never fall..."
The camera cuts to a beautiful woman in a white dress singing on stage to onlooking guests. She continues,
"But watching stars without you my soul cry's..."
The camera pans back to Romeo at the fish tank moving alongside it slowly as he watches the fish swim. Romeo leans down to look at the fish swimming lower in the tank. And then, his eye meets another from the other side of the tank. He stands up quickly and his gaze is met by a beautiful angel looking back at him. The music intensifies,
"Oh, I'll be aching. Cause I'm kissing you, oh."

"Ugh, I have to pee. Pause it and I'll be right back."
"Seriously?! Ok fine I will pause it and just stare at that face," I smirked. "Hurry up though."
"Ok, ok."
Lynn ran down the hall to the bathroom. I was wrapped in a blanket, sitting on her bedroom floor, popcorn in my lap. I stared at the frozen frame of Leo DiCaprio's face. Pure perfection. His hair was wet and messy and he was wearing a costume indicative of a knight in armor. Of course he was. I was lost in his blue eyes and the smile he was giving Claire Dances (Juliet). God she is so lucky.
Lynn startled me as she plopped back down next to me on the floor.
"Ok, I'm back."
"Isn't he to die for?" I swooned.
"He's fine," she replied with a shrug.
"What?! Are you kidding me?"
Lynn laughed.
"I'm just saying he's not bad. He'a not the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen but he's not bad looking either."
"Whatever. You and I just have totally different taste in guys."
I rolled over onto my stomach with my bowl of popcorn still in front of me so I could be as close to the screen as possible without my eyes crossing.
"It's not that," Lynn laughed,"you're just completely boy crazy."
I looked back at her with a huge grin of acknowledgement on my face. She certainly wasn't wrong. I had a crush on a lot of guys. Hence, my closet doors. Lynn always seemed more mature for her age. She was only a few months older than me but while I was drooling over the boys in the movies and in my magazines, Lynn was trying to catch the attention of an older guy at her high school named Matt. He was a freshman this year. Matt was the son of her mom's best friend. So, she kind of grew up with him around. Lynn and I went to different schools. Rival schools actually. We met at the gym when we were 10, but it seems like we have been friends for way longer. We are practically inseparable. Lynn always wears make-up and her hair is always done-up all cute. She's petite like me. Even more so actually. But she has one fierce personality wrapped up in that tiny little body. She knows what she wants and she isn't afraid to go after it. Meanwhile I stay in my own, safe little world where not putting yourself out there and taking risks means not getting hurt.
"You know, if you tried a little bit Mara you could probably land a guy like that. You're super cute under all that hair and lack-luster beauty regimen."
Lynn wasn't always subtle in her delivery. But, again she wasn't wrong.
"Yeah. Ok,"
I rolled my eyes and hit play on the remote. Lynn faded away behind me as I became completely submerged in the love story of Romeo and Juliet...and Leonardo DiCaprio. Tragic story but their love was awe-inspiring.