He Loves Me Back.... Probably

Chapter Eleven

“I know I can,” I said confidently.

Cindy smiled and turned on the music.

Not to brag, but I did everything perfectly during Facedown but I did mess up a few times at the beginning of Kryptonite. It was nearing the end when I thought I’d try to do a back handspring for Cindy. It has been three years, but I still have the same amount of muscle I did last year and I didn’t gain that much weight. I probably gained five or ten pounds since I was thirteen.

The que to start the stunts was coming up quickly; I hoped I didn’t fall on my face. I took a deep breath and prayed to God that I didn’t get hurt. The que sounded and I did a cartwheel. Cartwheels weren’t hard for me at all, not even now. I was about to do a back handspring when Cindy cut the music short.

“What else can you do?” she asked. “That was a really good cartwheel. Can you do a one-handed cartwheel? A hurkie? A toetouch? The splits? How high can you kick?”

“Woah calm down with the questions!” I laughed.

“Here, do a kick line with me,” Cindy said and put her arm across my shoulders. She demonstrated how to do one and I copied her exactly. “Try a toetouch.”

“Is that the one where I jump and touch my toes in mid-air?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“I can try it,” I said. And I did, I couldn’t do it very well, but at least I tried.

“Do the splits,” Cindy said and watched me with a careful eye.

I tried and I couldn’t get down all the way, but I was close. “I wanted to try a back handspring.”

“By all means try it!” Cindy said excitedly.

I took a deep breath and bent my knees so it seemed like I was sitting in a chair. When I felt like I was about to fall, I knew I had to jump. I jumped the hardest I could and I landed on my hands. I pushed off of my hands and landed on my feet unsteadily.

I turned around and looked at Cindy’s awed face.

“Other than your unstable landing, that was almost perfect. You know, when I asked you to join I didn’t think you’d be this good,” Cindy said.

“Thanks,” I blushed. “I took gymnastics since I was five until I was thirteen. I had to quit because my dad couldn’t take me to practices and everyone got annoyed that I bummed rides off of them.”

“Do you think if you practiced enough you could do that at the end of the routine?” she asked.

“Yeah, I do,” I said.

“Then you’ve got the spot. I mean, Halie was good but you were just a bit better,” Cindy smiled. “I’ll announce it when you get back at school.”

“Awesome!” I smiled brightly.

“Practice is after school to five, other than game days. On game days, we all have a squad-slash-football team dinner at my house. I’ll get you your uniform when you come back to school,” Cindy explained as we walked through my house.

“Well thanks for coming here and giving me a chance. I think I’m going to really like it on the squad,” I smiled again.

“I think so too. The girls will love you. So, now you’re a cheerleader and you’re dating the star runningback of the football team. So exciting!” she laughed.

“Oh yeah!” I looked at the clock in the kitchen. “Well Charlie’s going to be here in an hour. I don’t mean to be rude but-”

“Say no more, I’ll get out of your hair. Welcome to the squad Shawna,” Cindy smiled and left my house.