Stealing First

Chapter 14

Charlie turned down the narrow alley, glancing at the map on her phone. She was feeling more anxious the closer she got to the gym but forced herself to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Her father had offered to go with her, but she felt this was something she needed to do on her own. The navigation app directed her to a large industrial looking building at the end of the row.

As she approached, she could hear the familiar sounds of gymnasts at work: the creaks and groans of the equipment, the melodic rhythm of floor music, and the shouts of encouragement from coaches and peers. Charlie paused at the doorway. She took a deep, shuddering breath and thought back to the video Rei had shown her of her father's speech. Charlie raised her head, her glassy eyes looking resolutely ahead, and stepped inside.

"You must be Charlotte Sullivan. Welcome!" A young girl, who looked to be about her own age, bounded over to where Charlie stood awkwardly by the entrance.

"Y-Yes, that's me," stammered Charlie, raising a weak smile. "Please, call me Charlie."

"Welcome Charlie! My name is Natsu. I think you know my aunt, Takashima Rei?" The girl smiled, her eyes bright and genuine as she greeted the newcomer.

"Nice to meet you, Natsu," replied Charlie, belatedly remembering her Japanese manners and bowing to her new friend. "And yes, I do know Rei. She has been so kind and I am very grateful to her for putting in a word with Coach Tanaka for me." Charlie thought the girl's name suited her bright personality perfectly.

"Speaking of Coach, she will be waiting to meet you. C'mon, I'll introduce you." Natsu gestured for Charlie to place her bag on the shelves by the door and headed onto the floor. Charlie swallowed nervously and followed.

After meeting the Coach, Charlie began to relax and it didn't take her long to join the training group, completing the familiar stretches and conditioning with the other girls. She was a little concerned about her lack of physical condition but surprised herself with how much she was still able to do, even as out of shape as she was.

As the training session began to draw to a close, Coach Tanaka asked Charlie if she could recall her last floor routine. Charlie nodded slowly. It had been the last routine she and her mother had put together, and she sometimes still found herself subconsciously humming the music as she did chores around the house. Coach asked her for the name of the music and found the track in the club's online library, explaining that she wanted to gauge Charlie's skill level so she could build an appropriate training regime. The young recruit nodded and walked slowly to the centre of the floor to take up her beginning pose.

She moved flawlessly with the music, showcasing her grace and power, her raw emotion spurring on her performance. As she paused in the corner preparing for her final tumbling pass, she took a deep breath, allowing the air to fill her lungs and whispered to herself, 'This one's for you, Mum.' Charlie took off powerfully, executing a perfect double front somersault. As she landed and finished, she heard a sudden roar of applause from near the entrance. She turned in surprise to find Kuramochi, Ryo and Miyuki waving and cheering. She smiled brightly and waved back before heading off to debrief with the Coach.

After discussing her training schedule, she thanked the coach and jogged over to where her friends were waiting for her. Her heart lurched as she caught sight of Miyuki; she hadn't seen him outside of class since the third years retired from the team. He turned and caught her eye, giving her one of his genuine smiles, the one that makes his eyes crinkle at the edges, and she felt her own mouth melt into a smile despite herself. A hand landed on her shoulder and she looked up to find Kuramochi standing in front of her.

"Wow, Charlie! That was amazing!" He gushed, laughing in awe at his petite friend's skills and raising his hand for a high five.

"Thanks, Mochi," she replied, slapping his hand, "I can't believe you guys are here. How did you know where to find me?"