Read Ex-Factor (Diamond Girls) for Free Online Page B

twenty-hour-a-week reminder of how my mother was gone, and things would never be the same. I questioned my ability to pull off a simple back handspring, let alone the tricks they were sure to want from me. My therapist insisted physical activity and team sports would both aid in my battle with anxiety and depression, so here I was, not so anxiously awaiting a cheer tryout my well-meaning aunt forced me to go to. Hoorah!
    “Mara!”
    The loud music blaring throughout the room abruptly stopped, and a small, blond, pixie-like woman with large blue eyes and deeply tanned skin stormed onto the mat, focusing on the group of four girls standing closest to Livvie and me. “How many months have we been working on this stunt, Mara?”
    A small brown-haired girl who looked to be no older than ten stood in the center of a group of taller girls, her large amber eyes welling with tears. She shook her head and smashed her lips together, but said nothing.
    The blond coach placed her hands on her thighs and bent forward so she was eye level with the girl. “If you stick your butt out while you are in the air, you’re gonna come down. You know this.” The coach straightened her stance and addressed the rest of the team. “You all know this,” she shouted. “Flyers! Pretend you’ve got a dollar bill stuck between your butt cheeks, and squeeze it ‘til it screams! Set up!”
    The coach breezed off the mat, and for a moment I felt like I was in some sort of military boot camp. The small squad of twenty girls marched into place silently and quickly with their hands by their sides, their eyes facing the floor. Music blared from the large speakers spread about the room, and after a quick “five, six, seven, eight” from the coach, the girls exploded off the floor in an impressive riot of movement.
    Livvie leaned in close and whispered in my ear. “That’s the Junior Three team. They’re age fourteen and below.”
    My eyes widened as the three girls surrounding Mara clamped onto her left foot and lifted her over their heads with ease. Even more impressive than that was Mara’s flexibility. Little girl had grabbed her right foot and pulled it up behind her head.
    I mouthed the word “wow” to Livvie who smiled and gave me a nod. “They’re really good.” She leaned close again and whispered into my ear. “But the team you’ll be on if you join is even better.”
    She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the cubby area where we quickly stowed our shoes.
    “C’mon.” Livvie clapped her hands and jabbed a thumb over her shoulder, motioning toward the trampoline. “It’s 5:30, Nev. You have one hour to warm-up those skills before your tryout. Coach Shea wants you to sit through the last half of Sapphire’s practice to get a feel for what you’re doing if you join.”
    I narrowed my eyes. “Sapphire?”
    Livvie rolled her eyes and giggled. “Each team in the gym is named after a gem. We’ve got Mini One Ruby, Youth Two Obsidian, Junior Three Sapphire, Senior Two Amethyst, and Senior Five Diamond.”
    “Okay, then,” I said, brow raised. The names seemed a little different, but then, I knew next to nothing about cheer so I wasn’t really in a position to judge.
    Shaking her head, she puffed out a quick breath, got behind me, and pushed. “Let’s go, chica. Time to hit the track. Move it.”
    A shiver ran up and down the length of my spine as my bare feet met with the smooth, cool surface of the track. The familiar surge of adrenaline I’d always felt before tumbling bubbled up from deep within, embracing me like an old friend. Tightening my core muscles, I pressed against the taut, black surface with the balls of my feet. The springy surface came to life, and I couldn’t hide the smile that emerged as I bounced in place.
    “Start off slow,” Livvie shouted over the noise. “Try a round-off back handspring rebound and see how you feel.”
    Throat dry, I gave her a single nod. With a quick intake of breath, I took off