I followed the front hallway down to an exercise room, found a locker, and unzipped my jacket, hanging it inside. My shoes squeaked against the wooden flooring as I made my way into the gymnasium where blue mats had been set out. To the side, there were several other supplies that I guessed would be used later, either in this class or the next. I found that several students had already arrived and were congregated in a group in front of one side of the blue mats. I made my way over, recognizing a familiarface.
"Hey,Harlow!"
"Kelsey." I smiled. "I didn't know you were in thisclass."
"Yeah," she said as I came to a stop at her side. "It was a last minute change. The original physical education course I signed up for didn't have enough people apparently. Everything else wasadvanced."
"Well, I'm glad to have someone in here withme."
She beamed. "Same here. Though, I'm kind of nervous. I've never done any sort of gymnastics in my life." Her smile dimmed, and she looked around before leaning forward. "I'm not veryflexible."
I laughed. I couldn't help it. "That's nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed by," I assured her. "Itisa beginner’sclass."
The instructor arrived, carrying a sack as she bustled over to us. "Good morning everyone," she called over the group cheerfully. "My name is Mrs. Dennis. If your schedule says Beginner's Gymnastics, then you're in the right place. If not, you're lost and probably missing your Statistics 101 or something else equally brainnumbing."
A couple of students chuckled. Even my lipstwitched.
"We're going to start out with some stretches, so I hope everyone wore appropriate clothing," Mrs. Dennis called as she dropped her sack to theside.
"You're not going to take roll?" someoneasked.
Mrs. Dennis shook her head. "Some of you will inevitably drop out or switch classes before the first week is over," she explained. "I won't take roll until the second week of class. Now, spreadout."
As I headed towards a corner mat, Kelsey latched onto my arm. "How are we supposed to know what stretches to do?" she hissed, glancing around. I looked in the same direction and while some of the students were obviously a little confused, Mrs. Dennis directed them gently towards sections and spoke in lowtones.
"Do you want to stretch with me?" I offered. Kelsey nodded vehemently. "I haven't been in gymnastics in years," I admitted apprehensively as we made our way over to a separatemat.
"You were in gymnastics?" Kelsey stopped next to me as I spread my feet apart and bent over, reaching for my toes with both hands. I leaned towards my right foot and then my left and then the middle. She copied my movements. "Then why are you in the beginner'sclass?"
I shrugged as I stood up straight once more and took my elbow in my opposite hand and stretched my arm over my head before doing the same to the other arm. "I didn't really get to choose my classes, but I guess it's just that I've been out of it for awhile."
"How long is a while?" Kelseyasked.
"Um..." I tried counting back the years. "It was right before I started high school, Ithink."
“Are you going to start doing it again?” she pressed, curiosity in hertone.
Shaking my head, I grunted as I stretched a muscle I knew I hadn’t stretched in a long while. “Notreally.”
“Not into itanymore?”
I had to think about it. I left gymnastics because I had to, not because I wanted to. Did I want to be back here? I was sure if I told the guys I wanted to, they’d let me. Texas had all but asked me if I wanted to stay and finish school. Was that what Iwanted?
“Harlow?” Kelseycalled.
I blinked and looked her way. “I don’t think so,” I finally said. “This is a good reminder, but gymnastics is behind me.” But was college in myfuture?
I glanced around the room, and noticed that several students were on their backs, stretching their feet in the air as Mrs. Dennis coached them through the stretches. I winced, wondering if I could do that again. Before I could even contemplate trying to copy their movements, however, Mrs. Dennis stood up from her position and headed ourway.
“How are we doing over here,ladies?”
“Oh, just fine!” Kelsey piped up as she strained to reach hertoes.
Mrs. Dennis looked to me. “Um, fine,” I squeaked. She raised a brow as I cleared my throat. “Yeah, we’re just stretching.” Although she looked skeptical, she didn’t push and instead, nodded before heading to the next group of girls. I released a breath I hadn’t even known I washolding.
“So,” I said, moving into a newposition.
Kelsey watched me and then copied my movements. “So?”