The Odd Ballerz Read Online Free Page A

It’s what all of the boys said in response to whatever coach was talking at the time and she’d taken to responding in the same manner to all except Coach Z. For him she added just a hint of derision. If he was bothered by it, he hadn’t let on.
    She turned her thoughts inward then, where they had to be if she had any chance of doing what he’d asked. It took plenty internal preparation on her part to get her body to cooperate in any athletic venture, which is why she steered clear of sports in the first place. She wiped her brow, where beads of sweat had popped up. “You can do this, Memphis,” she whispered to herself.
Exercise is a good thing and you are not that girl anymore. You’re the number one insurance salesperson, in control and kicking ass. I know you know this, just as I know you can do this. Now, take a deep breath, yep, that’s good, in and out, yes, good, deep breaths, in and out. That’s it. Good, now let’s shake out those arms
. She did; shook them by her side, one by one.
See, this exercising is great, the best and it’s about time you tried it. Relax those legs and let’s shake them out now, yep, one at a time, you got this
. Following her internal instructions, she kicked out her right leg and then her left, something she’d seen her sister do countless times before the start of a race.
    “Set. Go,” Z shouted, startling her, interrupting her self-talk and internal build-up, and way before she was ready. She felt a surge in panic energy shoot through her veins.
I’m not ready
she wanted to say, but she took off anyway, a reaction to “go” more than it was a plan to run, and well before she was mentally prepared and thus the explanation of how her feet became tangled at the start and before she knew it, the track was rising up to meet her. She landed on her knees first, and then her face, and dang that hurt, her final thoughts on the subject.
    Some of the boys started to snicker, but it stopped before it had a chance to start good. She looked up to find Coach Z, his face stern, and those glasses directed at the boys, the explanation for the truncated laughter she guessed. Nothing but silence followed.
    “Jones? You okay?” he said, moving swiftly and quietly towards her, his expression one of concern as he squatted down beside her. It was not her best look.
    “Yep, just tripped, sometimes that happens,” she said, chuckling, accepting his outstretched hand to help her stand.
    “Let’s try it again, then,” he said, still watching her.
    “Right,” she said, stretching out her fingers.
    “Relax,” he said, those reflector-covered eyes staring back at her.
    She ran her hand over her hair, pretending to primp, using his glasses as a mirror, before she smiled and then laughed. This laughing at herself was an old habit, a cover for past failures. She took the few steps back to the starting line for her second attempt.
    “Runners. Set. Go,” Z said, back in the starter’s position. He was speaking to her only. Gabe and the other kid had continued their run and were done now, standing, watching her along with everyone else.
    She took off again, nerves and all, slowly and wobbling a bit at the start, but managing to remain on her feet, determination and purpose taking over, and crowding out the
I can’t
in her brain. She was running as hard as she could by the end.
    “Five-three, Jones,” Coach Harris said, looking at his stopwatch, before transferring his gaze to her. She was bent over, hand to knees, sucking in air.
    “Is that… good?” she asked, working to catch her breath.
    “It ain’t bad,” he said before he walked away. She made her way over to where the boys had gathered for the next whatever.
    # # #
    It was agility drills. She and the boys had been divided into four groups that were to rotate through four stations, four separate areas on the football field. Each coach was assigned a station, everyone except Z. He was the rover, the overseer of the groups, the