My Life

 My Life 

By: Hannah Riley

Chapter 1

                “Alice we are leaving, hurry up!”

                “I’m coming Dad!” I shouted back tying my hair back into a bun as I raced down the stairs, threw the door, and jumped into the car.

                I looked at my sister Emma with her arms crossed over her chest, staring at the seat ahead of her scowling. She is in probably one of her moods again.

                My dad got into the car and started the engine, soon enough we were driving down the road to gymnastics regional’s competition.

                Yes I am a gymnast, but I guess in a way I was destined for it because in a way my parents gave me my talent. You see my parents always loved the sport gymnastics but were never able to do it. When they had my 18 year old sister Emma they signed her up but it was not meant for her. So when they wanted another child of course they wanted me to do gymnastics. So they had their genetics to make me but also had famous gymnast genetics. It’s kind of weird but that is just how my life goes, my genetics made me small, graceful, flexible.

                As soon as I knew it, we were there. My dad turned around and gave me the game face, “Ok who are you?”

                I rolled my eyes and replied back with a smile, “I am Alice Jones a 17 year old girl who does gymnastics”.

                “What have you come here to do?”

                “To win sectionals and go onto regionals and then national’s competition.”

                “That’s my girl!” we said with a grin.

                I went to my group, of the girls who are from my gymnastics club. We all signed in together and started to get ready. As always for every single competition I was nervous. But my friend Julie would always be with me until I went up for my turn.

                As the competition went by I looked at every girl who had grace and poise until they called, “Alice Jones”.

                I stood up put dust on my hands so I would not sweat and got up on the balance beam that was what I was best at. I went through my routine starting with a pose at the start and ending with a back flip of the beam. Everyone cheered, it made me feel happy inside.

                At the end of the competition they announced who would go to regionals, I was one of the girls who got picked! I can’t believe it I am actually going to regionals!

               

Chapter 2

I sat happily with a trophy in my lap driving home listening to my mum and dad speak about the competition.

“You were amazing honey, you were absolutely perfect” my mum said.

“Yes you were absolutely amazing, but I think you could have stuck that landing a little better” said my dad.

He always did that, I try my absolute hardest in these competitions, but I can never be perfect for him, there is always one thing that must be wrong, but hey I won every tournament I have been in.

                We sat down for dinner and started eating when dad asked, “So where what collage are we going to apply for? I was thinking University of Alabama or Oklahoma, they have amazing gymnastic programs”.

                I looked at him a little funny and replied, “Dad I’m only 17, I still have another 2 years to decide where I want to go to college.”

                “You must be prepared and why not start looking now” he said giving me a stern look.

                “Yeah well what if I don’t even want to go to gymnast collage, what if I want to do something else?”

                “Oh don’t be silly Alice of course you are going to gymnast collage, why..”

                “Um Dad” Emma interrupted a little impatient. 

                “What Emma?” my dad replied no seeming that he really cared about what she had to say.

                “Could we maybe talk about my future? Alice isn’t even in 12^th grade and your talking about her future, and I am the actual one going into collage and you don’t even care right now!” she replied, I could feel the tension in her voice.

                “Emma of course I care, now don’t interrupt me” said my dad turning back to talk to me.

                All of a sudden Emma stomped of, “UGH!” she shouted as she got up from the table and stomped to her room.

                “Honestly I do not see what she is al worked up about, I haven’t done or said anything” said dad looking absolutely clueless.

                “Probably just those hormones honey” said my mum cheerfully.

                I got up and put my plate in the sink and walked out of the living room. I had enough family time. 

Chapter 3

                School to me at times feels like the stupidest place on earth but most times I feel as if it is a place where I can just relax, be myself, and get away from my crazy family. But many people in my school are unique just like me. There is this girl in my class Alex and she was born with 3 feet and is the best soccer player I have ever seen. Josh this other guy a grade higher than me plays the piano and has 12 fingers. It’s not just me in this world who is different; many people in the world have strange genetics to be made to be the best in something.

                As  I walked out of math class, thank god it was so boring, my best friend Jess popped up on my left side and started talking to me, “So heard you are going to regional’s, awesome!”

                “Yeah I’m excited but of course my dad is driving me nuts about it, almost seems as if he is more nervous than me” I replied back with a giggle.

                “Are you going to Sarah’s party this weekend? I heard her pool is massive!” excitedly said Jess, her eyes almost coming out of her sockets she was so excited. Jess loves swimming, she was never born to be a swimmer, just an ordinary girl but that’s all she wants to do in her life.

                “Ugh I wish I could, but I have gym practice that night and my parents would kill me if I missed out, nationals is only weeks away” I replied feeling a little guilty that I could not go with her.

                She looked down at her shoes, “Ok, well talk to you later” and she walked away to her next class. I always feel so bad, I never hang out with Jess that much cause of my gymnastics practice.

                I started walking down the hall to art, my next class. I just loved it, the smell of the paint, the way I would draw or paint across the page, it just made me feel so happy.

                “Ok sit down class, sit down” said my art teacher Ms. Liza. “Today we shall be drawing flowers in a vase, as you can see I have set one down on each table, so lets start drawing.”

                I started to draw the flowers, shading them making sure each one was perfect but different. Whenever I drew it felt as if nothing in the world could make me sad or miserable, I just always feel this graceful feeling about it. I did art ever since I was a little girl, and it was a hobby where I felt I didn’t even have to try, I could just enjoy it.

                Sometimes art feels even better than gymnastics. Sometimes during practice I just want to go home and draw, my parents never pay attention or think any of the art I do is special, all they care about is gymnastics.

                All of a sudden my thoughts got interrupted, “Jess that is absolutely beautiful” cried Ms. Liza, “You truly have a gift.”

                “Um thanks Ms. Lisa, you think so?”

                “Why certainly, have you ever considered art classes?” she asked.

                “No, I do gymnastics it’s kinda more my style” I replied, but feeling a little unsure.

                “Oh well, its just I can defiantly see the passion you put into your work, it’s a pity you don’t” she gave me a weak smile and continued to walk around the class.

                Maybe I should consider trying some art classes, I thought to myself. No! I can’t I am made to be a professional gymnast, that is who I am, that is who I am going to be.

                Before I knew it the school bell rang, it was already time to leave class. As I stood up and walked out the door I felt a little sad to leave.

Chapter 4

                As I sat on the couch eating a chocolate chip cookie it occurred to me, what did Emma want to talk to dad about last night? All I know that it must have been pretty serious because has was pretty mad. So I decided to get up and go talk to her.

                I knocked on her door waiting for her to shout, what do you want! But instead came a small calm voice, “Come in.”

                I pushed the door slowly open, she sat there on her bed doing her homework. “So what do you want?” she asked looking at me like I was stupid.

                “I just wanted to ask if you are ok?” I replied.

                “I’m fine I guess…” she said going back to her homework.

                “No I meant last night” I said, hoping that I didn’t ask the wrong question.

                She looked up from her work, not expecting me to ask that, “Well I’m fine just mad at dad that’s all, why are you asking me this?” I could feel the suspicion in her voice.

                “What? Isn’t this what sisters are suppose to do?” I replied back trying to smile.

                “Alice if sisters are suppose to help and care for each other how come you always have to steal the spot light and take mum and dad away from me?” she said starting to raise her voice.

                I looked at her funny, what on earth did she mean by spotlight? When do I take mum and dad away from her? “I can’t believe it, you don’t even notice it do you?!” she said scowling at me.

                “Emma when do I take mum and dad from you? What have I ever done to you?”

                “Alice you and your talent, you’re the perfect daughter! Mum and dad always favor you over me because you are the one who is great at gymnastics. All they care about is you! This weekend Alice has a competition, Alice how was practice? Alice, Alice, Alice! That is all they think about, you!” she shouted at me.

                I looked at hear not believing what she was saying, “What do you mean? Mum and dad are always telling me what to do! They keep pressuring me on what to do! Plus it’s not my fault that they wanted a talented baby!” I shouted back at her.

                She scowled at me and looked into my eyes coldly, her voice dropped low, “You are the perfect child, ever since you came into this world I have tried to be just like you, just so mum and dad could see that I exist too.” I looked at her with fear in my eyes as she over towered me, “Now get out of my room!” she screamed. I ran out, down the hall and into my room, I slammed my door as hard as I could and fell onto my bed.  

                Mum and Dad were so hard on me, about everything, for Emma they don’t even have to ask her.

They don’t even ask her…….

                For once in my life I thought Emma was right. We go to a gymnastics competition almost every week, have we ever been to a competition for Emma?  When mum and dad see my grades they get just excited as me, when Emma shows them they give her the look, you can do better than that. It was true Emma was always left out, just because of me, my talent, and my genetics.

                Just then I heard a soft sobbing coming from down the hall. 

Chapter 5

                That night as I sat down for dinner I didn’t sit next to Emma.

                As dad was stuffing spaghetti into his mouth I asked him, “So I was wondering do you think I could take some art lessons?”

                Dad looked at me in confuse scrunching his nose, as he finished chewing he spoke, “Why on earth would you want to take art lessons?”

                “Art is something I  have realized that I really enjoy, and I want to learn more about it, so could I get some art lessons?” I replied hoping he would say yes.

                “Alice first you don’t even do art, second you need all that time to practice for gymnastics” he said.

                “Dad I really love art, and I do it a lot you just never notice because you are always so hung up about gymnastics. Plus I can always just cancel one day when I have it” I replied, it seemed so simple in my head, but in his nothing made sense.

                “No that is not happening” he said pointing at me.

                “Dad Ms. Lisa said I had a gift, she said I had potential!” I said with a smile on my face.

               

                “No you do gymnastics. Ok eat up and no more talk from you” he said giving me a stern look, I knew that I could not argue anymore.

Chapter 6

                During gymnastics practice all I could think about was Emma. I couldn’t concentrate, but it was true, I always got the attention, she got nothing.  I kept falling of the balance beam or crashing to the floor when doing a flip. As I drove home, dad gave me another pep talk.

What on earth were you doing today during practice? it is like your head was somewhere else in the universe” asked dad slightly angry.

                “I guess I just have a lot on my mind” I replied back.

                “Well you got to only think about gymnastics, nationals is soon coming and you need to be ready” he said looking at me through the mirror.

                “I am working hard, I have been working a lot lately” I said, now I was starting to get angry.

                “No you are not honey” he replied, I could hear the disappointment in his voice.

                “Why are you so demanding? I try my best and it just is never enough for you?” I said back crossing my arms over my chest.

                “Demanding? I am helping you, you can only win if you are perfect” he started to raise his voice.

                “Well guess, what perfect doesn’t exist! I don’t care about gymnastics anymore, I only did it for you but I am going to make my own decisions now” I replied shouting at him.

                “I am the man of the house, I make the decisions and you are staying in gymnastics, you are going to practice if you like it or not, and you are going to win” he was now shouting at the top of his lungs.

                “You are so crazy about me and gymnastics you don’t even care about Emma, she feels as if she does not even exist!” I shouted back.

                “Of course I care about Emma, I never forget about her”

                “Ever since I was born have you ever been to any of her soccer games or science fairs?”

                “Well that’s hard because I am always at work”

                “No you are not! You don’t even realize it, you always will come for me but you have never ever been there for her!”

                Before the car even pulled into the driveway I jumped out and ran inside, down the corridor, and into Emma’s room.

Chapter 7

                I closed the door behind me, ran to her and sat there hugging her. She didn’t say anything she just decided to hug me back.

                “I’m sorry” I finally said.

                “For what?” she replied back.

                “I’m sorry for taking dad and mum away from you all these years” I said softly.

                “It’s ok” hse said back, “I’m use to it now I guess.”

                “But it’s not ok, you have done so many great things and you deserve to be heard” I said looking up at her.

                “Here come look at this” she got up, went to the draw an pulled something out, and handed them to me.

                “What’s this?” I said looking at the documents.

                “They are collage letters, I have been accepted into Yale and Harvard” she replied with a smile on her face.

                “Oh my gosh this is absolutely amazing Emma! How come you have never showed Mum or Dad this?”

                “I have tried, but they never are either to busy doing something or they just ignore me” she said frowning at the floor.

                “You know one thing good about you Emma is that Mum and Dad don’t decide your future, just because I was made for gymnastics doesn’t  mean I actually want that to be my future. All I want to do is art” I said sadly.

                “I know, I have seen your work around the school, and it is pretty amazing” she replied with a smile.

                I looked her straight in the eye, “You think so? You think I have a shot at being an artist?”

                “Yes of course you do, and remember it’s your future not theirs” she said bending down and hugging me. “Right now we are going to go talk to them, how I got into collage, and you want to stop gymnastics and do art. Even if they don’t agree it’s our decision.”

                I smiled at her and we got up and walked out of her room. I wasn’t sure what my parents were going to say, but I didn’t care. I will pick my future not them. I am going to show them, show the world that just because your genetics may pick your future, doesn’t mean you have to. I can be who ever I want as long as I try.