Page 128 of More To Us

"Why would I tell him? You repeatedly begged me not to."

"I know, but he's your boyfriend. I assumed you told him everything, including what happened to your leg." Her voice softens. "Kira, why did you keep that from him?"

"Because I didn't want him treating me like you do. Looking at me with pity. Watching everything I do. Reporting back to my parents. I wanted one person in my life who didn't treat me that way."

"I don't look at you with pity," she says, anger in her voice. "I look at you with concern, because you're my friend and I want you to be okay. But then you went behind my back and joined some gym across town and lied to me about it. Austin told me how hard you've been pushing yourself. Why, Kira? What are you trying to do? Hurt your leg so bad you can never walk again?"

"That would never happen."

"Fine, maybe it wouldn't. But because of what you did, you now have two stress fractures, and if you keep this up, you could break your leg again, sever tissue like last time, cause nerve damage, muscle spasms. You could cause permanent damage. Why would you even risk that?"

I don't answer, so she does.

"You want to compete again. And you really think that's going to happen?"

I glare at her. "It will, if I work hard enough."

"Kira, it's too late. To make it to nationals again, you would've had to train hours a day, every day, for the past year. With a coach. And equipment. Doing cardio and lifting weights at a gym for hours a day won't get you there. And you're..." She hesitates. "You're too old. Most elite gymnasts are 16 or 17. Even if you could train again, you'd be competing against girls who are younger than us, in better shape, working with top level coaches."

"I know all that," I spit out.

"Then why are you doing this? Why are you killing yourself for something you know will never happen?"

"Because I have to!" I yell at her.

"Why?" she asks softly. "Because it's your dream?"

"It's not just that," I say, swallowing past the lump in my throat.

"Then what is it?"

"I have to help my family." I look down at the couch. "I have to pay them back. They sacrificed everything for me and what do they have to show for it?" I shake my head, tears streaming down my cheeks. "It was all for nothing."

"Kira, that's not what they think. Your parents don't care how much money they spent, or what they had to sacrifice."

"I let them down."

"You didn't let them down. They're proud of you and how far you made it. The whole town is proud of you. That's why that guy gave you a car and money for college."

"He gave it to me because he felt sorry for me, just like everyone feels sorry for me. I was at the top, maybe could've even made it to the Olympics, and then in an instant, it all ended. But it can't be the end. Gymnastics is my life. I didn't get this far just to quit. I owe it to myself and to my family to not give up."

She's giving me her pity look again. "I know you want to help your family, but no matter how hard you work out, you're not going to compete again. You're not going to be getting commercials and endorsement money." She puts her hand on my shoulder. "It's time to accept that your gymnastics career is over."

My anger swells and I shove her hand off me. "You don't know that! You have no idea what will happen so stop telling me it's over! Miracles happen every day and if I work hard enough, I can make it happen. I have the skill. I have the talent. I just don't have the strength. But I'm getting there."

"And what happens when you get there?"

"I'll go back home and train with my coach. And I WILL compete again."

"You're going to drop out of college? Move back to Michigan?"

"When I'm ready, yes."

"Your parents would never let you do that."

"My parents don't have a say in it. I'm an adult."

"With no money. No job. How are you going to pay for your coach?"

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