Page 43 of Burnout
SIXTEEN
“I’m not getting up there.”
All the optimism I clung to this weekend dissipates as Knox aims a stubborn scowl at me.
“You said anything,” I remind him.
With a sigh, he walks closer to the beam. He pauses for a second like he’s not sure how to get on. Oops. I forgot for some people it’s not as easy as breathing. Before I can hop down and show him how, Knox hoists himself up with a lot of impressive upper body strength.
I fight a grin as he stands tall, wobbling a bit as he finds his balance. I can tell by the look on his face that laughing right now would be ill-advised.
After warming up and a little trampoline work into the pit, I have my fingers crossed that this works. And if it doesn’t, well, at least I got a few minutes up on beam. What Coach Weaver doesn’t know won’t hurt her.
“Okay.” I find a smidge of composure. “I want you to do a back tuck dismount into the pit.”
One dark brow arches.
“It’s perfectly safe. So easy a five-year-old could do it,” I mock.
“Oooh. Can I show him?” Hope asks with a pleading expression from her spot on a neighboring beam.
Before I’ve nodded, she’s already getting into position. She adds a cartwheel before the back tuck, landing it on a mat instead of in the pit.
Knox’s jaw works back and forth.
“Want to see it again?” I ask.
“No,” he says gruffly. When Hope gets back up, he silently, still grimacing at me, offers her his fist.
She taps her knuckles against his with glee and her face goes pink.
“One time and we’ll get back down on the floor,” I say to him.
“Then, what’s the point? Are you messing with me?”
“You said anything, and I want to see if you meant it.”
With a huff, he finally moves to the end of the beam. He hesitates.
“Don’t overthink it. Just like we did before.”
“Yeah, except now I’m balancing on a tightrope.” His cheeks puff out with a breath and then he goes for it.
My relief is immediate. He did it. I walk over to see his face as he surfaces from the pit.
“Is that a smile?” I ask, hands on my hips.
He tries to wipe it from his face, but his lips betray him.
“Fun, right?” I ask.
“I don’t know. I think I blacked out. Are you done hazing me now?”
“Yes.” I hop down from the beam. “And you passed the test.”
Maybe there’s hope for him yet. I need him to trust me. And sure, watching him get on the beam was fun, but the real point was that he’s not going to fight me at every turn.
“Okay. Let’s keep doing back tucks into the pit but focus on your form.”
