Perfect Body
Perfect Body
by Jolinar@Carter
TITLE: Perfect Body
AUTHOR: Jolinar@Carter
EMAIL: jolinar.carter@btinternet.com
CATEGORY: Drama, Challenge (#1,074), Crossover (Perfect Body)
PAIRING: Sam/other
SPOILERS: None really.
SEASON / SEQUEL: future
RATING: PG-13
CONTENT WARNINGS: male/female relationship, Anorexia
SUMMARY: It isn't like it sounds. PG/PG-13, for the story. It's based on the film Perfect Body, with Amy Jo Johnson. Samantha Carter is fifteen, and a gymnast ... but what will she have to do to achive the Perfect Body, and a shot at the Olympics?
STATUS: Complete
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis. Archive if you wanna, but let me know please.
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thank you to Scarab, who has read this. Mum says if he's read it I can post. Watch out for the story we've written together. Out soon.
In 2006, Paige O'Neill was born. She had an older sister called Emily, and Emily loved gymnastics. She was four years old.
"Mommy?" Emily asked her mom, who was helping her dad load the car.
"Yes sweetie?" She asked. "Jack, that's the last one."
"You sure Sam?" He asked.
"Yes." She replied, looking down at Emily.
"Will you be coming tonight?" She asked.
"Wouldn't miss it honey." Sam replied, tying her hair up in to a bun. She was going to be late for her first day back at work if she didn't hurry.
"Okay. I want to be an Olympian when I grow up. I want to win gold." She said.
"Okay sweetie."I won't let it happen to her. I won't.
TEN YEARS LATER ...
"Mom, I called Coach Blair, because I think I'm ready to train for the Olympics." Emily O'Neill told her mother and father.
"The Olympics?" Sam asked Emily.
"She has a real shot." Blair JR. Told Sam and Jack.
"No." Sam said, firmly.
"No? Sam, don't you think we should hear them out first?" Jack asked.
"Mom! Please! I want to do this!" Emily pleaded.
"Not with this man. If he's anything like his dad, which I think he is then he is a monster, and I won't let you go." Samantha answered, giving Blair a look that could melt ice.
"Mom, think about it!"
"What happened between you and his dad then Sam?" Jack asked, as he put his arm around Sam.
"I'll tell you on the way home." She snapped, still glaring at Blair.
"Do I know you?" David asked her.
"I was one of your father's gymnasts, years ago David." She replied.
"Oh. Did you train with Leslie Reynolds? Because I heard about one girl, by the name of Carter. She had a big accident, and it made her quit. I only remembered because your name is Carter-O'Neill." He recalled hearing about her.
"That was me, and I did not quit because I wanted to. I had to, I didn't have a choice after what happened. Get lost Coach, I will not let you near my daughters. Either of them." She shouted.
"But Mom!" Emily protested.
"No buts Emily, if your mom says no, then you can't. You're fourteen. You're too young. Your mom has a good reason, I'm sure." Jack told her.
"But this is my dream!" She cried.
"Listen to me Emily, I am doing this for you. I will tell you what happened if you want. I think it's enough to change your mind. You can train with someone else, when you're older." Sam told her. Jack told Emily that they were going home and that was it. She wasn't too happy with them, but Sam told her story.
"I was thirteen when I met David Blair, and fifteen when it all happened. I had just won gold in a gymnastics competition, and my boyfriend Josh had to go. We were leaving, my mom and dad and I, when we bumped in to David Blair. I had called him, and asked him to come. I thought I was ready to train for the Olympics, but I wasn't ... " Sam continued. (It turned in to a flash back, and that's how I will tell it.)
-------Samantha Carter stood in the Gym at her High School, practising for her next competition. She ran up to the vault, and did an amazing flip. Later that day, she aced the vault, the floor, the balance beam, and finally, the uneven bars. David Blair walked in, and watched her, deciding whether she was good enough.
After the competition, Samantha was walking out, with her mom, dad, and boyfriend, Josh. Josh congratulated her again, kissed her, and then left. David approached them, and shook hands with Jacob, Sam's dad, and Janet.
"I'm glad you called me, Samantha." Blair told her, with a smile.
"She called you?" Sam's mother asked.
"Um ... guys, I called him because I think I'm ready to move on, and train for the Olympics." She informed them excitedly.
"The Olympics?" Janet repeated, in shock.
"She has a real shot." David told Janet honestly. "I mean, her coach is great, at this level ... Look, why don't you come down to my gym in Seattle, meet some of the girls, and see what it's all about?" David offered.
"Seattle?" Janet thought.
"Well ... it wouldn't hurt to take a look." Jacob decided. Sam smiled at him.
"Please Mom?" Samantha pleaded.
"Oh, all right!" Janet gave in. The next day, at School, Sam was talking to her best friend, Holly, as they headed for their lockers.
"I'm telling you there is no way I'll make cheerleader without you there to distract the judges!" Holly told Sam.
"What ... Holly!" Sam laughed.
"No, it's true, you'll be so good, they won't realise what a klutz I am!" Holly moaned to her best.
"You are not a klutz, and besides, I cannot physically go to Seattle and try out at the same time! You're gonna be fine!" Sam assured her.
"I know ... " Holly answered, as Josh crept up behind Sam, and kissed her. "Oh please, you just saw each other at lunch!" Holly moaned.
"Yeah, but we suffer withdrawal after two minutes so ... " Josh informed her. Sam pulled a book out of her locker, and a boy walked past and yelled to Sam.
"Hey Carter, thanks for doing that in bio!" He said, sarcastically, as he walked past.
"Hey, can she help it if she's a genius?" Josh replied. Sam elbowed him.
"Ha ha ha!" Sam closed her locker.
"Hey!" Josh yelped. "So, are you going to tell us why you're going to Seattle?" Josh asked, as he put his arm around his girlfriend.
"Yeah?" Holly asked.
"Well ... I don't wanna jinx myself. But ... there's this Coach, David Blair." Samantha told them, leaving them to figure the rest out.
"Wait, why does that name sound familiar?" Josh asked her.
"Maybe because he has trained five girls to the Olympic gold, like Leslie Reynolds, and Stephanie Lamar." Samantha replied, excitedly.
"You mean ... you might actually go to the Olympics?" Josh asked.
"And you weren't gonna tell us?" Holly added.
"I've already told you too much guys! I don't even know if it's gonna happen yet, so let's not even think about it okay?" The bell rang. "Holly, I promise I will try and make it to your try out." Samantha promised, and then walked of to her next class. After school, Jacob, Janet and Samantha flew over to Seattle, and arrived in David Blair's gym.
David was working with Leslie Reynolds, on the uneven bars. "Come on Leslie, tap! Tap! Straighten your legs! Point your toes!" David shouted.
"That's Leslie Reynolds on bars!"
"Wow, she's much taller in person!" Janet replied, as she watched.
"She looks so awesome!" Samantha commented, as she watched her favourite gymnast.
"You look the same way sweetie!" Jacob told Sam.
"Yeah right!" Sam replied, sarcastically. Leslie finished and landed on the blue crash mat.
"Were you happy with that?" David asked Leslie. The young gymnast shook her head. "Well do it again. Brenda take over." David ran over to Sam and her parents. "Hi! Come on in! So how was the trip?"
"Not that long." Said Jake.
"It isn't that far from home. Come on." They headed for his office.
"So are all these girls trying to make the Olympic team?" Asked Samantha.
"Well, most of them dream of it." Replied Blair. "But you know the facts, only six girls every four years make it. Want to be one of them?" He asked.
"Oh absolutely." She replied straight away.
"Samantha, I'd like you to meet someone, this is Leslie ... "
"Reynolds. I know. It's so nice to meet you!" Sam went to shake her hand, but Leslie has chalky hands.) "Oh, sorry."
"Thanks." Leslie thanked her.
"I'm trying to convince Samantha that this is the best place for her to train if she wants to see gold." Blair told her.
"Gold? Well, it's a lot nicer than silver or bronze, right?" Samantha nodded.
"Right." Samantha answered.
"So I'll see you around, maybe." Leslie said, as she walked off. Samantha smiled. Leslie was a hero of hers.
"You know, I think Samantha should do this. But, I want you all to go in to this with your eyes wide open. Sam's training is going to require considerable sacrifice from each one of you. And for you ... " He looked at Sam, and continued "It's going to mean going from gymnastics as a sport, to gymnastics as a serious business. Now the training is gruelling. How much do you practice?" He inquired.
"About thirteen hours a week." Samantha entered his office.
"I want forty." Blair told her, following her in.
"I can do that." Samantha assured him, s her parents joined them inside his office.
"You've got to do that." Blair sat down at his desk. Samantha's parents sat the other side, and she perched on a table. "Coffee?" He offered Jake and Janet.
"No thanks. What about school?" Janet asked him.
"Well, most girls go public, a few have private tutors."
"Private tutors, isn't that expensive?" Samantha asked, before popping a sweet in to her mouth.
"Better watch those calories. Yes, it is expensive." She spat the sweet back in to the wrapper. "Training with me means less of everything she knows out there, and more of everything in here. More time, more commitment, and more money." He rested his hands on the desk.
"How much more?" Jake asked.
"Well, all said and done, about twenty, twenty five thousand dollars a year." Blair dropped the bomb.
"All right, okay, we can do that." Jake wanted Sam to have this shot. Janet looked uneasy.
"Most of my girls end up with a college scholarship at the very least. Some times there are appearance fees, and things like that." He explained. "Look, if you need some time to think about this ... "
"Yeah, yeah we do." Janet earned a glare from Jake, as if to say, I think we should let her.
"Take all the time you need. It's not an easy decision, I know, but to deny someone with Sam's talent a shot at the gold, well ... never mind what I think. You're her parents. It's your decision. Sam would be a welcome addition up here."
Half an hour later, Holly was in the gym at try outs. Josh was watching.
"Okay girls, ready?" The head cheerleader asked. The music came on, and they started cheering.
"Go! Go Columbia! Go blue! Go gold!" A few minutes later, they had all finished. Josh jumped down from the bleachers, and stood next to Holly. "Well, that's that!" She said, out of breath. "Samantha said she'd be here."
"You were great Holl!" Josh assured her.
"Really? That one part was kind'a ... Oh well, who cares. The whole point of doing this was that Sam and I were supposed to do this together." She told Josh. The head cheerleader turned around with her clipboard.
"Hey guys, listen up! Since we can't pick all of you, we're gonna make this quick and painless, okay? But you guys did awesome! Okay, we've got Jennifer Baxter, and Holly Simmons!" She announced. Holly screamed.
"Way to go Holly!" Josh congratulated her. Sam ran in. "Hey!"
"Holly, I know you're going to hate me, there was so much traffic at the airport!" Holly jumped up excitedly.
"Samantha, I got picked! I'm gonna be a cheerleader!" Holly told her.
"Ah! Right on!" Sam screamed, excitedly.
"So, how did it go?" Asked Josh.
"It went okay." Said Sam.
"Okay? What happened?" Josh asked.
"I have a very good chance of training for the Olympics!"
"Oh my God! That's fantastic! Here I am thrilled to be a cheerleader!" Holly smiled.
"Shut up, you are going to have so much fun!" Sam kissed Josh.
"Shall we go celebrate?" Holly asked. Samantha agreed, and Josh simply nodded, so they went of in search of food. They ate, and Josh dropped Sam at home.
"I'm just not sure it's the right thing to do! Okay, let's say she makes it all the way to the cover of a cereal box. Then what?" Asked Janet, as she chopped the onions.
"And that isn't enough?" Jake poured himself a drink.
"No, not if she spends her whole life as someone who peeked at eighteen. I mean, she's fifteen now, three years until the Olympics. Is that going to be the best point in her life? " Janet replied.
"Janet, Sam loves gymnastics. The competing, all of it!" Jacob sat down.
"Yes, but at her level. I mean, sure, it's a big part of her life, but it's not everything!" Janet argued. "And how can we afford for Mark to go to college and for Sam to do this?"
"We'll manage. Samantha's worked very hard for this shot, and I think we ought to be supportive." Samantha walked in to the kitchen, with a map in her hand.
"Mom! Dad! Did you know there's an underground city beneath the streets of Seattle? And they have tours and everything!" She tied her hair in to a bun.
"Are you sure this is what you really want?" Janet knew her daughter wanted to do this, but she tried anyway.
"Yes." She replied, joining her Dad at the table.
"Honey, we got a letter from your brother!" Jake told his daughter.
"It means longer hours at the gym, constant aches and pains ... disappointments." She poured the chopped pieces in to a pan.
"Triumphs." Jake added.
"Remember when I was in the first grade, and the teacher asked me what two things I wanted to be when I grew up? What did I say?" Samantha asked.
"Olympian or an Astronaut." Janet recalled.
"And I haven't changed my mind, but at the moment, I want this even more than I do want to go in to space!" She told them. Later that evening, Holly and Josh were throwing Sam a party at his house. The girls were sat on the stairs. Josh joined them.
"Hey!"
"This is so nice of you guys!" Sam thanked them.
"Well we couldn't let you go without a party could we?" Josh asked, as he took her hand.
"No, you could not!" She told him. Josh got up, and got some cake. He gave it to Samantha.
"Mm! Cake!" Holly said, in aHomer Simpson's seen a donutkind of way. She went off to get some.
"I got you the corner piece, cuz I know you like the icing!" He told Samantha, as she stared at the yellow piece of cake.
"Josh, do you think I'm fat?" She asked him, wanting an honest answer.
"Samantha, are you joking? You're perfect!" She smiled, and dug in to the cake. Eventually, the party ended, and Samantha went home. The next day, boxes were being loaded in to the land rover that sat on the Carter's drive, gathering dust.
"I hope that's the last one! We're running out of room in the car!" Jake told his wife as he came inside.
"That's it." Janet sighed, as she closed the last box.
"This is going to work out you know." Jake hugged Janet.
"I don't see how. We've got one less job, one extra place to live, and we're replacing my income with twice the amount in expenses." She thought.
"I know, it's awful for me too, but Samantha wants this really badly, so we are going to give it to her." Jake let go of Janet.
The journey to Seattle took what seemed like an eternity to Samantha, but it went a lot quicker for Janet. Eventually, they arrived at the apartment they were renting, and started to unload the car.
3:25 the next morning, Samantha woke up. She got dressed and washed, and then had some waffles for breakfast. Janet was looking smart in her suit, ready to go for a job interview. Samantha had butterflies. They arrived at the gym at 4:00am, and Sam got out of the car.
"Here I go, bye!" She said, through the window. "Oh, good luck with your interview!"
"I haven't done this for a while. I feel like a kid!" Janet exclaimed. She let out a yawn.
"Me too!" Samantha joked. Janet drove off, and Samantha crossed. Leslie ran up to her.
"Samantha, right?" She asked.
"Yes." She answered, amazed that Leslie Reynolds knew her name.
"So you decided to go for it then?"
"Yeah!" Sam replied excitedly.
"Well, welcome to hell." Leslie entered the gym, leaving a confused Sam outside. She shrugged, and followed her in. Most girls were already out. She proceeded to the locker room.
"Hello!" A tall dark haired girl, a little older than Samantha greeted her warmly.
"Hi!" Sam smiled. She pointed to the lockers.
"You can use any of them." The girl explained, as she opened a bottle of pills. Sam thanked her, and opened one.
"I'm Kate." The girl introduced herself cheerily. Sam removed her shoes and trousers. She was wearing a pink leotard, and a pair of shorts.
"Samantha Carter." Sam told Kate. "You been with Coach Blair long?"
"Actually, we call him David. Two years. I just made senior league. Do you like Sam or Samantha better?" She replied.
"Samantha. Only my brother really calls me Sam. Congratulations." Sam congratulated her, happy to have made friends already.
"Yeah, you too." Kate swallowed a pill. Samantha looked at her. "They're for my knee. Ever since surgery, they're always hurting. Coach says I need to work through the pain, of course they're not his knees are they?" Kate smiled again. "A word of advice Samantha. Loose the sweatshirt."
"Why?" Asked Sam.
"It's what we call David's initiation and humiliation." Kate explained again, feeling sorry for the newcomer.
"What is that?"
"It's something really stupid, and believe me you'll get used to it but ... " Just then, Brenda entered. Sam lost the sweatshirt. Kate seemed nice enough. She trusted her.
"Okay girls, let's get out on the floor. We're almost ready to start." Kate left. "Hi, Samantha, I'm Brenda, one of the coaches, I'm also the nurse and psychiatrist, so if you need anything ... "
"Thanks. Do I have time to go to the bathroom?" She asked Brenda.
"If you're quick." Brenda left, and Samantha entered the bathroom, and stood by the mirror, fixing her hair up in a bun. She heard a noise coming from one of the toilets. It sounded like someone was being sick.
"Are you okay in there?" She inquired. Leslie flushed, and stepped out. She drank some tap water, and looked up at the new gymnast.
"I'm fine." She smoothed her hair back.
"Are you sure? I can go tell Brenda or David!" Samantha asked. Leslie jumped.
"NO!" She yelled. "Sorry. Really, I'm fine!" She left for the gym, and Sam shrugged and followed.
Out on the floor, David was setting up his scales. Samantha came over to him. "Okay girls, let's get started!" All the girls ran over, and formed a que. "Wanna hop on?" He asked Sam.
"Now?"
"That's not a problem is it? It's part of the routine. I weigh all the girls."So this is what Kate meant.Sam thought to herself.
"No." She stepped up.
"Oh, you're going to have to loose eight pounds." David told her bluntly. Leslie smiled.
"This is average for a girl my height!" Samantha informed him.
"Do you want to be average, or do you want to be your best? I am not interested in average. Whatever you were before is not good enough. Here, you have to be stronger, higher and faster. The only way you do that is with less. Understand?" Leslie was now grinning. Kate was looking at Sam sympathetically.
"Yes." Samantha had to try really hard to stop herself from crying.
"Next! Excellent Leslie!" He gave her a high five.
Later that day, after school Samantha was back at the gym. She fell of the uneven bars, and sighed. David came over. "What is going on with you?"
"I'm trying, it's just ... " Samantha took a sip of her water.
"Just what? They try, they fall, they get up and do it again, ten twenty, a hundred times!" David shouted. "See how lightly she moves? Maybe you could learn something from her." He shouted over to the girl he was pointing at. "Leslie!" Leslie walked over. "I want you to work next to Samantha today. I want eight full routines, and dismounts twenty times. Don't count the ones you miss." David waked off.
"Let's do it!" Said Leslie. They jumped on, and started their routine. Some time later, they finished. "Not bad!"
"No, but you get a lot more height than I do. Maybe if I ... well David wants me to loose a little weight." Samantha told her.
"It does help. It's hard to fly with a bowling ball around you." She had some water. The next day, Samantha was back at the gym. She was with Leslie again. This time, they were on the vaults. They stood in position, and Leslie ran up, and did a vault. Samantha did the same.
That evening, Samantha decided to phone Josh. "Josh, I miss you so much!"
"Listen, are you okay? You sound a little down." Josh asked her, as he fiddled with the phone cord.
"No, I'm fine. It's just so hard being away from home. You should see some of the girls at my gym, they're half my age, and half my size doing moves I've only dreamed of doing." Samantha told him, stabbing her chip with her fork.
"Samantha, get out of here! No one is half your size, and you've got the best moves I've ever seen." Josh told her honestly.
"Yeah, I think you're just a little prejudiced!" She thought.
"You're darn right I am. I know you, you can do this. Come to my game against Hoover, and the party after." He told her.
"I'll try." Samantha promised.
"You'd better." There was a bleep. "Hang on, I have another call. Samantha, I have to take this. There's a test tomorrow, and Brian says he has all the answers!"
"Last time he said that you got a B."
"That's because I was with you before the test and I was distracted. It won't happen this time."
"No, I guess it won't will it? I'll call you tomorrow. Love you."
"Love you too. Bye." Samantha hung up, and went over to her mirror.God I am fat!She thought, but she was perfect, Josh was right. The next morning, there was a gymnastics show outside in the city. Samantha got ready, she was up second.
"Thank you to all of you for coming. Your donations will allow this city's children to participate in gymnastic clubs all over the city, giving them a sense of belonging, importance, and above all, the chance to have a little fun. Our first gymnast is an Olympic medallist, Leslie Reynolds!" David announced. The crowd cheered, and Leslie stood up. She did an amazing routine, and got a lot of applause. Samantha was next. "Next we have an up and comer, Samantha Carter!" Samantha waved, and then did an even better routine than Leslie. She received more applause too. Leslie met her at the end, and they started to put their track suits on.
"Don't you hate these things?" Asked Leslie, as she put her socks on.
"No." Sam replied, as she put her shoes on.
"Come on, let's get out of here!" Leslie was now fully dressed.
"We can sell T-shirts!" Samantha said, putting her jacket on.
"We'll come back." Leslie started walking.
"What about David?" Leslie turned around, and stopped.
"We're going back to the gym. You need to practise your floor routine!" Leslie lied.
"Oh my god!" Samantha had never broken the rules before. The girls walked off together, and started talking.
"My mom took me to see a coach when I was sixteen months. She said I was born kicking and tumbling." Leslie recalled.
"I didn't start until I was seven." Leslie tied her blonde hair up, and stared at Sam.
"Great! What does that say about me?" She asked.
"Oh please! You've already meddled at the Olympics!" Samantha said, as they reached a cake shop.
"Team medal. No big deal." They stopped, and Leslie looked in to the window. "Oh, which one's your favourite?"
"I'm on a diet." Samantha said, looking away from all of the sweet and fattening cakes.
"What kind?" Leslie asked.
"It's my own."
"That's one I've never heard of. Come on, it's my treat!" Leslie tried to persuade her.
"Actually, I can get a soda or something." Samantha agreed.
"Oh that'll be fun!" Leslie sighed, and followed her friend in. They bought one soda, and a box of eclairs. They went and sat outside, in the sunshine. "Mm! You're making me so self conscious! I'm eating the last one, speak now if you want it! Sam, this is really not fun for me!" She warned.
"Leslie, do you think this is fun for me? Everything you have just eaten looks so yummy, but I ... " Samantha chewed on her straw.
"You what?" She took a bite.
"Look at me! I'm the fattest girl in the gym!" Leslie shook her head. "You saw what the Coach did to me on the scales! That was so humiliating! I can't believe I would even eat after that!"
"Sam, there is a way to get around it you know. Eat what you want and don't gain weight." Samantha looked at her, waiting for an explanation as to why she was doing what she was doing. "I couldn't train seven hours a day and diet! This way I'm not hungry."
"I don't think I could."
"Come on! Chocolate Eclair!" Leslie handed it to her.
"I hate you!"
"Eat it Sam!"
"Leslie, would you mind not calling me Sam? I don't like it. It makes me sound like a guy." Sam took a bite.
"No problem, Samantha." Leslie agreed. They went in to the toilets at the gym after that. Samantha and Leslie stood by the sink. They washed their mouths out. "It's no big deal. Everyone does it." Leslie went out, to wait for her friend. Samantha couldn't believe she'd just done that. They went back and sold a few shirts, and the next day, after school, Samantha practised her beam routine.
"Go, go, go!" David shouted. Samantha took a huge breath, and flipped four times until she was off the beam. "Why am I disappointed?" David asked.
"Is it my weight?" She thought, looking at her stomach.
"You can't hesitate for one minute, you have to be fearless. There are three girls heading for the Olympics from here. Most of the other fifty thousand athletes don't stand a chance, but you still do. I want you to have that chance, but now, you're not even close." Soon, it was time to go home, and Samantha went to bed quite early.
The next morning, she was in the Kitchen, filling up her flask with water. Janet came in. "Is water all you're having?"
"The breakfast of a champion" Samantha took a sip.
"Have some waffles." Janet pulled the packet out.
"Maybe one?"
"Two. You'll need them for energy." Janet argued.
"Fine." Samantha said.I'll put them in the bin at the gym.
They arrived at the gym, and Janet drove off. Samantha made sure no one was looking, and dumped them in the bin. She had the longest day yet that day, and eventually, the school bell rang, and she headed for the gym.
"Come on Samantha, you can do this!" David told her. She landed with a thud. "Nail the routine for invitationals, and by trials you'll own them!" She got up, and yelped in pain.
"Aw!" She tried to get back on.
"You okay?" He asked her.
"I'm fine. I can do it."
"Wait! Brenda! Get something for Sam's ankle." Brenda came over, and helped her to the medical room. She injected her with something. Samantha cried in pain. "Aw!"
"It's no big deal! You're going home, you haven't got time to read the book and write the essay. Besides, you could be doing better things with Josh!" Leslie said, as they paid for a book. Sam elbowed her. "Looked like David was riding you pretty hard today."
"No. He just said I need to work on what I'm doing, and then I can do my trial stuff." She explained. Samantha went home later that day, and woke up the next morning. Her parents were arguing in the Kitchen.
"I can't believe you did this with out telling me!" Janet yelled.
"I was waiting to tell you in person." Jake explained.
"Do you realise the pressure this puts on us now? Not just us, but Samantha?" Janet asked angrily.
"I'm trying to make this work."
"By taking money out of her college fund?"
"With her gym, she'll get a scholarship at the least. David said so. She could get in with her head anyway Janet."
"Morning." Samantha greeted them cheerily, and headed for the sink. She filled up her flask, and turned around.
"Morning. I thought you were still in bed." Janet said.
"Well I'm not I guess." Samantha told her.
"How about some breakfast? We haven't all sat down to a meal in a long time. Omelette sound okay?" She asked her daughter.
"Actually, I'm going for a run with Josh. We're going to get something to eat after." Sam explained.
"Honey, you're going to waste away!" Janet told her, worriedly.
"That's what's changed! Are you loosing weight?" Sam nodded. "How much have you lost?"
"A couple of pounds maybe." She lied. She'd lost more than that.
"You look good, real good." He told her. She thanked him, and met Josh outside. They started their run, and he could hardly keep up with her.
"Geez! Aren't you hot in that sweater?"
"No."
"When did you get so in to jogging? I can hardly keep up with you!" Sam stopped, and Josh caught up.
"Maybe you're not in good shape!"
"Oh is that so?" He asked, putting his arms around her waist. She pushed him away.
"Stop it!" She ran.
"What's wrong?" He asked, chasing after her.
"Nothing. Sorry. Race you to the car!" She challenged. She beat him, and they got in to his car. He took them to a café that he liked, not far from there. She ordered a salad.
"That's all you're going to eat?" He asked, looking at the plate that was only missing a few slices of cucumber, and one tomato.
"We just went jogging. Isn't that kind'a defeating the purpose?"
"No, it's not if you haven't eaten all day." He replied. "have some of mine!" He offered her some of his burger.
"Eww! No!" She said, pushing it away.
"You sure?" He put it closer to her.
"Yes I am sure! I am done eating! I'm leaving my sweatshirt on! Now I'm gonna have a sip of my drink, what do you think about that?" She yelled.
"Fine!" He said calmly.
"You know what, just leave me alone!" She headed for the door, and Holly walked in.
"Oh good! You're still here!" She said, cheerfully. Samantha just ran out. She ran all the way back to her house, and in to the kitchen. She filled up her water bottle, and took a sip. She was so hungry. She raided the fridge, and pulled out just about everything in there. She started stuffing herself. She ran in to the bathroom, and flushed five minutes later. She cried.
On Monday, at the gym, she was standing on the scales. David smiled at her. "Very good Samantha!" He congratulated her. Meanwhile, Josh and Holly were at a café. Josh was on the phone.
"Hi, it's me, again. I was just calling to see what I've done wrong. Call me back." He hung up.
"Wasn't there?" Holly asked.
"No."
"Let's go." She said. "I'm shaking from that coffee. They must have messed up!"
"No, you're shaking because you're cold!" Josh put his jacket over his friend, and they kissed. Sam was calling Josh back at this time.
"Josh, you haven't done anything wrong. I know it's kind of unfair for me to ask you, but I was wondering if you'll be there next weekend."
At the competition, Kate was on the beam, and Leslie and Samantha were watching. "What are you looking for a way out?" Leslie asked Samantha.
"No. I'm looking for Josh." She replied, scanning the crowd.
"I'd be thinking about my dismounts not my boyfriend if I were you Samantha." She told her.
Kate fell off of the balance beam. David glared. "It's okay Kate!" Samantha yelled. She got back on, and finished, but she knew she wasn't getting to the next round. David came over to Samantha and Leslie.
"Okay girls, you're in first and second place, going in to the last event. Leslie, you're up first." Samantha looked pale, and ill.
"I'm so hungry! I can't get my stomach to stop growling!"
"Look Samantha, I don't have time to be your baby sitter. Get your self together. Go get some water or something." Leslie snapped, and walked off and did her routine on the beam. Josh entered and sat next to Jacob and Janet, who were filming the event to send to Mark. Leslie finished, and got a great score. She ran over and hugged David.
"Samantha, you're up!" He called. She smiled, and stood in position. She was doing really well, but wasn't feeling really well. She was feeling funny. Dizzy. Her vision was blurry. She carried on anyway, and landed on the mat. She checked the score board, but couldn't read it. Her head was throbbing. She passed out.
Samantha woke up a few minutes later, on a bed in an examination room. Josh was sitting near, and her mom and dad too. Janet went off to get the Doctor. She came back in with him, and he started to check Sam over.
"Did you feel off balance any time today Samantha?"
"No. Not really."
"Why did this happen? It's never happened before?" Janet asked the Doctor worriedly.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out!" The Doctor replied. "Did you have anything to eat today?"
"A banana." She answered.
"You need to load up on the carbs Samantha, especially on days when you're pushing yourself really hard." The Doctor told her.
"I usually do, I was just real bust this morning." She lied.
"Well, it's really not that unusual for young athletes at Samantha's level." The Doctor left. David entered with a smile on his face.
"Hey how you doing there Ace? Like someone who's in the top six? Like a star? Like someone who's on the way to the divisionals!" David hugged her. She screamed.
"Are you serious?" She asked. Blair nodded.
"Jake, we need to do something. She never eats." Janet told her husband.
"She just said she ate something this morning." Jake reminded her.
"Josh, thank you for coming." Samantha thanked her boyfriend. Later that day, Janet and Jake had gone out, leaving Sam by herself. There was a knock at the door, and Samantha ran down the stairs, and opened the door to find Josh standing there, with a big bunch of flowers. "For you." He handed them to her.
"They're beautiful!" She thanked him, and went to kiss him. A pizza box got in the way. "Oh!"
"I hear your parents went on a romantic dinner, and figured we could do the same?" Samantha stood back, so that Josh could come in, and she closed the door. "Put it on the table." She told him. "I'm gonna go get some napkins." Josh stopped her. "Wait. Madam!" He seated her at the table, and pulled some napkins out of his jacket pocket. He put them on the table, and laid a slice of pizza on his and Sam's.
"I'm going to go get something to drink."
"Wait!" He produced two sodas from his jacket, and a candle too. He lit it, after he had put the drinks down. "Oh, I almost forgot! Mood music!" He found the CD in his trouser pocket, and ran over to the CD player. Samantha ripped a piece of pizza off, and wrapped it up in a napkin. Josh turned around quicker than she thought he would, and saw. "What are you doing?" He asked.
"I'm not hungry, and you are making me feel so guilty, because you're only here for the weekend, and you bring pizza and flowers ... " Samantha told him, getting up.
"You could have told me. You don't have to hide you food!" He was confused.
"I'm not hiding anything Josh. You so don't get this!" Sam shouted.
"Get what? God, recently, it's like you're ... "
"I'm what?" He didn't answer. "Then take your pizza, and your flowers, and go!" She ran off upstairs, and Josh sighed, as he let himself out. Janet and Jacob returned a while later, and Janet came in to Sam's room.
"Did Josh drive home already?" She asked her daughter.
"Yeah. We got in to a fight, and it was all my fault, and his birthday's coming up mom, I feel so selfish." Samantha explained, hugging her teddy bear.
"Don't tell me. Tell him. Give him a call." She handed Samantha the phone. She called him, and said she was sorry, and patched things up. The next morning, she was exercising on the porch bar. "Samantha, you should be resting. You passed out yesterday!"
Samantha finished her floor routine, and saw Kate coming through the door. She ran over to meet her. "Hi."
"Hi!"
"I am so sorry!" Samantha told her, as she wiped her face with her towel.
"Huh? What happened?" Kate asked.
"You know, you didn't make divisionals." She said.
"Why are you more upset than me?" Kate asked her, smoothing down her hair.
"Are you here to say your goodbyes?" Samantha asked her.
"Quit training? Why would I do that?"
"You know ... "
"Because I'm not going to the Olympics?"
"Yeah."
"Samantha, I love gymnastics. What I don't love is all the pressure to compete. Now the fun starts again." Kate explained. Samantha went in to the locker room, and Leslie was there too.
"I knew we'd be the ones going to the divisionals. It's so obvious when you look at the other girls out there." Samantha ignored her. "listen, I'm sorry I was short with you. I get in to the zone when I'm competing."
"You know what Leslie? You have me confused with someone who really cares." Samantha snapped, and walked out. That might, Samantha was doing sit ups. It was the middle of the night. Janet woke up, and opened Sam's door slightly. She saw her, and picked up her phone. "Hey, it's me. It's Samantha, I just checked her room, and she was doing sit ups." Janet told her husband.
"Did you ask why?" A tired Jake asked her.
"No. She thinks it's all part of her training. It isn't normal."
"Maybe the exercise calms her nerves? Helps her sleep." Jake thought.
"You're not here Jake. This is not my imagination!" Janet told him. The next day at the gym, Samantha was in the bathroom brushing her hair, when a chunk of it came out.Oh my god! Thought Sam. Leslie came in and saw, Samantha tied it up.
"Samantha, what's up with your hair? Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.
"So what, are you my friend now?" Samantha asked her 'friend.'
"What is your problem?" She asked, approaching Samantha.
"Why don't you ask my baby sitter Leslie?" Samantha asked her angrily.
"You're still mad at me about that? You really can't cut it at this level can you?" Leslie smiled.
"Oh don't you wish that were true?" She put her brush down.
"You're gonna have to learn to toughen up Samantha, or else you don't stand a chance at divisionals!" Leslie poked Samantha, and she hit her back.Oh my god! My hair!She went back out a few minutes later. There were only four people still there: Brenda, David, Leslie, and Samantha. She was on the beam, and she jumped off perfectly.
"Yes! That was fantastic!" She smiled. David patted the beam, telling Sam to sit. "Wait a second. Tell me something. How are you feeling? You okay? Eating enough?" He asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Rumour is you're not taking care of yourself."
"You been talking to Leslie?"
"I'm not working you too hard am I?"
"No."
"Good. Let's see fifteen more of those, and I want you to really stick it."
"Okay." Samantha sighed.
"I know it's late. That's not a problem is it?"
"Whatever it takes."
"Good, because from now on, you're going to have to work longer. You're going to have to work early, late, and weekends." She finished up, and went home. She sat on the couch and told her mum what he had said.
"Look, we're paying him a bloody fortune! He works for us. He works for you. If you want to go home on Friday, then you can."
"I don't know what to do mom."
"Look, I'll make you a deal. I'll tell David that your dad's sick or the dog died."
"What's the deal?"
"There's a skinless chicken breast in the kitchen. I want you to eat it." Samantha finished her meal, and put the plate in the sink. "leave it honey, I'll wash up." Samantha nodded, and went upstairs. She checked her mother wasn't upstairs, and went in to the bathroom.
Friday came really slowly for Samantha. She was on her way to Josh's party, but was late. Holly and Josh were in the garden, getting some food. "Hey. How's the birthday boy?" Holly asked.
"Fine." Josh lied.
"No sign of Samantha?" She asked, already knowing the answer.
"No."
"Josh ... "
"Holly ... "
"I'll just come right out and say it. What happened between us was ... "
"A huge mistake." Josh agreed. They hugged, and Samantha saw this, and ran off. "Samantha! Samantha!" Josh ran after her, until he was at the front door, and caught up with her. He pulled her around to discover that she was crying.
"If you were going to cheat on my couldn't it have been with someone besides Holly?"
"If you stopped being so self centred for one minute, you'd see that Holly and I aren't spending any more time together than we used to! The only difference is that you used to be there and now you're not!" He shouted.
"I'm sorry Josh. We'll get through this. You just have to help me through my training."
"Which training Samantha? The next qualifying meet? Or the one after that? Or after that?"
"Are you saying you don't want to be with me?"
"No. I'm saying I'm not with you, and that isn't my doing."
"So do you want me to give everything up?"
"No, of course not. It's your whole life, but I need a life too. I can't do this anymore!" Josh ran back inside, and Holly came out. They walked to the elementary school playground, and sat on the swings.
"The first time I ever saw Josh was on this playground. Remember?"
"Yeah. It was oh so long ago."
"First grade wasn't it?"
"This has gotta be tough huh?"
"Yeah. It's harder than I thought it would be."
"Samantha, I think you need help. Talk to someone. Take care of yourself. Stop pushing yourself. Eat."
"What?"
"Samantha, I'm not stupid. Have you looked in the mirror lately? I used to think you were perfect. Beautiful, smart, talented, but not lately. Now you look like hell, and I don't know how to help you."
"Oh Holly! I keep trying to figure out when everything got so crazy, you know? I just keep thinking if I can push myself right through this, I'm gonna feel good again. I know what I'm doing Holl. I know what I'm doing. I can see myself. The thing is, I know what I'm doing and I can't stop!" She cried. "Why am I crying? There's like a million girls who'd love to be in my shoes right now, I'm practically an Olympic contender. I'm okay."
Janet and Samantha returned to Seattle, and on Monday, Sam went to her gym again. She kept falling, and messing up. She looked like hell, Holly had been right. "Samantha, come here." Brenda beckoned.
"I just missed." Samantha picked herself up, and headed to the vault again.
"You've been missing all day. Don't worry, David hasn't been watching. You're tired and shaky, what's going on?"
"Nothing. I'm fine." She lied to Brenda.
"What is it Samantha? Starving yourself, or stuffing yourself and throwing it all up? What, you think this is new? I did it myself. 'You've gotta be thin to win. You've got to go higher and faster.' So you loose the weight, and think you're doing better, but the fact is your body can't handle it. You're already loosing strength. Eventually, you're going to loose everything you've worked so hard for. Sam, it's dangerous and isn't necessary." She warned the young gymnast. She worked with David, but that didn't mean she approved of what he did. Sam just carried on, and went to a café for tea that evening.
She had chicken and a salad, but she couldn't bring herself to eat it, knowing what she would do if she did consume it. She looked around at the other people there, her new high school teacher, a young Chinese woman, and an old lady at the table next to her. The woman smiled at her. She stared down at her meal. She was so hungry.I'll just eat a little bit of chicken.She thought. She picked a small piece off, but put it back again. She decided to eat some of her salad, so she picked a tiny piece of lettuce, and put it in her mouth.Oh my god!She spat it back out on to her napkin, and placed it down. She took one more look at her meal, and then ran over to the bin and chucked it all in, then ran out. The old lady watched, with a sad statement.Poor little girl. She thought.
Janet had decided that it was time for her to do something about her daughter. She wasn't eating. It wasn't right. She entered Blair's office. He was sitting at his desk doing something, she didn't care what. "Janet, hi, have a seat. What can I do for you?"
"It's Samantha. Have you seen her lately? She's too thin!"
"When she came here, she was sloppy. I've finally got her nailing her elements." David told her proudly.
"She lies about what she eats, if she eats at all, she exercises compulsively, sometimes in the middle of the night ... she was never like this, not until we moved here, not until we hired you as her coach." She shouted.
"I am responsible for the girls when they are in my gym. Outside of here, she's your responsibility."
"So what are you saying? You don't care that she's starving herself?" Janet stormed out. David wasn't going to help. Brenda would, but Janet didn't know her. Jake arrived the morning of the competition, and saw Sam for himself. She looked awful. "I told you Jake."
"We're going to sit down and decide what to do when these divisionals are over." He said.
That day, Jake and Janet were sitting in the audience with their cam corder, waiting for their daughter to start. Samantha sat by Leslie, stretching. David came over. "All right girls, this is it. You know what you have to do out there. Go show the judges how talented you are. No matter what happens, I'm very proud of both of you. You're up first Samantha." Samantha got up, and headed for the matted floor.
She performed excellently, not making one mistake that was visible. She scored a 9.80, and David was really pleased, so was she. Leslie wasn't, however. Samantha may be her friend, but she was still competition.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" He shouted.
"Next on floor exercise, Leslie Reynolds." Leslie stepped forward, and did almost as well as Samantha, but not quite, as she only scored a 9.70, however, she was still second. Samantha was third. It was now Samantha's turn to vault. She only scored a 9.40, when hers was a lot better than the one Leslie had gotten a 9.80 for.
"Samantha, you're up." David told her, as Brenda checked her ankle bandages.
"Stay tight." Brenda told her. Samantha made her way to the uneven bars, and stood in front. Her vision was blurred, and she couldn't seem to see people's faces, or where the bars started and ended. They looked lopsided. She was terrified.
She shook her head, and jumped up, jumping from bar to bar, until she was ready to do the hardest part. She could do this much because she had practised it so many times. It was in her head.
She did a handstand on the highest bars, and then swung over them in the air, doing summersaults not just in the air, but in her stomach too. She let go, and flipped, then reached out for the bars, but her hands slipped, and she fell to the floor with a thud. "Uh! Uh!" She passed out, as she rolled over.
The crowd gasped, and there were two loud screams from two worried parents, who were running down. David rushed over. "She's alive! We need medics!" The EMT's that were there just in case rushed over, and more joined them with a stretcher. She was carried out to an ambulance, where Janet and Jake joined them, and they rushed her to hospital.
Later, the Doctors had finished with her, and Doctor Jennings was with her parents in her room. "I've given her a sedative to keep her still." She informed them.
"Is she going to be okay?" Janet asked the Doctor, hoping the answer would be yes.
"There's no serious spinal damage, although the malnutrition has left her bones brittle. She has a new fracture, but we found two old ones. She's very lucky. I think that this fall was a fortunate warning. If she carries on in the way she has been, she could do permanent damage." The Doctor left, and Jake walked in.
"What did she say?"
"She said that Mark can come here right away, and she hopes Sam's okay. He's on his way up now. I have to go get him from the station in two hours. He says if she wakes up, tell her that he's on his way, and he loves her lots." He answered.
Two hours passed, and Jacob left to collect his son. Half an hour later, they returned, and fifteen minutes after that, Samantha woke up. "Mom? Dad? Am I okay?" She asked them. They smiled.
"You're going to be. You have another visitor too Sam." Janet told her, relieved that her daughter had woken up. Samantha smiled as she saw her big brother lean over her.
"Mark! What are you doing here?" She croaked.
"I caught the first train back to see you. I only just got back here. Dean Warren told me, and I came straight away. I wasn't going to stay, with my little sis in hospital, was I?" He smiled back.
"I'm glad you're all here. I am so sorry."
"Me too honey. We both are." Janet told her, looking at her father.
"Oh, a while ago, when your mom was in the canteen, a girl called Kate stopped by, and asked me to tell you to get well soon." Jake recalled. "I hadn't seen her before, but she seemed nice. No sign of that Leslie that you'd been 'hanging out' with though."
"I don't think we will Dad." Two weeks later, Samantha was allowed home, and Janet and Mark were glad to see her up again. Jacob had to return home, because there was an urgent call from work a week before. Mark and Janet were outside, and Samantha joined them. "Hey. How you feeling?" Mark asked his little sister.
"Better thanks. What are all the boxes for?" Sam replied. Mark continued what he was doing, and Janet answered.
"The Doctor said you're ready to travel, so we're going home."
"When were you going to tell me, when we got there?" Samantha yelled.
"Honey, two weeks ago you nearly broke your neck! You need time to get well, then maybe you can go back to your gymnastics, but not here, not with David Blair." Sam shook her head.
"No. I'm not going! You can't do this to me! This is my dream, and I'm not ready to give it up yet!" She ran off, and Mark and Janet shouted after her.
"It's no use for me to go, I'm slow. Mark, follow her." Janet asked. He nodded, and ran after Sam. He never caught up with her, as he didn't feel like racing. She eventually stopped, and entered a weird looking building. She watched as David weighed some new girls.
"Oh, you think it's water weight? Get off the scales! Next! Look, you need to loose nine pounds, understand? You need less. That's fat." Samantha realised what a jerk David was. He was making them ill. Leslie spotted her. "Hey." Mark walked in, and ran over to Samantha. "Who are you?"
"Mark, what are you doing? Leave me alone!" Samantha was crying.
"No, I won't. Mom's worried about you. She 's only doing what is right."
"This is my brother Leslie."
"Oh. Back so soon? Umm, I meant to come to the hospital, I just felt like it would be hypocritical or something. I'm glad you're back. It looks like we won't be training together much any more, I'm going to the Olympics."
"It's okay. Congratulations. It's what you wanted."
"It's what you wanted too, right?"
"Right."
"I have to go. David wants me twenty four seven."
"Leslie, you don't have to do what you're doing. It's dangerous." Samantha told her friend. Mark smiled. He was proud of her. She had realised what was really going on. Blair was making these girls ill.
"I can handle it. I'll see you on the floor." She walked off. David spotted her, and ran over.
"Samantha! Glad to see you back! How you feeling?"
"Okay."
"You look a little pale. We can slow down some, considering. To be honest, I'm surprised you've come back so soon."
"I thought I was ready."
"Your boyfriend will have to leave."
"Boyfriend?"
"The one with his arms around you."
"I'm not her boyfriend. I'm her brother. You David Blair?"
"Yes." Mark punched the Coach so hard, it sent him to the floor. Samantha shot her brother a look that said:leave now! So he did. Samantha helped Blair up. "But now you're not so sure are you? I know he doesn't want you to."
"No."
"Then wait." He walked off, holding his jaw. He turned around. "All I wanted was for you to be your best. It's what I want for all my girls." He then headed for his office, leaving Sam standing in the gym, with tears rolling down her face, knowing that she would not be going to the Olympics this time. Possibly never. Samantha joined Mark, and they walked home. She told him what had happened in the last months, as he only knew parts of the story. He couldn't believe his sister's luck. They entered the apartment, to find Janet standing by the door.
"Let's go home." Samantha said quietly. So that's what they did. Mark left later that day, as Sam was out of hospital, and getting better. Josh had heard what had happened from Holly, who had already come to see Sam. He turned up at ten am with a bunch of flowers. She was still a friend, and he was worried.
"So, how are you feeling?" He asked his friend.
"About as good as I look, which is not so good." She told him, as she chopped up a sausage.
"That's not true." He told her.
"They're trying to fatten me up!" She held up her fork with a piece of sausage on.
"Well, that's probably a good thing." Josh looked at her.
"Yeah. Eating's actually part of my therapy." Samantha agreed.
"Therapy?"
"It's a group, for girls, like me, with eating disorders."
"Samantha ... how did ... I want to understand."
"I know you do. It's hard to explain. It's like ... I felt I had to be perfect, or somehow I would disappoint everybody somehow." Samantha remembered.
"Sammie, you could never disappoint anyone. So, how long are you guys in town for?" He asked, expecting it to be for a weekend at the most.
"Oh, we moved back." Samantha replied, sadly.
"But I thought ... your gym, you worked so hard ... " Josh thought.
"I know, but I have to stop for right now. It's weird Josh, how I forgot what I was doing this for in the first place. It became something I had to do." She explained.
"Like eating that potato?" Josh joked.
"Yes, like eating that potato. It's going to take time." She stabbed it with her fork.
"Well if you want me to, I'll be here for you." Josh offered.
"I'd like that a lot." Later, she went down to the school, and in to the empty gym. She made her way over to the beam, and slipped off her tracksuit to reveal a blue leotard. She walked along the beam, with her hands on it. When she reached the end, she climbed on, and started doing gentle movements on it, walking up and down, turning, and moving her arms and legs. She looked up at the ceiling, and she smiled. She was home. She was better.
-------Samantha sat in the car, crying as she remembered these events, and all of the young gymnasts who hadn't made it. Leslie Reynolds had won gold, but she had killed herself doing it. Two years later, she died. Emily thought about what her mother had told her. "What happened to Kate and Leslie?"
"Kate is Graham Simmons's sister. I've seen her a few times."
"And Leslie?"
"She err ... she died honey. She died one year after I quit, because all the lack of food and stuff, finally caught up with her body. She was too weak, and she caught a virus. She fell off the beam in the gym, a week before she was due to go to the Olympics." Sam was almost crying again, remembering the funeral.
"And Holly and Josh?"
"Uncle Joshua, and Auntie Holly. They got married."
"Really? That's them?"
"Yes. After I'd got better, we err ... we moved away again, because of Dad's work. We stayed in touch, but we couldn't do a long distance relationship anymore. Not after what happened. We stayed friends though, and they got married a few years later." Samantha explained.
"I'm sorry mommy. Let's go home." Emily decided that her mom was right. She didn't want to go through that.
"It's okay sweetie." Samantha said. Jack started the engine, and they headed home.
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Jolinar@Carter
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