Free Back on the Beam by Jake Maddox Page B

anyway?” Nadia turned to see who had spoken. It was Blaire, of course.
    â€œOh, be quiet, Blaire,” Alya said. She turned and faced Blaire.
    â€œNo!” Blaire replied. “I don’t want a girl who can’t even finish her routines on my beam team!”
    â€œYour team?” Alya shouted back. She got right in Blaire’s face.
    Coach Levine came out of her office. “What’s going on here?” she shouted. Her face was red.
    â€œCoach Levine,” Blaire said at once, stepping up to the coach, “how could you put Nadia on the beam team? Her performance at tryouts was horrible!”
    Nadia shrunk back. She wished she could just disappear into the walls.
    â€œIt was not horrible,” Hannah said. “She just made one teeny tiny mistake.”
    â€œHa!” Blaire replied. “She fell off the beam!”

    â€œThat’s enough, ladies,” Coach Levine said. She stepped between Hannah and Blaire to separate them. “Everyone get to class,” Coach Levine said.
    â€œYes, Coach Levine,” everyone replied. The girls started to break off and head toward class.
    â€œNadia,” the coach added. “Wait a second, okay?”
    Hannah and Alya looked at Nadia. She waved them off. “I’ll catch up,” she said quietly.
    As her friends walked off, Nadia turned to Coach Levine. “What’s up, Coach?” she said.
    â€œNadia,” the coach replied, “I wanted to talk to you about your performance at the tryouts.”
    â€œI’m a little out of shape,” Nadia replied. “I just got the cast off last week, so I haven’t had any time to practice.”
    The coach nodded. “I know,” she said. “I’m giving you another chance because you were injured, but you’ll need to work extra hard now.”
    â€œI know,” Nadia said, nodding.
    â€œI mean it,” the coach added. She put a hand on Nadia’s shoulder and said. “If you don’t show some quick improvement, I’m going to have to give your space on the beam team to someone else.”
    â€œWhat?” Nadia said, shocked.
    â€œI’m sorry, Nadia,” Coach Levine said. She started to head back into her office and added, “There are a lot of girls who’d like your space. We have to be fair, you know.”
    The office door closed with a thud. Nadia stood there, staring at it.
    â€œI can’t believe this,” she muttered to herself. “I’m going to get kicked off the gymnastics team!”
    Just then, the bell rang.
    â€œGreat,” she said. “Now I’m late to class.”
    Nadia turned and ran down the hall toward her first class.

CHAPTER 4
Doomed
    It was hamburger day in the cafeteria. That meant dry, flat burgers with plastic cheese, and oily potato puffs. Nadia loved potato puffs. The lunch lady always gave her a few extra puffs.
    Nadia grabbed a cold chocolate milk and paid for her lunch. Then she left the lunch line and looked for her friends. She spotted them sitting at a small round table in the corner by the windows.
    Nadia plopped her tray down beside Hannah and Alya. “Hi, guys,” she said.
    â€œHey, Nadia,” Alya replied. “How’s it going?”
    Nadia was barely listening. She looked like her mind was miles away as she poked at her potato puffs. “This stinks,” she said.
    â€œOh come on, Nadia,” Alya replied. “You love potato puffs!”
    â€œYum,” Hannah said, picking a puff off Nadia’s tray. “Who doesn’t love these things?” She pretended to eat the puff, then suddenly laughed and tossed it at Alya.
    Alya shrieked and moved to one side. “Quit it!” she cried, laughing.
    â€œThe food isn’t the problem, silly,” Nadia said, rolling her eyes. “I’m going to get cut from the team!”
    â€œYou are not,” Hannah said. “Don’t worry about what the coach