On the Flip Side
by Torey

Author's note: On the Flip Side is the sequel to Switching Playing Fields.

Chapter 1

I looked down the lane at the vault.

I can't believe I'm actually going to try this.

It was a dare. Jessi dared me.

I took off running. I placed my hands on the vault and soared into the air, turning a flip.

I landed on my feet.

"Oh my God, I can't believe you did it!" Jessi yelled. "Wow! On the first try. You don't know how many times I landed on my butt before I could do that!"

Beth, Kim, Emily and Gina were amazed, too. They cheered, clapped and gave me high fives.

"Hold it right there!" were the next words we heard.

"Uh, oh," Jessie said. "It's Coach Martin and Coach Mills."

Coach Mills was the high school gymnastics coach.

"Beth Garrison, aren't you supposed to be at the boys gym?" Coach Martin asked. She seemed very irritated.

"Uh, no, I've been transferred back to girls P.E.," Beth said. "It's basketball season."

"Well then I suggest you go see Coach Collins," she said, pointing to the office of the girls basketball coach.

"The rest of these hooligans belong to me," Coach Martin said. "Lucas Lacy, Kim Arnold, Jessi Mears and Emily Crue hit the steps. Gina Lenetti, since you're unable to run gymnasium steps, you get laundry detail."

"Before you run your hooligans, I'd like to see if he can do it again, this time with a couple of spotters," Coach Mills said.

I was stunned. Do it again?

Jessi and Emily took their places to spot.

I walked back to get ready for another run.

"Oh, yeah, do it this time in bare feet," Coach Mills said.

I took off my shoes and socks.

"Go," she said.

I ran toward the vault again. I jumped. My hands touched the vault. I flipped in the air.

I landed on my feet. I slipped, and took a couple of steps back, but still stayed on my feet.

"Good job!" Coach Mills said.

"I will now leave you all to run gymnasium steps," Coach Mills said. "But Lucas, gymnastics tryouts are at 3 tomorrow at the high school. I'd love to see you there. Jessica's going to be there, she can fill you in on all of the details. I left some forms in Coach Martin's office."

"No one is to touch the gymnastics equipment without permission," Coach Martin said. "What you ladies did was irresponsible. Someone could get hurt. Now move!"

We started running the steps. We knew we were going to be running for a long time.

#####

"Gymnastics?" Mom said. "You really want to try out?"

"Yeah," I said. "I think it will be fun. You put me in Aunt Paige's gymnastics class when I was 7."

"That's a little different, don't you think?" Mom said. "She taught you to tumble. She taught you to do boys stuff. You'll be trying out for the girls' gymnastics team."

"So you're not going to let me try out?" I asked.

"I didn't say that," Mom said. "One thing I love about you is that you like to do things outside the box. Does it really mean that much to you?"

"Yeah Mom, it does," I said. "It really does."

"For once, I'd just like for you to ask me, 'Mom, can I try out for basketball'." Mom said. "Or baseball, something normal for a boy to do."

"Mom, you know I suck at basketball and baseball," I said.

"Point taken," Mom said. "I remember waiting in the stands, praying for you to get a hit."

She signed the form.

"I've just got one question," Mom said. "Will they make you wear a leotard?"

"I don't know, Mom," I said.

"Not that it matters," she said. "I've seen you wear a skirt, a homecoming gown and a regular dress. What difference does it make if you end up in a skimpy leotard."

#####

There were about 20 girls in leotards...and me at gymnastics tryouts.

I wasn't wearing a leotard, just the spandex shorts I wore to field hockey practice and a T-shirt.

We ranged from high school seniors to seventh graders. There weren't enough from the high school to fill the varsity team, which was why Coach Mills opened the tryouts to middle school students.

State rules allowed middle school students to compete on varsity as long as they attended a feeder school. Some of the girls already knew they were on the team. They were the all-arounders, which included a senior, sophomore and Jessi.

"We have to have six girls compete in each event, of which we keep the top five scores. You don't have to be able to do all four events. If you have the potential to do one well, you've got a shot to make the team."

I lined up with the girls to do vault. Several had troubles even jumping over the vault. I was able to jump over the vault, but landed on my butt a few times. But I was able to land on my feet some, even though it was sloppy at times.

I didn't do the math. I didn't know how many girls were able to vault successfully.

"You've got a real good shot," Jessi said as I followed her over to the floor exercise.

I didn't intend to do floor during tryouts, but accidentally found myself in line.

"It's your turn," Coach Mills said, turning on the music.

I'm really going to make a complete fool of myself, I thought.

I decided to try the tumbling my aunt taught me. That was really about all I could do.

"You, if we can teach you to dance a little, and a few more basic elements, we might have the makings of a countable floor routine," Coach Mills said. "I really wasn't counting on you being able to contribute on floor. What a pleasant surprise."

"I think you just made the team, if you hadn't already on vault," Jessi whispered.

"Of the middle school students, I need Jessica Mears, Lucas Lacy and Kacey Prentiss to stay," Coach Mills said. "The rest of you can go. Thanks for coming. I want to encourage the rest of you to keep working. I know we'll have slots open next year."

We joined the high school girls on the team on the bleachers.

"Ladies...and gentleman," Coach Mills said. "We've got a long way to go before our first meet."

After the meeting, Coach Mills took me aside.

"One thing you won't have to worry about is being accused of having a competitive advantage," Coach Mills said. "And be prepared. You're a rarity. I know of only one other boy who has even competed in girls gymnastics in this state. That was years ago."

"Coach Mills, I've got a question," I said. "What will I have to wear at practice and at the meets?"

"Good question," she said. "I would like you to go ahead and get practice leotards. But you can go ahead and wear the shorts you wore today over them. At the meets, I'm afraid it will be just the leotard. But Jessi tells me you take ballet. You need to wear a dance belt under it. And the good thing is you can wear your warmups until it's your time to compete on vault or floor."