The Easy Part of Impossible - Sarah Tomp Page 0,35
shook as she obediently scrawled her name across the line, Victoria Marie Williams. As she handed him the papers, a weight of worry settled in her gut, right below her rib cage. She whispered softly, “What if I’m not ready?”
“Then get ready.”
“When do I have to decide?”
“There’s nothing to decide. You just signed your letter of commitment! This is the NDT, Ria. The real deal. This has all the details. I’ll leave it to you to unveil the great surprise to your parents.” He handed her a second envelope. “We leave whenever you and your parents work out the details. The sooner the better.”
His voice was sharp. Edged with impatience. But he wouldn’t do anything here at school, not with Mrs. Sellers swishing by every few minutes.
“This is our best shot to get you ready for the Olympics. You blew one chance already. Don’t blow this, too.”
Abruptly, he pushed himself back from the table. Stood, towering over her, but only for a second. Then, with a wave to Mrs. Sellers, he was gone.
She sat at the counseling table playing with the manila envelope.
The NDT wanted her.
Even after screwing up Nationals, they wanted her to train with them. To try for the Olympics. This was where she’d been aiming. She’d still have to prove herself, but Benny had found her another chance. He’d brought her here to this place she longed for, wished for, ached for. So why did she feel so confused?
She wasn’t ready to tell her parents. Not until she figured out how she felt.
She couldn’t tell anyone. Sean wouldn’t understand. He might be sad that she was leaving. They’d have to break up. Even if the NDT’s facility wasn’t on the other side of the country, she wouldn’t have anything to give him once she was there.
Maggie would be happy for her, but there’d be jealousy, too. They had an uneasy understanding of how competitions turned out—Ria always in first—and next year they’d be headed in different directions. But the NDT making an offer, even after she quit, was completely unexpected. And Benny leaving would put Maggie’s scholarship at risk. This changed everything.
Or nothing, if she didn’t go.
When the bell rang, she grabbed the envelope and headed for the exit. As she reached the door, a voice from behind said, “Hello, Ria.”
She turned around. “Cotton! Are you leaving? Do you want a ride?”
“Yes and yes.”
She matched her step to his bounce. It wasn’t until she reached her car that she realized she hadn’t said goodbye to Sean.
She stuffed the manila envelope under the driver’s seat, started the engine, and headed out of the parking lot. Damn, Cotton smelled good when he wasn’t covered in mud. She opened the window a few inches so she didn’t feel quite as aware of him being within touching distance.
“Do you remember Mr. Guillot? In second grade?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Did you hate having to help me?” The steering wheel felt slippery in her sweaty hands. She loosened her grip, but kept her eyes on the road.
“No,” said Cotton. Then, “Did I?”
“Did you hate it? I don’t know. That’s what I’m asking.”
“I mean, did I help you?”
“Cotton, I copied the answers off your papers every day, all year long! Once when I missed school, you did my work for me, like I was there. Mr. Guillot knew. Maybe Ms. Q suggested it. I think that’s why he kept me next to you.”
“I did not have a lot of friends in elementary school. I had trouble acclimating to and interpreting social nuances. But I remember you were always acceptable.”
Acceptable. There was something about the way Cotton said it that let her know that was something special. Different. She smiled, keeping her eyes on the road, letting the good buzzy feeling fill the space between them.
“Do you want to go caving?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know if you can? Or you don’t know if you want to?”
“I can. And I want to. But Leo prefers we don’t go without him.”
She didn’t have the right to be disappointed. Caving was their thing. But the thrill of finding that new chamber made her want more. She didn’t know enough to imagine all the possibilities of what else they might find. She had to be there with them. It wouldn’t be enough to hear about it.
“Would you like to work on climbing skills?” Cotton asked. “I could use some tips.”
A place immediately popped into her mind.
The spot wasn’t far from Benny’s dry gym. He’d led them there, past the