In the change room after class, Gemma whispered to Kathy, ‘Come down to the beams with me.’

‘Why?’ Kathy asked, doing up her shoelace.

‘I want to show you something,’ Gemma said.

Gemma and Kathy sneaked down to the beam area. The level sevens were warming up by themselves. Michael was nowhere to be seen.

Gemma dropped her bag by the low beam and slipped off her shoes.

‘I’m going to add a new leap to my beam routine,’ Gemma said.

‘Is that what you were doing on floor today?’ Kathy asked.

Gemma nodded. ‘What do you think of this?’

She stood next to the low beam and did a change-leap on the floor. She just managed to swap her legs in the air before landing. Then she jumped up onto the low beam, ready to try the leap.

‘Wait, Gem,’ Kathy looked worried.

‘I know you’re good at leaps, but that’s pretty hard.’

Gemma stood on the end of the low beam and bounced on her toes.

‘I know. That’s the whole point,’ Gemma said. ‘If I can do better on beam then I won’t have to be the worst at everything.’

‘Worst at everything?’ Kathy shook her head. ‘You’re not the worst at everything!’ She still looked worried.

‘You don’t know what it’s like! Getting yelled at, having to do extra strength!’ Gemma’s voice sounded loud. She felt angry at Michael but somehow it sounded like she was angry at Kathy.

‘He yells at me too.’ Kathy looked hurt. Her face went pink. ‘He yells at all of us.’

The two girls looked at each other.

Gemma still felt angry but she didn’t want to fight with Kathy.

‘Who yells at you?’ Suddenly Michael was standing next to the low beam. He had his hands on his hips.

He was frowning more than ever.

Gemma jumped off the low beam. But it was too late – she had been caught.

Kathy’s face had stopped looking pink. Now it was bright red.

‘Have you been on this beam, Kathy?’ Michael said.

Kathy shook her head. She looked like she wanted to cry.

‘Then you can go home now,’ Michael said.

Kathy picked up her bag and looked at Gemma before she walked away. It was just a quick glance, but it was enough. Good luck, it said.

Michael turned to Gemma.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Michael yelled. The whole gym went quiet. ‘Have you thought about what might happen if you hurt yourself here? With no coach? What on earth were you thinking?’

Gemma looked at Michael, but she didn’t want to say sorry. She was sick of being yelled at.

‘Well?’ Michael said.

Gemma swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn’t cry. Not now.

‘Sorry!’ she yelled through a sob. But she didn’t want to say sorry. That didn’t come out right at all.

Michael put his head to the side.

‘Gemma, calm down,’ he said.

Calm down! Michael always yelled. He wasn’t calm. Now Gemma couldn’t stay calm either. ‘My parents pay you heaps of money, and all you do is yell at me!’ Gemma wasn’t planning to say that either. It just came out.

Michael looked even more surprised. ‘Come up to my office, Gemma,’ he said.

Gemma stomped up to Michael’s office. But she didn’t sit down. She still felt angry and annoyed.

‘Sit down, Gemma,’ said Michael. He sounded worried. ‘You can talk to me.’

‘Talk to you?’ Gemma said quietly.

She still didn’t sit down.

Then, suddenly, it all came out.

‘I did talk to you. I said sorry!’ Gemma yelled. ‘I said I was sorry I kicked you. I’m SORRY.’

Michael looked at Gemma with his mouth open.

Gemma puffed hard. ‘But it was an accident,’ she said. ‘I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t mean to kick you and I said sorry.’ A tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away.

Gemma kept going. ‘But you gave me extra strength work and you yell at me all the time. It’s not fair. I didn’t do it to you on purpose, but you keep yelling at me.’

That was it. It was out.

Gemma sat down.

Now it was Michael’s turn to stand up. He walked over to the window, rubbing his chin. ‘I didn’t realise you were so upset,’ Michael said quietly, looking out the window. ‘Sometimes I forget how young you girls are.’

Michael looked out the window for a long time. So long that Gemma started to feel worried. What was Michael thinking? At least when he yelled, you could tell what he was thinking.

Now Gemma had no idea what to expect.