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CHAPTER 2

SIGNS

Suzy found herself on the pavement, her bike lying beside her. Her whole body trembled, but it was her wrist that hurt most.

“Watch where you’re going, kid!” the driver of the truck yelled.

Tiffany ran to Suzy’s side, her eyes wide. “Are you okay?”

Suzy shook her head. As she tried to move, the sharp pain in her wrist shot up her arm. She immediately thought of gymnastics and groaned. Her tears came fast, thick streams falling down her cheeks.

“What am I going to do?” she said, shoulders heaving.

* * *

Suzy woke to the sound of voices nearby—Tiffany’s in particular. “I don’t know. It happened so fast.”

Suzy’s wrist throbbed with a sharp pain, reminding her of her fall.

Mom’s concerned voice followed. “She’s been so busy between gymnastics and piano and schoolwork. And now this. It’s all too much.”

After the fall, Tiffany had helped Suzy get home. Because Suzy’s mom wasn’t home from work yet, Tiffany had gotten an ice pack from the freezer and helped Suzy get settled on the couch. Suzy had dozed off while icing her wrist.

“It was an accident, Mrs. Lee. Could’ve been worse,” Tiffany said.

“She’s lucky,” Mom replied.

A sizzling noise came from the kitchen. The sweet scent of jasmine rice mixed with another salty aroma drifted past.

Mom’s probably making stir-fried vegetables, Suzy thought.

She popped up from the couch. “I can hear you two talking about me. Not cool.”

A moment later, Mom came to her side. Suzy had been hoping for a plate of food. Instead Mom held a familiar octagonal jar in one hand. It was Tiger Balm, a healing ointment.

“How are you doing?” said Mom. “I’ve got something to put on your wrist.”

“It’d better work. I need to heal fast so I can practice,” said Suzy.

Mom smiled. “And play the piano.”

“I know,” Suzy said with frustration. “The recital is coming up, but so is my first high school gymnastics meet.”

“Maybe you should give gymnastics some more thought. You haven’t been able to practice your piano. And now this,” replied Mom.

“I fell off my bike,” said Suzy. “This has nothing to do with gymnastics.”

Suzy stared at the leaping tiger on the label of the Tiger Balm jar. She’d had a few minor injuries during club gymnastics, but nothing like this.

“You’re right. Let’s focus on getting you better.” Mom twisted off the cap and spread the ointment on Suzy’s wrist. “I’m going to take you to a doctor—right after we eat dinner.”

“Yeah,” said Tiffany, “I think that’s a good idea.”

Just then Suzy’s younger brother, Andy, walked in. His dark, spiked hair stuck up in all directions. “What’s going on? I smell Tiger Balm. Is Suzy hurt again?”

“Mind your own business, Andy,” Suzy said.

Her mom frowned at her.

“What happened?” asked Andy.

“I hurt my wrist. I’m afraid I won’t be ready for our first meet in two weeks.” Suzy’s voice cracked.

She thought of Coach Pat and her teammates. She wanted to cry. Why did this have to happen now, at the beginning of her first high school season?

“The girls on the team are going to be so disappointed,” said Suzy. “What am I going to do?”

“It’ll be okay,” said Tiffany. “You’ll be back soon. I’ve got a good spy novel you can read in the meantime.”

“Hope you didn’t break it,” said Andy.

Suzy shot Andy a dirty look. “You’re not helping.”

“You both need to stop,” Mom said. She looked at Suzy. “Let’s eat up. Then we need to go to the doctor to get this checked out.”

* * *

White, sterile walls surrounded Suzy and her mom at the clinic. Fluorescent lights hummed like a drone of bees. Suzy’s wrist ached. It was swollen and bruised. What if the injury is serious? she thought.

“Everything will be all right,” Mom said, chewing on her pinky fingernail. Suzy could tell her mom was worried. This could be bad.

Doctor Wong walked into the room wearing a white lab coat, her dark hair pulled back in a bun. “What have we here?” she said.

Suzy looked down. She didn’t want to know what was wrong with her wrist. She wanted to rewind time. Please, please let it be nothing, she thought. I have to practice, and I have to compete. Everyone is counting on me, even if Mom doesn’t understand.

“My daughter is a lucky girl,” Mom replied. “She could have been hit by a car.”

“Yikes!” Dr. Wong said. “What happened?”

“I was riding my bike and crashed,” Suzy said. She felt her mother’s stare. “And I landed on my wrist.”

“Let’s take a look,” said Dr. Wong. “Can you move it at all?”

“Sort of.” Suzy gently moved her wrist. She touched the spot where it was sore and swollen.

Dr. Wong examined Suzy’s wrist and jotted down notes in the file. “By the amount of movement you still have,” she said, “I think it’s a very mild sprain. Ice it every three to four hours for the next couple of days.”

“When can I go back to gymnastics practice?” asked Suzy.

“I’d give it a week and see how you feel,” said Dr. Wong.

“And what about her piano?” Mom asked.

Dr. Wong winked. “Can’t forget about that. Again, see how you feel. In the meantime, I’ll fit you with this soft brace to protect your wrist. After about four days, you can remove it.”

Suzy winced as Dr. Wong put the brace on her arm.

“If there’s no pain after four days, I’d like you to do some stretches,” Dr. Wong said. “You’ll want to bend your wrist forward, holding for five seconds, then backward, doing several sets.” She handed Suzy a sheet of paper with instructions. “Take it easy now.”

* * *

On the ride home from the clinic, Mom didn’t say a word. Suzy wanted to break the silence, but her stomach ached with worry.

“I wish you’d consider trying another sport. Gymnastics takes up so much time. You haven’t been able to keep up with piano and homework,” Mom finally said.

“I have to do this,” said Suzy.

“You don’t have to do anything.” Mom’s brows narrowed.

“I love gymnastics.” Suzy paused. “You’re mad.”

“I’m not,” replied Mom.

“Then why do you have that crease between your brows?”

Mom’s face softened. “I don’t like seeing you hurt. Promise me you’ll take it easy.”

“I promise,” said Suzy. “The doctor said I could practice on my wrist in a week.”

“She said to see how you feel,” said Mom. “And don’t forget about the piano recital. You need to practice for that too.”

Suzy nodded as if she agreed, but she really only cared about getting back to gymnastics. She thought about all the new tricks she wanted to try. She imagined herself flying through the air, moving from a roundoff to a back handspring followed by a full twist.

Don’t give up, she told herself.