It was a regular summer morning and I was doing front flips on my huge couch thinking I was like the gymnasts in the olympics. Simone Biles was my favorite gymnast on the USA women’s gymnastics.

 I wished I could be like her.

I would do flips over and over again on my couch like it was the gymnastic mats they always did tricks on.

“Ava, come on. We’re leaving!” My grandma yelled to me from the kitchen. I turned off the tv hoping I would be back home in time to watch more of the gymnastics portion of the olympics for the day. I threw on my worn out pink crocs, grabbed my bag, and ran out to the car. The brightness of the sun hit me like a ton of bricks. I grabbed the black door handle to my grandma’s car. It was hot in a nice way. As I opened the door I saw my brother was already in and buckled up. 

“Ready to go?” My grandma asked as she started the car. 

“Yup,” I quickly responded. She began the drive to Carol and Alan’s. Carol and Alan were her friends she has known since my dad was my age. They had grandkids that were also my age, Brady and Avery. I had known them since I was born. They were basically my brother and sister.

The drive went by quickly considering I listened to my music the whole time. When we got to their street I immediately recognized it. I had missed it. When we pulled up to the house I quickly jumped out of the car. I went straight to the backyard knowing which way to go from the 500 other times I had been swimming here since I was a baby. I looked at the pool water and saw it sparkle. It looked so refreshing.

“Hey you!” Alan shouted to me from the other side of the pool in a red chair. He was always sitting in that red chair. 

“Hello,” I waved back as I unlocked the old pool gate. “It’s pretty hot out today,” I continued.

“Yeah, I might have to get in the pool earlier than I thought,” Alan exclaimed, “You going in yet?”

“Mhm. I just have to put on sunscreen,” I answered as I grabbed sunscreen off the picnic table next to me. I started to spray the sunscreen all over me. I looked around trying to find Avery. Of course she was on the patio reading a book. She’d always been quiet and curious. Unlike her brother, Brady, who was always loud and energetic. 

“Ava! Hurry up and get in!” Brady yelled to me from the diving board. I turned around as I saw him do a front flip in the pool. It reminded me of the flips Simone Biles did off the beam in the olympics. I started to walk into the pool. Brady came up for air.

“How’d you do that?” I asked. 

“It’s easy. Just like doing a flip on a trampoline or on your bed,” Brady explained. I got out of the pool and went over to the diving board. 

“Be careful Ava. You’re most likely going to hurt yourself if you’re not safe,” Alan shouted from his chair. 

“I’ll be careful,” I shouted back. How hard could it be? It was just like the flips I did on my couch. The diving board wasn’t as bouncy as my couch, but it was good enough. The gymnasts in the olympics don’t flip off a bouncy beam. 

I started to jump on the diving board. I knew I could do it. I just needed to countdown. Brady was watching from the shallow end of the pool. Alan was watching from his red chair. 3… 2… 1… I jumped off the diving board and started to flip. I was doing it. 

Until I felt my head smash against something hard. 

I tried my best to swim up for air. My head felt like there were gunshots going off in my brain. I tried reaching for the edge of the pool but I didn’t feel it. All I felt was a hand. The hand pulled me up. I gasped for air as I finally got my head out of the water. I opened my eyes and saw the hand belonged to Brady. 

“I told you to be careful,” it sounded as if Alan was screaming in my ears. I had no reply. I grabbed the ladder Brady had dragged me to and got out of the pool. The sun was so bright I could barely open my eyes. It felt like the whole world was brighter and louder. I walked over to the picnic table since there was an umbrella over it. I sat down and my world got darker, thankfully. I opened my eyes wide again. Brady, my grandma, and Alan were surrounding me.

“Are you okay,” Brady asked, handing me a towel. I started crying. My head felt as if it was gonna explode. Brady gave me a hug, trying his best to make me feel better, however, my head was still pounding. Brady was a better brother than my actual brother, considering Chase was still swimming not giving a care in the world that I had just almost cracked my head open. But oh well. Maybe I wasn’t meant to be the next Simone Biles.