“I’m sorry, Auntie.” I truly respect and accept my aunt’s wishes. “But she let those girls punk her. I wasn’t going to just stand there and let them.”
“Do you want to tell her, or should I?” Aunt Jeanie asks Sally, as if there’s some big secret. Sally shrugs, still mad. “Sally used to be a Bouncing Belle, and they had a chance to showcase their team in New York.”
“You mean at the Garden?” I ask. What? Now my ears are wide like Dumbo’s.
“Yes, that’s the one,” Aunt Jeanie continues. “The big competition here in Charlotte was their last chance to be Junior champions, but, uh…”
“I froze!” Sally bursts. “I froze, okay? We never made it to New York! There! Now you know why the Bouncing Belles hate me! Their chance to be champions was messed up, and it was all my fault.” Oooh. Yeah, I probably would have been mad at her too.
“And ever since then, they haven’t been very nice to Sally.” Aunt Jeanie is a little upset as well. “To the point where I almost called each of their parents to give them a piece of my mind, but Sally made me vow not to. She wants to deal with this on her own.”
“Well, now you have a chance to show them what you’re about,” I say, crossing my arms.
“What are you talking about?” Sally asks in an agitated voice. “I’m not jumping double Dutch ever again.”
“You have to,” I tell her. “Last I remember, you loved double Dutch and you were good. Besides, I signed your name on the list for double Dutch jumpers. We start tomorrow.” I smile like I did a good thing.
“Why did you do that?” Sally is angrier now.
“Because it’s time you stood up for yourself, that’s why!” I’m now acting like the older-cousin-by-five-months that I am.
“You can’t make me!” Sally yells.
“Fine,” I say defiantly. “Then let those bullies run over you whenever they want.” I didn’t mean to make Sally cry, but she does. Seeing this makes me think she’s really hurt and probably has been for a long time. “I’m sorry,” I say as she covers her face. “But, Sally, it’s either you let them get the best of you or you finally get them off your back.”
“Sally, I think it’s a good idea,” Aunt Jeanie agrees. “You don’t have anything to prove to anyone, but to stand up for yourself, continue doing something you love and not let anyone stop you. I’m all for that.”
Sally shakes her head and stands up. “You,” she commands, pointing to me, “come with me!”
Now what? Finally the competitive cousin I remember is starting to return. I follow her to her room as Aunt Jeanie throws her hands up and mumbles to herself: “I guess what Mom says isn’t cool, but I know I’m right. Bullying my child, please.” She’s so funny.
Sally flies down the hall to her bedroom, the same room I haven’t been invited into until now. So whatever she wants to show me must be important. And of course her room looks like a dark pink unicorn exploded from a secret treasure chest that belonged to a leprechaun. I mean, glittery things are everywhere—blinged-out pillows, old ballet slippers hanging on the closet door, S-A-L-L-Y spelled out on a shelf in old Broadway lights. Okay, that’s pretty cool. She immediately starts typing on her computer until a website from the Netherlands pops up with a picture of a white guy jumping single rope.
“Who’s that?” I ask.
“That’s Ivy’s grandfather. Double Dutch is in her blood,” Sally says. “Ivy comes from a long line of jump rope champions.”
“And?” I ask. “What does that have to do with you and the way they treat you? Because you messed up?”
“You don’t get it?” Sally explains, “These girls eat, drink, and sleep double Dutch. That’s all they do, that’s all they ever dream about.” So they’re kind of like me. “And I made their team because I did too.”
“And what about now?” I ask.
“I mean, I miss it, of course,” Sally admits. “But…”
“But what? Jump!” I insist. “Who cares what they think?”
“But you don’t know these girls. They can really jump.” Sally is trying to convince herself that she’s not good enough. She has got to stop this!
“They can’t be that good,” I say. “They live in the South.” She stares at me.
“You have so much to learn,” she says, shaking her head. What? Do I sound ignorant again?
“Come on!” Sally leaves the room, expecting me to follow. I don’t know what she’s up to, but she sure is going to every end to show me why she’s scared of these girls. Suddenly Cameron and my little cousins yell and run past us in the hall and down the stairs.
“Cameron!” I call. He stops for a second and looks at me, then continues running. “Are you behaving yourself or do I have to call Mommy?”
“Yes!” He runs off, giggling. “Uncle Larry called us to pick weeds. If we find worms, he’s going to take us fishing!” This from a boy who couldn’t find his socks if they were snakes. Well, he must be having a good time if he’s giddy over picking weeds and worms. And his tablet is nowhere in sight. I’m glad one of us is having fun. I catch up with Sally, hoping I can still convince her to jump again.
Before we can get completely out the door, Aunt Jeanie calls to us to be back in for dinner in a half hour. I’m tempted to see what she’s cooking, but Sally pulls me out the door. What is this girl up to?
—
Next thing I know, Sally’s got me crossing streets, running through people’s backyards, and climbing a fence full of bushes. Bugs! I feel like they’re attacking
