“Yeah, would you help us, please?” says Tina.
“Maybe just start us off?” I say with a beggar’s face. I never thought I’d have to ask anyone to help me with anything that has to do with double Dutch, but with Melissa and Tina being new to it and Sally’s negative attitude, I have no choice.
“Help with what?” asks Gabriella. “What are you guys talking about?” I just grab her hand and lead her outside to the driveway.
“Double Dutch?” She laughs. “Really?” She takes another look at our awkward team.
“Well, me and Kayla have been jumping for years,” Sally explains. “But Tina and Melissa are beginners.”
“Good beginners, might I add,” Melissa chimes in.
“And we’re fast learners.” Tina smiles big like she’s begging too. Gabriella crosses her arms and ponders things a moment. Then:
“Okay, I think I might be able to give you a few pointers.” She twists her long locks into a bun and looks back at Marc standing in the door. He waves at her as if to say, Go ahead.
“I also used to be captain of my double Dutch team outside of high school,” Gabriella boasts. “I might be a little rusty, but let’s see what we can do.”
It’s obvious Gabriella knows what she’s doing the minute she picks up the ropes and hands the ends to me and Sally.
“Double Dutch is not just simply jumping rope. It’s about teamwork, thinking as one team, one unit. Unity with style and flair,” Gabriella explains. “Let’s stay here.” She points two fingers back and forth between her eyes and ours. “Okay?” Sally and I nod. “Good. Now turn and keep your eyes on my feet.” I can’t believe it. This girl is going to jump! Isn’t she too old for this?
In seconds, Gabriella smoothly jumps in the ropes as Sally and I keep our eyes glued to her feet. She does pop-ups, jumps out and back, in and out through the other side and back again. This time she slows her speed and does a couple of split jumps! Wow! I suddenly have a different respect for her. Anyone who knows and loves double Dutch like I do is my new bestie. I love her! As she jumps out, there’s silence.
“That’s what I mean about staying here.” Gabriella connects our eyes again with her fingers.
“Man, that was awesome!” Melissa says.
“Thank you, sweetie,” Gabriella says as she pulls herself back together. “Now it’s your turn. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Tina pushes play on the boom box for inspiration. Gabriella and I carefully turn the ropes to show Tina and Melissa what to do while Sally does a trick, jumping on her hands, then flipping into a split jump. Wow! My li’l cousin is good. Tina takes my end so Sally and I can jump. Gabriella shows Tina and Melissa how to keep up with the moves as Sally and I try a leapfrog jump and flip, but we catch the ropes.
“Ladies,” says Gabriella, getting our attention. “We need to get on the same page.”
“I knew it.” Sally sulks. “We’re not going to be good enough to beat the Belles. It’s no use.”
“First, you’ve got to stop with the defeatist attitude,” scolds Gabriella. “I don’t know one winner who ever doubted themselves.” I shoot Sally a look like, I hope that sank in that head of yours. “It’s only one minute, right? So maybe we should start with your personal strengths. Do you guys have anything special, any other physical skills that you can do individually?”
“I’m in gymnastics, but I love to dance,” says Tina. “Salsa, like ballroom salsa.”
“I’m a ballerina and I take gymnastics too,” says Sally, brightening.
“I jump double Dutch every chance I get,” I say confidently.
Melissa’s turn. “I just want to smash those b—” I quickly put my finger to my lips, signaling her to stop before she says the B-word. “Okay, I pitch softball and I also like wrestling my brothers. Oh, and I can pop-lock!” Well, at least she’s honest. Respectable. Gabriella snickers as if she doesn’t believe it.
“She can.” I encourage Melissa. “Go ahead. Show her.” Melissa begins beatboxing with her mouth and dancing.
“Nice!” Gabriella is impressed. Melissa keeps going until Sally stops her.
“She gets it,” Sally says. Melissa shoves Sally’s hand off her.
“That was great. This is all good to know,” says Gabriella. She puts one hand on her hip and scratches her temple. “Okay, let me think.” She paces. I am so glad Gabriella is here helping us, because even though we have some good skills it would take us forever to figure out how to work them into our routine. She must be an expert or something, because in seconds, she puts us to work like Mr. Miyagi and the Karate Kid. She charges Melissa with mastering turning, which means she has to practice with a rope wrapped around a tree again, but this time bending her knees up and down. I don’t think she likes it, but she’s doing it. Tina is in charge of making up the dance routine we can do in the ropes.
“They should be current dance moves. None of that cabbage-patch-running-man stuff,” Gabriella says.
“I don’t even know what that is, but okay.” Tina is on it. Somehow I know there will be salsa dancing in there somewhere.
And as for me and Sally, Gabriella ponders a routine for us.
“I have an idea!” Sally says. “Maybe I can do the jumping spider? It’s the move I was supposed to do when I was with the Belles. Every double Dutch routine that ever got high scores had at least one insane move.”
“And so you want to do the move you were afraid to do and froze on?” I ask, unconvinced.
“Yes!” Sally replies. “I know I messed up before, but I know I can do it.” Gabriella looks at me and I shrug. I figure, if she’s ready to show her frenemies she can do
