Making the Grade. Cate Shearwater
you can always come to. If you have any problems – no matter how big or small – my door is always open. OK?’
‘Thanks,’ said Ellie.
‘Come on, I’ll show you our room,’ said Nancy, dashing up the staircase.
Ellie followed her, half in a daze, trying to take it all in.
‘There are a couple of other Development squad girls here,’ said Nancy, calling over her shoulder. ‘Then there are two from Junior Elite and one Pre-Elite girl. No boys, except for Tam, but he’s in the basement with Mum. Oh, and Sian Edwards and Sophia Mitford share the attic flat. They’re both Senior Elite, of course.’
‘Sian Edwards – the Olympian?’ said Ellie, amazed. She’d watched Sian compete for Team GB at World Championships last year, and been dazzled by her amazing performance on the vault, which had helped to earn her a gold medal. ‘She lives here – in this house?’
‘Well, in the flat upstairs,’ said Nancy, like it was no big deal. ‘She’s dead nice. Never too busy to chat to any of us kids in Development squad either.’
Ellie couldn’t imagine what she’d do if she bumped into Sian Edwards over breakfast, or in her pyjamas. The idea of chatting to a gold-medal-winning Olympian seemed too crazy.
‘So, this is our pad,’ Nancy was saying as she opened the door to a room on the second floor and ushered Ellie in. The room was tiny and had a slightly tatty appearance like the rest of the house, but it had a large window overlooking the garden and a beautiful old fireplace in the corner.
On Nancy’s side, the walls were covered in posters of gymnasts and boy bands and kittens dressed in a variety of weird and wonderful costumes – including one in a sparkly pink leotard. Her bed and every surface was strewn with leotards and scrunchies and jogging bottoms.
On Ellie’s side was a bed with a patchwork quilt, a small chest of drawers and a massive bouquet of flowers in a chipped vase. There were also a couple of framed pictures. One was a painting of a beach in Cornwall which Ellie recognised as Kynance Cove, not far from the creek. The other was a photo of a gymnast on the uneven bars, mid twist, her body swooping like a seagull into the dive. Ellie knew who it was immediately and her heart leapt.
‘D’you like the Cornwall painting?’ asked Nancy. ‘Tam found it in a charity shop. He reckoned it would be perfect, in case you felt homesick for the beach, you know. I did the flowers.’
Ellie looked at the colourful blooms – huge gaudy pinks, oranges and even blue flowers. ‘Thank you. They’re lovely!’ she said, touched by the thought.
Nancy smiled brightly. ‘Tam figured you’d like the photo too – since you’re family, an’ all.’
‘Oh, so you know, then,’ said Ellie nervously. ‘About Lizzie Trengilly . . . being my aunt.’
‘Of course!’ chirped Nancy. ‘I mean, no offence, but it didn’t exactly take major detective work. The name Trengilly isn’t that common, is it? And the minute we saw your picture we knew right away. You look just like her. I bet you’re as good as she was too,’ Nancy went on, flinging herself on to her bed amidst all the muddle. ‘I’ve got a feeling about it, looking at you.’
‘How can you tell if I’m any good at gym just by looking at me?’
‘I dunno,’ said Nancy. ‘But I can. Maybe I’m psychic – Tam reckons I’m a bit weird like that, y’know. But I bet you anything I’m right!’
Just then there was a knock on the door and Ellie turned to see a face peeping into the room.
‘Can we come in?’
The door creaked open to reveal a tiny girl with a round face, big velvety dark eyes and sticky-out ears. The little buns she wore on each side of her head made her look a bit like a baby monkey. She was standing next to a taller girl with golden hair, a flawless complexion and green cat-like eyes.
‘Bella! Scarlett!’ squeaked Nancy, jumping off the bed. ‘Meet Ellie, my new roomie and our new squad buddy. Ellie, meet the Floor Fairy, Bella Chee and Queen of the Beam, Scarlett Atkins.’
Bella smiled broadly and said in a soft voice, ‘Welcome to Head-Over-Heels House.’
But Scarlett narrowed her eyes and said, ‘Is it true Emma gave you a scholarship even though you haven’t even passed Compulsory Grade Two yet?’
‘Scarlett, don’t put her on the spot,’ said Bella. She spoke with a gentle authority, despite being so small she even made Ellie look like a giant.
‘It’s OK,’ said Ellie. ‘Scarlett’s right. I didn’t start Compulsory Grades till I was quite old. My coach didn’t think I was ready.’
‘I passed Grade Two when I was eleven.’ Ambition flared in Scarlett’s eyes as she spoke. ‘I won the bronze medal. Because you do know that Grades are also a competition, right?’
‘Um – yes,’ said Ellie.
‘Of course she does!’ said Nancy.
‘Well, I’ll be doing Grade One this year. Which is higher than Grade Two – in case you didn’t realise.’
‘She’s from Cornwall!’ said Nancy. ‘Not a whole different planet.’
‘Well, how should I know how they do things in the middle of nowhere?’ said Scarlett.
‘You might want to remember that Bella won the gold when we did Grade Two,’ said Nancy, who looked as if she was keen to prick Scarlett’s bubble. ‘And all the other girls in Development squad are up for Grade One this year too.’
‘Except you, of course,’ said Scarlett with a smile. ‘Let’s hope you get third time lucky with your Grade Two, Nancy, or we’ll all be going to the British without you!’
‘Stop arguing, you guys!’ said Bella firmly. ‘Remember what Emma’s always saying. We’re teammates, not rivals. We perform better if we support each other.’
Scarlett glared and Nancy gave a ‘hmmph!’ sound. But just then a clamour in the hallway and a call of ‘Food!’ signalled that dinner was ready, and all arguments were set aside as they raced downstairs to eat.
‘Is that true?’ Nancy whispered, linking arms with Ellie as the girls made their way down the stairs. ‘About you having a scholarship.’
‘Um – yeah.’ Ellie flushed, suddenly embarrassed. ‘My parents couldn’t afford for me to train here otherwise.’
Nancy shrugged. ‘Yeah, well, we can only afford it cos of Mum – you know, being Head-Over-Heels house-mother, or whatever you call it. But, seriously, the Academy hardly ever give out scholarships. Emma must think you’re really good.’
‘I dunno . . .’ Ellie started to say.
‘I wonder how Scarlett found out?’ Nancy was musing as she pulled open the door to the kitchen.
Sitting round the giant dining table, Ellie met most of the other residents of the house. She thought she’d be too nervous to eat, but after the long journey and all the excitement she was starving so she tucked in to the biggest dish of shepherd’s pie she’d ever seen in her life.
Nancy and Bella introduced