Flora Flip and the Magic Leotard

            by Ryan Race

 

            Flora Flip loved gymnastics. She loved it so much that instead of just walking from place to place, she would do cartwheels everywhere she went; at school, in the park, even at the grocery store!

 

 

            At the end of every year, Flora Flip’s school had a big talent show for all of the students to perform in. And this year, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. Flora Flip wanted to learn something amazing, how to hold a handstand for ten whole seconds, how to do a back flip, or maybe even a cartwheel with no hands!

                       

 

            Flora Flip started going to gymnastics practice everyday so that she could learn her amazing trick before the talent show. It was only five days away so she needed to learn something amazing fast. The first day she tried to practice holding her handstand for ten seconds, but she could barely count to three before toppling to the ground.

           

                                  

 

            The second day, Flora Flip covered the floor of the gym with a pile of pads and mats. She tried and tried to do back flips, but she kept falling and landing on her hands and knees, and her hands hit the mats with a smack every time.

 

 

            The third day, Flora Flip practiced cartwheels from a running start. Flora Flip was very good at cartwheels since she did them everywhere; at school, in the park, and even in the grocery store. But no matter how fast she ran, or how high she jumped she could not keep her hands off of the floor.

 

 

            The fourth day, Flora Flip tried all three amazing tricks again, but she still couldn’t hold her handstand for ten seconds, do a back flip without falling, or keep her hands off the floor in her cartwheels. Flora Flip was all out of ideas and feeling very discouraged when she was ending her practice. She was sadly pulling her sweatshirt over her head when she noticed something shiny on the floor underneath the trampoline. She went over to see what it was. There, on the floor was a leotard. And not just any ordinary leotard; it was the most beautiful leotard Flora Flip had ever seen. It was a blue and green metallic leotard that sparkled and shone in the light.

 

 

            Flora Flip asked everyone, and no one knew whom the leotard belonged to. Flora Flip thought it was so beautiful that she could not resist trying it on herself. It was a perfect fit, and she loved how it sparkled and shone in the light.

She thought the leotard was so amazing that now she did not want to take it off! So Flora Flip decided to keep practicing her amazing tricks. First she kicked up into her handstand, and to her amazement, she did not come toppling to the floor. She counted all the way to ten before she stepped down gracefully!

 

 

            Smiling and excited, she cartwheeled over to her pile of pads and mats to give back flips a try. Standing tall, she jumped her highest jump and flipped her fastest flip and to her amazement, she did not land smack on her hands and knees, she landed on her own two feet!

 

 

With a newfound confidence, Flora Flip ran like the wind into her cartwheels and whipped over so fast she didn’t even have time to put her hands on the floor!

 

 

That night Flora Flip was so excited to show off her amazing tricks in the talent show the next day, she lay awake for what seemed like hours before finally falling asleep.

 

 

The next morning, Flora Flip leapt from her bed, ate up her breakfast, and changed her clothes faster than she ever had before. She was trying her hardest to keep in her excitement all morning, but suddenly, something very terrible happened. She went to get the beautiful leotard from her gymnastics bag, but it was not there. Flora Flip began to panic, she looked everywhere she thought a leotard would hide: the very bottom of her gym bag, in the closet, under the bed, even in the washing machine. But it was nowhere to be found.

 

 

Flora Flip was certain that she could not do her amazing tricks without her magic leotard. Her stomach filled with butterflies and her palms began to sweat. She imagined herself falling to the ground during all of her tricks, hitting the mats with a smack! The discouraging shouts and boos from the audience echoed in her head all the way there.

When she arrived at the talent show, they told her she was the second act, and that they would lay down a mat for her. The butterflies in her stomach were fluttering furiously.

 

 

When her name was called, Flora Flip walked out onto the mat in the center of the stage. She could feel her cheeks growing pink as she prepared herself for her first trick. She kicked into her handstand and began counting. One, two, three… she felt her body begin to lean to the side and squeezed her eyes shut tight, preparinging to fall to the ground with a smack! But she did not fall, her body tipped right back up straight, and she kept on counting. Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten! Flora Flip stepped down with a smile and everyone clapped.

 

 

The butterflies in her stomach were going away now and she was ready to try her next amazing trick. She put her arms up and got ready to do her back flip. She jumped as hard and fast as she could, and on her feet! Flora Flip was so excited she didn’t even give the audience time to applaud before she started her next trick. She ran like the wind into her cartwheel and swept through the air without so much as a fingertip touching the floor.

 

 

The audience cheered, and Flora Flip smiled big and took a bow. She had magic in her all along, the leotard just helped her find it.