FROM MCKENZIE'S POINT OF VEIW

I just can't believe Julie's gone. Really, how could Coach Melissa even think of doing something like that?! Like, really?!
We were supposed to have the end-of-year party at Julie's house, but now that she's off the team (Ugh!) we're having it at my house in Oceanside. It's bigger, anyway, but usually the party's at the house of someone who's been on the team for a longer time than I have.
Everything's all screwed up with Julie not here.
Like right now, we're practicing for a show. There's a day between regular nationals and grand nationals (which is like the second round of nationals, it's the best of the best. This year, Lexi and Cara's pairs routine made it to grands, and the triplets' double dutch did too.) The rest of us, though, are practicing for this show that is going on in a couple weeks. We get to practice in the Nationals gym, too, it's pretty awesome. Speaking of awesome, Julie was supposed to do her new singles that she did in the group routine, but now...we have to think of something else. And that is not awesome.
It's not like anyone on the team was really mad at Julie for doing that. I mean, yes, she stole the spotlight, but she really should have been in group routine. Like, Lilah and I were! And Julie practically taught us how to jump!
I heave a sigh, and try to get those thoughts out of my mind. I should be concentrating on the show ahead of us. It's a really important one; lots of rich people will be there, ones possibly interesting in sponsoring our team (we hope).
And mine and Lilah's pairs is taking the place of Julie's singles. So...I guess I should be practicing that. But I really don't want to. What I want to do is get Julie back!
But I stomp over to Lilah. She's doing aerials back and forth along the floor, like she does every day. I mean, literally, every day.
"Lilah!" I call. I see her surprise as she hears my voice. She turns her head towards me. Only problem is, she's upside down.
CRASH, I hear, and I wince.
"I'm okay, I'm okay," she says quickly, popping up, "What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Well," I start, and then stop. What I want to say is, Let's practice pairs together, but what comes out of my mouth is, "I want Julie back."
She turns to me. "I know, McKenzie, but we can't get her back. Coach Melissa said that she's off the team."
See, this is the problem with Lilah. If a teacher or coach says, You can't do this, she won't. It's like, their word is law or something. But it takes all the fun out of life. Like the time I wanted to climb the side of the gym...
Well, let's not get into details.

LILAH'S POINT OF VEIW

Opposite me, McKenzie frowns. Uh oh. I know this face. This is the face that comes up whenever she's on the verge of leaping into the void. Like, this was the look on her face the time she grabbed my arm and attempted an assisted back tuck. Without telling me what she was up to.
Sure enough, the first thing that comes out of her mouth is, "I have a plan."
My heart sinks. "Okay, McKenzie..."
She's got her determined look on now. "A plan to get Julie back."
"Wait, McKenzie, what?" I say, "You can't do that, I told you. Coach Melissa kicked her off the team."
She turns angrily towards me. "Do you want Julie back or not!"
"Of course I do!"
"Then listen up!" She says, and I know it's no use arguing with her now. "We need to tell everyone on the team, and get them all involved. We're going to have a protest, and refuse to do the show unless Julie can come back!"
I grimace. "McKenzie, it's not that easy. Julie deliberately disobeyed Coach Melissa, and here we are, about to do the same thing to get her back on the team. We can't do that; Coach Melissa has already shown that she doesn't like it when we go against her, and I can't say I blame her. And what about the people who are expecting us to do the show for them? What about the team sponsorship that they might contribute? There are too many variables involved in this. I'm sorry, McKenzie, but I think it's too risky."
I can tell she's annoyed. "Well, as for the people who might sponsor the team, Coach Melissa will have to let them have their show. That's what's so great about my plan. She can't disappoint them, because they have so much to give to our team."
"Yeah, a team we might not be on anymore! She kicked Julie off for doing, in essence, exactly what we are about to do, and I will completely understand her if she does kick us off."
"Okay, fine, I won't do it."
I whip my head around. Really? McKenzie really will give up this easily?
No, I remind myself, Of course she won't. There must be something she's not telling you.
And as I stare at her face, I can practically see the cogs and gears grinding within her head, forging some devious new plan that I'm not a part of.
When she spots me looking at her, she sighs. "Okay, fine, I'm not giving up. I'm going on with this plan no matter what, and if you want to join me, you will."
My brain is torn in two. Which side do I choose? The side of my friends, or the side of the authority?
Looking at McKenzie's pleading face makes the desicion easy.
"All right," I say reluctantly, "I'll do it with you."
"Yesss!" Her face lights up. "And just remember: you do the planning, I do the doing."
I shake my head as she skips away.

Jake's POV

I'm dreaming of cereal when McKenzie and Lilah walk up to me.
I know I probably should be jumping, but I'm not. Food is much more interesting.
But McKenzie looks very determined and Lilah looks a little afraid, so I snap out of my food trance.
"Jake!" McKenzie practically screams in my face. Lilah jumps, a little afraid. "WE NEED YOUR HELP! NOW!"
I start to back away slowly. "Umm...okay..."
Lilah bites her lip and puts her hand on McKenzie's arm. "Ummm...maybe you should calm down and explain it to him..."
McKenzie whirls around to face her friend. "I don't DO calm! You're the calm one! You explain!"
Lilah starts, then, with an anxious glance at McKenzie, turns to face me.
"Okay, so, McKenzie came up with a plan..." I notice she winces on the word "plan", "...a plan to...get Julie back." She says this last part very fast as if afraid of it. She's afraid of everything that doesn't have to do with crazy gymnastics tricks.
"So..." I say, choosing my words carefully, "how does this...plan...work?"
"AHA!" McKenzie shouts, and I jump. "Does that mean you're in?"
"Not necessarily," I say, "I'm just trying to get the details."
McKenzie glowers at me. "Well...YOU DON'T GET THE DETAILS UNLESS YOU'RE IN!"
"But...I don't know whether or not it's a good plan yet..."
"WELL, DO YOU WANT TO GET JULIE BACK OR NOT?!"
"Ummm...of course I do...but..."

Lilah looks cautiously at Becky, who is hovering near us, working on her front handsprings, and then takes a breath. "So...you know that big important show coming up...?"

******************************************************

BECKY'S POV

As I flip my feet over my head and land solidly, I sigh. Across the room, Lilah, McKenzie, and Jake are all whispering in a huddle while glancing periodically over at me. Sheesh, could they make it any more obvious that they're trying to hide something from me??? I doubt it.
Jake is talking louder and louder, until McKenzie shoots him a death glare and he quiets down, shooting a nervous look in my direction.
What is so important that they're hiding from me? And why me? I haven't done anything to them.
I make up my mind to be bold. I deserve to know, I deserve to know, I deserve... I chant over and over in my head as I walk over to them.
When I'm about 20 yards away, they stop talking. "Hi guys," I say, trying to be peppy, "watcha taking about?"
Lilah seems to be holding her breath, waiting for an explosion. Jake looks slightly guilty.
McKenzie looks like she's gonna bust a gasket and karate chop everyone in her way. I take a step back.
Lilah glanced at her friend, and then starts towards me, seeming to have made up her mind about something. I can tell she's still conscious of McKenzie's glare burning into the back of her head, but she makes a brave effort to ignore it.
"We were talking about how we were going to get Julie back," she says, "and we want you to help us."
McKenzie facepalms dramatically.
Lilah gives her a look, then turns back to me. "Actually, we want the whole team to help."
McKenzie whips her head up, and from her sharp intake of breath, I can tell that this was not planned, but Lilah continues, "At the upcoming show, we're all going to refuse to jump it unless Julie is let back onto the team. That way, coach Melissa has to let her come back."
I swallow. Jeez, they really care about getting Julie back. They probably think she should have had my spot in group routine, too. They probably are secretly glad that she stole the spotlight. And yes, she might have had an amazing routine then, but still, our group routine will probably come in last, like it does every year. And I mean every. Stinking. Year.
But still, I feel bad for Julie.
Should I help her?

EMMIE'S POINT OF VEIW:

I was in on the plan from the moment McKenzie approached me. Julie's my friend, and I want to get her back on the team. Only thing is, I think it's terrible to go against Coach Melissa like this. I can tell that Lilah, McKenzie, and Jake all feel the same way, but we all try to push the guilt down.
Right now, I'm practicing frogs with Andrew. As the rope goes under my feet cleanly, I suddenly get an idea.
"Andrew!" I yell, surprising him upside down. He crashes down onto his side. Wincing, he stands up and looks at me.
"What was so important that you had to interrupt my amazing frog?" He asks me.
"Hey, you have Trevor's number, don't you?"
"Sure," he answers.
"Okay, text him right now! You guys need to help with our plan to get Julie back on the team!"
"Wait, what? Julie's not on the team anymore?"
"Yeah, her routine at the end of our group routine was a kind of...spur of the moment decision...made only by her."
Andrew whistles. "Yikes."
"So we need you guys to prove to Coach Melissa that Julie just made a bad choice out of anger. Lilah and I really want to do this so we don't have to resort to a more...risky...plan."
"Okay, sure, I'll text Trevor right now," Andrew says.

MCKENZIE

I see Emmie, Becky, and Lilah talking across the room. About our plan, most likely. Practically everyone on the team knows about it. Except the senior members of the team. We know that there's like a 0.001% chance that they'll go against Coach Melissa's wishes, and even if they do, Coach would be really disappointed in them. So we decided to not put them through it.

LILAH

I'm talking with Becky and Emma when I hear the announcement over the loudspeaker:
"All, athletes, please report to the main competition floor for the group routine awards ceremony. I repeat, all athletes please report..."
I turn to look excitedly at McKenzie, who's come up to our group while he announcement was playing. "Do you think we could place?" I ask her excitedly. Only the top three teams place.
McKenzie shakes her head doubtfully, but her eyes look hopeful as she glances over at the medals that the judges are wheeling down to the competition floor.

JAKE

I spot Jenny and Lexi sitting on the competition floor and go down to sit beside them. I'm still dreaming about cereal, but this time I'm focusing mainly on the man in the navy judge's uniform clutching a mic. He has those results in his hand. He knows who wins, and who loses.

BECKY

My stomach clenches as I stare at that white slip of paper in the judge's hand. He clears his throat, and then begins to read.
"Now, I know, this is the moment you've all been waiting for..."
If you know, then cut to the chase and give us the winners!
" So I'll jump right in. In third place, we have..."
I hold my breath.
"The Star Jumpers!"

EMMIE

"In second place..."
Aaaaah the suspense! I hate it!
"The Texas Rope Skippers!"

MCKENZIE

"And in first place..."
I hold my breath.
"The San Diego Speed Skippers!"
And then we're all on our feet, jumping and screaming and yelling and shouting and crying and running up to that podium to get the medals slung around our necks. But Julie doesn't get a medal. And we all know why we won.
Julie.

Huge thanks to Lilahgirl337 for all the help. You rock!!!