DADDY BENDS ME OVER

“Are you ready, babygirl?”

I nod, almost imperceptibly.

The look on my stepdad's face borders on anger. “I'm serious. Out there”—he points to the the door leading out of the preparation space to the gymnasium—“that's real competition. It's going to be way tougher than what we went through before. I need to know right now if you're good to go.”

“I am! I swear, daddy.”

I'm not—not at all. But I can't tell him that. It's not that I'm afraid of him —he does get angry, but he's never hurt me—it's just that I don't want to ruin this for him. If I let my own...