of the students came up with the nickname years ago and it kind of stuck,’ said Mandy. ‘It actually suits the place because it’s a bit topsy-turvy. You’ll see what I mean when we get there.’
‘I can’t wait!’ Ellie bent down to pick up her suitcase, but Tam reached for it at exactly the same time and their heads clashed.
‘Ow!’ said Ellie, rubbing her forehead.
‘Oops! Sorry!’ said Tam. ‘Just wondered if you needed a hand.’
Nancy giggled. ‘She’s a gymnast! She’s probably got stronger arm muscles than you.’
‘Yeah, right!’ said Tam. ‘All you girl gymnasts do is silly flicky-flacky prancing around stuff. It’s us boys who do the real strength disciplines.’
‘Is that right?’ said Nancy. ‘I’d like to see you manage a flick layout on the beam!’
‘And you wouldn’t last two minutes on the pommel horse,’ said Tam with a shrug.
Mandy shook her head and smiled at Ellie. ‘They’ve been having this argument since they started gym when they were four years old.’
‘Is this all the stuff you have?’ Tam asked, looking round. ‘I thought you’d have loads of bags.’
Before Ellie had a chance to think of a reply, Nancy had punched her brother’s shoulder again and linked arms with Ellie. ‘Don’t be stupid. All she needs is a few leotards, her hand guards and a tracksuit,’ she said. ‘After all, she’s going to spend most of her life in the Academy, just like the rest of us. Now, if you could just stop talking for a single moment . . .’
‘Me stop talking!’
Nancy ignored him. ‘Head-Over-Heels House, here we come!’
They caught a tube and a bus and Ellie was amazed by how many people there were. On the creek, you could go all day without seeing anyone. But in London every square centimetre of space seemed to be filled with life. People crammed on to the platform, streaming down the escalators, squeezed like sardines into the tube carriages and on the buses. To Ellie, it felt totally insane but brilliantly exciting at the same time.
‘London must seem pretty full on,’ said Tam, noticing her wide eyes. ‘You live by the seaside, right?’
‘Sort of,’ said Ellie. ‘On a little tidal estuary, just inland from the sea.’
‘Cool,’ said Nancy. ‘Do you go surfing every day, and sailing and water-skiing? I’ve always wanted to try water-skiing. And rowing. I’d love to be able to row.’
‘I go rowing most days,’ said Ellie. ‘I have my own boat that my dad made for me.’
‘Awesome!’ said Nancy. ‘I reckon if I get too tall for gymnastics I’m going to be a rower. They’re always pretty tall, aren’t they? And I’ve got strong arms. Scarlett reckons I’m more like a weightlifter than a gymnast – but that’s the sort of thing she would say.’
‘Um – who’s Scarlett?’ asked Ellie.
‘Oh, she’s in Development squad like us,’ explained Nancy. ‘And she lives in Head-Over-Heels House because her mum and dad are always off travelling overseas. They’re like multi-millionaires or something – as she’s always reminding everybody.’ Nancy rolled her eyes but didn’t stop talking. Ellie was starting to wonder how she managed to breathe sometimes. ‘Anyway, she reckons she’s ten times better than the rest of us in Development squad. She’s not going to like you – at all!’
‘Oh.’ Ellie’s face fell. ‘Why?’
‘Because you’ve come from nowhere and been given a place at the Academy,’ said Tam.
‘Most of us’ve been training there for years,’ Nancy explained. ‘Tam and I started at the Academy before we even went to school. I mean, sometimes gymnasts come from other big gyms overseas, like Camille – she’s half French, half Belgian – or Lily Raza – her parents sent her all the way from Israel just to train with Emma. But people don’t usually just get picked from little tiny clubs. There must be something special about you for Emma to take you on.’
Ellie blushed, finding it hard to believe. The bus was going over a bridge and Ellie caught a glimpse of the River Thames, crowded with city vessels, the water dark and oily in the falling dusk. It was so different to the creek, but still somehow the sight of it reminded her of home.
‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I mean, I think I’m way behind the rest of you. I don’t have my Compulsory Grade Two yet.’
‘Oh, me neither,’ said Nancy. ‘I’ve failed it twice now.’ She shrugged like it was no big deal, but there was something in her face that made Ellie think she was more bothered than she was letting on.
‘Got to get it this time or I won’t be able to go to British Champs,’ Nancy went on. ‘We’re old enough to compete at the Junior British this year. But I guess you know that. Of course, Scarlett passed every grade first time so she’ll be going for Grade One this year. And Camille and Kashvi and Bella are too. They’re the other girls in Development. They’re all cool – it’s only Scarlett who thinks she’s too good for the rest of us. But if she was so good Emma would have promoted her to Pre-Elite squad, so I don’t know why she’s strutting around, pretending she’s Lizzie Trengilly or something.’
Ellie blushed again at the mention of her aunt. She wasn’t sure if Nancy or anyone else at the Academy knew that she was related to the famous gymnast. Nancy’s sign had just said ‘Academy Ellie’ – so maybe they didn’t even know her second name. Ellie was almost relieved. It wasn’t that she wanted to keep it a secret, but she didn’t want to go around boasting either.
‘Seriously, though, you need to watch out for Scarlett,’ said Tam. ‘That girl is determined to get to the top, no matter what it takes.’
‘Yup,’ Nancy agreed. ‘She’ll be nice to you as long as she doesn’t think you’re a threat. But if she decides you might have a chance of being better than her one day then . . .’
Just at that moment the bus lurched to a stop, sending Ellie flying into Nancy, who had toppled into the doorway.
‘Here we are!’ said Tam, ‘This is our stop.’
Head-Over-Heels House turned out to be a big, old Victorian house on Albert Bridge Road, overlooking Battersea Park. It had probably once been quite grand, but now it looked pretty scruffy. The door was painted bright purple and somebody had made a sign that read ‘Head-Over-Heels House’ with a picture of a gymnast doing a backwards walkover.
Being opposite the park made the house feel less hemmed in by the city, and to Ellie’s delight she noticed that they were still close to the river. The smell of the Thames hung in the air and again it reminded her of the creek.
‘Come on in,’ said Nancy, flinging open the door. ‘Welcome to the madhouse!’
‘It’s huge!’ said Ellie as she stepped into a giant hallway with a swooping staircase, faded marble tiles and battered wallpaper.
‘Well, there are six other gymnasts living here,’ Mandy explained. ‘All out-of-towners like you. And then my two, of course.’
‘Mum