I've said it before, but I learned most of my ballet knowledge from the Jessi books - tour jeté, plié, en pointe, arabesque, fouetté (think Jody Sawyer in Center Stage).
Anyway, while we open in ballet class, this is one of those books where a babysitter magically becomes an expert in something completely new. In this case, Jessi's talent at ballet somehow makes her an excellent synchronized swimmer? And she manages to, *spoiler alert*, win a gold medal?
It is late springtime in the Brook, and Jessi heads home from ballet class with her dad, who, according to her, sounds just like James Earl Jones (anyone automatically hear Mufasa say "Remember who you are...." Just me?). The Summer Olympics are coming up, and Jessi, inspired by the trials, asks her parents if they can get a pool. Her parents, after choking on their food at that request, tell her that they have considered it but that it is too expensive with the installation and maintenance (guess Mr. Ramsey got a subscription to the Jelly of the Month club instead of a Christmas bonus last year. At least it's the gift that keeps on giving all year long...). They tell her that they will get a family membership to the Stoneybrook Pool Complex instead (never heard that mentioned before, not sure if we ever will again).
At school, it is announced that the SMS Sports Festival is coming up, and Claudia has been asked to design a logo for it. Because, of course she has. She is apparently the only artist in the whole town (did they forget Ashley Wyeth?). The Festival will include track and swimming events (sounds kind of like our Field Day in elementary school, minus the swimming). Most of the BSC wants to compete - Claudia wants to do some track event, Dawn is interested in shot put or pole vaulting (here I have to brag that my husband still holds the pole vaulting record for his middle school, over 20 years later. Yes, I married someone who once pole vaulted). Kristy wants to do a track event as well, while Jessi and Stacey are interested in swimming (I hope Stacey doesn't mess up her perm).
Mary Anne and Mallory, not surprisingly, want nothing to do with anything sports-related. After this announcement, at lunch, our favorite male BSC nemesis, Alan Gray, decides to loudly proclaim that he could beat Kristy in any race ever (I mean, how is a boy challenging a girl to an athletic contest going to work out at all for the boy? Especially in middle school - if he beats her, then his friends will say that he only beat a girl; if he loses, then he is now the boy who lost to a girl. Not great either way for your middle school reputation). Kristy, of course, is all
And somehow, as word spreads around school, the teachers decide to make this race a part of the Sports Festival. I just. Really.
Soon after, Jessi and Mallory learn that instead of regular gym classes, they will now be walking over to the Community Pool Complex (because it is conveniently next door to SMS. Of course.) for swimming lessons. Now, was this a thing in middle school? I mean, it didn't happen at our school, but of course we didn't have a pool (nor did the high school), nor did we have any community pool located nearby. This just seems like a big liability for a school to take on, unless it is actually for a swim team or something (and yes, SMS does have a swim team too). Whatever, it's Stoneybrook. Mallory once again bitches about how much she hates gym and gets embarrassed when she realizes that the girls will be taking swim classes at the same time as the boys. Like, I get that 6th grade is an awkward time (puberty, not a girl, not quite a woman, yada, yada), but AMM really needs to give Mallory more personality than this. However, while Mallory turns out to be a pretty good swimmer (all of those Sea City summers), it's Jessi that catches the eye of her coach while she is doing her swim test. After class, the coach introduces Jessi to Mrs. Cox, who thinks Jessi is "lyrical and smooth" in the water, and invites her to join the synchronized swimming program for the festival. Jessi ends up joining (I mean, are you surprised? Look at the cover), and she gets to do this instead of regular gym class until after the festival.
At her first practice, Jessi is partnered with a girl named Elise, who happens to be on SMS's swim team (are there swim teams in middle school?). Elise is a stronger swimmer, but Jessi has better presentation/style, so their teacher hopes they can balance each other out. Then Mrs. Cox announces that there will be a group synchronized swimming performance at the festival, and then the pairs will compete against each other for medals. Jessi, of course, freaks out, especially after Mrs. Cox asks Jessi to choreograph her own routine, since she is a ballet dancer? Like...what? I get ballet could give you an edge, but does that qualify you to choreograph a routine for a sport you have only been doing for a matter of days at this point? Why do Stoneybrook adults continue to place responsiblities like these on actual children?
At the next BSC meeting, everyone announces in which events they have decided to compete. Dawn has selected javelin, since she figures not many others will sign up for it, while Claudia will do the backwards quarter mile (yes, that is an actual event), Stacey will compete in the breaststroke event, and Jessi, of course, in synchro. Kristy is going to compete in the 100 yard dash and the race against Alan Gray, which the teachers have decided will be an obstacle course. Kristy and Alan have bet a "week of personal service", so the loser will have to be the winner's servant for a week. If this book were aimed at a slightly older audience, that would mean something completely different. MA and Mallory, of course, will be up in their rooms, pretending they don't exist, I mean, will be in the stands as spectators.
Meanwhile, Jessi (not Special K) has the great idea for the BSC to stage a Mini Olympics for all the kids, because of course. And it will be held in Dawn and Mary Anne's yard, because of course. Mallory joins in a potato sack race at her house one day, while her brothers and sisters are preparing, and sprains her ankle tripping over a tree stump (is it bad that I immediately wrote "faking it?" in my notes while I was preparing for this post?). But, alas, she does actually sprain her ankle and is on crutches the next few weeks, which includes at the festival.
So, the day of the festival arrives, and classes are suspended for the festivities. The track events are first, then everyone will move over to the Community Center for the swimming events last. Kristy places 2nd in the 100 yard dash, Claudia manages to finish her backwards quarter mile, which is better than most of the contestants, but apparently she doesn't medal. Dawn doesn't medal in the javelin, but has a nice throw anyway. And, the final event of the track portion, the Great SMS Coed Obstacle Challenge, which involves a 50 yard sprint, a long jump over a sand pit, 3 hurdles, a high jump over a bar, zigzagging around traffic cones, stepping through half a dozen tires, and another 50 yard sprint to finish.
Saved by the Bell, anyone?
Anyway, the lead changes between Kristy and Alan with each leg of the race, because they each keep tripping over various obstacles. Kristy starts the final sprint just ahead of Alan, but then he pulls ahead. Kristy, in her competitive rage, somehow finds a burst of speed somewhere deep inside, and she and Alan appear to cross the finish line together. After deliberation, the teachers announce that Kristy won the race. So, Alan now has to be Kristy's servant for a week.
Everyone quickly moves over to the Community Center, where the swimming events commence. Stacey competes in her race, but we don't know the outcome because Jessi is so numbed out due to nerves. They do their group performance, everything is fine, then comes the pairs competition. Jessi and Elise get through their routine, and Jessi remarks that she has no idea how she did. But, of course, the medals are announced, and, come on reader, you read the title of the book, we know Jessi and Elise win gold. Now, I have ranted before about how AMM makes the BSC the best at everything they do, so I will spare you the full force of my thoughts of Jessi, who only practiced synchronized swimming for a few weeks, winning the gold medal. I just don't have the energy to go through that again.
The next day are the Mini Olympics for all the BSC kids, and Kristy, as part of the bet, makes Alan come and set up everything for them - the races, the music, the refreshments, etc. And he has to call Kristy "ma'am". That's about everything worth writing about for this subplot, the kids all get prizes of some sort (like, Most Creative, Most Determined, etc. It's like when I went to some 4H camp while in elementary school, and at the end of the trip, everyone got some type of award, and I got "Most Enthusiastic". Like, wtf, teachers, just say I'm a nerd who couldn't do anything else noteworthy. WAIT. HOLD UP. Am I a real-life Mallory?)
Anyway, Jessi decides not to continue synchronized swimming, because she realizes that she doesn't love it as much as ballet. All the feels.
Olympics Fashion!!
Jessi: "white sweatpants, pink leg warmers, and a pink-and-white sweatshirt that said ABT, which stands for American Ballet Theater" (come on, anyone who has ever watched Center Stage knows that)
Claudia: "At the meeting, for example, she was wearing these sharply creased, pastel green, cuffed shorts; a wild Hawaiian shirt tied at her waist with vibrant colors that perfectly picked up the green; and sandals with crisscrossing ankle straps to her knees. Her hair was swept to one side and held in place with a long, fake flowered barrette that looked like a Hawaiian lei."
Strong Lisa Turtle vibes.
Claudia (Sports Festival): "She was wearing electric-pink track shorts with a turquoise racing stripe, a matching top with cut-off sleeves, brand new high top track shoes with no socks (but why? The blisters...), and floral print suspenders! Her hair was pulled up on top of her head and held in place with a silver barrette in the shape of the Olympic symbol."
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