"It doesn't count if your already planning your defeat," said Ally as we walked to the competition. "Why don't you ever consider being positive for once." The bright yellow sun basked upon her red freckles.

Besides being close friends since we were eight, Allie and I were very distinct. She had short, frizzy red hair, while I had long brown hair. She had 3 siblings, but I was an only child. There are so many other things that set us apart. The one big similarity however, and it may be the only one, was that gymnastics had always been apart of our lives. It has been apart of my life since when I was a toddler, and is an even bigger part in my mom's life- or at least it was a big part. Yet even though Ally and I liked the same hobby, doesn't mean we are both good at it. Stepping foot in this competition, however, was about to prove that to her.

"I just can't stop pondering about if my mom would be satisfied with the level I'm at. You know I was never exactly exceptional at gymnastics, " I stated firmly. I wasn't ready to start debating with her. I was not going to waste my energy on that. I decided to save it for the competition, since I would need it much more.

I should have known better, though. My annoying best friend will never back down from a fight, especially when she thinks she is right. No one will convince she wrong otherwise.

"She would be proud of you for following your own dream. Maybe gymnastics might be what you're mom wanted, but is it what you want? You can't live your life chasing after someone else's dream, Lia, you have to follow your ow-." Ally had gotten cut off by the host of the HUS, which is the competition level we were competing at. I was grateful. Sure, I love a good pep talk. Just like Ally, though, I was stubborn, an she was not going to tell me that I was wrong.

"Hello HUS gymnasts. You're 15 minutes of warm up time starts now. I repeat, you're 15 minutes of warm up time starts now." He stated on the loudspeaker.

This was the perfect time to change the conversation. Since awkward silence already decided to walk down Lia's conversation Lane, I needed to change the conversation.

" C'mon," I said," lets warm up before time runs out."

15 minutes later, I find myself on beam, with everyone patiently waiting for me to start. The man in the back of my head appears. Usually at competitions he gives me pep talks. However today, he only repeated one thing.

"You can't live your life chasing after someone else's dream." he said

"Be quiet ! "I mumbled to no one in particular.

The music started. Everyone watched. The judges stared at me in a judgmental way. And on top of that, the man in the back of my head was no help whatsoever.

"You can't live your life chasing after someone else's dream." he repeated. The man's voice started getting louder and louder as he spoke each time.

I wobbled on my turn. I glanced at the judges and saw them marking down something.

"That's probably my deduction. Why won't this man just close his mouth!" I thought to myself. "I'll just block my thoughts out until I finish."

"You can't live your life chasing after someone else's dream."

I started to get a pounding headache. It was like this man could control my mind. If I wobbled once more I could get another deduction, and there's no way I could afford that. He was starting to get to me.

"YOU CANT LIVE YOUR LIFE CHASING AFTER SOMEONE ELSE'S DREAM," he boomed

"AHHH," I shouted and ran out of the gym. I ran and ran and ran, tears flying away as I flew past all the houses and trees, with nothing to stop me but my own 2 feet.

I stopped running as soon as a spotted the ocean. My mom and I had the best memories. They were the ones most sentimental to me. I used to sit with her laughing, as we stared at the ocean while our hair soared in the wind. The day before my mom was diagnosed with Leukemia, a type of cancer, we sat at this very spot. She gave me a necklace was a musical note on it. It was a reminder that music is a big part of my life.

"Sweetie, you have the voice of an angel." I could almost hear her voice. I used to say that I wanted to be just like her. I always looked at it from my perspective, thinking my mom wouldn't be proud because I was not a good gymnast. But could it be she isn't proud because she knows this isn't the right path for me to choose? Maybe it wasn't.

"You cant live your life chasing after someone else's dream" Ally was right.

The man in my head appeared.

"The reason you started gymnastics was to remember your mom. You never realized that while doing that, you forgot yourself- you forgot your identity," he said calmly.

As the truth bomb blew up in my face, I decide to make a call.

"Hey, Ally it's me. Can you tell them I'm withdrawing from the competition?" I asked

"I was right, wasn't I?" Ally jokingly responded.

In that moment, I finally realized , I can't live my life chasing after someone else's dream, because my dream, without modifications, is the right one.

I trudged back home, with my headphones in, and my Spotify playlist on. I saw Ms. Mcdreen walking her dog, as the wind blew a flyer out of her pocket. I picked it up to hand it to her, but she was gone. Boy, does she walk fast! I took a glance at the worlds in bold:

SINGING CONTEST

My dream was finally coming true.