Now a professional skater tryingto make the Olympic Teamfor the firsttime, Chandler is lookingfor a new partner, while Bellehasn’tskatedcompetitivelyinoveradecade.
Belle’sfavoritepartofearlymorningskatingaloneontheicewasthefeelingthatalwayswashedoverher,knowingthat itwasanew day.Therewasthesmellofcoffeecomingfromtheconcessionstandbecauseshewasusuallythefirstinevery morningandalways startedthe bigmachine upherself.She didn’tdrinkthe coffee then,though.She gotitstarted,turnedon everythingelsethatneededtobeturnedon,andcheckedonthestuffinthefridgeandfreezerstomakesuretheyhadenoughto getthemthroughuntil their nextdelivery.Ifthere were anydeliveries,shebroughtthoseinandputeverythingawayfirst,but thenBellegottoskate
Everymorning,sheputonherskatesandcouldn’twaittogetontheice.Still,afteralltheseyears,shegotsucharushout ofglidingaround as ifshe were floating. Her alone time onthe ice everydayhad beenpartofher ritual since her dad had boughttherinkyearsagonow,andstill,everyday,Bellethoughtaboutwhathadledthemtothissmalltownandherfatherto buythisplacewhenithadbeenfallingapartandnotworthmuchatall.Itwas now, though,andthatwasall becauseoftheir hard workand the communitythathad embraced this buildingas partoftheir town Belle loved this place and thoughtofit more as a home thanthe apartment she had not far fromhere, where her stuff rested more thananythingelse. The ice had alwaysbeenher home, so as she moved backward across it, gainingspeed and workingup to a jump, she tried to pushthe thoughtsofthepastoutofhermind.
She’d had so muchenergyas a little kid thather parents had tried everything, really. She’d played soccer and ranthe wholefieldbackandforthfortheentiregameandsomehowstillhadenergyleftoverattheendofthegame They’dalsoput her incheerleadingfor the Pee Wee boys’football league, butshe’d hated that, so thathadn’tlasted long. They’d gottenher pianolessonsfromaniceoldwomanwhoofferedthemforfreetotheneighborhoodkidsbecauseshewaslonely,anditwas somethingforhertodo.Bellehadn’tparticularlylikedthepiano,andsoccerwasjustrunningtoher.
Fromthemomentshe’dfirststeppedfootontheice,though,thatwaswhereshewantedtobe.Whenevershe wasn’t onthe ice,itfeltlikeshewasmissingsomething Thatwaswhythethoughtsofwhathadhappened,whathadbeen,andwhat could havebeenstillhithereverymorningwhenshecameoutforsomealonetimeontheice.Eventhoughshetriedtostopit,she’d pictureitalloveragain
She’d been moving her way up through juniors and into seniors, making her mark as a figure skater. Belle had been selected for a programthat fed directly into US Figure Skating, and she had a real shot at making an Olympic Team. Her parents had moved her there, and she’d beguntutoringinstead ofgoingto regular school as partofthe programinorder to maximizehertrainingtime.EverythinghadbeengoingwelluntilBellehadrealizedsomething.
Belleranintothesidewall,grippingitwithher hands andcatchingher breath Shehadn’tbeenreadytomakeher next jump,soshe’dusedthewalltostopherselfandnowbreathedhardasshegrippeditandtried,yetagain,tofruitlesslyjustbe okaywithwhereshewasnowandnotthinkaboutwhatshemighthavehad Itwaslikeasongshecouldn’tgetoutofherhead WhenBellebackeduponherskatesslowlyandmadeherwaytothemiddleofthecompletelyemptyrink,shelookedaround anddecidedtoembrace it.Ifshe wentthroughitinher mindagain–ifshe justlistenedtothe songonce –she’dbe able to moveon So,ifshereplayedthemomentthathadchangedeverythingforher,shecouldrefocus
Bellehadbeenfourteenyearsoldandattheprogram,andshe’dhadacrush.Well,notjustacrush.She’dbeeninthatsilly kind offirst-crush-that-felt-like-love phase withanother skater, and thatskater wasn’ta boy She hadn’ttold anyone atfirst becausesheknewithadbeenwrong;shecouldn’tlikeanothergirlhowgirlslikedboys.So,she’dpretendedforawhile.But afteralongpractice,she’dfoundhercrushtakingoffherskatesandtossingthemontothefloor
“What’s wrong?” Belle had asked and had sat down on the hard wooden bench next to her, leaving some distance between them to be safe.
“I suck,” her crush had replied “I can’t do this God, I’m supposed to make an Olympic Team? I can’t even land a jump ”
“It was just a bad practice,” Belle had reminded.
“I can’t have a bad practice I have to have perfect practices I’m fourteen years old ”
“So?” Belle had asked.
“This is supposed to be my cycle I’m supposed to go to the Games I’m supposed to be selected But I just got in trouble because I couldn’t land shit today,” the girl had argued “What is wrong with me?”
“Nothing,” Belle had said softly. “You had a bad day, but nothing’s wrong with you. You’re the best skater out there.” Her crush had looked up at Belle then, and there had been something in her eyes that Belle had clearly read wrong She knew that now, but she hadn’t known it then.
“You’re really nice, Belle,” she’d said “Thanks,” Belle had replied.
“We’re competing for the same spot; you know that, right? You should want me to be bad ” “I don’t,” Belle had said “I want you to be good If it’s not me out there, I I’d want it to be you ”
“Why?” She’d turned to Belle, dropping one leg on the other side of the bench, straddling it.
“I don’t know You’re nice, too,” she’d said “Me? I’m a bitch,” her crush had replied.
Belle had laughed a little and said, “You work hard You want to be the best I get it I’m here for the same reason ” “You’ve been here for longer than I have.”
“Since I was ten,” she’d replied. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here, though.” “What? Why?”
“It’s expensive. And we get help through the scholarship program, but it’s still expensive. I keep hearing my parents talk about money at home, so I don’t know I might only have one shot at this ” “Olympics?”
“Yeah,” Belle had said “But if it’s not me, I do hope it’ll be you You’ve been… nice to me, at least ” “I have?” She’d smiled at Belle.
Belle had turned on the bench to face her and said, “Yeah. You brought me hot chocolate at that competition, even though we weren’t supposed to have it ”
Her crush had laughed, and Belle had felt butterflies at the sound of it.
“You said you liked it but didn’t have it because of the sugar I thought we could split one and it wouldn’t be that bad ”
“It was nice,” Belle had said.
“Yeah, it was, ” she’d replied with a smile “You’re really good, you know? You’re the best one here ”
“No, I’m not ” Belle had laughed Her crush had moved forward on the bench, getting closer to Belle.
“Yes, you are You’re years ahead of everyone else The way you move out there – it’s like you were meant to be on the ice.”
“It feels that way sometimes,” Belle had said “I love it so much,” her crush had replied. “But I don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t medal in the Games. My mom… She… And then, there’s my sister I just…” She’d looked away
For whatever reason, Belle had reached for her then She’d cupped her cheek, leaned in, and kissed her just above where her hand had ended up. Then, she’d quickly pulled away with wide eyes and swallowed. Her crush had looked just as scared as Belle probably had for a moment, but then she’d leaned in, and she’d kissed Belle on the lips It had been so quick, Belle had almost missed it when her crush had leaned forward just an inch, and their lips had connected.
“What the–”
Belle had pulled back. Three skaters from the program had just walked into the room and had witnessed them kissing.
“Were you two just kissing?” One of them had laughed “Whoa!” “Gross,” another one had said “Um…” Belle had started.
“She just kissed me ” Her crush had shot up off the bench and practically run over to the other girls “Gross, right? I don’t even know why she did it.”
“She’s one of those, probably,” the first girl had said Belle’s heart had raced, and she hadn’t known what to do, so she’d gotten up and she’d run while four girls behind her laughed, and she no longer had felt the butterflies at hearing that sound.
“Belle?”herdadyelled.
“Hey,Dad!”sheyelledbackandskatedovertowardhim
“Your practice is in twenty minutes. You need to change your skates,” he said. “And, you know, into your gear.” He pointed “Can’tplayhockeyinthat”Hepointedtoherlong-sleevedT-shirtandleggings
Laterthatnight,Belleicedherknee,whichhadgottenhitalittletoohardforasimplepractice,asshelayinbedwithher laptopnexttoher.Shesnappedintoherdad’shomemadebeefjerkythatshe’dstolenfromtheconcessionstandandbroughtup the website. The competitionwasn’tonTV, butitwas streaming, so she broughtthe video up fullscreenjustintime to see ChandlerWolfeandherpartnerfallontheice.Belledidn’tmeanto,butshelaughedbecauseChandlerhadreallyhitit.Herass hadsmackedintotheiceasherpartner,aguynamedWalkerWilcox,ofallthings,twistedandfelldownhimself.Hemusthave droppedher,andBellehadjustmissedit Eitherway,shesnappedintothejerkyagainandchewedasshesettledbackagainst herpillowandwatchedChandlergetup,givethecrowdafakesmile,reachforherpartner,whotookherhand,andtheybegan todamage-controltheremainderoftheirroutine Whentheyfinished,bothofthemmovedtosit,andthecamerastayedonthem astheirscoreswererevealed.
“Karma’sabitch,huh?”
Belle stared into Chandler’s blue eyes withtheir glitteryeye shadow coveringthemand too muchmascara, makingher fakeeyelasheslookevenmorefake,andshethoughtbacktothatfourteen-year-oldgirlwhohadsmiledatBellebeforeshehad kissedher Belleclosedthecomputerthen,notwantingtowatchthecompetitionanymore,andstaredupatherceilingasshe thoughtbacktohowonekisshadledtoherwholelifechanging.
“This isn’t funny.” Catalina sat downnext to her onthe bench. “If he’s fine, we’re still lookingat youtwo not being selectedbecauseyoushitthebedtonight”
“YouwouldalreadybetheoldestpersontoskateintheOlympicsfortheUS.Youknowthat.Idon’thavetotellyouthat. You’re twenty-six, Chandler – it’s now or never Walker is your ticket to these Games He’s the golden boy of US Figure Skating.Andwhenheswitchedtopairs,youfinallygotyourchance.Iftheypickyoutwo,it’sonlyreallybecauseofhimbeing figureskatingroyalty”
“Nothow he is He has a medal already His mom,the former goldmedalist,is onthe committee His older sister and olderbrotherarebothmedalists.He’salegacy,andhe’syourticketin.”
“IcouldfindsomeoneelseifIhadto,”shesuggested.
“NotlikeWalkerWilcox I’mnottellingyouthisasyoursister;I’mtellingyouthisasyourcoach,Chandler Youbetter hopehe’sokay,becauseifnot,Ijustdon’tseehowyoucanfindanewpartner,traintogetherlongenough,anddosomethingto wowthecommitteeandgetintotheGames You’dneedanewpartner and aprayer”
Chandler followed the trainer into the medical roomand saw Walker lying on a blue cushioned bed. His eyes were closed Helookedlikehe’dbeencrying,andshedidn’tknowifitwasinpainorbecauseitwaslikelythathewasn’tgoingto skateintheOlympicsthiscycle.
“Idropped you. Myhand slipped, and now, we’re done.” He looked downat his foot. “Ican’t believe that. Ihaven’t droppedyouintrainingwiththatmove ever Are you okay?”
Chandler triednottothinkaboutthecountlesshoursuponhoursoftrainingandworkoutsthey’dputintogether totryto maketheOlympicTeam.Shetriednottothinkaboutthesacrificesshe’dmadeinherlifetogetheretimeandtimeagain,only tonotbeabletogorepresenthercountryinher sport,whichhadalwaysbeenher dream.Shetriednottothinkaboutall the delicious, fatty, sweetfood she didn’teat, the love life she didn’thave, the friends she’d lostalongthe way, and everything elsethatitwouldseemshe’dalldonefornothing.
“I’mnotthebest AfterIgetallthetestsandstuff,Icantrytomakesomecallsforyou,ifyouwant Thereareafewguys that I know who could use partners. They might not be right for you, but they could be. You could maybe mold them or something.”
“Walker, justworryaboutgettingbetter Ihave Catto help me find another partner We’ll be okay Idon’twantyouto worryaboutme.YoustillhaveachanceatanotherGames,ifyouaren’tabletoskateinthisone.”
Catalina was ramblingnow. Chandler recognized it, so she tuned her out, knowingthat her sister wouldn’t stop for a while.Sheletherheadhittheglassofthewindowandlookedatthesnow-coveredroadastheydrovetheshortdistancetothe hotel.
“He’stwentybutlookslikehe’sstillinhisdiapers,”Catalinasaidofanotherskaterwhenthecarpulleduptothelobby. “He’s only ever skated solo. Maybe we can get him into pairs. He’s in Salt Lake. We could call and see about a visit. Chandler?”
Chandlergotinside,pressedthebuttonforthefifthflooroftheverynicehotelthatherparentsalsopaidfor,andafterthe elevator arrived atits destination, she walkeddownthe hallwayto her room Once inside, she breathed a sighofreliefand immediatelyfoundtheroomservicemenunexttothephone.Wishingshecouldorderthreedessertsasherdinnerinstead,she wentforthegrilledchickenwithavegetablemedley,abottleofsparklingwater,andaredwineshe’dnevertriedbefore Theytoldheritwouldbeaboutforty-fiveminutes,soshestartedabath,addingherfavoritebubblebaththatshebrought everywhere withher toremindher ofhome,andwaitedfor the water tofill upenoughtogetin.Her phone buzzed,andshe expectedittobeCatalinatellingher thatshe’dalreadyfoundher anew partner,becauseitwouldbetoosoonfor Walker to know anythingabouthis ankle.Itwasn’t,though.Itwas a notificationfromher news appthatwas one ofher favorite things becauseitallowedher totailor thekindofnewsshewantedtoread,soshe’dbeenabletoselectnewsaboutsportsandthe Olympics,specifically.Chandlersatontheendofthebedandreadthearticlethenotificationhadtoldheraboutbecauseithad caughthereye
After Skate Canada began allowing same-gender pairings for both pairs skating and pairs ice dancing, US Figure Skating has decided to follow suit and will allow same-gender pairs to skate and perform together in all competitions moving forward While same-gender pairing is still not a recognized event by the International Olympic Committee, it is something that US Figure Skating will allow at all future events in the junior and senior levels of competition, including nationals. It is possible that in the coming years, the Olympics will also begin to allow same-gender pairing for figure skating
Chandler lookedupfromher phonefor amomentbeforeglancingbackdowntofinishthearticle,whichmentionedthat they’dbeacceptingsame-genderpairsinalleventsbeginningwiththenextmajoronemovingforward,andshehadanidea.It wasaridiculousidea,butitwasstillanidea.Hersisterwouldhateit.Herparentsmightnotwanttopayforit,butmaybe,just maybe, something like this could help get her noticed in a different way She’d heard rumblings about them heading this directionever sinceCanadahadstartedtoallow it,butshehadn’tbeensuretheUSwouldever allow same-gender pairs to competeatanylevel Now,itwashappening,andasChandlerslippedintothetubbeneaththelavender-scentedbubbles,she thoughtmoreabouttheidea.
“Icanimagine, yeah,” she replied and walked backto the popcornmachine. She scooped some into the red-and-white stripedcontainer,walkedbacktothecounter,andhandedittothelittlegirl “Thereyougo”
“Hey,I’mgoingtogetinsome ice time. Are yougoodbackhere?” she askedSteph, who workedthe concessionstand part-timeandwhowasalreadycleaningthegrillsincetheyhadenoughhotdogsonthespinningracktogetthroughtherestof thenight.
“Yeah,I’mgood.”
“Okay I’llbebacktohelpyoucloseup”
“Noproblem,”Stephsaid.
Bellewentoutthroughthebackdoor thatledtoahallwayandthebehind-the-scenesoperationsfor theIcePark,which was the not-so-clever name her dad had giventhe place whenhe’d bought it. She gotto the locker room, changed into her skatingclothes,andcarriedherbagwithherskatesinitouttotheice,whereshefoundherdadtryingtotightenaboltonsome old,ricketymetalbleachers.
“Uh Chandler Andshe’sstillskating,Ithink,”shesaid,knowingfullwellthatChandlerwasstillskatingbecausenot all thatlongago, she’d watched her land onher ass ina competition. “Probablyengaged to some stockbroker or shadycar salesmanorsomething,too;somethingslimy That’swhatI’vealwayspicturedforher,anyway”
He walked off, and Belle beganlacingup her skates. Then, she made her wayonto the ice and lether skates take her aroundandaround,justlikemostofthepeoplewhocameheretoskatedid.Shedidn’tworryaboutjumps,spins,orpickingup
speed.She justcoastedand letthe cold air hither face as she plannedthe routine she’d dowhenshe was ready;maybe the choreographyfromherlastcompetitionorsomethingshe’dworkedonherselfinthepastfewyears.
Herbrownhairwaspinnedbackintoatightballetbun,justhow ithadbeenthelasttimeBellehadseenherattherink whenshe’dpackedherthingsandhadturned,hopingChandlerwouldsaygoodbye,butothergirlshadbeenthere,soChandler hadn’tevenlooked atBelle Her blue eyes were thatkind ofice blue thatpeople always described as cold, butBelle had alwaysthoughttheyjustfitwhoChandlerwas:atalentedfigureskaterwholovedicealmostasmuchasBelledid.
“Sure. No problem,” Belle replied before she skated to the door, which she closed behind her, walked over to the bleacherswhereshe’dleftherbag,andsatdowntochangeoutofherskates.“Fuck,”shewhispered.
It didn’t make anysense Chandler, of all people, had no reasonto compete insome small, regional competitionat a communityicerink.USFigureSkatingwasn’tevensponsoringtheevent.Chandler waspairedwithWalker Wilcoxandwas probablyabouttogototheOlympics.
Chandlerbentdowntotightenthelacesonherskates.Shedidn’tneedto;theywerefine.Butshe’djustseenBelleElrod forthefirsttimesinceshewasateenager.Herheartwasracing,andherbrainwasrecallingoverandoveragainthelasttime she’d seen Belle’s sad and scared face in that locker roombefore Chandler had turned away because she couldn’t take it anymore She’dbeenthereasonthatBellehadthatlook Chandlerhadkissedher She’dwantedtokissBelleagainandagain, butwhenthosegirlshadwalkedinandstartedmakingfunofthem,shehadn’thadthecouragetotellthemthatshe’dbeenthe onetokissBelleandtoleaveBellealone Instead,she’dlaughedalongwiththem,andshe’dstoppedtalkingtoBelleafterthat Belle,whohadalwaysbeennicetoherandhadn’tdeservedtobepickedonatall,hadn’tsaidawordtoChandlerafter thatdayunlessshehadtoontheice,andeventhen,shehadn’tsaidmuch.They’dgonefrombeingfriendsandteammatesinthe programtonotspeakingatall Suddenly,Bellewaspackingherthingsinthelockerroom,lookingdevastated,whiletheothers aroundthemallseemedhappytoseehergo.Chandlershouldhavesaidsomething,andevenalltheseyearslater,thattimein herlifewasstillherbiggestregret Notthefallsandnotthemissedjumpsortinymistakesthataddeduptopointsbeingloston theice,andnoteventhekissingpart.Sheregrettednothavingthecouragetostandupinthatroomandtellthemalltoshutup, to leave themalone, and let thembe She regretted not kissingBelle again, too, because she’d wanted that She’d beenso surprisedwhenBellehadgivenherthatkissonthecheek.
AsChandlerrosefrompretendingtotightenherlaces,herhandwenttothatsamespotasithaddoneoverandoveragain throughouttheyears Shetouchedhercheek,rememberingthewarmthofBelle’slipstheremorethananylover’stouch,andthat wasprobablyabadthing,butshestilldiditeverysooften.Whenshelookedoverhersister’sshoulder,morebyaccidentthan anything,shesawBelleworkinginsidetheconcessionstand Shecouldn’tsee what Bellewasdoing,butshedidn’tappearto behappyaboutit.Shewasstilljustsopretty,though.Beautifulnow,Chandlersupposed.Shewasn’tasrail-thinasshe’dbeen whentheywereskatingtogether as kids,butthatwas likelybecauseshewasn’tcompetinganymoreand,apparently,worked hereatarinkinsteadofdoingwhatsheloved.ChandlerhadknownhowmuchBellehadlovedskating.Itwaswhyithurther nowthinkingaboutBelleworkingconcessionsataneventinsteadofskatinginit,knowingthatitwasherfault.
Catalina had wokenher up at four inthe morning. They’d had a quickbreakfast and had gone immediatelyto the ice, wherehercoachandsisterhadmadeherrunthroughanoldindividualroutinethatChandler,upuntilveryrecently,hadn’tdone inyears.They’dbeenrunningthroughitoverandoversinceWalker’sinjury.Catalina,onherpart,wasstillworkingonfinding Chandler a partner, and she’d discovered that there was a promising skater who was participating in this regional event Everyone had called hima prodigy. He wasn’tpartofanywell-knownprogrammore because he didn’twantto be thanhe wasn’t good enough, and when she’d seen his videos, Chandler had to agree that he was good. He was also more ageappropriateforher,sothatwasaplus.
When Chandler glanced over at the concession stand again, she saw Belle throwing something away The woman, apparently,hadn’trecognizedChandler,whichwasstrangebecauseChandlerprettymuchlookedthesame.Bellehadchanged alot,though Herhairwasshorternow Itwasalsored,whichithadn’tbeenwhentheywerekids Ithadbeenmorestrawberry blondebackthen,soeitherBellehadstartedtodyeit,orithadsomehow gottendarkerasshe’dgottenolder.Shehaditata lengthjustbelowherears,anditwaswavynow,whereitusedtobelongandstraightenedbutpinnedbackandputintoabun or a braid inorder to compete. She envied Belle a little as she beganto skate to the middle ofthe rink. Chandler’s bunfelt tight.Sheknewshe’dgainedapoundortworecently,dealingwithallthestressoflosingWalkerforatleastfourtosixmonths afterhistestscamebackandshowedthatthetearwouldrequiresurgeryandrecoverytimebeforephysicaltherapy Inaway, Bellewasfree,andChandlerwasjealousofthatfreedom.
Chandler wasn’t sure what possessed her to walkonher skates toward the concessionstand where Belle, who didn’t evenrecognizeher,wasworking,butshewalkedrightuptothecounter,leanedonit,andwatchedasBelleturnedaroundin surprise.
“Shit,”Chandlersaid.“It’sfine.Ihaveawaterbottleinmybag.Idon’tevenknowwhatIcameoverhere.” Belle leaned a broomagainstthe backwall ofthe concessionstand and said, “I’ll getyouone.” She walked over to a refrigeratorandpulledoutabottleofwater “Onthehouse”
“Idon’teatcandy or chips, butthankyou,” Chandler replied, still hopingfor some kind ofrecognitionto flashonthe woman’sface.Whennonecame,sheliftedthebottleandadded,“Thanks.Wewon’tbelong.Idon’twanttokeepyouhere.”
‘So, this is where Belle has ended up, ’ shethoughttoherself
She hadn’t seen anything online about her after Belle had left the program, and she hadn’t seen her at any of the competitions, either, so she’d always assumed Belle had quitfigure skating;atleast, atthe level they’d bothonce beenon. Now,though,she knew thatBelle hadmovedhere withher family,andthey’dboughta skatingrinkcalledthe Ice Park The parkinglotoutsidewaspavedonlypartofthewayandhadgraveltowardtheback.Thepaintonthewallslookedmostlynew, butthereweresomespotsthatcoulduseafreshcoat Therewereseveralrowsofstadiumbleachersononeside,whileonthe otherside,therewereonlysixrowsofbleachersthatlookedlikethey’dbeenbroughtintotheplaceasopposedtobeingbuilt in TheplacelookedlikeithadoncebeenreallyrundownbutthatalittleTLChadbeengiventoitovertheyearstoattemptto bringitbacktolife,andthiswaswhereBelle,oneofthemostpromisingskatersthatChandlerhadeverseen,hadendedup.
Whenshe made itthroughand stood still onthe ice inher final position, tryingto catchher breath, she looked up and spottedBelleleaningovertheconcessionstandcounter,watchingher.Bellegaveheralittlesmilebeforeshestoodupfully, pulleddownthemetalbarrierthingthatblockedtheconcessionstandfromview,indicatingthatitwasnow definitelyclosed forthenight,andChandlerskatedovertothedoorwhereshewalkedthroughandsatdownonthebleachersagain.
Theyweredownthreetotwo,andBellewasstillpissedatherselfforlettinginthreegoals.Sofarintheirseason,she’d hadafewshutoutsandacoupleofone-goalgames,butthreegoalswasexcessive,evenforher.Wheremostoftheplayersin thisleaguejusthadfun,drinkingbeer onthebenchwhentheyweren’tinthegame,Belletookitseriously.Thiswasthefirst game ofthe tournamentthatwould name the end-of-the-seasonchampions The champions gotsweatshirts, so itwasn’tlike they’dberaisingtheStanleyCuporanything,butshestillwantedtowin.
Her teamwas offtheir game tonight, withone oftheir bestplayers unable to playbecause ofa familyvacationthathe couldn’tgethiswifetoreschedulejustbecausetheyhadtheirtournament.Bellewasoffhergameforanotherreasonentirely, though.ChandlerWolfewasn’tjustintown.ShewashereforthefigureskatingcompetitionthatBelle’sfatherhadbookedat theIcePark,whichmeantthatBellehadseenher lastnightandagaintodayas Chandler hadwalkedaroundwithher coach Thewomanhadn’tskated,fromwhatBellehadnoticed,evenwhentheotherskatershadusedtherinkforpractice,butshe’d beenaround Andnow,ChandlerWolfewassittinginthebleachers,watchingBelleplayhockey Well,shewaswatchingher suckathockey,anyway.
Tensecondsleft,andashotcameatherstickside Shepusheditaway Sevensecondsleft Anotherone Shepusheditout and hoped to her ownteammate, buta hard shotcame inather glove side. She caughtitand held on. The buzzer sounded. They’dwon.Sheliftedhermaskandsmiled.
“Yourwifeletsyououtofthehouseforgames and beerswiththeteam?”sheteased.
He laughed They skated off the ice, and she ended up in the women’s locker room by herself, which was how she preferredit.Thisway,shecouldshowerandchangewithoutanyonebeingaround,andaftershetowel-driedherhair,thanking herpastselfforcuttingitshortafewyearsago,shechangedintojeans,aT-shirt,andasweatshirtwiththeIcePark’slogoin the middle ofit. She donned her tennis shoes next, grabbed her keys, wallet, and phone, and notneedinganythingelse, she lockedthelockerandheadedouttojointheguysatWhiskey’s,thelocalbarownedbyafamilynamedWhiskeyandnotatall forthealcohol
“Hey,”shegreetedwhenshesatdownnexttoTeddy,whohadhiswifeonhisotherside.“Where’sthebaby?” “Withmymom,”hiswifereplied “She’sgivingusabreaktonightandgettinginsomeGrandmatime,too Ican’tbelieve wemightgettosleepthewholenightthroughtonight.”Shetookasipofherwaterandadded,“I do wishIcouldhaveabeer withyouguys,butI’mbreastfeeding.”
“Whenisshecomingtotherinkforavisit?IwanttogetinsomeAuntBelletime” “Icanbringher bynextweekor something. Youcanhold her for, like, anhour ifyouwant, and I’ll take a nap onthe bleachers”
Belle laughed and poured beer fromthe pitcher inthe center ofthe longtable the teamalways managed to procure on nightslikethis Whenshelookedup,shesawsomeonesheneverwouldhaveexpectedtoseeinthisbar ChandlerWolfewas sittinginadarkcornerboothwithaglassofredwineinfrontofherandherhandsonthestemofit.
Therewasalullintheconversation.Bellefoundherselfstaringintotheblueeyes,andtheywerestaringrightbackinto her own blueonesasiftheyweretryingtosilentlydeterminewhowouldsaywhatnext “Weshouldrace.”
Bellenoddedoncemoreandclimbedintoher truck,watchingChandler’sdriver openthebackdoor oftheSUVfor her beforeshedroveoff.
CHAPTER6
Chandler spun and spun and spun until the music slowed and died down completely. She spun once more for good measureandstopped.Then,sheheldupherarms,andthatwastheend–she’dfinishedherfreeskate.Shestillhadherlong program, but at least one performance was over, and she could go sit down, wait for her scores, and finallybreathe. Yes, Chandler technicallybreathed throughout her performance, but she hadn’t gone onthe ice solo inyears, so she needed one reallydeepbreaththemomentshewasofftheice.Shecoveredherbladesbeforeshesatdownandacceptedherjacketfrom hersister
“Youdon’thaveto date theguy.Youjusthavetoskatewithhim.Ifheplaysvideogamestounwind,whocares?Youdon’t havetoplaywithhim Youhavetotrainwithhim,turnhimintothepartneryouneedtogetthecommittee’sattention,skateat the Olympics, fulfillingyour dreamfinally, and then, do whatever youwant. Become a coach, like me. Commentate, ifyou want Hell,buyaplacelikethisorsomething”ShelookedaroundtheIcePark
“No,we pulledone outthatyou’dskatedwell backwhenyouusedtoskate onyour own.Andyoumightdookaywith your performance here, but if you spun that extra spin when you were supposed to stop at that last note in the song, you would’vescoredevenlowerthanyoudidhere.Youknowbetter,Chandler.God,it’slikeyoudon’tevencare.”
“Iam.Ican’thelpitthatIdon’tlikeFortniteguy.Hemaybeagoodskater,butIgetavibefromhimthathe’dshowupto training late or not show up at all. He likes to skate, but he’s not driven like I am. If he were, with his natural talent, he would’vebeenanOlympianalready”
Catalinalookedaroundbeforeshenoddedandreplied,“Igetit,okay?Butwe’rescrapingthebottomofthebarrelhere, Chandler I’mrunningoutofoptions It’spossiblethatifyoupickhim,wecanworkwithhim,refinethenaturaltalenthehas, and turn him into anOlympian;onethatwouldskatewithyouandmaybehelpyouwinamedal.”
“Cat,itcouldgetthecommittee’s attention.Nooneelseis goingtoswitchtheir partners rightnow or evenriskskating withsomeoneelseonthesidewhilekeepingtheirexistingpartnersjusttotrythisthingout There’snotenoughtime,andthey’d risknotbeingabletoadjustgoingbackandforth,youknow?They’driskinjury.They–”
“You’d riskallthosethings”
“Notthe goingbackand forthpart. I’d onlyskate withher, and ifand whenwe find a male partner, I’d stop. Easier to adjustthatway.Andthere’salwaysachanceofinjury,butmypointisthattheoneswhoaregoingtomaketheteamrightnow wouldn’triskitbecausetheywon’twanttorisktheirspots Ihavenothingtolose,right?”
“Opportunity? Chandler, your opportunityis righthere He’s skatingtonight, and he’s a soloistwho we canturninto a partnerforyou.Yeah,Iagree:we’dhavetostayontopofhimandmakesureheputsintherightamountofeffort.Butit’llbe worthitwhenyoumaketheteam”
“Whoareyoueventalkingabout?There’snooneIcanthinkofwhowouldwanttobethefirsttoeventrythis,letalone takeitseriouslyenoughtoget you noticed.That’s whatthis wouldbeabout,right?Gettingyounoticed.How wouldwefind someone who has no partner, wants to trythis veryriskything, and would make itall aboutyoubecause theydon’twantto maketheteamthemselves?We’dhavetofindwaystopullfocus away fromthemforittowork Wouldyoureallygobackto beingasoloistafter,justfor theGames,or areyoupinningall your hopesonWalker beingabletocompete?Ijustdon’tsee yougettingtotheGameseitherway,honestly,butthisisrisky Idon’tevenknowanyonewhowouldconsiderthis,andIknow everyone competingrightnow,Chandler.”
