Chapter 25: Chapter 25

I peek out to find the rink full of spectators. I’m dressed in my black competition dress covered in rhinestones. My makeup is dramatic and beautiful, so it can be seen from a distance. Coach Tammy comes up to me wearing his usual jacket and a coach’s pass hanging around his neck. He grabs me and takes me to Scott’s change room minutes before we are called out onto the ice. He wishes us good luck hugging us and giving us a quick pep talk while leaving his arm around my shoulders.

Tammy says to Scott and me, “You’re competing against seven other couples. If you make it into the top two, you’re one step closer to that Olympic podium, so make this count! You either make it this year, or you’re going to have to wait four more years and anything can happen in those four years. Remember, stay in the zone.”

Scott’s look of determination and concentration can be felt just standing next to him. We begin limbering up separately by stretching our arms and legs as much as possible off the ice so our warm up time on the ice isn’t wasted on simple maneuvers. We’re called out onto the rink with three other couples. Scott’s arm slides around my waist and we begin warm up. Its quiet in the arena with the exception of the sound of our blades breaking through the ice with each step and the fans calling out their favorite couple’s names. People are clapping when difficult elements are successfully landed.

Scott and I focus on our most difficult throw jumps and lifts. We hear someone call out our names and we both glance in the same direction to find Anna, Lara, and Jeremy watching us from the stands. We wave at them and then the announcer warns, “Last minute of warm-up.” We skate over to Coach Tammy, “I want you to do side by side triple toe’s and then take it easy for the remainder of the minute, you’re the first to compete so you need to rest.” We do what he tells us, and when I look over at Scott I notice he hasn’t landed cleanly. We skate back to Coach Tammy and he tells Scott, “You were leaning.”

The announcer says, “Warm up is over.” The skaters leave the ice leaving me and Scott alone. “Our first competitors coming from the Lagos Skating Club is Scott Brandon and Isabella Moyes!” Everyone is clapping, and we can hear Jeremy, Anna, and Lara call out, “Yay Scott and Isabella!” We take our spot on the ice and wait for our music to start. I looked into Scott’s eyes and he says to me, “We’ve got this,” just before our program starts.

We made one mistake, Scott screwed up his landing on the side by side triple toe, over-rotating it on his landing foot like he did in practice. The crowd made a disappointed noise when it happened but applauded warmly when we were done. We knew that one mistake in the short program was enough to cost us the championship at this competition. We immediately hope for silver.

We skate off to the sweet or sour waiting for our marks while the little boys and girls called sweepers go onto the ice to collect flowers and stuffed animals that spectators throw down for us. Scott’s forehead is covered in sweat and he is breathing heavily. Coach Tammy meets us at the Sweet or sour and we sit together in anticipation for our judgment. I smile and wave at the cameras and Scott follows suit but his anger over his own mistake is visible on his face.

Our marks are announced and then the focus turns onto the next couple. We split up to change back into our normal clothes and meet outside my change room. Coach Tammy looks at Scott, “Put it behind you and focus on tomorrow. Isabella, great job! Off to my massage now! See you kids in the morning!”

“What does he need a massage for?” I ask sarcastically. “We are the ones who skated!” Scott doesn’t laugh at my joke or say anything to me. He is too busy beating himself up. “Let’s go find Jeremy and them. We can invite them back to our room for a few hours,” I suggest. His eyes are broody with disappointment. “Scott, seriously, you have to put that mistake behind you or it will affect how you skate tomorrow.” “Text them to meet us where we’re staying, it will be easier than finding them here,” he says under his breath.

“Sure,” I agree. I text Anna knowing they are together:

ISABELLA: We R staying @ the Ramada Inn 10th floor. Scott said U can come over 4 a couple of hours. Did U guys get a room?

ANNA: Ya, Holiday Inn :-( We should have asked U B4 we booked. Rn’t U going to wait 4 the results 2 B posted?

ISABELLA: No, Scott wants 2 leave. He’s pissed @ that landing.

ANNA: We’ll wait 4 them & then come right over so U can rest 4 tomorrow.

I look up from my phone.

“Are you done?” he asks.

I turn it off and throw it in the side pocket of my skating bag, “Ya, I can text my parents when we get back to our room.” He takes my bag and slings it over his shoulder with his own and holds my free hand while we walk to the car together. It is getting cold and dark outside when we leave the arena. He opens the doors to his car and once we are inside he presses the button for the engine to turn over and cranks the heat. He looks so disappointed in himself, all I want to do is make him feel better. I place my hand over his and say to him softly, “We’ve got this.” We drive back in silence and I notice he never removes his hand from mine. I pull my phone from my bag when we get into the room and it is flashing blue. There is a text from ANNA:

ANNA: U got 2nd! C U soon, leaving now!

I hand Scott my phone for him to read. “We still have a chance,” I encourage. “Tomorrow we’ll kick ass!” His mood seems a little brighter after that. I take the phone book out from our little maple desk and look up pizza places. Anna, Lara, and Jeremy arrive when our food does.

We give each other big hugs in the hallway, and I say, “I’m so happy you guys came! Are you staying for the long programs?” Anna is still in my arms when she answers, “We wouldn’t miss it!” The smell of scrumptious pizza fills our hotel room while everyone hangs their jackets up, so we have more room to sit. Anna and I sit on my bed, Scott is on his own and Jeremy and Lara take chairs. I tear open the paper bag and lay the drinks we ordered on one side of our dresser, the rest of it is taken up by the pizza’s.

“What made you guys decide to come and why didn’t tell us?” I ask. Anna grins, “It was Jeremy’s idea, we wanted to surprise you!”

“I’m glad you did,” I gush.

Scott looked at Jeremy, “Nice text ass wipe!” “The banging one? You let her READ it?” “What text?” Anna asks.

“Oh, Jeremy asked Scott if he ‘banged me’ yet,” I explain. Lara’s jaw drops, and she gapes at Jeremy, “You didn’t!” Anna looks at me curiously, “Did he, ‘bang’ you?”

“No! Of course not!” I answer.

“What do you mean of course not?” Scott asks indignantly. “Don’t you want to?”

“Of course I do!”

Anna smirks, “She so does!”

I answer cautiously, “Eventually.”

Anna clarifies, “Like, not right now but sometime in the near future.” “How near is near?” Scott asks, “Why can’t it be sooner rather than later?”

“With us here?” Lara teases. Nobody acknowledged her joke. “The equation Scott, it’s not in our equation right now,” I explain. “Damn it, stop using my line against me,” Scott says angrily.

“I’m not! I just think we should wait. We have to keep our priorities straight and right now it’s competitions. Everything else is on hold.” I look at Anna, “He’s in love with me!” We squeal all giddy and everyone is looking at us. Lara is unusually quiet. Jeremy looks disgustedly at Scott, “Dude! You told her? Take your nuts out of her skating bag!”

“They’re not in it!” Lara says overemotionally. Her eyes are unmistakably fixed on Scott.

I look at Anna after Lara’s reaction, “What’s up with her?” Anna looks at Lara, “She has something to tell you.”

We all turned to her, Jeremy gets up abruptly and says, “I left something in the car.”

He deserts her, us, in the hotel room while Lara breaks her news to me and Scott, “I’m pregnant,” she blurts.

“Is it Jeremy’s,” Scott asks. I glance at him surprised by his question.

Does he think Lara is promiscuous?

“Of course it’s his,” Anna snaps defensively.

“Does your mother know?” I ask Lara.

Lara is tearing up, “Not yet. We haven’t decided what we’re going to do about it.”

“You have to keep it,” I advocate. “We’ll all help you. What does Jeremy say?”

“You don’t have time to help her,” Scott interrupts sounding irritated by my offer.

“First, he asked me if it was his and when I told him it was, he said staying together isn’t the answer. I broke up with him for a reason, and a baby can’t be our ‘glue’”.

Anna looks at me explaining for Lara, “He doesn’t love her anymore, he thinks the baby is going to ruin both of their lives. He says they’re too young, and he’s been pushing her to have an abortion. Scott, you have to talk to him.”

“Jeremy made it clear to me that SHE broke up with HIM. I’m not getting involved, this should be between Jeremy and Lara.”

Lara’s phone chirps. She looks at her screen for quite sometime before looking up, “He’s mad Anna, he says we shouldn’t have said anything until their competition is over. He’s waiting for us in the car.”

“You better go,” I say. “We’ll talk later.” We hug good-bye and I give her a reassuring pat on the back before she leaves Scott and myself alone. I strip out of my competition dress and hang it up right away, so it doesn’t wrinkle. Then I remove my nylons and underwear before looking at my reflection. I see Scott looking back at me.

“Shy?” he teases.

Eyeing him flirtatiously I answer, “No more than you are!” I slip a nightgown on not bothering with underwear before sliding in-between my sheets. He folds his pillow in half and joins me on my bed leaning against it. Scott starts texting his mother while I text mine:

ISABELLA: Mom, we came in 2nd going in2 the long program.

MOM: How did U skate?

ISABELLA: We did really well except Scott over-rolled his triple toe, so it wasn’t a perfect program.

MOM: U better skate well tomorrow. Only the top 2 can go on. Get some rest.

ISABELLA: I will. Anna & Lara showed up.

MOM: That’s nice dear! Don’t let them stay U need 2 sleep if U’re going 2 skate well 2morrow.

ISABELLA: I will. Love U & dad.

MOM: We Love U 2. I’ll tell him.

I wanted to text Anna to see if everything was okay before going to bed:

ISABELLA: R U @ the hotel now?

ANNA: Ya

ISABELLA: What happened after U left?

ANNA: He complained all the way back to the hotel about how their dirty laundry was being aired in public and that the decision is theirs to make and nobody else’s.

ISABELLA: He has a point.

ANNA: Ya, I guess. But we R her friends. She’s lying next 2 me crying right now.

ISABELLA: That’s so sad:-( Does she want 2 keep the baby?

ANNA: She isn’t sure. She wants to tell her mom first before she decides.

ISABELLA: She should tell her asap.

ANNA: When we get back.

ISABELLA: Does she want us with her?

ANNA: I’ll ask her when she calms down a bit.

ISABELLA: Give her a hug 4 me.

ANNA: Will do. Good luck 2morrow!

ISABELLA: Thx! Will I C U after the competition?

ANNA: I think we R leaving right away. C. U. Monday @ school.

ISABELLA: Cool! bye

ANNA: bye

The next day we skate a perfect program placing us respectably in second position allowing us to continue through to the next competition.