Promises || Road To Nationals

|9| To The Start Line

Jordan's POV:

   The fateful day has finally arrived. Today marks the day of my first ice race and my first meet since Nationals. As soon as my alarm went off, adrenaline filled my body from head to toe. It always amazed me how monumental race days seemed, while in contrast, the rest of the world operated as usual. Erin and her girlfriend were still asleep on the other side of my wall. 

   I have everything together. Well, minus myself, but that's irrelevant as of now. 

   I'm wearing the bottom of my cut-proof liner and skinsuit with the top tied around my waist and the team jacket. We decided on a navy blue base with gold lettering. The jacket and top of the suit have the same design. The gold lettering on the front reads, Fast Forward Speed club and on the back, there's a golden hawk. Above it reads, Humber College, in small print. They almost didn't come in on time. We got them just yesterday, and when I say Vex went crazy, she went crazy. I can't blame her: It is a sick design. 

   I sling my skate bag around my shoulders, pausing to look at myself in the mirror. This is one of those times where I can hardly recognize myself. The girl staring back at me doesn't feel like me, but someone I met a long time ago and someone I tried to silence. Now, I can only hope that this time, she's the one that silences me. 

   I glance over at my desk, where the necklace I never wear, lies still. It's as if it's patiently waiting for me to grab it and has been for all these years. 

   I turn towards the door, unable to stomach another second of contact with that ring and chain. 

   All I have to do is survive. And maybe if I'm lucky, that girl in the mirror will come to my rescue. Though, I highly dought it. 

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   "We're taking a bus?" I ask with a yawn as I hug myself. It's 5:30 am, and official warm-ups start at 6:30 am. That means it's still dark and freezing outside. So much for the insulated skinsuit. I can only imagine how cold I'm gonna be on the ice. I should've put extra layers under this. 

   "No, we're walking all the way to Centennial Park," Vex rolls her eyes as she takes a bite of her breakfast sandwich. I was too nervous to eat this morning. Maybe I'll get something when we get down there. "What else would we do?" 

   "Don't most of you own cars?" I ask, getting Vex to shut up. 

   Kai comes up from behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder, "You ready for your first ice race?" he asks with a smirk. It's almost disheartening the amount of faith he has in me. I can't imagine myself making it past the heats. 

   "You know it," I say with forced confidence, "And what about you, Mr. World Title Holder?" I turn to face him, crossing my arms over my puffy jacket. 

   He chuckles under his breath, "I'm always ready." 

   It's hard to explain, but his confidence somehow reaches me, and I feel a lot less worried. All I have to do is skate. "Good," I smile, hopping into the bus as the doors open. 

   Everyone gets their own seat. I guess that's what happens when you're a team of six plus one coach. It would've been more practical for all of us to drive ourselves, considering the small number. Though, in that case, I'd have to hitch a ride with someone due to my lack of owning a vehicle. 

   The whole 20-minute ride down there, I listen to The Greatest Showman soundtrack and Hall of Fame on repeat. If I'm gonna survive this, I need my morning hype playlist. I stare out the window as the red, orange, and yellow trees move through my view. Faint snowflakes begin to fall, melting as soon as they touch the ground. Sometimes it feels like that's what's happening to me. But it's not healthy to dwell on these types of things.