Built on smoke and mirrors

Chapter 15

The cold air hit my face as I skated faster than normal to set up for Triple jump, something that Irena called a flip, but it didn't make sense to me because I didn't do a flip.

I jumped as high as I could and landed it with a smile on my face. 

"Well done, Telvi. I think you can be done for the day," Irena said as she clapped. 

Today was a good skate day and I didn't want it to end. "I think I'll stay a little longer." 

She shrugged as the last skater got off the ice. "It is up to you. I think soon we can start work on quads."

"That's four times around, right?"

"So they do teach you things in the commonwealth," she said with a wink then walked away. 

I had been the last one to get off the ice before this wasn't completely unheard of for me. I just wanted to stay a little longer especially if I was jumping better than normal. Maybe I would finally be able to land a triple jump. That thought caused jitters to shoot inside my body.

I don't know how much longer I skated for. All I knew was before long, the ice turned softer and the lights flickered. Taking that as my sign, I stepped off the ice with a smile on my face. I knew the skate I just gave and it excited me to know I was improving. If mom was still around, I just hoped she would be proud. She was reason I got into skating. She wanted me to be the best skater I could be, and look at me now. I am here, in the Motherwealth, being the best skater I could be. 

The smile did not leave my face as I untied my skates. This place wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was getting better, and now I realized that was what I wanted. 

Suddenly I heard my name called out. My head snapped up to see Ezra walking towards me. "Hey Telvi!" he said with a smile. 

I smiled at him as I slipped off my skates. "Hey. So, got my schedule memorized?"

his cheeks turned red for a second before shaking his head. "Nah. It's just I expected your schedule to be the same as all the other talented." 

"Good point there." 

"So anyhow, have any plans tonight?"

I shook my head. Eydis and I normally hung out in the evening but I'm sure she would think nothing of it if I hung out with Ezra instead. 

"Cool! I was wondering if you wanted to leave campus and get something to eat." 

As much as that thought would be great, I knew that I couldn't leave campus until the free days happen. Until then, I was stuck here on campus. "I can't really leave campus unless it's a free day."

A smile flashed across his face. "Well, will me, the possibilities are endless." He waved a card in the air allowing me to see a golden color of it gleam in the light. It looked fancy, but then again, nearly everything about Ezra was fancy. 

I swung the bag over my shoulder and smiled. "Sure. I would love to go out. I just need to put this away." 

He shook his head as he took the bag from my hands. "I know a secret place we can hide it for tonight." He walked towards an corner of the lobby. "There is this vent system that they will never fix. Used to hide a slew of things in it." 

He got onto his hands and knees and pulled a grate off the wall. He reached his hand into the darkness and pulled out a small rolled paper stick and smiled. He tucked it into his pocket then stuck my skates in the darkness then put the grate back. 

"No one will see them. Now we can leave." He smiled at me as he dusted himself off. 

I nodded as I followed him out of the building just as the lights flashed off.