Ice Cold (PAUSED)

𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥

I am so overwhelmed with pride and excitement, I hardly know what to do with myself. My heart seems to be racing twice as fast as usual, and my fingers are quivering, my entire body pumping with adrenaline. I've competed in several competitions before, some bigger than this, and yet I haven't felt a rush like this after a win in a long time. As I force myself to look around at the crowd, the hockey team stands out, all of them adorned in their bright team hoodies- perhaps their presence was why I felt as though I was under so much pressure to do well. Or, rather, I needed to prove that I am not, as Mackenzie so lovingly put it, "a slut", but instead a winner...a champion.

As soon as I step off the ice, I quickly place my bouquet of flowers onto the nearest bench and brace for impact. Not even a moment later, Carla and Lou leap onto me, wrapping me into a tight hug. I laugh and graciously accept their embrace, feeling overwhelmingly loved. And, when they finally release me from their death-hold, my parents have come down from their seat in the crowd. I walk across to them and hug each of them individually. Lou bounds up beside me, beaming.

"I knew you were going to win, I knew it!"

"Oh, stop it-"

"I mean it."

Lou looks at me, dead serious, and my parents look a little bit scared- they love my best friend to bits, but I do think they are terrified of her. Their fears are justifiable, considering the amount of damage she's done to our house over the years- all accidents, of course, but the amount of windows and plates smashed is unforgettable. I'm surprised she hasn't been kicked out yet.

"April, your mother and I.."

"You have plans, I know. Enjoy your date."

I interrupt my dad, who had stepped forward to speak, and offer him a smile. It's my parents' anniversary tomorrow, but they're going out to celebrate tonight due to a supposedly "full schedule" tomorrow. I frown, realising that they still haven't told me precisely what they meant by that. However, by the time I've opened my mouth to ask, they've already walked off, arm-in-arm. Lou takes the opportunity to go and admire my flowers, leaving me stood, briefly, alone. However, the moment doesn't last long, because a voice sounds from behind me, high-pitched and drawling.

"Congratulations."

I turn around, and Mackenzie stands before me, arms folded across her chest, lip curled upwards as though she's smelled something out of date. I shift, then respond.

"Thanks, your routine was-"

"Can you, like, save it? I'm not interested in the fake compliments."

"What? No, I was being-"

"I said save it, Jones!"

I blink, taken aback by how temperamental her mood is- and, considering she was the one to approach me, she's being very hypercritical. I sigh.

"Could you let me speak?"

She opens her mouth and closes it, and it reminds me of a goldfish.

"I just wanted to ask you something?"

"Yeah, what?"

She glares at me, curling her hair around her finger whilst she awaits for me to ask my question.

"A slut wouldn't have the time to achieve a score as high as mine, right?"

I tilt my head, feeling mildly bitchy. However, I have to remind myself that what I'm asking is well-deserved. I worked damn hard to perfect my routine, and I am most certainly not a slut. Mackenzie looks well and truly gobsmacked, and she stands there, shocked and speechless, staring at me. I smile.

"Thought so."

I turn on my heel and walk across to Lou, who has been watching the entire conversation from afar, my flowers clutched in her grip. I don't think I've ever seen her look as proud of me than she does right now. Still, she keeps her composure right up until we've walked into the changing room, and then, she explodes.

"OHMYGODYOUACTUALLYSAIDTHATRIGHTTOHRRFACEANDICANTBELIEVEIT-"

I snort.

"Relax, pocket rocket, I can't understand you."

Lou beams at me, sits down on a bench and takes a deep breath, watching as I too sit down and move to untie my skates. She speaks slowly this time, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I am, like, so proud of you right now."

"Oh, yeah? I felt kind of..bitchy."

"She deserved it!"

"That's what I thought."

We both look at each other and nod in agreement. Then, I reach downwards to pull my skates off, cleaning the blades with a towel before I carefully slot them into my bag. I can hear the thundering of footsteps against metal as the crowd likely makes their way out of the viewing stands and down to the main rink, filing towards the exit. I breathe a sigh of relief, reaching for a hoodie- I can't be bothered to change out of my costume, so the hoodie will have to do. I slide it over my head and stand to full height, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Lou follows suit, handing my flowers over to me before we both make our way to the exit. However, as we open the door, we are met with a gaggle of boys- the hockey team, specifically. I glance at Lou, and she glances back, wide-eyed. At the front of the group stands Cam, looking just as confused as we are. He speaks, timid.

"Hey, April, I was just coming to congratulate you, but they all just- they just...followed."

"Thank you, Cam, really."

I smile, then look over towards the rest of the group, who are all awkwardly attempting to stand casually, except it's a bit of a cramped space and there are way too many boys for comfort. Lucas speaks up, grinning.

"Yeah, you were like, insane!"

Jackson also speaks.

"I had no idea figure skating was actually hard."

"Hard? She made it look easy."

I told my head to look for the source of the voice, and Blake is stood towards the side of the group, arms folded, leaning his weight against the wall beside him. He surveys me, and I swear he offers me a little nod. My lips part, and I look back over towards Cam.

"Cool, well, erm- we're gonna go. Thank you guys!"

I reach with my free hand and grab Lou's wrist, dragging her forward. The boys all shimmy out of the way, a few of them squashing each other in the process. Lou rolls her eyes in annoyance.

"Idiots could've just moved back."

I grin and shrug as we walk towards the rink's exit.

"You said yourself they're idiots, what did you expect?"

Lou continues whining, and I can't help but glance over my shoulder. Blake now stands towards the back of the group, hands pocketed, his gaze directed at me. We stare at each other for a moment, and for once it is him who breaks the eye contact, turning to follow his team into the changing rooms.

I realise then that, after everything that has occurred in the last few weeks, things are now weird between us- there is no hatred, no romance, just..it is like a string, constantly tense, and it is starting to become frustrating, because I don't know what it means.

Blake, you are forever confusing.