𝐈 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮

Jonesy

I was not ready to go back to class on Monday. I wanted to relive the weekend over and over again; it had been the most fun I had had in months. It had been physically refreshing and mentally relaxing.
  Coach made us run laps outside the first day back. "I know y'all put on some pounds eating all damn weekend over the holiday! Got to work all that off! Nobody wants to lose the state championship because they were too slow because they had too much turkey and stuffing!"
  She blew her whistle so hard her face turned bright red. "I said run, Parker! I want to see your feet leave the ground at least three inches when you do so!" She mumbled something under her breath and went back to her clipboard.
  I laughed and quickly fell into step with Bela. She had an airpod in one ear and was furiously tapping at her Apple watch, no doubt changing the song fifteen times.
  "I'm like one hundred percent sure Coach is trying to kill us." Bela huffed out. "I can do ice, skating twelve laps around the rink is nothing. But running? I was not cut out for this."
  I laughed. I didn't mind running, it may not be my favorite form of exercise but it wasn't terrible. "She definitely is. I want to beat Priestly this year after last year's horrible loss."
  Bela grunted in agreement. "Oh, we definitely will. We'll grind them into dust."
  "Okay, well maybe let's not be that dramatic." I laughed, slowly coming to a stop. We had run the length of the track field three times and my legs felt as if they were made out of putty.
  A sharp whistle from the other side of the track almost made me jump out of my skin. Coach's face was red as she bellowed, "Did I say stop running, Claypoole? Another lap! That last one could've been better!"
  I groaned, resting my hands over my knees. "She definitely is trying to kill us."

***

  After practice, I headed towards the rink where Althea and Aiden were practicing their duet for sectionals. Althea had been stressing ever since we had gotten back from Aspen, saying she needed to get her part down perfectly plus prepare for their first Nutcracker performance. She said she wished she had spent more time practicing while on break, even though she did spend the past two days on the ice.
  I tried to calm her down by telling her sectionals was still weeks away but she was still adamant they would hate her. As if anyone could possibly hate her; she was perfect, and so were her skating skills.
  Yesterday she had stopped me right in the middle of kissing, even though it had been her idea. She claimed she needed something to keep her mind off things
  "I'm just so stressed right now, I've only ever skated solo." Althea pulled her face away from mine, a line creasing her forehead. "I know how to play a part in a production, but professional? What if we do all of this practicing only to flop at sectionals and find out I should've stuck with a solo act?"
  I knew she wasn't necessarily wanting me to answer that, but I still gave her a few words of encouragement. Although if it had been up to me, I would've liked to do several other things to get her to relax. I also knew there was no stopping the ramble train; the moment she found one thing to worry about, it was as if everything else on her mind needed to be stressed about as well.
  I leaned over and kissed her jaw, somewhat hoping she would relax. Althea placed a hand over my chest and pushed me back a bit.
  "And then the first Nutcracker performance is in two weeks, because they changed the schedule for it to give us more time to prepare for sectionals, and my parents had to get their flights changed; so they're flying in-oh my God." Her eyes widened.
  "Is that an "I should keep kissing you" oh my God, or a "I'm totally fucked, the world is ending" oh my God?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
  The joke seemed to go right over her head. "My parents, Jonesy! My parents are flying here in two weeks and I have done nothing to prepare for that. For them-for them to meet you."
  I bit the corner of my lip and fell onto the bed beside her. "You've still got fourteen days before they come, that's still a lot of time to prepare; both mentally and physically. Besides, you've already told them about me, so how scary can meeting them be?"
  Althea snorted. "You don't know my parents, I should've started preparing months ago. In fact, before I even left for school."
  I propped myself onto my elbow and turned her face towards mine. "We will be fine. You will be fine. And if your parents start causing problems, I've got a mean upper right hook, just ask Jensen."
  Althea laughed and her body finally relaxed. "You're not fighting my parents."
  "Oh, I definitely would if it ever came down to it. I'd just be like-pow, pow, pow." I jutted my fists out as if I was punching an invisible foe.
  She laughed again and the line between her brows disappeared. "You're so hot when you talk about fighting my parents."
  "Oh yeah, that's it? When else am I hot?" I placed my hand by her head and hovered my face over hers. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes now wide with sensual hunger.
  "Well, I think you're the hottest when your face is between my thighs."
  Jesus H. Christ. "Would you like me to be there?" I kissed her jaw again, and this time she didn't push me away.
  "Yes, please."

***

  Apparently I wasn't the only one who had decided to stop by the skating rink to watch the duets practice. Stella,  Sterling, and Bela all sat in the bleachers while Gemma sat in the booth recording the pair on her phone.
  "How did you even make it here before me?" I asked, taking the chair beside Bela. "You left after me."
  "We all know I'm faster than you, Claypoole. On and off the ice." She shoved another potato chip into her mouth with a shrug. "Sterling made us hurry, she wanted to watch Althea and Aiden from start to finish."
  Sterling looked over at the sound of her name and pressed a finger to her lips. "I am trying to pay attention."
  Bela leaned closer to me. "She can't see if we're talking apparently." I snorted and settled into my seat as Althea's coach joined Gemma in the sound booth and pressed start to their track.
  Soon the soft sounds of violin and piano filled the air. The moment the woman's voice joined the instruments, Althea and Aiden started their routine.
  They started off slow, their arms wrapped around to form an infinity symbol. When the music upped in tempo, they sped off, matching each other in both speed and rhythm.
  Aiden held out his hand and Althea spun into his arms, leaning over one of his arms, her leg propped up. They went another lap around the rink, their bodies moving in synchronicity before coming back together.
  Althea skated backwards into his waiting arms and together they leaned back, Aiden's head nearly grazing the ground. Their fingertips lightly touched the ground, Aiden had one arm securely wrapped around her waist.
  I held my breath as they held that position for several seconds, their bodies still moving backwards. Althea craned her neck, her eyes to the ceiling. Aiden's face was next to hers, hovering millimeters from her skin and I could see his eyes briefly graze across her face.
  It was just for a second, but even that one second was too long. I balled my hands into fists at my sides and felt my skin grow warm. I hated this. I hated him. I hated him touching her, looking at her.
  They broke their embrace and spun themselves back into upright positions and away from each other. Their moves were like star crossed lovers; Aiden chasing after her and Althea always inches away from his grasp before they met in the middle of the rink.
  They finished their set with Althea bent over Aiden's arm, similar to the move they had started with. Their faces were inches away, almost as if they were about to kiss and a pang of jealousy shot through my chest.
  I knew they wouldn't, but the intimacy of their performance showed just how well they worked together. Their dance had been so sensual that if I hadn't known them, I would've thought they were more than just skating partners. I had never thought of figure skating to be a sexual sport, but seeing them together made me realize just how little I knew about it.
  "Oh, my God..." Sterling's eyes were wide and her hands were clasped in front of her chest. "That was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen"
  I let out a breath, my eyes glued on Althea and Aiden; they now stood in front of one another and seemed to be deep in conversation. Althea was moving her hands back and forth, the way she did when she was frustrated.
  "I wonder what they're talking about, Althea seems pretty agitated." Bela mused, looking disappointedly at her now empty chip bag.
  I didn't give her a reply, instead I rose and made my way down the rows of chairs to where Althea was unlacing her skates.
  "Hey, that was really good, amazing even." I stood at the end of the bench, my hands in my pockets.
  She looked up at me and let out a huff of air. "It was mediocre at best. We're not in sync, at least not as well as we should be." She looked as if she might throw her skates into her bag and I quickly bent down and took them from her before she had the chance.
  She didn't even seem to notice. "Aiden is being all weird and it's so frustrating because we work together so well and he isn't on his A game." She mumbled something else under her breath that I couldn't quite hear but it didn't take much imaging to guess.
  "I'm just so worried that he can't let go of whatever has got him so upset before Sectionals."
  I took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "You guys will be fine."
  Althea sighed and gave me a small smile in return. "Thank you." She leaned forward and kissed me, the tension leaving her body. "I'm just...stressed. It has to be perfect; my parents want to see our practice set before the big day and that means-"
  "Yes, it has to be perfect, I know." I finished for her and she nodded, biting her lip. "You need to stop thinking about it, at least for a bit." I stood up, taking hold of her hand. "C'mon."
  Althea's dark eyes met mine and a half smile crossed her lips. "Where are we going?" She rose, grabbing her bag with her.
  "Somewhere to do a whole lot less talking and thinking," I replied with a laugh,