Breaking the Ice - Inside Out

The Rink

Riley was under serious observation the next two weeks, but it didn't stop her from secretly taking her anger out on the ice. In the cold air, she bit her cheeks every night as she snuck out to the local rink. The ice offered a temporary escape from the storm inside her, the only place where she felt a semblance of control.

Championships, Riley thought. That's all that matters now.

It had been like true hell at school. The environment felt suffocating. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, judging her, talking about her behind her back. The Firehawks, her former teammates, had become distant, their once warm banter now replaced with a silence.

"Dani—please—can we talk?" Riley said, her voice barely above a whisper as she approached her friend in the hallway, her eyes pleading.

Dani turned around, her expression cold and unyielding. "There's nothing to talk about, Riley," she said, her voice laced with bitterness.

"Dani, please," Riley begged, desperation seeping into her voice. "Just give me a chance to explain."

Dani shook her head, her eyes hardening. "Explain what? How you've been reckless and selfish? I don't want to hear it."

Without another word, Dani walked away, joining the rest of the Firehawks who were gathered near their lockers. They cast furtive glances in Riley's direction.

Riley and Val made eye contact for a brief moment across the crowded hallway as Val approached the group, but Riley quickly looked away, anger and hurt flashing in her eyes. She turned on her heel and angrily walked off, not wanting to face her.

"Hey, Riley, wait!" Val called out, her voice filled with desperation as she chased after her, arm stretched out in her direction. "Talk to me, please."

Riley's steps quickened, but Val was persistent, catching up to her and grabbing her shoulder gently. "Let me go," Riley said through gritted teeth, trying to pull away without causing a scene around them.

"Riley, please," Val pleaded, her grip tightening slightly. "I'm really worried about you."

Riley turned to face her, tears brimming in her eyes. "Worried?" she spat. "You have no idea what I'm going through. Just let me be."

Riley pulled her arm away with brute force.

"Go be with Alex" She spat out.

As Riley walked away, she felt the weight of her loneliness pressing down on her. She knew she couldn't keep going like this, but she didn't know how to let anyone in. The only place she felt even a little bit in control was on the ice, and even that was slipping away from her.

What now? she thought, the question echoing in her mind. What now...

-

That night after the firehawks finished their practice, Riley found herself at the rink once again after sneaking out. The cold air felt welcoming. She laced up her skates with trembling hands, her mind replaying the events of the day. She needed to skate, needed to feel the rush of the ice beneath her feet, needed to forget.

Riley sat on the bench, her hands trembling as she carefully removed the brace from her injured leg. She slipped on her skate, wincing as she tightened the laces. "It's okay," she whispered to herself. "Just like yesterday...and the day before that."

When she stood up, the instability in her leg was fairly obvious. She tried to push past the discomfort, refusing to let it hold her back. She needed this. So badly.

Stepping onto the ice, the cool surface contrasted sharply with the storm of emotions that brewed inside her. She pushed off, her movements shaky at first, but gradually she found herself a pretty good rhythm.

Despite her overall best efforts, Riley's frustration surged through. Every glide on the ice was a stark reminder of how far she had truly fallen, of all she had lost. So, she skated faster, her breath coming in uneven gasps, as if speed alone could help her outrun herself and everything around her.

Her leg trembled with each push, her once-powerful movements now unsteady and frail. She attempted a sharp turn, but her injured leg gave way, sending her down to the ice. For a moment, she lay there, feeling the cold seep through her clothes, her breath fogging in the chilly air.

Determined, Riley forced herself to stand. She wouldn't let this break her. She pushed off again, her movements cautious, but the instability in her leg persisted. Each attempt to gain speed ended in stumbling or falling, the pain growing more acute.

Eventually, Riley's anger bubbled to the surface. She yanked off her helmet and threw it across the ice, the sound echoing through the empty rink. "God dammit!" she yelled, her voice raw with pain and frustration.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she noticed someone standing at the rink's edge. It was Val. Concern was etched on her face as she watched

"I knew I'd find you here," Val said, her voice soft but filled with worry as she stepped out of the shadows.

Riley paused mid-skate, her shoulders tensing up as she faced Val. "What do you want?" she snapped, holding a mix of both frustration and vulnerability in her tone.

She couldn't believe it. Again? Really? Why was Val always trying to act like the hero in her story, only to brush her off when it mattered? Riley was sick of it. She couldn't take it anymore.

Val approached her slowly, footsteps cautious on the cold slippery floor. "You're not alright, Minnesota," she said quietly, searching Riley's face for any hint of her old self.

Riley winced at the nickname. She loved it, loved that only Val called her that. Ugh, Riley thought, what am I thinking? She tried to push away the confusing emotions swirling inside her, but the nickname brought them all rushing back.

"Don't call me that," Riley muttered, lowering her gaze, a level of anger etched into her brows.

Val frowned with a shocked look. Without another word, she gently pulled Riley away from the ice, away from the place that had become both her haven and her battlefield. "Why are you doing?!" Riley asked, tears forming in her eyes as she screamed at Val for pulling her off the ice.

"What's going on with you?" Val pressed harshly, her worry morphing into frustration as she let her go. "You're supposed to be recovering, but you're out here pushing yourself like this. This is why you got injured-"

Riley's breath caught, her chest heaving. "It was because of you!" she blurted out, her voice cracking as she cut off Val.

Val stepped back, taken aback by Riley's words. Her mind raced, trying to understand the depth of Riley's anguish.

Val stood shocked.  Her heart aching as she watched Riley act out.. Seeing her like this was unbearable. Emotions bubbled over, and before she could stop herself, she called out, voice trembling. "I don't know how to get through to you anymore!"

Riley turned, tears shimmering in her eyes. Panting, she struggled to keep control. "You keep pushing me away," Val continued, her voice breaking. "I've been trying so hard to understand you-"

"I'm right here!" Riley interrupted, her voice breaking further. Tears streamed down her face, each one a testament to her pain. "I- I've been... here the whole time..."

The silence between them was heavy with unsaid words and unresolved tension. Val's heart ached at Riley's raw vulnerability. She suddenly felt a desperate pull to close the distance between them.

In a moment of unplanned emotion, Val stepped forward. She cupped Riley's tear-streaked face gently, feeling her breath hitch at the touch.

Without thinking, Val leaned in and kissed her.

Riley froze momentarily, mind swirling. The warmth of Val's lips, the urgency of her touch, something inside her broke free. She kissed Val back, her hands trembling as they found Val's shoulders. She held on tightly, afraid to let go, afraid to lose this moment.

Their kiss deepened, growing more intense, more passionate. Val's hands moved to the back of Riley's neck, fingers threading through her hair. Riley responded, clutching at Val's jacket, pulling her closer. The world around them seemed to fade, leaving just the two of them, entwined in each other. The ice rink, the cold, the pain in Riley's leg—all of it disappeared as they melted into the kiss.