Skates & Cleats

3

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over Taylor's bedroom as she stirred under the covers. Her phone buzzed beside her, and her hand shot out from beneath the blankets to grab it. She squinted at the screen, blinking away the remnants of sleep.

*Morning, figure skater.* The text from Travis lit up her screen, his message as playful as he had been the night before.

Taylor smiled sleepily, pulling the phone closer. *Morning, football star.* She quickly sent the reply before sitting up, rubbing her eyes.

Last night had been a whirlwind of emotions—sneaking out, meeting Travis, almost getting caught by Austin. Her heart still raced just thinking about it, but she knew there was no time to dwell on it now. She had skating practice in an hour, and her next competition was looming closer by the day. If she wanted to nail her routine, she had to focus.

But before she could fully swing her legs out of bed, the door to her room cracked open. Austin peeked in, a smug grin on his face.

"You're up early for someone who was sneaking around last night," he teased, stepping into her room.

Taylor groaned, pulling the blankets over her head. "Don't start, Austin."

"You owe me," he reminded her, plopping down on the edge of her bed. "Big time."

"Yeah, yeah," Taylor mumbled from under the blankets. "I said I'd do anything. Just... let me wake up first."

"Fine," Austin replied, but the grin on his face told Taylor he was enjoying this far too much.

She finally threw the covers off and sat up, looking at him. "I've got practice in an hour. Please, can we do this later?"

Austin shrugged. "Sure, but don't think I'm forgetting."

"You're impossible," Taylor muttered, grabbing her skating bag from the floor and heading toward the closet. "I'll pay you back. Just... not today. I have too much to focus on."

"Yeah, like your boyfriend, Travis?" Austin teased, his grin widening.

Taylor froze, her cheeks heating up. "He's not my boyfriend," she insisted, trying to sound casual. "We just hung out."

"Uh-huh," Austin said, clearly unconvinced. "Sure. Whatever you say."

Taylor shot him a look as she pulled her jacket from the closet. "I'm serious, Austin. And if you tell Mom or Dad, I'll never forgive you."

Austin held up his hands in mock surrender. "Relax. I'm not saying anything. But if I ever meet this Travis guy, I'm definitely asking him some questions."

"Of course, you are," Taylor muttered, shaking her head as she grabbed her skates from the corner of the room.

---

The rink was cold, as usual, the smooth surface of the ice gleaming under the bright overhead lights. Taylor laced up her skates on the bench, her mind shifting into competition mode as she focused on the task at hand. She had an important figure skating competition coming up, and her routine still needed polishing.

But even as she stretched and got ready to take the ice, thoughts of last night drifted in and out of her mind. Travis. His goofy smile. The way they had clicked so easily, like they'd known each other for much longer than a single night.

*Focus, Taylor,* she told herself, pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind. She had a triple axel to land, and there was no room for distractions.

With a deep breath, she stepped onto the ice, the cool air hitting her face as she began her warm-up. The rink was nearly empty, just a few other skaters practicing their routines. Taylor glided across the ice, feeling the familiar rush of freedom that always came when she was skating. It was like everything else melted away, leaving just her and the ice.