Olympic Fire [Miracle on Ice]

CHAPTER 2 : Keeping It Secret

                 

A part of me wants everyone to know I will be trying my luck and try to make the Olympic Team in few months, but the other, smarter part of me, tells me to keep my mouth zipped. After all, last thing I need is a bunch of jealous teammates and possibly pissed off roommate. But keeping it secret is hard, especially when everyone can see that different, excited side of me I've been carefully hiding all those years.

A week later my head is still high above the clouds and I think it's starting to drive Ali a little nuts.

"Can you please stop smiling like a tard?"

"I am sorry, Ali. But I can't."

"Jeesh, who are you crushing on now?"

I look at her with my brows raised: "Again? What do you mean by that?"

She starts counting my "crushes" on fingers of her right hand, nearly blinding me with a purity ring she's been wearing since the day I know her.

"Let's see. We've had Simon...."
"A summer crush doesn't count!"
"It does if you got to 1st base with him!"

I smack her arm: "Not everyone has to know that, so keep it quiet, okay?"

She continues in a quiet tone: "Then we have Alec..."
"Show me one girl who isn't crushing on Alec here. I dare you. Even you nearly fainted when he smiled at you."

'That's not the point! And then we have Nick and Jason..."
"Nick. Jason is a hoser ."

"Doesn't matter. And let's not forget that exchange student, what's his name again?"

"Valeri," I answer and blush slightly at the mention of a handsome and quiet Russian.

"Yeah, him. That's four crushes in two years?"

"That's not a lot, Ali..."

The bell rings and interrupts our conversation. When our professor, Mrs. Monaghan walks in, the entire class sinks into a deafening silence. Mrs. Monaghan has been teaching here for more than fifty years, she is about eighty years old, but scarier than majority of our professors. And she knows that. Plus, her classes are the only ones where no one dares to chat. She may be old, but she has a sight of an eagle and great hearing.

"Good morning, class. Put away your notebooks, I prepared an exam to see how much you've been studying during the break."

I exchange a scared look with Alice and take a deep breath. This is not okay, I haven't even open a notebook and I honestly have no idea what is this class about. Sure, I am taking notes, but that doesn't mean I understand a damn.

"Know anything?" Alice whispers to me and I only shake my head in response. Leaning closer to her, I whisper: "What about you?"

"Do I look like? I have no..."
"Roy and Mayfield!"

Here we are again, being called by surnames. The last thing you want hear from your professors (or coach) is your surname.

"Sorry, Mrs. Monaghan," Ali and I say in unison. She looks at us once again with her eyes squinted, which makes Ali slightly move back on her chair, before turning back to papers on her table. The silence in the class is driving me insane, everyone is waiting for Mrs. Monaghan to give us tests. She suddenly calls out: "Mayfield!"

Every single glance in a class is now focused on me, including Ali's blue eyes, which I have a feeling are glaring daggers in my soul.

"Y-Yes, Mrs. Monaghan?"

Surprisingly, her thin lips are curved into an almost invisible smile when she signalizes me to come closer. Exchanging one final look with Ali, I loudly push my chair away from the table and approach Mrs. Monaghan's desk. I feel curious gazes burning into my back when she looks up at me: "Coach O'Connell asked me to give you this."