Can You Understand? (1D fanfic)

Chapter 29

I was confused. Why? Why now? Why with two boys? Did I really like Dallas and Harry? it couldn't be. It just couldn't.

I felt sad. My family wasn't coming, I don't know why. Jordyn left me. She never wants to see me again. I don't have a family or best friend anymore.

I felt nervous. Would this effect my skating? It can't. I was about go execute five minutes worth of dangerous moves, and with one wrong jump, I could seriously injure, or even kill myself. One thing I've learned from being a figure skater is that you can't let fear enter your mind, or else you will fall. Would my state of mind right now screw me up? My inability to concentrate could have dire consequences.

Don't feel it. Just let the emotions pass by. I've got to focus. It's necessary to win. I'm going for the gold.

"Here we are." said the British taxi driver. I paid the guy about twenty pounds, then grabbed my duffel bag and exited the car.

The Wembley stadium stood right in front of me, looking impossibly huge, even though I was here with the boys.

And then the fire happened.

No. No fears. I have to be strong. I looked out at the sea of people streaming into the stadium, and slowly walked back to the athlete's entrance. I was scheduled to go on in two hours. I was the third figure skater, after Germany and Japan in the Juniors division. This year, it was going to be televised around the world, which made me feel even more nervous. So many important people were going to watch. I think I might faint...

No. I thought. No fear, stay clear.

I walked into the locker room and picked out my locker. It was old and rusty, and probably was older than I.

I pulled out my skates and wondered over to a small private rink, down the hall from the women's locker room, where six girls were warming up. I laced up my skates. The tightness relaxes. The tight sides of my pearly white skates made me feel more comfortable.

I glided out onto the ice.

This is where I belong.

I did a warm up lap while listening to the iTunes radio. My nerves slowly subsided.

I felt a vibration in my sweat pants pocket. I pulled out my phone and read a text message from Liam.

Liam: We're all waiting in our own box view!

There was a picture of him on the couch and the boys all doing various things in the room.

"All competitors please return to their locker rooms."

I suddenly felt nervous again. I skated off the ice and capped my blades. I picked up my sweat jacket and made my way back to the locker room.

It was roughly ten o clock here, but back in the USA it was five in the morning. This would be pre-recorded and shown in the North and South Americas at six o clock tonight. However, around Europe, Oceanna, and Asia it was being shown live.

I sat in the locker room silent, surrounded by about ten other girls my age, all in their phones. This was quite usual of a girl's locker room before a competition. However, I could feel the energy of the other girls who were nervous, scared, ready, fierce, and hopeful. I've never felt so connected to strangers before.

Then I saw her. Sarah Thomas from Belgium. Sixteen-year-old World's winner for three years in a row. She was sitting in a corner, listening to music nonchalantly. I almost wanted to go say hi, but I knew better than to though. She was the ring's sweetheart, while I was the underdog. People knew me, but not like how they knew Sarah. She was my biggest competition.

Suddenly, the familiar feeling of fear crept back into my mind when I realized things. This was my first World competition. Oh  never made it farther than semi-finals. This was HUGE. This was INTERNATIONAL. I was representing the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The bar was set so high, even an Olympic gymnast couldn't bear it.

"Hayley Evans?" Came a soft voice. A young British woman with straight blonde hair came in, holding a black clipboard and a headset. I stood up and flattened down my silky royal blue skirt. It had a silver sparkly trim around the edges it it, with a silver sparkly sash sewed diagonally across it.

I was suddenly struck with a panic attack. I was about to go out and perform to 7 billion people in the world...or whoever cared to watch ESPN. I couldn't do it. I just couldn't. It was all to much. Dallas and Harry...creeping back into my mind. I was so confused, I was...

"Our next competitor is miss Hayley Evans, from Richmond Virgina of the United States."

Before I knew it, I was pushing through the crowd of officials and stepping onto the unfamiliar, hard, frozen ice.