Sloping Down

Chapter 7

Maddie's POV

After my date with Shaun, I reentered my hotel room. I saw Ty sitting on her bed, reading Anna Karenina.

"Hey," I muster. "It's late and we both have to compete tomorrow." She closed the book and threw it on the ground. "Dude?!" 

"You went out with him. After what he did to you." Ty scowled. "Why?"

"Because, I care about him." I fiddled with my fingers. "You should've seen his face, Ty. It was--"

"Exhausted?" Ty said. "When I went to confront him last night, he was shitfaced."

"No, apologetic."

"He wasn't sorry last night. When I enlightened him on your situation, he said 'It's not my fault. She's too sensitive.'"

"He was drunk, dude, he didn't know what he was saying." Ty shook her head. 

"Fine, but if he hurts you like that again, I'm coming for his ass." I nodded.

"Okay, now go to bed. We have the earliest wake up time tomorrow." Ty was out within a matter of minutes. I, however, sat on my bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking about the things to come.

Shaun's POV

Early in the morning I knocked at Maddie's door. Ty answered. 

"Jesus Christ, what is it?" She said groggily. "Maddie's in the shower."

"Just let me in so I can surprise her." I pulled a bright red tulip from my behind my back.  

"Fine, you can sit on her bed and wait. Tell her I went downstairs." Ty said as she left me alone. I took my spot on Maddie's bed and waited. I heard the water cut off and her humming. I decided to hide around the corner of the entrance. Maddie left the bathroom and made her way to the bed. 

"Surprise!" I said coming around the corner. She screamed causing her towel to fall. "Oh, my God! I'm sorry." I quickly covered my eyes, stealing one quick peak at her. 

"What on Earth are you doing here?" She yelled. 

"I wanted to surprise you." I smirked. "I guess it worked." 

"Well, yea." She said. "Okay, you can look now." She said. I turned and caught her slipping into her pants. 

"Here." I held out the tulip. 

"It's very beautiful." She took it. "I would put it in some water, but I'm not quite sure if it's really water in our sink." She turned the sink on and the water coming out of it was yellowish. 

"That's gross." I shook my head. "Well, are you ready?" 

"Yea. Let me grab my bandanna, goggles, and my hat." She scurried over to her bed and picked up all the items. "Okay." 

Once we had arrived at the course, Maddie had to go up to the stand. "I'll see you in a few."

I found my place among the spectators. "Shaun?" A female voice said. I looked around and didn't find the source of the voice. "Shaun?" It repeated. I felt a hand touch my neck. I whipped around. 

"Darja?" I whispered. "What are you doing here?" I pushed her hand off my neck. 

"I came to see you. Aren't you happy to see me?" 

"No, you need to leave me alone. What happened in Vancouver didn't mean anything. We were both drunk out of our minds."

"I agree about being drunk, but we had something special. I could've sworn. Isn't that why you slept with me?" 

"No," I turned around to see Maddie at the top of the slope. "I need to watch her." Darja squinted.

"That's that little girl that found us together." She turned to me. "You like her?" I nodded in response.

Maddie hit the first pipe flawlessly, same with the second. The first slope came and she did a backside 180. On the second slope, she executed a flawless 360. Time came for the final slope. She closed her eyes. She made a sick method air. 

"Maddie Dunlap is sitting pretty in second place. Only one-tenth behind the leader, Sarka Pancochova." Right as Maddie was passing by, Darja grabbed my hand. 

"Dunlap!" She called over. Maddie turned to see her holding my hand. "Nice work." Darja yelled kissing my cheek. Maddie's eyes got wide. She scowled. She hustled back up the slope for her second run, that's when I decided it would be best if I leave. 

Maddie's POV

Light sobs flooded my room. I had wiped out so badly on my second run that they had to carry me off the slope. "Stupid." I muttered. Ty had gotten injured too, she was getting her Novocaine injections. She hadn't placed, but it was her first Olympics, she still had time. I shoved everything in my bag and made sure I wasn't forgetting anything. I left Ty a note.

"Ty, I went back to RI. I'll see you when you get home. Love your nearest and dearest, Maddie xoxo

P.S. You done good, kiddo."

I called a cab earlier, but it still wasn't here, so I waited in the lobby until it arrived. When it got here, I placed my stuff in the trunk. "Аэропорт, пожалуйста." He turned around. 

"I am glad to see young American learning Russian language." The older man smiled. We drove for a few minutes until we reached the airport.

"спасибо." He nodded. I pulled out my ticket and headed straight for my gate. Me and a few hundred businessmen and women boarded the first class plane. I was stuck between two older, bigger gentlemen speaking very loud Russian. This was going to be a very long trip.