When in Sochi

Crash Course♡

"We live on a crash course, Kira," Gretchen told me while sipping his morning latte. "This is a fast-paced life, I hope you understand."

"I know it is, I get that, but I don't get why they decide to target ME with their hate mail!" I said frustratedly while running my fingers through my hair.

Gretchen stared at me like I just said something insulting.

"What?" I asked.

"Good God," he stared, wide-eyed. "Don't you remember what you've done, Kira? To get this job? Do you know why everyone in the business pretty much hates you? You don't remember at all???"

"Remember what?" I took a sip of my latte.

Gretchen looked around the Soviet Starbucks and cleared his throat.

"You SLEPT with Nick Boehner to get this publicist position. Before, you were just a small-time journalist. My God, do you not remember ANY of this?"

My eyes widened in shock and I felt my stomach lurch.

"I WHAT?!"

"Cut the crap," Gretchen muttered angrily. "Nick Boehner was a married man. WAS, until his wife walked in on you two. They're divorced now."

I suddenly wanted to throw up. Why would I ever want to do it with a married man? My 16 year old self would never have wanted to do that. But I'm 26 now. A lot has changed. What has become of me?

Gretchen changed the subject. "So what did you do yesterday?"

He looked at me inquiringly. "Did you go on a date with Apolo?"

"No," I replied. "I..." I wanted to admit it. To tell him I was with JR. So I did.

"I was with JR."

Gretchen's eyes lit up. "Oh were you! How cute! Spending a little bonding time with clients, cute! Did you babysit him?"

I hinted the sarcasm in his gay-boy voice.

"I had sex with him," I replied quietly.

Gretchen narrowed his eyes at me. "What the hell? Kira, you're literally all over the place. First, Boehner. Then Apolo. Now JR? What the f**k is wrong with you? You slut!"

"I'm really not!" I said, close to tears. This was high school all over again. Your friends calling you a prude because you didn't have sex, and your parents calling you a whore because they thought you did it. My parents did that to me all the time.

"I don't know what's with you," Gretchen sighed.

"Wanna know the truth? I'm really 16," I said desperately. "I have the soul of a 16 year old, but the body of a 26 year old. I swear to God. I'm not lying."

Gretchen stared at me like I was weird.

"It started when I made a wish under the Northern Lights. I was an angsty teenager who came back from a disappointing winter formal. Then I made a wish and I woke up on a plane and now... I'm here... And, I know it sounds crazy but it's true."

I looked at Gretchen intensely, hoping to God he would believe me. Instead he got up, smiled, and said, "Interesting story, Kira. Excuse me."

"No please don't leave," I said desperately. But I was too much of a freak. He nearly ran away.

I started to walk to the Arena. Then I ran into... Oh great... Apolo Ohno!

"Kira," he said, looking at me angrily.

"What's... What's wrong?"

He took a deep breath and held my wrist. "So JR was telling me a funny story this morning. It was about him, oh yeah, SCREWING MY GIRLFRIEND. Got an explanation?"

"I'm... I'm not your girlfriend!" I stuttered as I slowly slid my hands away from him. "You don't honestly believe that, do you?"

"I can't believe you, Kira," Apolo said sadly, completely ignoring what I said. "Cheating on me with a kid who already has a girlfriend, by the way."

My world stopped. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"What did you say?"

But Apolo was in a world of his own, consumed by the rumors of the media. A slave to the public.

"You know what, just forget it," he kept saying, "just forget it. Call me when you get a personality!" And he stormed off.

The horrors started to unravel before me. Good God, what have I done?