Ice Wars (Bastille and Figure Skating AU)

4. Don't Give Up

March 15th, 2015

     March 15th, 2015. It's been just a week since my skate and suspension at the World Junior Championships. But now, my focus is to chill and forget about this. Canada's Nam Nguyen sits across from me at the small noodle restaurant, happily slurping his noodles, and unknowingly doesn't know about the news. I feel unsure of whether to tell him what happened to Evgenia and I, but I know it's best let him know sooner than later. I'm worrying about my reputation as a figure skater, and if the news reaches Skate Canada, who knows what'll happen to my career. So here I am, nervously eating a hot bowl of udon noodles on a food street in Shanghai, waiting for the perfect moment to tell Nam about my suspension.

"Um, Nam," I swallow the last of my lunch.

"Yeah?" he innocently smiles as he slurps a string of noodle.

"I gotta...tell you something," I bite my lip as I feel my body slump further into the chair.

"Go ahead," Nam sits up with more posture.

"So I got a silver medal at-"

"Oh yeah! Congrats!" he grins. "I totally forgot to congratulate you!"

"N-no, that's not the point," I sigh, looking down at my lap.

"Then what?" he curiously tips his head on an angle.

"I..." hot tears filled my eyes, "I got...suspended...from s-skating," the streams run down my cheeks.

"What?" his cadenced voice ran through my head. "Iva, look at me."

"Evgenia and I got suspended for damaging the other girls' skates," I sob.

"B-but how?" Nam lowers his chopsticks into the bowl. "Why'd you do it?"

"I didn't..."

"Then what happened?"

"Evgenia took me to one of the dressing rooms and we found some of the skates all torn up and broken," I use the sleeve of my Lululemon jacket to wipe the water stains. "Someone framed us!"

"But who?" Nam leans his arm on the table in curiosity.

"I-I don't know!" my head falls into the crooks of my arms. "My career's over!"

"It's not," I feel his warm hand on my head. "Not with me and the others by your side."

"Dude, have you seen the ISU head?" I look up at Nam with teary eyes. "She's not going to lift the suspension!"

"Then we'll make her," he smirks. "How long is your suspension? And Evgenia's?"

"One season for me, and..." I hesitate to say the length of the Russian's ban.

"Oh gosh," he sighs. "Just tell me."

I sniff sadly as I play with the hem of my jacket. "Until the 2022 Olympic season," I say quietly.

"No way!" he covers his mouth. "You have to tell Patrick."

"I can't! What if he judges me?" my eyes grow wide at his suggestion.

"But he can help you!" Nam frowns. "Or even better, Elvis Stojko!"

"Fine," I give in, making the teenager smile.

"Great," he says. "Now, why don't we pay for our meals and go walk around?"

"Okay," I feel my mood lighten as I roll my eyes.