Ice Queen

Chapter 3 ~ "In second place"

Sasha 

"You know how important this competition is right Sasha?" Dad asks and I sigh looking out the window.

"Dad it's just a filler competition, it doesn't mean anything." I say shaking my head and he laughs.

"They're all important. You need to represent yourself well, if you show up and blow it all no one will take us seriously." He says and I sigh looking out the window.

I'd been working all week, practicing with everything I had. I knew this competition was practically in the bag, I just needed to score well.

I dress for the day putting on my favourite tea towel of an outfit. They were essentially leotards with a napkin to cover your butt. But I knew they were designed for the sport itself and if I was being honest it was one of the few times I really felt pretty.

Kate helped me finish my make up and hair for the competition and then I was stretching and decompressing. Music always helped me centre myself, I always told dad I was listening to my performance music but of course that was a lie. Hard rock, rap and indie, a combination fit for competition.

I was ready to skate my short program, and soon enough I was out on the ice. I begged dad to go easy with me on it, there wasn't this necessity to smoke the completion but of course he didn't agree.

The short was always slightly intimidating, it was the first time the judges were seeing you. And if you blow the short, you can't recover.

But I focused got in the zone and just skated as best as I could. I followed my jump patterns and skated like my life depended on it but was mildly underwhelmed by my score. It wasn't low, but also not as high as I needed.

"Sasha, what is that score!" Dad yells when I get off the ice. "Pull it together!" I swallow back his criticism and make my way back to relax again and get ready for the long. I ran through my steps in my head thought about everything, my arm placement, my feet.

Before I knew it I was done with the long too and I was waiting for the placement results. I could throw up right now. This is the first time I've ever been scared of my skating and what I would get. Dad has been extra harsh lately and I wanted to impress him.

"In second place......" I wait and so does the rest of the room. "Sasha Petrov." My heart sinks and my mouth gets dry instantly. I'm dead.

I smile and skate to the middle of the ice receiving the medal and pretend the smile on my face is genuine. I can see dad in the stands with a mortified angry look and I get ready for the worst week of my life.

The girl who wins is a hobby skater, I watched her program. It was nice, upbeat music, she really threw herself into it but....she wasn't anywhere near as technically sound as I was. And I say this as a skater who didn't compare my technique to other peoples. She's without a coach, a club, just a girl who likes to skate.

Dad is going to tear me to shreds, I'll be lucky if he even lets me stay in the house this week. I meet him in the lobby afterwards and he shakes his head. I know I just let him down and I feel more upset now.

"Sasha, you promised me you would work on your technique in your morning practices." He says with a dangerous quiet tone.

"I was, I never skimped or cut corners." I mumble.

"Than why was that girl the winner of this competition?" He asks and I start to really think about that question. Why was that? Was it because she was older? No, I'd beaten people twice my age in the past. It wasn't her technique either, while it was decent it wasn't incredible. Maybe they liked her music better?