The Un-landed Everything

Chapter 14

How was I expected to skate when my Nana just died? I could manage, if I really loved the sport. 

                      Coach was going to be my new chaperone to and from the rink, now since Nana’s…never mind. I stepped into the front seat of the car, and she leaned in and hugged me. I wiped away a tear.

                      “I’m so sorry sweetie.” Coach whispered in my ear. I hadn’t really gotten the chance to talk to her after the funeral, so this was her turn. “She was a great woman,” she said, releasing from the hug.

                      “Thank you, I guess.” I muttered, to myself, I guess. I have been very unsure of myself lately, and not as confident.

                      The whole ride to the rink was silent. I mainly played on my phone, while coach obviously drove. I was relieved when arriving at the rink. I didn’t want to skate, but I needed to skate. Maybe it would keep my mind off of everything.

                      Coach signed me in, and then I rushed to the locker rooms. I now kept my skates in my rink locker, since coach now picks me up, and I don’t want to take my skates to school. That would suck.

~

                      “Lean back a little more,” coach shouted from across the rink. “Keep your arms in position.”

                      I checked out of my layback spin, and skated over.

                      “Very good,” coach smiled. “Let’s try your catch camel now. We haven’t done that in a while.”

                      “Can we stretch?” I asked. Even thought I stretch before getting on the ice, and type of flexible move I’m about to do, I like to stretch for beforehand.

                      “Yeah sure,” she replied motioning to the wall.

                      Coach pulled my leg higher, and higher, until my legs began to burn. I’m not that flexible for a skater. I can barely do a split, and my spirals aren’t that high. As for Rowan, she is very flexible. She loves spins with flexible poses. Her specialties are illusions, where you enter the spin, then fling your leg straight upward. They are really cool, but I suck at them. She is also really good at her catch camel, I find those okay I’m just not flexible.

                      “Carmenn?” Coach asked trying to get my attention.

                      “Yes coach?”

                      “Focus.”

                      “Yes coach.”

                      “Okay so, I think you’ve got this, so go ahead and give me the best catch camel yet.”

                      “Yes coach.”

                      “Okay enough with the ‘yes coach’”

                      “Sorry coach.”

                      “Okay. Go for it.”

                      I skated toward the center of the ice, my heart beating fast. So many things could go wrong, it’s almost nerve wracking. When I gained enough confidence I stepped into the spin.

                      Splat. I was a big heap on the ice. That surely wasn’t a catch camel.

                      “You’re leaning to much.” Coach said skating over, “again.”

                      I got up, wiped of the ice, stroked around a few times, and then stepped into the spin.

                      Again I ended up as a heap on the ice. Leaning too much, again.

                      “Let’s give spins a break.” Coach shouted, “let me see a few warm up waltz-jumps, then a few more singles, then doubles, and we will work on the triples a lot today.”

~

                      “You nailed that triple Lutz!” Coach remarked from across the rink. “Axel time?”

                      “Fine.” I replied. I hoped I would land one again, like I did last Monday.

                      I stroked around for a while trying to gain speed. “Ready?” I whispered to myself. I flung myself into the air, pulling in as tight as I could. One…Two… I started sinking down to the ice…Three. My blade hit the ice. I landed it! Flawlessly!

         I looked over at coach she was smiling, then her expression changed to a serious face. "Again," she shouted.

                      I knew she was going to say that.