Step of Faith

Chapter I: Off to a slippery start

Chapter I

Suck in a breath and hold it. Hold it until the teacher passes. Hope and pray that he or his wife will have nothing to say. They always do.

I'm scared. I'm always scared but I don't have a choice. This is my life and I have to live with it.

"Blair, step forward," Mrs. Catherine calls out. A lump forms in my throat.

"Everyone look at Blair now," everyone's eyes drop onto me.

Their stares felt like fire ants running across my whole body. I felt sick, one wrong move and I would throw up.

"You're looking at your new star figure skater. She has been invited to the World Hockey Championship, to perform before the games. It will also be a championship for you, so don't mess it up, kid," she applauds with a mild smile.

I blink and I'm not sure I heard that right. The applause of the other skaters only confirms that what I heard was real.

A sigh leaves my lips. I've wanted to participate in the championship since I was a little girl. Seeing the beautiful skaters on the ice before the big games was thrilling. I'm pretty sure I even wished on a falling star to participate.

I never dreamed that I would really be the one chosen. There are a lot of good skaters here but the coaches always praise me. I don't even think I'm that good.

"Practice is over for today. I know we didn't get on the ice but the physical was much needed," Mrs. Catherine's husband Carl exclaimed. I approached them.

"I promise I won't let you down. I'll get some skating exercises in. Plus, I have to stay in the rink anyway, one of the hockey coaches asked me to show the boys some balance exercises," I thanked him politely.

"Of course. This dedication is why you were chosen. The hockey team comes in at 6:30 so you have an hour for yourself, see you tomorrow at individual practice." Carl packed up and left.

Carl was a bit nicer than his wife but to a certain extent. I was convinced they actually had a sweet spot for me because they didn't yell at me as much as the others.

Catherine was fond of pointing out how everyone looked. Hair, face, legs, body, arms. Literally anything on you and if it wasn't up to her standards she would say it to your face.

Carl on the other hand yelled at you if there was a single step out of place. When I messed up I used to get panic attacks just before walking up to him because I knew he would be mad.

Sometimes he wasn't that strict but everyone was scared of him anyways. I shook off the jittery feeling.

I put on my skates and went on the ice.

The ice was my safe haven. For as long as I could remember it was my escape. From home, from school, from stress, from anything really.

Skating makes me feel free. Like I could be anyone or anything.

The hockey coach had approached me last week while I was picking up my class schedule. Apparently, his team was really good in the whole hockey department but needed discipline and skating training.

I accepted because I had free time. I used to teach children but because I need to graduate my senior year of college I paused the classes. Hockey was also a big part of my life. I know all the terms and the tricks thanks to my big brother.

I turned on "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Ray on the ice rink speakers and started skating some laps.

I needed to work on landing my Lutz Jump more gracefully because it was in all of my routines and it is the thing I messed up the most.