Rink

chapter nine | leg

LEONA MONTGOMERY

Triple Axel. Land. I'm just that good. I was bored so I choreographed a routine and now I'm going to do it.

I tie up my skates with the little diamond on them and walk over to the ice. I don't even know what terms my dad and I are on, so I'm just avoiding being anywhere that he is going to be. So, if that means renting out random entire rinks, then so be it.

I am a whole other level of petty, which he should know by now. He's hasn't said anything else about our argument which didn't surprise me.

I look down at the paper and start warming up some of the things I have to do.

I feel like one of the reasons that I made it so far as a figure skater was because I can pick up routines fast. They kind of just stick in my head once I learn them. This was a really helpful skill to have in the Olympics since you had to have so many routines ready to perform.

I teach myself about a minute of the routine and then skate off the ice so I can drink a little bit of water.

I forgot to bring one so I head over to concession to buy one. "Thanks," I thank the teenage girl who is looking at me kind of weird.

"You were at the Olympics, right?" She quietly asks me and I nod. "Yeah, I was," I answer and she nods as something clicked in her head.

"That's so cool, I don't skate. I'm just here because I work here but that's amazing," She tells me and I let out a small laugh.

"Thanks, hon," I say and walk away a few minutes after we talk.

When I get back to the rink that I had rented out a kid was standing on skates on the ice and what looks like her mother standing on the ice in street shoes, telling her what to do.

This is going to be awkward. I skate out onto the ice and the mom looks at me weird for a minute.

"Yes?" She impatiently questions me. Rude. "Well, I actually rented out this rink," I awkwardly said. I don't want to be rude, but I did.

"You are going to be greedy and not let a little girl skate. How old are you anyway?" She asks me in a condescending tone.

How is that being greedy when I literally paid for it to just be mine for a few hours. Be nice, Leona. Don't bash her face in.

I wouldn't actually do that of course, but the temptation is still there. "I'm twenty-four. There is an open skate on one of the other rinks right now if you want to take her there. I'm sorry but I did pay for this." Am I being a bitch right now? I don't think I am but the look she's giving me says something else.

"I shouldn't have to pay trust much for her to go and skate with a ton of other people. We can't afford that," Her mom says. I feel a little guilty for a second and then look down at her skates.

They are edea piano skates. Those are over 800 dollars to get them new, and not much cheaper if you get them used.

I know the mom sees me glancing at her skates because she stomps off, dragging her daughter with her.

I didn't want to be rude, but at the same time, open skate is only about 10 dollars at most places.

Can't I do anything without someone annoying me? No, I can't apparently. I keep working on my routine. I do a quad and fall.

I pull my leg up to me, feeling a pop in the back of my thigh. I think I tore my hamstring, wonderful.

I decide to call it a day early. I skate to the edge of the rink and take off my skates, sliding on my white boots.