Step of Faith

XXVIII: Locker room full of tears

XXVIII: Locker room full of tears

Spin. Jump. Glide. And triple toe. Easy enough if your knee doesn't feel like it's on fire. The pain isn't unbearable though it's also not a walk in the park. But I was keeping it in check, I had to skate in two days. The day of the quarter-final game for Theo.

I'm going to be on a knife's edge the whole day, the game and my set stressing me out more than I'd like. The one thing I'll look forward to though will be the date that my boyfriend promised me. We've never been on an official one and he wanted to take me.

He's keeping all of the details under wraps. The rest of the guys know every detail but he's made them swear they wouldn't blabber. Sometimes I couldn't stand their bromance.

I shove all of my thoughts into a corner of my mind and keep skating to the tune of "I'm still standing" by Elton John, though it's the Taron Egerton version. I feel the music running through my bones as I glide over the ice.

I fly through the air and land all of my jumps one after the other. I choreographed this piece to look as complicated as it could get. Because there's only one person who I'll try to prove to that I can't be knocked down.

Jefferson.

His team is going up against some other college in the quarter-finals. The four games are divided throughout Sunday and Saturday. And Jefferson's game just so happens to be right after my set.

I might have specifically asked to go last from all of the skaters just to rub it in his face right before his game. My therapist said this wasn't really a good way to cope but after a little bit of convincing, she realized it will at least help me get closure by shutting him up once and for all.

Plus, if everything goes sideways I can still sue him and take it to court. A few days after the attack I asked the security guys to pull the video for me and I have it all on a flash drive. A flash drive with more than one copy and more than one angle.

I didn't watch it myself but I did ask the guys to make sure it was the right one. I can still remember Dean's face when he watched the video back. West cut it so it ends before Dean got on top of the douchebag because the last thing we needed was him getting in trouble for assault.

The instrumental part of the song is where I build the suspense so when Taron's voice comes out of the speakers I can jump again. Spin. Pick up speed. Breathe. And a triple lutz. I land it and a cocky smile makes its way onto my face.

I come to an abrupt pose right as the music ends and my breathing echoes in the seemingly empty rink. The next song from my playlist starts playing and I pick up the hockey stick Spencer gave me a few years back.

I flick the puck down from the edge of the border and get used to the feel of the stick in my hand again. Leading it to the other gate I pick up as much speed as I can with my figure skates. I fling the puck toward the net and see it land directly in the top left corner.

Loud cheers startle me from my peaceful trance. I turn to see the whole team standing there with huge smiles on their faces.

"What can't you do, Ivy?" Levi shakes his head in amusement.

"Hmm, now that I think of it I'm convinced I'm a prodigy at everything," I grab my water bottle after putting on my skate protectors.

"What are we doing today, coach?" JJ leans against the border while I chug my water. He looks not like himself and it's very unnerving.

"Some speed exercises," I answer him and then wait until everyone else is out of earshot before continuing, "Are you okay JJ?"

His face cracks for a split second and then a forced smile takes its place. He shakes his head and chuckles.