"Sharper"
Christine pushed further onto the tip of her skate as she spun, keeping her arms tense to ensure balance and to distract herself from the anxiety of falling out of it. A small smile of relief came to her as it ended and digging for a deep breath, she moved on to the next section of the routine.
"Faster" the voice called again.
She obeyed and rose in speed, closing her eyes as she lifted herself into an axel, the air holding her for a mere second until she came down and her ankle gave out. She let out a grunt of frustration as she landed hard on the ice.
"How many times have I told you, don't close your eyes when you jump. Keep them open and see where your landing. Keep yourself in the moment. A great skater is able to feel the glory of their art while remaining alert. A balance that you must learn to strike Christine." He lectured.
She quickly picked herself, her legs shaking with exhaustion as she began to skate to the position her routine started.
"Stop." The voice called causing a warm relief to flood her as he began his traditional end-of-lesson routine. "I'm satisfied with your progress today Christine, your spins are bordering on perfection and you are improving your axels"
Christine mum mummered a humble thank you as she made her way to the rink.
"You must start coming on Sundays too" The angel suddenly commanded.
"Lessons everyday? I don't know if-" Christine began before being suddenly cut off.
"The rink is holding a charity performance two months from now. Carla's father has managed to have some Olympic scouts to watch her skate perform a routine after her rather uninspired failure she tried to perform at nationals." He informed her.
Christine let out a soft 'oh', confused why her angel was suddenly talking about Carla.
"You will perform a routine at the charity performance, and you will able to steal the spot of potential Olympic candidate from Carla." He clarified, reading her confusion.
"Two months? I won't be ready and-" Christine began to argue.
"Enough!" His thunderous voice striking Christine into silence "I will have you ready by then, Christine, this I know for sure."***"Straight, Christine!" The angel boomed, the shock insintinctively causing Christine to push her shoulders back as he commanded. She took a deep breathe as she entered into the double axel, keeping her eyes open as she counted two full turns and landed, barely skating out of it till she fell.
"Christine." the voice called sternly. She couldn't help herself and burst into tears, something she has never done in front of the angel since their first encounter, no matter how pathetic and neverous she felt in her lessons.
"Christine." The angel called again, this time gently. "You are in your own head. Your axel was perfect, you need confidence."
"But what if I can't land it on the day? What if all of this has been for nothing?" Christine finally broke, years of suppressed fear reclaiming her.
"You have the strength, skill and talent, Christine, and you have me." The angel consoled her.
"Is it possible to ask my father if..." Christine mummered slowly, too embarassed to finish.
"He is proud of you Christine, he has told me so"
"Really?" Christine sniffed, her mouth slightly parting in awe.
"Of course, who wouldn't be proud. Look at how far you've come in such a short time. When you skate, when you truly shake Christine, without doubt, you are the one that seems an angel." The angel's voice hitched at the end.
"Thank you," a tear fell down her cheek trying to to prevent her voice from giving out "Thank you for everything, my angel"
