Heartstrings on the Blue Line - Quinn Hughes

chapter twelve: its time

Quinn and I spend at least twenty minutes watching the doubles perform on the ice. My nerves calm down being beside him and every time I see him looking my stomach does a weird backflip.

I know I can't feel like this but I can't stop myself.

Maybe you can bring up the topic of Rachael?? Be a good friend Gen.

"I should head back to our dressing room. I need to get ready well in advance." I say to Quinn as I get up and stretch my arms. he looks up at me with a sweet smile.

"Alright, I'll be here so text me if you need anything." He says to me.

I turn to walk away and he yells "good luck!" As I'm walking away.

I put my hand up and wave to him as I walk away back to our dressing room.

I start getting nervous again as I'm walking down the stairs.

Everything's going to be alright Gen, he is here.

I feel wrong by saying this knowing that he's with someone. He isn't mine to have come all the way up here.  Why is he even here? I just need to stop thinking.

I place my AirPods in my ears and put in my comfort playlist: the Hairspray soundtrack.
I grew up watching it with my mom and I've always loved the music.

I reach the dressing room and see Val. She looks up to me and points me to the seat where I get my hair and makeup all retouched up.

"You get on the ice soon. It's time Genevieve. You are going to rock it." She says softly to me.

"Thanks Val.." I smile softly and take deep breaths.

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Time-skip (I may have forgotten everything but don't mind that lol)

The doubles are all done and it's now time for women's singles to go out and show the judges their skills.

I took a look at all the competitors on the board; fourteen to be exact including Eva and I.

Countless minutes pass and I stand in the tunnel from the small rink to the big rink. I keep myself moving in my shiny sky blue costume. I feel the fabric rustle along my skin as I try and contain my nerves.

Finally, coach comes up to me.

"It's your time Gen, go out and show em' what you got." She says with a stern but comforting face.

Step by step, I reach the ice. It seems way bigger down here than up in the stands where I was previously.  I take a deep breath.

My heart raced as I stepped onto the ice, the bright arena lights blinding me for a moment. It was finally here, the day I had been practicing for tirelessly. Nerves twisted in my stomach, but I took a deep breath, reminding myself of all the hard work I had put into this moment.

I glanced up at the stands and saw Quinn in the same spot that I left him in with a good view of the rink. He quickly waved to me with a big grin on his face. His presence brought me comfort, knowing I had someone cheering me on. Coach Val stood by the rink, her eyes fixed on me. Her confidence in my abilities gave me the extra boost I needed. I really need to nail this for my own sake.

With shaky legs, I pushed off and began my routine. The familiar music filled my ears as I glided across the ice, trying to ace each move that I was going to do. . Each Lutz, Axel and spin felt like a test of my skills, but I focused on the countless hours of practice that had led me to this moment.