I hate Wilder Gray. I really, really do and I always have.
That is until I can't anymore. I can't hate my skating partner, after all, can I? And that's what Wilder is - my new partner. And he's the one who's going to help me beat Sam and Jules and g...
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Normally, I'm incredibly relaxed walking into practice but considering I know that this is just a practice with Wilder, I'm not feeling so happy about it. My music is blaring in my ears but I'm not listening to it. My mind is on everything else but the music.
As I reach the rink, I hoist my bag further onto my shoulder and the sliding doors open for me. Even that movement doesn't relax me. God, I can't wait for this to be over. I really can't.
With a nod to Tina on the reception desk, I slip into the locker room and take off my sweater, leaving me just in my base layer and leggings which I pull bottoms of over my skates once they're laced up on my feet.
Only then do I pause the You Me At Six that is currently playing and wrap the headphones around my phone, locking it in the locker with my bag. As I head through to the rink, I tighten the ponytail in my hair and adjust my woollen headband so that it's covering my ears. Hopefully, it might block out the sounds of Wilder a little bit.
As soon as I step out onto the rink-side, everything makes more sense. Kieran is sitting on the bench with his leg in a cast and a pair of crutches next to him. Wilder is on the ice, currently doing his freaking triple axel. Screw him and his triple jumps that he can do to perfection.
Asshole.
"What's going on?" I ask Coach who is leaning against the boards, a smile sitting on her face a little too happily. "What the hell happened to Kieran?"
"He broke his shin bone yesterday," she replies before looking at him over my head. "He should be on bed rest but he insisted on being here just in case."
Suddenly, everything comes rushing to me. Regionals are in two months. Only two months. I can't skate with Kieran because he's gone and screwed up his leg. Nice one. I bet he wasn't even doing anything worth breaking your leg over.
I then look over to Wilder, who's now doing a turn sequence, and back to Coach. I really hope she's not going to say what I think she's going to say. My sanity is depending on it, along with my entire career.
"So, Wilder's here to step in." Nope, she said it. She said exactly what I was hoping she wouldn't.
With a spray of ice, Wilder then appears next to us with a smug grin. "'Sup, partner?"
We haven't actually shared the ice like this since we were skating partners when we were eight but Coach thought it was more hassle than it was worth because we just wouldn't stop arguing. The fact that she thinks something has changed is a mistake on her part.
The day Wilder and I don't argue is the day pigs fly.
"So what's actually happening?" I ask again, really hoping that I misheard what she just said. "Please don't tell me he's my new partner. I really can't cope with him for the next six months. I'm already sick of his presence."
"Ouch, Green, you wound me," Wilder says, holding a hand over his heart. "Trust me, I like this arrangement as much as you do but apparently we have a shot at this together and I don't know about you, but I think we could break a few records in both the Single and Pairs competitions."
