Shredding Ice

chapter five

Sunny winced when he stepped out onto the ice. It really wasn't that bad; it probably wouldn't even bruise. Or, no it definitely would, but not the worst bruise he'd ever had. The puck had just been unexpected, and it hit into a very sensitive place when he lifted his arms.

But honestly? Sunny was being a baby. He was a total wimp when it came to pain.

Coach Stern had worked it out with the hockey coach to have the boys end their practice ten minutes early. Amelia and Sunny needed to run their solos for the short competition and the duet for pairs before the competition, and Sunny hadn't been skating for the last half hour.

Amelia already ran her number while Coach Stern stretched Sunny out in the stadium seats aisle. The jocks nearby had cringed when Sunny sunk down into a middle split and tilted sideways, grabbing his left foot with both hands. And then his coach had pushed him further down, his stomach and chest flat against his leg. They did the other side too, then forward.

"Get into your starting position," Coach Stern called. She was up on the main floor sound booth with her phone plugged into the system.

Sunny was nearly at the very center of the ice. His legs were crossed with his right toe pick digging into the ice, his arms behind his back and his eyes staring intently at the ground next to him.

"Come on, Sunny!" Amelia was sitting at the scorer's bench, ignoring the bustling hockey guys behind her.

The second the music started, Sunny pushed backwards. His arms came up, and he made eye contact with Amelia, giving a big smile. The real scorers would be sitting there in only a few hours.

Sunny's skates cut easily into the ice, leaving smooth lines that followed his movement. His arms created beautiful lines in his dance, guiding every subtle turn around the rink. He felt the music surround him, lifting him into the air with every turn and holding him up when he bent his legs and reached back until his fingers graced the ice.

He made sure to look over the empty seats as if they were full with a captivated audience. A bright smile adorned his face, except for when the music turned punishing and he cried for help.

Amelia called out every jump. Every turn, every axel and toe jump, every camel and leaning spin. Not that he needed it; this had been a work in progress for nearly two months. They always did it though, during practice. And she didn't want to jinx him on the day of competition.

In sync with the last beat of the music, Sunny skidded to a stop, ice piling up on the side of his left skate. He was only two meters away from the judging panel. His right arm extended in front of him, his palm toward the stadium seats, and his back arched. His other arm hung limp in the air and his head tilted back until he could almost see the seats on the other side of the rink.

He held position as Amelia cheered. If he weren't breathing so hard, he would have looked like a statue.

Sunny stood straight, turned and lifted both hands high into the air. He imagined waving all around the rink, ending with the scorers. Then he gave a deep bow, one arm across his stomach and the other lifted elegantly to his side.

Amelia was still cheering when he stood again. He sighed, letting his shoulders fall as he skated forward and leaned over the bench for a hug. He'd already forgotten about his side.

"Ready for the duet now?"

Coach Stern's voice was much louder. Walter was with her now and had apparently set up the microphone system during Sunny's dance.

"Yeah, I'm ready. I'm all good now, don't worry about me," Sunny called. Amelia left him to find the entrance to the rink. "It didn't even hurt you know, because I was just focussed on the dance, so I guess I was distr—"