Brie comes over and takes the chair beside me at the kitchen table. “How you feeling about today?”
“Excited. Thanks again for letting me take your spot.”
“I’ve been skating with you these past couple weeks, remember? I know you’re ready to kill it out there.”
My friends continue to fill me up with praise and positivity as we make our way to the park. I’m not usually comfortable being the focus of attention, especially since three of these guys are competing today too, but I’m getting better at handling it. They need this too. They need to know they’re doing what they can to help me move forward, and I can appreciate that.
Once we arrive, much earlier than we need to, I’m grateful I’ve been pumped with confidence for the past couple hours. It’s already crowded, and I know this is only a portion of what’s to come once the contest begins in a few hours. Not only that, but a few of the faces are familiar, and not in that warm fuzzy way. As expected, Sarah Kase and Camila Gonzales are here.
I’m not sure how I avoided thinking about it, but somehow I wasn’t really prepared for Camila accosting Beck yet again. Maybe I thought she’d been putting on a show for the cameras. Maybe I figured since nothing really happened, she’d walk away with her tail between her legs, kind of like Sarah Kase seems to be doing. Maybe I just feel like everyone should know by now that Beck is my boyfriend, dammit!
Camila jumps on Beck, literally, as soon as she catches sight of him. She runs across the arena like a crazy person, calling his name. Then she leaps into his arms, legs wrapped around his waist, leaving him no choice but to go with it. Okay, he could push her off and shove her to the ground, but this is Beck we’re talking about. He doesn’t have it in him to be that harsh.
Wait, hold on. Maybe he does have it in him. I watch as Beck pries her hands off his neck and kind of pushes her off of him. I can tell he’s exercising restraint to be gentle when he’d rather tear her off him more aggressively. She doesn’t go easily, and she tries to make it look smooth when she finally gives in and detaches herself, laughing.
My eyes dart to Sarah, who watches with narrows eyes. She didn’t come over or say hello when she first spotted us, but I notice resolve take over her expression before she takes long strides in our direction.
Summer leans closer to me and murmurs, “Didn’t the contract end today?”
“Yeah, it ends today.”
“Then go over there and put your arms around him or something!”
“But I don’t think we’re allowed to be public until tomorrow.”
“Who cares?” Naomi asks from my other side.
“What if it messes with my focus? I need to be thinking about competing, not all this,” I say waving in the direction of the two girls now facing off Beck.
“Go save him!” Naomi hisses. “He needs you.”
I look around at the rest of our group, who look somewhat helpless as they watch this unfold. Are Summer and Naomi right? I’m the only one who can rescue Beck, but is now the time? What about the big kiss we had planned after we competed tomorrow?
Someone shoves me from behind and I turn to find Zora. “Go!” she mouths.
Without overthinking it, I move until I’m standing beside Beck.
When Camila notices me, she gives me this look that is both dismissive and disgusted. I’m not sure if she thinks I’m some random fan and doesn’t recognize me, or if she’s just that rude. She at least pretended to be nice to me when we encountered each other before.
Sarah doesn’t seem to register my presence. She’s zeroed in on Beck and clearly has something she wants to say.
Since I’m not entirely sure what to say myself, she beats me to it. “The season finale was bogus, wasn’t it?” Sarah sounds triumphant as she throws this question at Beck.
“You know he can’t talk about that,” Camila answers haughtily.
“You were perfectly happy to tell me your version of the story,” Sarah says with an eyeroll. “And anyway, cast is allowed to talk.”
“Yeah, but we have an audience,” Camila informs Sarah.
Beck still hasn’t said a word; I’m not even sure he’s registered I’m beside him. I glance up at him and find he’s scrutinizing Camila and Sarah.
“Jordan, what are you doing here?” Sarah asks. “I thought you decided not to compete anymore after that crash.”
At least she’s not faking niceties, asking how I’m doing, when clearly she doesn’t care. “I changed my mind. I’m competing today.”
Camila switches her focus to me then, too. “Seriously? I thought you couldn’t even come back for classes. I didn’t see you on the roster.”
Before I can answer, Sarah asks, “How’d you get in to Southskate anyway? Wait, I don’t know if I want to hear the answer to that.”
Camila starts to snicker but then her apparently ex-friend shoots her a scathing look. “Probably the same way you got in the finals on Shred Live.”
“Hey,” Beck starts to defend me but I put my hand on his arm, stopping him. The heat has definitely moved from him to me, and that was my intention, wasn’t it? I’m not the same girl who was intimidated by these two at the Oregon Cup. I know what they’re like and how they tried to use Beck to gain popularity on the show. I’ve got nothing to hide or be afraid of anymore when it comes to their type.
“I’m here because I have good friends. Brie was invited and asked if I wanted to take her spot and give competing another shot. The location and timing before classes start up was perfect, so here I am.”
Before either one can respond, I feel a presence behind me and another at my other side. Someone places a hand on my shoulder and I hear Taylor say, “Some of us have real friends who support each other because we genuinely like and respect each other. I know it’s hard to imagine friendships that don’t involve using and manipulating one another, but Jordan actually has that.”
I glance over to find Moses beside me. “So be careful how you treat her. We’ve all got her back.”
Camila puts her hands on her hips and opens her mouth, but only a little squeak comes out. Her eyes take in everyone around us, from Brie and my roommates, to Naomi and Summer, to Griffin Perry himself. She shuts her mouth.
“Well, that’s sweet. She’ll need all the help she can get when she takes another crash. Nothing like a charity case to make you feel good about yourself.” Camila spins and saunters off like she just made some major comeback. It might have stung a year ago, but I have to refrain from laughing this time. Having ten badass friends surrounding me definitely helps with that.
Sarah smirks and then she does a slow clap. “Guess I wasn’t the only one who didn’t buy the production on the season finale.” No one says a word, and her smirk fades a little as she realizes she might not be the biggest loser here, but she doesn’t exactly stand on higher ground either.
“See you out there, Jordan,” she finally concludes with a tight smile. Apparently, I’m worthy of her fake niceties now.
My hand itches to reach for Beck’s, but since we managed to get through that without announcing we’re together, I hold back. One more day, and I won’t have to do that anymore. I’m motivated to be patient until then. For the first time in my life, I’m actually looking forward to showing off with dramatic flair. As long as it’s with Beck and we’ve got our crew behind us, I’ve got it in me to do just about anything.