“Skate with me.”
“Right now?”
“Yes, for a little bit.”
A few minutes later, Jonah steps out onto the ice and enters my world. My new normal.
“Wow, this feels awkward.” Jonah trips on his toe pick and collides with me. “I know how to skate. I swear, I do.”
I wrap my arms around Jonah until he can find his balance again. “It’s okay. You have to get used to them. Keep going. Find your balance.”
It takes a few minutes, but soon Jonah is balanced enough that he can lace his fingers through mine. We glide around the rink between the patches of light and shadow. On our second loop, Jonah suddenly cuts to the left, pulling me into the darkest part of the rink. His arms wrap around me, pushing me backward. Soon I’m sandwiched between the padded wall and Jonah. Our blades tangle as I pull Jonah even closer to me. The gold medal presses into my skin.
We are busy perfecting our performance when the lights suddenly come on, blinding us.
“Well, this is awkward.” Egg flips the lights back down to half. “I hate to interrupt your hero’s welcome, but I’m beat. Can we wrap things up here? Your dad is waiting, Jonah.”
My cheeks burn, but Jonah laughs. He laces his fingers through mine and pulls me back to the cut in the boards next to Table #1.
“Lock up and meet me in the car in five, Livy,” Egg says.
It’s ten minutes before we get our skates off and finish our goodnight kiss. Egg gives me a weird look when I finally slide into the passenger seat of Mom’s car.
“What?” I say.
“Feel free to channel some of that into our performance tomorrow. Also, can you call in sick to school tomorrow after all? While I was sitting here for-freakin’-ever, I realized you’re right. A butterfly into a back camel would work better.” Egg continues to talk, but I’m distracted by thoughts of Jonah. Egg taps my thigh to bring me back down to earth. “Ahem. As your surrogate big brother, I’m going to have a little man-to-man chat tomorrow with Skater Boy titled: ‘You hurt her, and I kick your ass.’”
“I’m not going to do lifts with Jonah. Stop worrying.”
“Thanks, but Rule Number One applies off the ice too.”
Chapter 22
You’re not coming to school today? Jonah texts me during his lunch period.
I’ve been at the rink since sunup. It was no biggie talking Mom into letting me skip school today to help Egg. In fact, after seeing some of yesterday’s rough footage on my phone, Mom insisted on having Egg pick up both of us this morning. Even Mack came in early with her laptop to tweak yesterday’s footage before her shift. It’s like a freakin’ family reunion. All we need is Dad. And a certain gold-medal-winning skater boy.
I text Jonah back. I’ll be back tomorrow. We have to finish the audition tape today.
I miss you.
I miss you too.
Also, I just sat through 300 pictures from the dance. Normal is so overrated. My weekend was way better.
I feel a little stab.
Jonah immediately texts back: The very last part was totally better. At least until Stuart interrupted. Redo? Sometime soon?
YES! You tell me when and where.
Casa de la Choi … hmmm. Maybe next weekend? Need to look at skate calendar and get back to you.
My phone suddenly flies out of my hand.
“Are we gonna skate or what?” Egg holds my phone over his head. “Put your personal life on hold and be a professional skater.”
“I am a professional skater.” And for the first time in a long time, I mean that.
Egg puts my phone in his gym bag. “You get it back when you land a throw triple lutz. No wobbles.”
“Fine.”
“Okay, Stuart, Livy, I’m ready.” Mom perches on the edge of a stool behind the tripod.
I head for the ice. I stop to pop the lens cap off and hand it to Mom.
“I knew that,” Mom says.
“It’s the second button.”
“I know.”
“And don’t zoom in and out. Leave it where it is.”
“I know how to use a video camera, Olivia Midori Kennedy.”
And even though that’s debatable, Mom’s crappy videography skills have changed my life this weekend. So I cut her some slack.
“I know you do.” I give her a gentle hug.
She still winces, but smiles. “Now get out there and show ’em how it’s done. No wobble on that throw triple lutz. Hold that landing and don’t release it until all the energy flows out.”
“Yes, Coach.”
“That’s my girl.”
The afternoon flies by as we tweak this and that. I earned my phone back a while ago, but I don’t stop to take it. I’m in the zone. I am finally home again.
“Awesome.” Egg gives me a bear hug after our last pass. “I knew we still had it, and the platter lift was textbook.”
“We should do it one more time from a different angle,” Mack says.
“It’s good enough, Mack.” Mom puts the lens cap back on the video camera. “We don’t want to overwork it.”
“Just one last time, I swear. Then I’ll leave it alone.”
“I need a break.” Egg comes off the ice and flops down next to Mack.
“I’ll make us a round of hot tea.” Mom slides off the stool and hobbles toward the snack bar.
I lie down on the ice. That way I can ice my sore back and nap at the same time, because I’m all about multitasking. I listen to Mack and Egg discuss camera shots for about ten seconds before their words begin to melt in my ears. Thankfully, they don’t ask for my opinion, because my catnap turns into me being comatose.
“Olivia? Are you okay?” A warm hand on my shoulder lures me back to the surface.
I force my heavy eyelids open. A beautiful face comes into focus above me. When I smile at him, the wrinkle between his eyebrows relaxes.
“You scared me.” Jonah pushes a lock of hair behind his ear. “I thought you were hurt.”
“Would I have left her on the ice if she were injured?” Egg’s voice cascades over the wall from Table #1. “Rule Number One, buddy. Rule Number One.”
I push up on my elbows. My heart is warm, but my body is not. Jonah puts out his hands and pulls me to my feet.
“I’m freezing,” I say, in case my teeth chattering didn’t give that away.
Jonah unzips his hoodie. He steps into me so he can wrap it around both of us. I skate in between Jonah’s feet and tuck my icy hands into the back pockets of his jeans.
Jonah’s warm breath washes across my neck, and he whispers into my ear, “Your mom is looking at us, isn’t she?”
I peek over Jonah’s shoulder. Mom is looking at us, a wistful smile on her face.
“Not at all,” I say.
“Good.”
The gentle press of Jonah’s lips on mine still ignites the fire in my veins. My teeth stop chattering immediately. When I come back down to earth, I look over at Mom again. She gives me a thumbs-up.
“Livy, your tea is ready,” Mom calls from the snack bar.
After a brief pit stop to retrieve my Ice Dreams jacket and skate guards, I walk proudly hand in hand with Jonah to the snack bar. Mom slides my special “Go for the Gold!” insulated mug filled with honey-lemon tea across the counter to me.