Crossing Blades - 1. Chapter 1

“I know I can do this… I have done it before and I can do it again…”

She was doing her regular pep talk before the annual competition. A slightly shorter woman was stood behind her and started to talk to her. “Come on girl, you can do this remember what I told you…”

“Yes I know, don’t fall on the toe taps and jump correctly”.

“Fuck practice girl. This takes guts. It takes courage. It takes you to do this right.”

“Thanks, coach.”

“Why do you always call me coach? The name is Ellie.”

“Sorry Ellie.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, may we present, three times annual NSA winner, The Queen of The Blades, Miss. Kathryn Wellbecker.”

This was it. She was about to skate onto the ice when the nerves hit…

“Good luck Kathryn!” Ellie screamed from behind the curtain.

She skated forward and took her bow and the music began to boom out of the sound system. A few backward rolls with her skates and she was off, her nerves completely disappeared, she was one with the ice, going at speeds beyond her usual limit and as she was about to go into her first jump of the competition, someone threw something onto the ice and her skate collided straight into it causing her to flip over and land straight on her back. She yelped in pain.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm and stay in your seats, the competition will resume shortly.”

Ellie quickly skated out onto the ice. “Kathryn, are you alright?”

She couldn’t move. She could only yelp in pain. “Where the hell are the medics? Get out here!”

Ellie quickly skated off the ice and headed for the direction that the coke can had been thrown from, just as she was arriving she saw security assisting another girl out of the stadium.

“Wait there officers. I want to talk to her.”

“Yes Ma’am”

“Stephanie Fontaine. How could you?”

“You don’t know what its like. Every competition for the last 3 years she has won. And you know what is worse. Coming second to her. Every year I am second to that selfish brat.”

“I think you are the brat around here. Take her away officers.”

“I will be back. I’m going to win next year and I’m going to beat them all again, I will!”

“Missy. You won’t be seeing the ice for at least another two years.” The chairman of the NSA arrived saying this to her. He was a short balding man with a thick moustache with a very large scar on his left hand where his first ever partner scarred him for life when she executed a lift incorrectly.

“Why?”

“What you did was violating the National Skating Association rules of conduct and so you are banned for the next two annual competitions.”

“But that’s hardly fair.”

“Life isn’t fair. Now Ellie, I would like to discuss a board position for you.”

The officers dragged Stephanie away as the medics pulled Kathryn out on a stretcher. The stretcher passed Ellie and Kathryn reached her arm out to her…

“I’m coming back…”

“Oh I know you will.”

“Save a spot for me in your team.”

“I will try to. But…”

“Please. Mr. Chairman?”

The chairman places his hand on her shoulder and said “If I can, we will. But there are no promises. I should get back and let them know to announce the final scores.”

“Yes. You should.” Ellie said sadly. Her best chance of having someone from her team beat the competition, lost…

“Ladies and gentlemen, due to the upset the judges have decided to award Miss. Wellbecker with a 3.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 3.5 from her initial performance giving her a total score of 17.5 placing her overall 4^th in the competition. Also due to unforeseen circumstances, the judges have all decided to reduce Miss. Fontaine’s score by 1.0 each, reducing her scores to 4.0 4.0 2.0 3.0 2.0 and 3.0 giving her a total score of 18 placing her 3^rd overall in the competition. Also due to unforeseen circumstances she will not be awarded her 3^rd place medal because of breaking the rules of conduct. Please welcome to the ice this year’s winner Mr. Bruce Gardner.”

Bruce skated onto the ice and took his flamenco bow, flourishing his hand ever so gently, having never won a competition before in his life he began his routine as the sound of sirens were heard leaving the ice complex.

Ellie began to pray that Kathryn would be alright…