I was sitting on the hard wooden benches surrounding the ice rink, my back as straight as a rod, my arse freezing as I waited for my coach Quinn to tie my laces up. Gosh she was taking ages. I continued to sit like a statue, with my eyes locked on only one person in the world. Anyone looking would have noticed my bizarre trance-like position but I probably would have been too captivated to realise. There was a vague noise in the background, which I figured to be Quinn, my coach, raving at the speed of light about a man I absolutely loathed. Finn was skating laps around the rink, a simple stroke taking him further than one thought was possible. He was gorgeous and his skating was a mesmerizing sight. A slight ripple was sent through his spiky, dark hair as he flew and leaped across the ice. His leaps portrayed immense power that only a brilliant skater like himself could have. He looked as graceful as a gazelle but as wild as a tiger. He noticed me staring and smiled the cheeky smile he usually did, while giving me a wink. It made my heart melt. He really didn't look like someone who would be a skater.
'Isn't Blaine such a lovely boy? You would be greatwith him Kurt. You deserve someone who will be able to provide for you, unlike this Finn boy you are so fond of.' Quinn was getting more and more annoying every minute. She was looking to her left at Blaine who always came to watch my practices. If she liked him so much she could get married to him (if he wasn't gay that is). I glanced to my left as well and noticed he was sitting on a bench, watching me intently with his bright hazel eyes, a small smile spread across his face showing off his teeth which were fit for a toothpaste advertisement. I heard his Blackberry ring and he pulled it out of his black suit pocket just to reject the call and once again fixate his eyes on me. Eeugh, he disgusted me sometimes, always wearing suit, some $1000 suit. I chuckled to myself as I imagined someone spilling tomato sauce on his spotless blazer. Quinn finally had my skates done tied and I stood up and made my way to the ice.
Finn met me as I got on the ice, ran one of his rough calloused fingers across my cheek and grabbed hold of my hand as we made our way to our starting position. The National Pairs Championships were two weeks away and we were training four hours every day. We were determined to win. I took my place in the centre of the ice, left toe-pick digging in to the solid ground behind my right foot, my arms out, ready to start. Finn's hands were resting on my waist. I heard the music start and we began the well-rehearsed programme I knew back to front.
We were stroking across and around the rink, Finn's rough hand grasping mine with his iron-man strength while we did the simplest three-turns and tandem camel spins. My favourite part of the whole programme was coming up- the star lift triple salchow throw jump. It was the hardest element in our programme, but we needed it to win gold. It was coming now. Mohawk onto backwards, Finn grabbed hold of my hips, two backwards strokes, he pushed me up as I held my legs tight together, my arms crossed over my chest as I spun three times in mid-air. I was descending; the blade of my skate was almost gliding on the ice. I shut my eyes tight, getting ready for the landing and I felt something flopping around my ankle. My laces. This was not good. This was not good at all. I landed and heard a sickening crunch and a cry of pain. It was seconds later that I realised that the cry was mine.
I was sitting on the cold, hard ice, looking at my ankle. My boot had completely come off my foot and was now sliding across the ice, but I wasn't worried about that now. My foot was sitting at an odd angle, the bone poking out of the skin and blood gushing out of the wound. I looked up and saw something I would remember for years. Quinn and Blaine were running down the benches and across the ice, both of their faces full with fear, and Finn was just standing there.
Why was he just standing there? I thought he cared about me! I thought he cared about me enough to say that he loved me, and ask if I was ok. Tears were streaming down my face now and not just because of the pain I felt in my ankle. The pain I felt in my heart became even worse as I watched the expression on Finn's face change from shock, to fear, to anger and then finally to rage as he stormed off the ice and out of the arena. At this I began to sob even harder than before.
Blaine and Quinn were now at my side, Quinn calling the ambulance and Blaine bending down to comfort me. I looked down to the ground, overwhelmed by the grief and pain that I felt. A finger too soft to possibly belong to Finn lifted up my chin. I looked up and saw a pair of large, gorgeous hazel eyes. They sparkled with concern and seemed to calm me, as though telling me everything was going to be okay. Blaine wrapped his strong but gentle arms around me, and I leaned my head on his shoulder.
'Shhh, everything is going to be okay, just calm down and we'll get your leg all fixed up,' his calm and quiet words of comfort were working and my sobs became more spread apart and quiet as my crying began to slow. He was doing something that Finn never would have done, and as I thought about it, the only reason Finn was with me was because I was a good skater.
As the ambulance came and I was being wheeled into the back, his hand grasping mine tightly, I realised that the feelings I felt towards Blaine were no longer feelings of loathing and hate, but the exact opposite.