Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate the help I got from some viewers and will try to incorporate their ideas into the story! This is continued off of the last chapter, but from Alice's POV. Jack POVs will typically be shorter because I want to write more from Alice's eyes. I hope you like this chapter!
The doorbell jingled as another customer walked in with the rush of the cold wind. The sudden chill caused me to hold my arms a little tighter. On the table in front of me was my steaming coffee, but I paid no attention to it while I gazed at the cool window next to me. The delicate frost marks bloomed in various directions and style, but I could a different kind of Frost. Flashes of silvery hair, echoes of an infectious laugh, caring smiles. 8 years later and I can't seem to recall who, I guess, my childhood friend was. I do remember the night we met clearly though.
~Flash back~
"Mommy, c'mon! Grandma bought me these skates; I don't want to waste them!" I whined loudly at our table over a delicious smelling roast.
"Alice, we simply can't afford it! Your grandma wasn't thinking about our financial stance when she bought them. We'll just have to return them."
"But-"
"No buts. Alice, please stop you're acting so selfish!" My mother angrily looked away and began to cut her meat. I pouted and sighed. "Daddy, what do you thin-,"
"Alice, ENOUGH!" my father's raised voice practically shook the house. "I'm tired of listening to you and your mother bickering at each other! We can't afford it, and even if we could I wouldn't allow it. Ice skating is a useless, wasteful past time." I gasped at my father's hurtful words. "E-excuse me," I whispered as I slipped out of chair and ran to my room with streaming tears.
Later that night I couldn't sleep. All I did was stare at the moon shining through my window and illuminating the blades on my skates. I could only imagine me gliding gracefully on ice in an elegant dress that rippled with my movements. I could only imagine. Imagine…
No! I wasn't going to imagine anymore, I was going to do! That night, I snuck out of the house with my white skates.
I soon was in a crystallized forest stumbling my way on a thick sheet of ice. In all of my attempts to glide smoothly, I fell flat on my butt. Rather ungracefully at that. Maybe my dad was right. Maybe this was just a waste of time. I looked up at the full moon but it soon blurred with tears. I'll return my skates to Grandma.
On my way home my feet ached and my butt stung, I was freezing and tired. I took a rest at the fountain but I was too tired to continue any further. I wrapped myself into a ball and cried. I cried because I was in pain, I cried because I was cold and tired, and I cried because I was lonely.
"Hey kid, what are you doing out here this late at night?" a voice called to me in the night.
~Flash back end~
"Honey? Do you want a refill?" a sunny blonde waitress (with too much red lipstick) asked me sweetly. I looked up at her and smiled.
"No, I'm fine. Thanks," I said as I walked up to the counter to pay.
"Ah, Alice you're here," Coach Mistrel chirped over the sound of scraping skates.
"Finally," my friend Ashley whispered loudly as she winked. I winked back and began to stretch my calves. The cool air of the ice rink filled my lungs as I breathed in deeply before stepping onto the ice. A light push for momentum and I was off.
Ashley slowed her pace and skated next to me, "S'up? It seems odd for you to show up late for practice. Normally you're the first one here! I was beginning to worry."
"Have no fear Ashley; I won't be skipping a practice with the competitions coming up. How's your routine doing?" I gestured towards her. Ashley's bright smile slowly faded. "They might cut out my triple Salchow Jump. I have been working on it nonstop – with improvement – and they know I can do it, but they have their doubts."
"Oh, Ash, no. I saw working on it for a whole practice one day! Let me talk to them,"
"NO! No, it's okay Alice. It's for the best. I don't want the risk of messing up; I can see where they're coming from," Ashley calmed herself and looked at my furrowed eyebrows. "If you keep that look up it's gonna stick and that might look bad in a competition." I smiled and shoved her playfully as we finished our round about the rink.
"Ladies, and gentlemen, we have the list of local competitions and out-of-county competitions. We may have already made suggestions for you so keep that in mind and choose wisely." Coach Mistrel coolly called. I looked at the out-of-county paper where I was suggested. None of them stood out to me until I reached a familiar name:
~Oak County's Doubles Cup~
Held in Oak County December 17th at the
Iced Fountain Rink for ages 14 and above
Routine is minimum 3.30min, maximum 4.15min
All close Counties welcomed
Partners required
My eyes lit like sparks. This was it! Oak County was where I used to live! I had to do this one; it seemed to call me…
"Wow, Alice you wanna do a double tourney?" Ashley looked quizzically at my paper.
I nodded my head slowly with a smile spread across my face. "I'm going to need a partner though," I thought aloud. Oh well, I'll worry about it when the time comes. Right now, I need to practice.
So what did you think? Leave me some tips, ideas, and suggestions please!
