Chapter 3

Get Together

The Next Day…

Nadia and Amy had gone to bed the following night at 9:00 so they could get an early start the next day. Unlike Chelsea and Tina who stayed up until 12:00. They spent their time talking about their boyfriends and how much fun they would have.

Nadia and Amy got up at 7:00, excited about their day. They were a little disappointed that they weren't in the same groups, but quickly got over it when hearing about their day's plan. Nadia actually had something more fun than being left out by the Terrible Two to look forward to. She was thinking about Vladislav and how she had borrowed his shirt the night before. She wanted to see him more than anyone at that moment because she felt they could become quite close. She didn't want to rush into things and mess them up, but she did want something to happen between them. When she saw him at Olesya the night before and looked into his eyes, she knew that something was meant to be.

Nadia and Amy left to go down to the lobby one hour later. They were chatting on their way down and passed Gary and Red. Red winked at Amy and she looked at the ground. It was a known fact that Red cheated on his girlfriends. When people would tell this to Chelsea, she would refuse to believe it and knock them over. Amy, being a very shy girl, just walked a little faster and Nadia did too, seeing how uncomfortable she was. When they got into the lobby, they were practically running down the hallway and Mr. Ryan said, "Wow, you two seem excited!" They smiled sarcastically and got situated into their groups. Gary and Tina were smiling at each other. Nadia noticed that Tina didn't have a coat on and was going to ask if she forgot it, but then thought, 'Oh, maybe she wanted to forget it. So she can—.' Nadia gave Tina a sad look and Tina looked at her weirdly. The three of them got into the car and drove to the rink, Nadia smushed in back as usual.

When the arrived at the hockey rink, Gary and Tina had already decided what their plan was. Nadia would watch the hockey and tell them everything that had happened, and they would, well, do other things. They walked into the giant building and saw no one there.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" asked Nadia.

"Duh!" said Tina, "they're probably just—."

As she said this, the three of them heard some yelling coming from the ice rink.

"Told ya." Said Tina and pushed past Nadia.

Gary did the same, but almost knocked her over because of his size comparison to her. Nadia sighed and walked slowly into the arena. She got in and there were 3 other people in the seats surrounding the rink. Nadia looked over and saw Tina and Gary going up the stairs to the overhead seating, where they could be alone. Nadia shook her head and went to sit down. She took off her little bag, which held Vladislav's shirt.

Nadia relaxed for about two and a half hours, watching the Soviet team practice. They had a fluent and creative, but incredibly hard, style of practicing. The forwards would practice shooting on the goalies and the wings would practice bring the puck down. Tikhonov would have them doing drills for 10 minutes straight. They all got the most out of their practice.

After they're practice was over and the few people who came to watch had left, Nadia came down from her seat, onto the ice. She glided on her Converse's over to the goal and picked up a puck that had been left in it. Across the ice, she saw a stick left and went to go pick it up. She got to the stick, picked it up, and started shooting the puck into the goal. Her form was awkward and messy, but the puck still went in. Nadia looked up and saw Tina and Gary coming out of they're seating.

Tina looked down at Nadia and laughed, "I can't believe you thought that guy actually had an interest in you! He was only being nice by giving you his shirt! Get over it! No hot guy would like you!"

She and Gary walked out of the rink. On the way, Nadia heard Gary asking Tina if she really thought he was hot. Then, she heard the distant sound of a car pulling out. Nadia saw, through the glass, that they drove away. She got down on her knees and started to cry. She was stranded without a car or anyone to contact. Nadia, then, heard the sound of blades on the ice but didn't care. All of a sudden, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Nadia." Said Vladislav.

Nadia looked shocked to see him, "Vladislav? Wha—what are you doing here? I thought you had gone."

"Call me Vlad," he said, "and not yet. That was only half of our practice. What about you, I thought you would have left by now. What's wrong?"

Nadia started to cry again, "Tina and Gary left without me. I'm stuck here and they'll probably make up some random excuse of why I'm gone, too!"

Vladislav frowned, but then started to smile.

"What?" asked Nadia, in-between sobs.

"Well, we could take you back to your hotel. But only if you give me back my shirt." He said, laughing.

Nadia giggled and handed him the shirt.

"I hope you don't mind staying here for a few more hours."

"Not at all. It'll be enjoyable to watch you—I mean, watch your practice." She blushed and continued, "I don't know how to thank you."

Vladislav put his hand on Nadia's shoulder and she blushed again. "I'll think of something, don't you worry." He said and smiled.

Vladislav Tretiak picked up Nadia and skated her over to the edge of the rink.

"Well, at least I don't have you worry about you running away." He said, jokingly.

"You won't ever have to worry about that." She said, "I have a feeling that we will be good friends."

"I should think so," said Tretiak, "You've already worn some of my clothes."

Nadia blushed and smiled, "I think that was a one-time deal."

Vladislav smiled and said, "Maybe not."

Nadia hit him playfully on his shoulder and he skated over to the net, ready to defend it.

Nadia giggled a little to herself and sat down in her seat. She felt that it was, maybe, destiny that Tina and Gary had left her there and that she had never had a boyfriend. Nadia was beginning to believe that she and Tretiak could become close friends, maybe even more. She sat up close to the glass watched the players carefully. They moved so fluently, like they were walking on air. She became enchanted with their practice and the next 3 hours flew by. It seemed to Nadia that she had just sat down, and was now ready to leave. She got out of her seat and glided over to Vlad, who was by the goal. He still had his mask on his face and his stick in his hand.

"So, your practice is over?" she asked.

"Well team practice is over, but Boris and I always do a little practice after." He said, "Feel free to stand on the ice, it'll just be us out here."

Boris smiled at Nadia, "We usually make bets, but I don't want to embarrass Vlad in front of you!"

"No way!" shouted Tretiak, "You go and make whatever kind of bet you want!"

Boris Mikhailov stopped, made a sly look and said, "Any kind?"

"Sure, why not! You'll lose anyway!" said Vlad.

"Vlad," said Nadia, "If you stop this one, I'll thank you with a hot chocolate."

"Alright." He said.

Boris shot and Vlad stopped it.

Nadia giggled and Tretiak said, "Okay, if I stop this one, I'll buy you a cookie to go with your hot chocolate."

Boris shot and Tretiak stopped the puck.

"Yes!" Nadia said, giving a little hop for joy.

"Okay, Mr. I-Stop-Every-Puck," said Mikhailov, jokingly, "if I score on you, you kiss Nadia."

"Huh!" said Vlad, half with confusion and half with embarrassment. He wasn't paying attention, so Boris shot. He scored.

"You know you like her!" said Boris, "Besides… you two look good together!"

Both Boris and Vlad looked at Nadia who was red from both the cold and embarrassment. She smiled and said, "What kind of cookie?"

Both the guys laughed.

"Whatever kind you like." Replied Vlad.

Boris, seeing that Vlad wasn't paying attention, pushed him into Nadia. He put his hands out in front of him and pinned Nadia's shoulders against the side of the rink. Nadia stared into his dark brown eyes.

He grinned and said, "So, hot chocolate then?"

Nadia smiled, "With whipped cream?"

"Sounds good." He said.

He and Boris agreed that their practice was done for that day and decided to leave. The USSR hockey team was in the locker room getting ready to leave. Nadia was a little surprised that Vlad let her come into the locker room. She was sure he would have told her to wait outside. When he and Boris had gotten changed from their hockey gear into regular clothes, the team got on the bus to go back to their dorm rooms. They were staying in dorms because of the hockey practice and games, where they needed the whole team together.

Vlad and Nadia stayed on the bus after everyone had gotten off. He told the bus driver to take Nadia to her hotel to meet up with everyone. Before getting off of the bus, Nadia talked to Vlad a little.

"So, what time should you come over?" asked Vlad.

Nadia silently thought for a second and finally said, "How about 9:00?"

"Good! Since tomorrow is Saturday, our practice begins at 2:00." He said.

"Okay, so, we can go for hot chocolate…OH! And my cookie!" said Nadia, cutely.

"Yes, of course. And then, maybe we can walk through the park?" he asked.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful!" she said, and felt the bus come to a stop.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Said Vlad.

Nadia hugged him affectionately. Vlad and Nadia both knew this hug was a hug of friendship and thanks. It meant a lot to Nadia when he hugged her back warmly.

"Oh, and I'm in room 306." He added. Nadia smiled.

"Bye." She said quietly and got off of the bus.

Nadia waved to him as the bus drove off.

As Nadia got into the hotel, Mr. Ryan ran over to her and yelled, "Are you alright?"

Nadia smiled and said, "Of course! Why?"

"Tina and Gary told me they lost you and spent an hour looking for you!" he replied, between breathes.

"Wait! That's not—." she stopped when she saw Chelsea and Tina glairing at her from across the room. Red and Gary punched their right fists into their lefts hands as if saying, 'You tell, you're dead!'

"Yes?" asked Mr. Ryan curiously.

Nadia sighed with defeat, "That's what happened. I went outside for some fresh air and—err, got lost?"

"Oh." Said Mr. Ryan, "Well, just be more careful next time, little girl."

Nadia got a little mad when he called her "little girl". But her anger was quickly overpowered by the humorous affect of Mr. Ryan believing her story. Nadia got out of her anger state and became excited about meeting Vladislav the next day.

'What am I going to wear?' she asked herself and ran up to her room.