Chapter 6
"Forgive me for not writing much, but I have had time to reflect on my inner happiness for the past few days with the greatest friends anyone could ever ask for. I'm distraught that it is coming to an end, though I must move on and prepare myself to compete again. I must stay strong, and keep with my goal. I feel like I only have a couple of people on my side, and my brother is not one of them. At least he's kind enough to help me out. Forgive me if that didn't sound sarcastic enough through reading.
Until next time.
Serena shut her journal and shoved it into her bedside table. Sara walked in while drying her hair with a towel, and sat down on the end of Serena's bed.
"I'm going to miss you so much. I don't want you to leave."
"I know. I don't want to leave, either. But, at least you're only a 4 hour drive away."
"This is true. I'm sorry we don't see each other as often as we should."
"Hey, I understand that you're just getting back to normal. It's okay." Sara stood up and hung the damp towel on the door knob. "Everyone's so proud of you. Please remember, we're all here for you. Besides, the only way to go now is forward. You'll do great, and your dreams will come true. Oh, and you'll even find a guy and even get married! I better be your Maid of Honor."
"Huh? You're thinking too far ahead, but yeah. Okay." Serena pulled her hair back into a bun and tied a green ribbon around.
"Well, it's not bad to think ahead. I want the same thing. Do you think I will ever get that wish?"
"Of course. You're beautiful." Serena smiled and took her friend's hand.
"You are too!" Sara smiled back and then looked down. "I don't know if Mickey will allow me."
"He will. He can't hold onto you forever. Besides, he just started dating Emil. Give it time."
"Yeah. I'm jealous, though."
"Why?"
"Mickey lost his virginity before me." Sara crossed her arms and huffed.
"So? Your time will come."
"You're right. It will. Maybe sooner than later." Sara grinned and took Serena's hand. "Come on, we should pack."
"You're right, it's already 2." Serena looked at her phone and then shoved it into her purse. "Have you talked to your brother yet today?"
"No. The room has been shut all day with a tie around the doorknob. I don't know exactly what it means, but, I think they are saying their goodbyes early."
"Probably." Serena laughed and followed Sara out to their car. "Dmitri and I are probably going to follow you guys to the airport. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all. We're happy that you're seeing us off. Well, Emil's flying home, we're driving. We have a long trip ahead of us."
"It's my last few moments with you all until we see each other at competitions. It's going to be hard parting from you all, but we all need to train hard."
"Agreed."
Meanwhile…
"I don't want to let you go, Emil." Mickey kissed up Emil's neck and began to nip at his earlobe. "Promise me you'll come see me after the Swiss qualifiers?"
"M-Mickey.." His breath was shaky as he wrapped his digits around Mickey's hand, joining his motion. As their hands slid up and down, Emil let out soft moans with each thrust. "I-I want to come back. I don't want to leave."
"I know. I don't want you to leave, either." Mickey kissed back down to Emil's neck and began to gently suck.
"Mickey! If you leave marks, someone will see-"
"Sooo?" Mickey faced Emil and smirked. "Don't you like it?"
"I do. I don't want it to end."
"Then.. how about we make love?" Mickey laid Emil down as he kissed back onto the spot where he was nipping before.
"Right now? But my flight leaves in an hour and 15 minutes-"
"Then let's spend these moments together. How about I do you this time?" Mickey reached for the bottle of lubricant and the box of condoms on the bedside table. "Is that okay?"
"Mickey… yes. Please.. I feel like I'm going to cum.."
"Already?" Mickey began to pout as he quickly unwrapped the condom and slipped it on.
"Can you blame me? My lover is a sex god." He panted as he watched Mickey position himself in between his hips.
"A sex god, huh? That's a nice complement." He rubbed against Emil and pressed up against him slowly, making his way inside.
"M-Michele! Ach můj bože! Jste v're tak velká!" Emil buried his face into a pillow and let out loud moans as Mickey began to gently thrust.
"Hahh what-what does that mean?" Mickey panted as he reached around and grabbed onto Emil's cock.
"I said you were big! I-It feels good! I'm going to cum soon, Mickey!"
"I am, too. He took Emil's hip with his left hand and continued to pump his right hand up and down on Emil's throbbing cock. He stopped thrusting and bit his lower lip. "Emil!" he continued to pump his hand as he tried to stifle his moans.
"Mickey! I'm coming!" Emil grabbed onto a nearby pillow and buried his face as he began to moan Mickey's name. He sat up after a moment and tried to catch his breath.
"You okay?" Mickey laughed and brushed a strand of hair away from Emil's face. "You sounded like you enjoyed it."
"I did. Very much so. I hope no one heard us."
"I don't think they did. I think they are packing the car up. We did drink quite a bit last night, so all of us must have slept in late."
"I told myself I wasn't going to drink that much ever again, but I did."
"You didn't get sick. You had a good time. Although, you pretty much made our relationship known."
"I think everyone knew except for Dmitri. You told Sara, and she told Serena. I'm sure of that."
"Are you sure YOU didn't tell Serena?" Mickey smirked and slipped his tshirt on. "I know you both are really good friends. It's okay if you did."
"I told her that I liked you." Emil slipped his clothes on and looked into the mirror as he began to run his fingers through his hair.
"And? How did she react?"
"She was happy for us, of course." Emil walked over to the bed and grabbed onto Mickey's right hand. "Come on. We're making everyone wait."
"Alright. I don't know if I'm ready to part with you."
"Me either, sweetheart."
After everyone was packed up, Dmitri and Serena followed the Crispino twins to the airport to see off Emil. As soon as they got there, they waited for Emil to check in his luggage while Mickey, Sara and Dmitri went to grab coffee. Serena waited towards the security gate, and watched as Emil approached her with empty arms.
"Well, I'm all checked in." Emil sighed and looked back towards the food court.
"That was quick. They just left to get coffee. Mickey said he was going to surprise you with something."
"That's really sweet of him. Thanks for hanging behind for me."
"Of course. I'm going to miss you so much! We've become closer as friends this vacation, and I couldn't be happier. I feel like I'm breaking out of my shell a bit."
"I'm going to miss you too, Serena. Thanks for taking care of my drunk ass and being supportive with Mickey and I."
"Of course! You two are amazing together."
"I know. I'm going to miss him so much.."
"I know you will. It will be okay, I promise. You have Skype and a cellphone, yeah?"
"I do. I plan on talking to him every moment I can. I can't get enough of him. Oh, it looks like they are coming back with drinks. I better go say my goodbyes to Mickey. My flight boards in about 15 minutes "
"Right. Well, I'm glad you could make it! I hope you had a good time."
"I really did. Thank you for letting me stay with you guys."
"Anytime. You've always been a great friend of ours." Serena took out a sheet of paper and ripped off a strip. She wrote her phone number on it and handed it to Emil. "Here. I want to hear from you, okay?"
"You know Dmitri doesn't want guys texting you-"
"Too bad. Look, I know you're trying to be a good friend and respect what he wants, but you're also my friend. And, I consider you one of my best friends. Please promise that you'll keep up with me."
"I will." He grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh, this is the first girl's number I have besides my mom's."
"I don't know if that's flattering or sad, but I'll go with flattering." Serena laughed and gave him a hug. "Take care of yourself. And go tell your man farewell!"
"Yeah, I'm working on that." Emil walked towards Mickey and pulled him aside. Serena walked towards a small table that was occupied by Dmitri and Sara. She sat down next to her best friend and looked back towards Emil and Mickey's direction.
"They're perfect together."
"They really are. I wonder what our parents will say?"
"Huh?" Dmitri looked up at Sara and then at Serena. "What's going on? How are they perfect together?"
"Dmitri, do you not remember last night at all? How Emil and my brother got completely wasted and started making out with each other in the kitchen?" Sara gasped and then began to laugh. "Wow! You really were wasted last night!"
"What? No! When the hell did that happen?!"
"Dmitri, you walked in and started cheering them on."
"I don't remember that at all. So, why are they cute together?"
"Jeez, you're slow, Dmitri! Mickey and Emil are dating now." Serena laughed and laid her head on her brother's shoulder.
"Really? Huh." Dmitri looked over at them and back. "No wonder they're always together."
"That's what Sara and I have been saying since we've met!" She sat back up and sipped on her coffee. "I need to thank Mickey for this. It's delicious.."
"Well, Emil used to like you. So, does he still like you?" Dmitri looked at Serena and propped his chin up with his right hand.
"Way to change the subject. He used to, but he's in love with Mickey. Someone can like males and females. Love is love."
"I know. I'm not criticizing anyone. I just always saw him determined to be near you."
"But he's always attempted to be near Mickey more than me. Think about that." Serena smiled and took another sip of her coffee.
"She's right. I hope I find love like theirs." Sara sighed and looked back at her friends.
"You will. We both will."
"Ehhh.. not too soon." Dmitri scoffed and shook his head. "Winning gold is our main priority. Everyone's priority."
"Yeah. Right." Sara looked over at Serena and frowned. She quickly changed the subject. "Hey, Promise me that you'll text me often and skype?"
"Of course. We always communicate. I'll never cut ties with my best friends. Please come see Dmitri and I soon, okay?"
"Duh! We're only a few hours away. I heard Mickey asking Emil to come back down after the Swiss Qualifiers. When are your parents going back on vacation?"
"Who knows. They saved up enough money to travel for the rest of their lives." Serena rolled her eyes. "Probably soon. Even if they are at home, they won't mind if we have our friends over. They honestly could care less."
"She's right, you know." Dmitri finished up his coffee and tossed it into the nearby trash bin.
Emil took Mickey's hand and led him over to a secluded corner after he noticed that everyone was watching them. "I can't believe it's already time to leave." he frowned and laced his hands with Mickey's. "At least you only have to drive back. Maybe next time I can see your home?"
"Yeah, I'd like that." He smiled up at Emil and kissed his jaw. "I did mean what I said earlier. I want to see you after qualifiers. I want to introduce you to my family. They're your family now too."
"Mickey." Emil quickly wiped his eyes and grinned. "I'm sorry. That just makes me really happy."
"Good. I'm going to miss you. I hope you know that."
"I know. I'll miss you, too. But, we still have each other's numbers, and we can skype and still keep in touch-"
"You act like we're breaking up. Relax. I'll see you soon, alright? Just trust me."
"Ah! Yeah. Of course!"
"You better get going, you're going to miss your flight."
"Right." Emil squeezed Mickey's hand and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you later, okay? Ciao." He turned away and began to walk towards security when Mickey grabbed his hand.
"Wait."
"Hmm?"
Mickey tugged Emil's scarf and pulled his face closer, placing a kiss on his lips. "You missed."
"Ah. Yeah." Emil blushed and began to grin like an idiot. "I'm going to miss those."
"Me too.. You'll get more than that when we see each other again. I'll see you soon, alright?"
"Of course. Bye Mickey." Emil began to walk towards security while looking back at his lover. Once he was out of sight, Mickey walked back to the table and tapped Sara on the shoulder.
"I-I think it's time for us to go home." Mickey's voice was weak, almost as if his emotions were getting the best of him.
"Alright.." Sara frowned and stood up. "Remember what we promised, okay?" She walked over to Serena and gave her a tight hug. "Hang in there. You're wonderful, and great things will happen."
"Thank you. I needed that." Serena hugged her best friend tightly and then let go. She moved over to Mickey and gave him a gentle hug. "I know it's hard parting from someone you really care about."
"Yeah. We'll see each other again. At least I have ways to communicate with him, huh?" Mickey broke the hug and smiled down at her.
"Sure do! I told Sara that you two must come back and visit soon."
"We will. But, we both need to get home and get packed for the qualifiers. You both need to do the same."
"Yeah, yeah." Dmitri stood up from the table and hugged his friend. "Hang in there. You know my number. It's great seeing you all again."
"We'll see each other soon." Mickey took Sara's hand and tugged her towards the exit. "Bye you two, and thanks for having us."
"Anytime." Dmitri wrapped his arm around Serena's shoulders and walked towards their car. "Just two days and we are off. Are you nervous?"
"Me? Nervous? No."
"You aren't convincing. You'll do fine. I promise."
"Thanks Dmitri."
"Anytime. Are you confident with the music choice you've chosen for your routine? You haven't practice the routine with music."
"I'm confident. You know how much I love music. Besides, you told me that I was allowed to choose my own music. I want something upbeat."
"Everything is normally upbeat in skating. I just think you should do something a little more.. classical."
"I have nothing against classical music when it comes to skating, I just think I should come back with a little more.."
"Enthusiasm? That's the Serena I remember." Dmitri took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I'm trying. I'm glad that it's showing, because I really miss skating. I just hope I don't run into any issues. Come on. We should get home before mom and dad do. That way, we can spend time with each other as a family. I don't think dad's opening up the restaurant this evening." Serena approached the car and looked over at her brother.
"That will be a nice change. A family dinner." Dmitri got into the driver side, as Serena got into the passenger side. She looked out the window and then looked forward.
"It looks as if it might storm. It's mid fall, I wonder why."
"Well, think of it as a good thing. We can go home and relax, and be with mom and dad. Besides, it could turn into snow. You know how much you like snow." Dmitri drove towards home while staying relaxed.
"I do like snow, however, I don't like it after a thunderstorm. I like to wake up to it."
"Well, we'll be in Switzerland in a couple of days. You'll get to see all the snow you want."
"I know. I'm really excited, too. I hope I get to see a fresh snowfall."
"I'm sure you will. So, do you want to cook dinner? We still have plenty of food to make."
"I'd love to. You know how I like to get creative."
"You know, one day, you're going to make your spouse very happy."
"Oh?" Serena grinned brightly over at her brother. "You said spouse.. so you WILL let me go one day!"
"Yeah. One day. Meaning, 15 years from now. Don't get too cocky."
"Okay. Deal." She faced forward and propped her feet up on the dashboard. "I have other goals to accomplish. Like, surpassing you in skating."
"Hey, feet off the dash." Dmitri nudged her knees. "And you know you can't surpass me. I'm the oldest."
"By a few minutes." Serena laughed and shook her head. "What difference does that make?"
"Well, it really makes no difference. Now that I think about it, we're both in different divisions."
"Uh huh. Well, you better also get gold."
"I will. I can promise you that."
Two days later…
It's the beginning of something beautiful. Thanks to the support I have received from my friends, I feel like I can do anything. I honestly hope this isn't me overreacting about everything. I won't make any mistakes this time. I must say, I am quite concerned about Dmitri's "Plan". He thinks we can both do this with no coach, and instead, coach each other.
I have this sinking feeling in my heart that his plan won't work as he hopes. As his twin sister, I support him, although his ideas are quite foolish. The worse that can happen is that one of us goes on to compete, and one of us stays home. No matter what, the sibling that goes on to compete must be me. I can't be in his shadow my whole life. Deep down, he's still the same brother he's always been. His jealousy gets the best of him, just like Mickey. Although Sara is tough enough to stand up to Mickey, I don't think I'm tough enough to stand up to Dmitri. I'm not afraid of him, I'm afraid of losing him forever.
Our flight boards in one hour. The people are beginning to pile into security. It's uncomfortably loud.
Serena closed her diary and looked up at the monitor. She nudged her brother and stashed her diary into her bag. "We need to start lining up inside Security."
"Right." Dmitri yawned and grabbed his bag. "I'm exhausted."
"I am, too. I didn't sleep."
"Me either. Stereotypical twin actions, or something like that." He shrugged.
Their mother and father sat up from their seats and began to say their goodbyes. Their mother was first with her usual lecture. "You two have a good time. Don't worry about us. Just go out there and do what you love to do. Don't give each other a hard time, okay?"
"They'll be fine, sweetheart. Come on, we need to get back so we can open the restaurant for dinner. Here. Take this and use it for food. No alcohol, understand?"
"Gotcha. Thanks Dad. Love you both." Dmitri hugged both of his parents and pulled away. Serena gave her mom a quick hug and then hugged her dad.
"Promise me that you'll remember why I'm doing this."
"I will, Serena. But I want you to have fun while doing it. You're my baby girl and I adore you and what makes you happy. I just don't want to see you end up in a bad place with debt from taking on this old place. However, I respect your wishes. Now, go have fun. You and I will talk more when you return."
"Thank you, daddy. I love you both! We'll see you in a few days!" Serena hugged her parents and followed Dmitri through security, and to their terminal. They were only waiting for a few moments before they boarded the plane and were preparing for take-off. Serena got situated in her seat and looked out the window.
"Just like when we were kids, you still love the window seat."
"Uh, yeah! The window seats are the best!"
"I can't disagree with you there. Looks like we're backing out from the terminal. We'll be in the air about 2 hours, so get comfortable."
"I plan on it." Serena watched out the window until the plane took off into the air. When they were up high enough, the lights in the airplane cabin dimmed, and Serena closed her eyes to prepare for a brief nap.
"Wow! Dmitri! Look at how neat the city looks! It's so pretty!"
"It is pretty, isn't it?" Dmitri looked at his phone and then back at his sister. "It's just now 5 A.M., and registration for camp is in 3 hours. Hopefully we can get checked into our hotel room and grab some breakfast. It all depends on if the airport shuttle will be there when we arrive at the airport."
"I bet we'll have enough time. Look, we're beginning to land!"
"We are. The flight wasn't that bad, although I regret not getting more sleep."
"Same here. I couldn't sleep because I was so excited. I'm still super excited, but I know that I'll be nearly dead this evening."
"Well, at least we'll sleep good."
"Hey, Dmitri?"
"What's up?"
"Do you think we'll make some friends?"
"I don't see why we wouldn't. What? Am I not good enough?"
"You ARE. You're my brother, though. I want some other friends. The ones I have at school are nice, but I want friends that have the same love for ice skating like I do."
"I'm sure we'll both meet some cool people. Just try to relax for now, okay?"
"Alright." Serena sat back and waited patiently for the airplane to land. As soon as they were cleared to stand up and leave, they were both off the airplane in no time. They made their way down to baggage claim and scooped their belongings up before heading outside to the shuttle bus curb. They waited a minute before a shuttle pulled up to take them to their hotel. As they loaded up and drove to their hotel, they discussed what they both needed to improve on, and that they wouldn't let each other make a fool out of themselves.
"Wow! This hotel is gorgeous!" Serena beamed as the shuttle pulled up outside of the hotel.
"It is. It's huge. The ice rink is just up the road. About a 5 minute drive, I'd imagine."
"That's convenient." Serena led her brother out of the shuttle, and up to the check-in counter and gave the attendant their names. As she took the key cards from the attendant, she handed one to Dmitri and grinned "Look, we each get one!"
"You're awfully excited about that." Dmitri laughed and led his sister up to their hotel room.
"Well, it just makes me feel kind of independent."
"Oh come on, I let you have independence."
"I know you do, but not often. It's not a bad thing! I just like having my own things, that's all."
"I know what you mean. Ah, room 306. Here we are." Dmitri stuck his key card into the door and turned the door handle. As soon as they walked in, Serena ran towards one of the beds and flopped down onto it. She rolled over onto her back and grinned up at her brother.
"These beds are so comfy!"
"I can see that. Alright, we should probably get unpacked and go grab something to eat. Or, you can start unpacking and I can grab breakfast. They have free breakfast in the lobby kitchen."
"That sounds good to me." Serena sat up and began to dig through her gym bag. She pulled out her clothes and began to put them away. Dmitri grabbed one of the key cards and walked out the door. As soon as he was gone, Serena began to put Dmitri's clothes away. After a few moments of organizing, Dmitri was back with breakfast sausage, bacon and eggs.
"Here, I figured some protein would be best. By the way, thanks for tidying up."
"Mmm, it looks delicious!" Serena took the paper plate from his hands and began to eat with the plastic cutlery that was included. She ate quickly and threw the utensils and plate away. "You're welcome. I mean, someone has to watch over you!"
"Jeez, you're going to make yourself sick if you eat that fast!"
"I'm sorry, I'm just excited."
"Well, we have about 30 minutes until we need to be at the rink, and they have shuttles here at all times to take anyone anywhere they need to go."
"Perfect! This is already starting to become a great camp!"
"You're so optimistic, so carefree." Dmitri grinned and sat down next to his sister as he finished his breakfast. "Alright. I think I'm done. Let me change into something else and I'll meet you out in the hallway."
"Perfect!" Serena slipped her shoes on and laced them up tight before slipping out the door.
"Hey, Wake up."
"Huh..?" Serena opened her eyes and looked around. "We're still up in the air.."
"Yeah, but we're about ready to land. You dozed off pretty quickly."
"I know. I didn't sleep well last night."
"You'll sleep good tonight. Tomorrow's our free skate, and then the next day is our main act, and then we see if we qualify."
"I'm so nervous, Dmitri. It's been so long. I know I've been doing a good job at being more confident, but the reality is starting to sink in. I'm actually doing this again. WE'RE actually doing this again."
"It's okay, Serena. We'll do this together. We always have."
"I know." Serena exhaled and looked out the window. "Northern Switzerland is so pretty. I love the snow."
"We get it occasionally, you know."
"I know, But, it's something about the lights from below that make it extra stunning."
"True." Dmitri leaned over her and peered out the window. "Are you nervous?"
"A little."
"Hey, me too." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in. "I'll take care of you."
"I know you will, but I don't need to be taken care of."
"Oh so grown-up. It's almost as if you changed."
"Why do you say that? Haven't you brought this up before?"
"I think I have. But, it's like as soon as you decided that you were going to take over, you became this headstrong person. You haven't been this way for a good-"
"5 years? Aren't you happy that I'm beginning to revert back to my 'normal' self?"
"I AM happy. Trust me. I just don't want your happiness to go away. That's all."
"Dmitri.." Serena laid her head on her brother's shoulder and closed her eyes. "You make me happy. My friends make me happy. Skating makes me happy. I could go on and on. I've just had enough with being caught inside a barrier that causes me to be depressed constantly. I think all I needed was to skate again."
"Same. Skating has always been therapeutic for both of us. We're landing now. Soon, we'll be able to go to the hotel room and sleep some more before we practice. It's only 5 AM. I still can't believe we had to take a 3 AM flight.. I'll never do that again."
"Thank goodness. I need a comfortable bed. Sleeping in a plane is not ideal." Serena groaned as she stretched her arms up. "Next time, we leave the day before so we can get situated in an extra day."
"Agreed. Anything for a good night's sleep."
As the plane landed, Dmitri and Serena gathered their carry-on items and prepared to exit. Dmitri took her hand and led Serena straight down to baggage claim, and then straight to their hotel via an airport shuttle. What was only 20 minutes to get registered into their hotel felt like hours to Serena. The only thing on her mind was sleep. Dmitri helped her tote their luggage to their room, and then wasted no time changing into his comfortable clothes.
"Go ahead and get comfortable. We have a few hours until we can go practice."
"Well, why can't we go in a little bit and get it over with?"
"Because a lot of people will be practicing in the afternoon. You know this."
"Yeah. Whatever." Serena flopped belly first onto her bed and snuggled into the plush pillows. "I'll see you when I wake up."
"Aren't you going to change into something more comfortable?"
"Nope."
"Cmoooooon! We're going to be late for registration!" Serena whined as she leaned against the door frame.
"Relax. Or, you can go down ahead of me."
"Fine. I might do just that." She slipped out of their hotel room and turned towards the hallway.
"Hey, you're my neighbor for the next week!" She heard a male voice coming from behind her. She turned around and noticed a teenage boy around her height approach her. His appearance gave an impression of a nice guy, with a flawless complexion and sandy brown hair that was messy, in a stylish way. He held out his hand and grinned widely. "I'm Emil Nekola. It's nice to meet you, uh…"
"Serena. Serena Djangelo." Serena took his hand and shook it gently. He pulled away and blushed.
"Your skin's really soft! Are you really an ice skater?"
"Yeah? Why?"
"Well, usually my hands get chapped, and well, I've heard it happening to other people." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to be awkward-"
"Hey, Emil, leave the poor girl alone! You're going to scare her off!" Another teenage boy walked out of the room next to Emil's and approached the sandy haired boy. "Sorry, he's really friendly, but-"
"Mickey! Nice of you to join us! This is Serena, she's rooming next to me!"
"I can see that." Mickey grinned at Serena and took her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure's all mine." Serena grinned and watched a teenage girl walk out of the room that Mickey had just left.
"Come on, we're going to be late, Mickey!" The female pouted and looked over towards Serena. "Oh! I'm so sorry, where are my manners? I didn't mean to create a scene. We haven't had a chance to meet yet!"
"It's alright, I was just leaving to get registered. My brother was taking too long getting ready-"
"Ah! I know how that is! I'm Sara Crispino. And this is my twin brother, Mickey."
"Oh! You're a twin, too?" Serena smiled brightly and looked at both Mickey and Sara.
"Sure are. Always together."
"My brother and I can relate to that."
"Well, we should all get registered. Hey, after this, why don't we get something to eat and hang out? We're going to be neighbors for the next couple of weeks, and this is really my first skating event by myself, so.." Emil's voice trailed off as he looked at everyone.
"Yeah, I'd like that. I'm in." Serena grinned.
"Me too! Oh Mickey, can we?"
"Sure. And I assume your brother will be there as well?"
"I'll be sure to bring him along. Actually, here he comes now." Serena watched as Dmitri left the hotel room and walked over to the small group. "Dmitri! Come meet our new friends! They are our neighbors for the next couple of weeks."
"Oh, hi. Nice to meet you all." Dmitri waved to everyone. "I'm Dmitri."
"They know." Serena took his hand. We're all going to get together after our first practice and relax some. We were hoping you would join us, too."
"Sounds good to me. It'll be nice to hang out with other skaters. Are you all going to the rink right now?"
"Sure are. Are you both excited?" Sara looked over at Serena.
"Yeah. This is our first camp by ourselves, so we hope to learn a lot from it before we compete this fall." Dmitri chimed in as he led everyone downstairs and outside to the shuttle stop.
"Serena. Hey, sis. Come on, wake up!" Dmitri shook Serena awake. She looked around and stretched her arms towards the ceiling.
"Mmm.. Dmitri. I'm getting up."
"I know. I can see that, now." He sat on the edge of her bed and watched as she began to get ready. "Did you sleep well?"
"As well as I could for being away from the comfort of my own home."
"It's good for you."
"I know, I know." She slipped on a comfortable track suit and laced up her sneakers before grabbing her gym bag and skates. "How long are we going to practice? I'm still exhausted."
"Only for about an hour. It's already 8:30."
"Huh?! Why didn't we get up sooner?!"
"Well, we both needed the rest. It will be good for our practice. Come on, we're wasting time." Dmitri stood up and grabbed his skates. Serena noticed that her brother was already fully dressed and waiting on her.
"Sorry, I'm not trying to take forever."
"It's okay. I can tell that you're nervous." He smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about what others think or if others watch you practice, okay? You've got this. You're an amazing skater and an even more amazing sister."
"Dmitri. Thanks." Serena exhaled gently and smiled brightly at her brother. "It pumps me up to hear you say things like that!"
"I know! That's why I say them!" He took her hand and led her out of their hotel room and straight for the arena. "Alright. So we need to work on your jumps more than anything. You need to transition into your jumps a little bit smoother, and land just as smooth." Dmitri stopped at the busy intersection across from the arena and looked over at Serena. "Anything else you aren't comfortable with?"
"The whole thing, to be honest."
"Huh? Why? Everyone thought it was great."
"Yeah, but my free performance is going to suck-"
"Hey, stop. You need to at least have SOME faith in my teaching styles."
"I do."
"Great. Okay, time to go." He took Serena's hand and led her across the street. "It's not as busy. Just as I thought." He opened the door and led her inside. The arena was 3 times larger than their home arena. There were 2 people on the ice, and at least 20 people in the audience.
"At least there aren't many people here.." Serena looked around and then back at her brother.
"Well, don't get used to it. Tomorrow there will be a full house, I bet."
"Don't remind me." Serena slipped her shoes off and laced her skates up quickly. "Alright. Let's get this over with. Let me warm up before you bark orders at me, okay?"
"Sure thing." Dmitri walked towards a secluded area and leaned up against the wall. "Give it all you got, okay?"
"Fine." Serena skated towards the side Dmitri was on and began to glide her way around. After a quick warm up, she looked over towards Dmitri and noticed that he wasn't paying attention to her. Instead, she noticed that a tall, black haired male was leaning up against the wall next to her brother, chatting up a storm. She sighed and continued to warm up with a few jumps.
'Way to just talk to strangers. You're supposed to be making sure I'm doing okay.' She landed a single axle and looked back to see her brother looking at her with a wide grin. She went for her triple lutz, and nearly landed it perfectly. If she could only clean up her landing. She looked up to see that Dmitri's smile had faded away, and turned into an expression of worry. The male was gone, so Serena decided to make her way over.
"Hey! That was a good jump! Although, that landing.." He sighed. "You're able to do it so well at home, how come you're having trouble today?"
"I'm nervous! Get off my back."
"I know you are. Relax. And I know that's easier said than done."
"You missed my other warm up jumps."
"I'm sorry. You'll never guess who I was just talking to-"
"They better have been important." She leaned against the wall and looked around. "Where did he go? He just disappeared."
"That was Jean-Jacques Leroy! He was commenting on your skating-"
"HUH?! DMITRI! WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ME OVER!" Serena shrieked as she looked around. "You know how much I love him!"
"I didn't want to get you all worked up. Come on, you need to work on your triple Lutz."
"That wasn't really JJ." Serena threw her hands on her hips and sneered at him.
Dmitri pulled his phone out and handed it to Serena. "I told him you were a fan. He took a picture with me-"
"OH MY GOD, IT WAS HIM!" Serena felt her heart sink as she handed Dmitri his phone back. "I'll probably never see him again.."
"Oh come on, he said quite a few retired skaters are here. Maybe you'll get to meet a few of them."
"I want to meet JJ." Serena huffed as she pushed off the wall. "I'm going to practice the jumps a little more. And then we get to go back, right?"
"Yeah, fine. We both need to rest up."
"Aren't you going to practice?"
"I was planning on it, and then I was distracted by a skating celebrity." He laughed and slipped his skates on and met her on the ice. "Alright, practice your jumps and I'll warm up. Just relax and focus. You'll do great, I promise."
"Thank you, Dmitri." She parted from him and practiced her jumps while her brother warmed up. Instead of focusing on landing cleanly, she kept slipping her landings. Frustrated, she decided to go down to a double lutz.
"That one was perfect. Now, just add one more turn."
"I know, Dmitri. I'm sorry, I'm really frustrated about this."
"It's okay. Do you want to change the jump?"
"Should I?"
"I don't think it would be a bad idea. Sorry, sis."
"It's no problem." She shook her head and took Dmitri's hand. "I'm tired. And frustrated. Can we go back now?"
"Alright." He followed her back to the gate and over towards their gym bags. As soon as they were in their shoes, they made their way out of the arena.
"You're so lucky." Serena sighed as she looked around. "I wish I could meet him."
"Eh, Not really. I'm sure if I was practicing and you were watching, he would have done the same to you. Although, I would have stopped and came over."
"Oh, I know."
"The king is single and on the prowl."
"What did he say to you?"
"Nothing. Just commented on how your moves were fluid and I told him that I helped choreograph your routines and then told him how much you looked up to him. He took a picture with me and told me that he had to leave to turn in for the night. That's it."
"So why do you say he's on the prowl?"
"I mean, have you seen him? He's pretty good looking. He can have anyone he wants. You're gorgeous. I'm not taking my chances of leaving you alone, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, yeah. You're my older brother, I get it. Someday, you need to give me some freedom."
"Maybe someday. Let's take everything one day at a time, okay?"
"Sure."
"Good. Are you hungry at all? Mickey texted me and asked us if we wanted to meet up for dinner."
"That sounds like fun. What will we eat?"
"Hmm.. let's eat something warm. I wonder if they have any Thai food, or any Vietnamese. I could really go for some Pho right now. I don't know why I'm craving strange foods, I guess it's because we're out of our country."
"Could be." Serena pressed the button on the elevator, and entered when the doors opened. "So, do they know where we are rooming?"
"Yeah. I texted him the room number when we got our room key."
"Perfect." She sighed and stretched her arms up. "Can we get take out and just hang out around our room? I'm not feeling so great all of a sudden."
"Huh? Oh please, don't say you're getting sick.." Dmitri sighed and brushed his hand across her forehead. "Hm. You're not hot.. You always seem to get ill when you don't get enough sleep."
"I know. I just need to take care of myself and not go out. I think it's just traveling to a much colder place."
"Let's hope so. We don't want your performance to be hindered."
"I know."
The next morning…
Serena awoke before the alarm had a chance to sound. She turned it off and quietly nudged her brother in the bed next to hers. "Hey. It's time to get up."
"Ngh.. you aren't the alarm." He rolled over and threw his blankets over his head. "What time is it, anyways?"
"6:25. The alarm was set to go off in 5 minutes. What's the big deal?"
"Hey, those 5 minutes are precious." Dmitri groaned as he sat up in his bed. "Whatever. I'm up."
"Good. We don't have much time. We should have set the alarm for 6."
"Eh, I didn't think it was necessary at the time." He stood up out of bed and walked over to his suit case. "How are you feeling this morning?"
"I feel fine. I think it was like I said."
"Good." He pulled out a two-piece performance suit that was black with gold shimmering wefts of fabric to give it class. "I haven't had the chance to wear this in quite some time. I'm pretty excited."
"I bet you are. I'm excited to wear mine.." Serena pulled her performance outfit out and walked over to the bathroom. "Black and gold, just like yours."
"It's to match, remember?" He grinned and slipped his shirt over his head before dressing in his outfit. Serena walked into the bathroom and quickly got dressed. She laced the gold ribbon around her waist and finished it into a bow on her lower back. As she began to dress her hair, she began to have vivid flashbacks of when her and Dmitri first debuted the outfits. She pulled her hair back into a bun and tied a matching black ribbon around it, creating a bow. She took a deep breath and walked out. Dmitri looked up from his cellphone.
"Wow! Serena, your outfit still fits perfectly!"
"If you say so." Serena slipped her track jacket on over her performance outfit and grabbed her gym bag and skates. "Do I look okay?"
"You look great. Now, come on. We should probably get downstairs and get registered."
"Give me a second, alright? I just need a few moments to myself. My anxiety is getting bad."
"Alright. I'll go grab us some coffee."
"Sounds wonderful. Thank you, Dmitri." Serena watched her brother walk out of their hotel room. She fell back onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. After a few moments, she sat up and walked over to the mirror. 'You're going to do great out there. Live your dream. You have so many people who support you.' She pushed herself away from the vanity and walked back over to her bed. Before she could sit back down, Dmitri came back through the door, holding two hot cups of coffee.
"Hey, you ready to go?"
Serena nodded and walked away from her bed. "I'm going to have to do it at some point."
"That's right. And I didn't raise no quitter." He handed her one of the cups and took a sip from his.
"You didn't raise me."
"Eh, we were raised together. Same thing." Dmitri hooked his arm around Serena's shoulders and pulled her close while they walked out of their hotel room. "Remember what we practiced, and what we talked about."
"I know. I know." Serena took a deep breath and began to speak calmly. "Have you checked your Instagram today?"
"Huh? Why?"
"I just want to know if anyone's here."
"Uh, thousands of people are here."
"Skaters that are better than we are."
"Oh. Right. Well, JJ for starters. And I believe Otabek and Yuri P. is here, as well as-"
"What about Yuri Katsuki?"
"Nope. I don't think he is. But I bet you that he's competing again this year with Viktor as his coach."
"Ah, so hopefully I'll get to meet them sooner than I thought!"
"I'm sure you will. Hm. Going on, I know that in your division that Sara and Mila will be there."
"Yeah, I knew that. Sara told me."
"Right. Emil and Michele will be here. But you knew that. We're in Switzerland so Christophe Giacometti might make an appearance. He quit skating so if anything, it will be to help judge or just to reminisce his skating past.
"Ah, Sara showed me his performance: Intoxicated. It was amazing! He has a gorgeously sculpted body-"
Dmitri cleared his throat and sneered. "…And two other males that I have never heard of. Michele told me about them. Although, this is a small qualifier round. We both just have to place in the top three."
"It sounds weird to hear you call him by his real name. Usually we all call him Mickey."
"Well, We're around other people who don't know him by his nick name. It's polite to be accurate in a public appearance. Alright, we're about to go in. Do you remember what we worked on last night?"
"Mmhmm. Hardly anything. Although, I'm excited to finally perform. I know I was nervous before, but now that it's finally time to register, I feel like I can easily take gold. I just hope I do well on my free performance tomorrow.
"Good. I'm excited to see you skate in front of everyone. You'll do great, I know you will."
"Thank you, Dmitri." Serena gave him a tight hug and inhaled deeply. "I'll make you proud. I promise."
"Hey, you better." He winked and gently slapped her on the back. "Alright. I'll see you in a few minutes. Go find out which number you are."
"Alright." Serena turned away from her brother and walked in the direction of the registration booth. Her heart began to pound as she realized that she was all alone in a big crowd. She hadn't been this nervous since coming home from camp 5 years ago. She looked back to see if her brother was still waiting for her to return. 'Dmitri.. I can't even see you anymore..' She panicked as she turned back around towards the direction of the booth. She began to walk, but wasn't aware of the person walking in front of her. She bumped into a tall male with a wavy blonde undercut. He wore round glasses that magnified his hazel eyes, and appeared to have a 5o'clock shadow.
"I-I'm so sorry! Perdonami!"
The male looked down at her with a confused look before speaking. "C'est D'accord. You better hurry. The ceremony is about to begin."
"Huh?!" Serena looked down at her phone and noticed it was 8:52 A.M. "You're right! Merci!" She looked back up to thank him, but he was gone. "He responded to me in French. Did he understand Italian, too? Ah, whatever. I'm running late as it is." She walked up to the booth and was greeted by a blonde, middle-aged woman. The woman handed her a slip that Serena had to fill out with her information. Within two minutes, Serena had her number and was making her way back towards the arena entrance, hoping to find her brother.
"Hey! Over here!"
Serena looked over and noticed that her brother was leaning against one of the walls towards the entrance. He smiled as he waved towards her. She approached him with a weak smile across her face.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure."
"Mmhmm."
"Okay.. What number did you get?"
"I'm 4th to perform."
"Ah! At least it's not first and it's not last!"
"True. So, what place did you get?"
"First!"
"Oh. That's awesome."
"You're acting strange. What happened to you while you were gone? Relax. You will advance back into competing. You're going to do great out there."
"I know. You're right." She exhaled and stretched her arms to the ceiling. "Do you think mama and dad are watching?"
Dmitri smirked at her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Of course. We're both trying out. This is a big deal, seeing how old we both are."
"There are other skaters that are older than we are. Yuri K. to be exact. But, I know what you mean." Serena nodded and took a deep breath. "So… how are we going to explain our situation? Dad's retired. We HAVE to have a coach. We can't be each other's coach if we both win."
"Says…?"
"The rule book, duh."
"It says nothing about a brother coaching his little sister. Besides, dad is still technically our coach. We can just say he had to go home-"
"You still fail to understand. If we both win, what will we do? Dad can't sponsor both of us. He can't sponsor either of us! He's retired! Get that through your head, Dmitri!" Serena scoffed and crossed her arms. "I swear, you better have a plan for all of this."
Dmitri stroked his sister's cheek and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll think of something. I always do. Now, go get ready. The ceremony's about to start and both of us need to be in our own ranking. Go out there and make Northern Italy proud."
"Why not all of Italy?"
"Eh, fine. Make Italy proud." He took her hand and walked into the stadium. As soon as they came to the end of the isle, they parted ways towards their own group. Serena looked around and noticed that someone was waving from a few chairs away. It was Sara. She made her way towards her friend and sat down next to her.
"Thank goodness! I was so afraid I wouldn't have anyone to talk to before I perform."
"Well, here I am! You look nervous, Serena."
"You know I am." Serena looked around and then back at Sara. "I don't understand. I was just fine earlier. I just hope I do well."
"You'll do great! I've told you this time and time again, and you always do wonderfully. Besides, there's only 5 females and 5 males competing here. This is qualifiers. It's a big deal, yeah, but just relax and do your best."
"You and I have to place in the top three. I can't do this without my best friend with me."
"Of course! I wouldn't have it any other way."
Serena smiled slightly and then looked out onto the ice. "Mila's so pretty. It's like she's Russia's ice queen."
"I agree. The girl before Mila was great, as well. Oh, I'm next!" Sara stood up and took her track jacket off. She was wearing a navy blue and white performance outfit. "It's new! Do you think I look okay?"
"You look great. Good luck out there." Serena looked around once more and then back towards the arena to watch her best friend. She could hear Mickey cheering her on from the other side. After a few moments, Serena spaced out and began to mildly panic. 'I can do this. I can do this.' She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths while repeating her words to herself. 'I'm going to get gold. I'm going to make Italy proud. I'm going to take over the family restaurant.'
"Next up, #4 Serena Djangelo."
"Huh?!" Serena said aloud as she looked up to an empty rink. The crowd became still as Serena made her way out towards the center. Her heart began to pound as she noticed that all eyes were on her.
"Serena will be performing to Prince's own: Raspberry Beret."
As soon as her music started, she began to glide across the ice with incorporated movements and choreography taught by Dmitri. Her first jump was a single axle, and she landed cleanly while the audience broke out into applause. She caught her eye on Dmitri and her friends as she geared up for her second jump, a triple lutz.
'I know what Dmitri and I talked about, but I can do it. I have to show him that I'm strong enough without his decisions.' She made her jump with a clear landing, her skin became chilled with adrenaline. She looked out towards the crowd where Dmitri would be, and saw her brother grinning while applauding. With 3 minutes and 35 seconds feeling like 10 minutes, she was finally finished with her routine. She skated towards the Kiss and Cry, and noticed Dmitri welcoming her with open arms.
"That was beautiful, Serena! I mean, we need to work on your take off for the triple lutz, but other than that, you did amazing!"
"Thanks, Dmitri." She took the water bottle from his hand and began to drink. "I just hope I did well enough to place in the top three."
"It's over now. The last person's performing now, and then it's onto the men's division. Just relax, okay? They will announce the results soon enough."
"Alright."
"Ah, I'm next! I probably shouldn't even be in the kiss and cry with you, but I had to congratulate you."
"I appreciate it. Go out there and show everyone what you can do."
"Will do." He kissed Serena's forehead and made his way towards the ice. She huffed and quickly smiled for a set of pictures before making her way towards the empty row of seats reserved for coaches, family and other skaters. She sat down, and stared out towards the rink with her thoughts racing through her head.
'What if we both rank? What are we going to do? Who's going to help either of us out? What if Dmitri makes it but I don't?!' She looked down to her skates and could feel her eyes begin to water. 'My anxiety is so bad right now. I should be happy that I made it out of the rink alive!'
"Next up, Dmitri Djangelo."
"Ah!" Serena perked up and watched as her brother made his way towards the center. The way he moved screamed confidence. There were girly screams coming from one side of the stadium. 'That's... not disturbing at all.' Serena shuddered and stuck her tongue out.
"Dmitri will be performing to Prince's: Let's Go Crazy."
As Dmitri began his routine, Serena sat back and studied his every move. "He taught himself a lot of this. He didn't even really ask for my help, except for my critique. And he insisted on creating MY routine.." She scoffed under her breath as she watched her twin with envy.
"Serena!" Emil walked over and sat down next to her, embracing her in a quick hug. "I'm so proud of you! You did great!"
"Not as great as Emil's doing.."
"Huh? What are you talking about? You both have already shown what you have to offer. You aren't better than him, and he isn't better than you."
"He's just so confident in his moves. I didn't help him at all. I was only his critic."
"But he helped you?" Emil stared out at Dmitri and then looked back at Serena. She nodded and looked back down at her skates.
"He created my routine."
"What? Why?"
"I don't know. I guess I asked him to? I don't remember doing so. I just asked for his help."
"Well, maybe he took it the wrong way?"
"Obviously."
"Well, regardless, you're going on to do great things. I promise that you'll be in the top 3. Along with Sara."
"Thanks Emil.." Serena smiled and watched her brother finish his routine. "So.. what number are you?"
"I'm 3. I'm right after Mickey. I just hope I move on with him. A couple years ago, I failed so bad that I had to sit it out."
"You'll do great. I'll be watching. I really should be going to the kiss and cry to be with Dmitri."
"Of course. Just relax, okay?"
"I'll try." She stood up and walked over to where Dmitri was sitting. He grinned up at her, sweat beading across his forehead and cheek bones.
"Serena! That felt great!"
"You did wonderful." She smiled and embraced him in a hug.
"Thanks sis. I think I at least placed second."
"Oh? Second? I thought you were shooting for first."
"I am. I just haven't seen the competition." He smirked towards the camera. "Heh, I have a fan club. Or, a developing one."
"Yeah. I heard." She cleared her throat and stood up from the bench. "If I had a group of guys doing that, you'd lose your damn mind."
"Yeah, I would. Do you blame me?"
She sighed and shook her head. "Nevermind. Mickey's up next. Let's go back over to Emil." She took his wrist and tugged him over. Emil looked up and grinned at both of them.
"Way to go, Dmitri! You did great!"
"Hey, thanks man. You'll do great, too." Dmitri grabbed his water bottle and began to drink. "Whoa, look at him go! Mickey's been working hard, you can tell."
"Yeah. I know. Isn't he dreamy?" Emil grinned and gazed out at his Italian prince.
"Eh.. He's my friend. That's it." Dmitri shrugged and sat back. "You both are."
"I hope we all place. If not, we will have to work harder to place next year."
"They're going to choose 6 of us to move on to compete after qualifiers. That's why we're here. There will be a top 3, and those three skaters will be celebrated more, but it's still a chance to do better and get gold in the end. Besides, our competition doesn't look too strong. Mickey did well, and so did I. And, you're next, so.."
"No pressure.. got it.." Emil looked down as his complexion flushed to a pale white.
"You'll do wonderful, Emil! I know you will. After all, you're one of my favorite skaters!"
"Yeah, with me being your top favorite." Dmitri stuck his tongue out at Serena.
"No, actually, I don't really have a top favorite. Except if you count Yuri Katsuki. Honestly, I can't really rank any of them. They are all just too perfect!" Serena laughed as she nudged her brother's shoulder. "I do admire your skating though. Don't be jealous."
"Yeah, yeah.." Dmitri scoffed and looked away. "Mickey's done. Go get 'em, Emil."
"Huh?!" Emi snapped his head up and noticed that Mickey was in the kiss and cry with Sara. He stood up and took a deep breath before walking towards the rink.
"You can do it, Emil! Focus!" Serena shouted as she sprung up from her chair. She sat down and noticed that Dmitri was still pouting like a teenage boy. "What's your problem?"
"You didn't seem that excited when I was out there."
"I was, I was just focused on watching your moves."
"Uh huh. Anyways. I hope you're ready for tomorrow."
"I am. I just need some rest, that's all."
"Alright. Well, after we find out where we are ranked, then we can grab something to eat and get some rest."
"Deal." She watched as Emil skated to his routine without any mistakes. "He sure has improved throughout the years."
"He really has. Everyone has." Dmitri smiled and looked back at his sister. "Especially you. You've come a long way in such a short amount of time."
"Thanks, Dmitri."
"You're welcome. We were all born to skate, that's for sure. I hope you aren't feeling homesick."
"Not at all. I want to keep traveling and skating."
"Good. I'm so glad to hear that. I was afraid that you would want to skip out and go home."
"And leave my brother to do all of the work? Never." Serena laughed and began to applaud loudly when Emil finished his routine. "He did so well.. Only two more skaters and then we find out how we all placed."
"That's enough time to get something to eat. Come on, I think we deserved it." Dmitri stood up and took his sister's hand. "They're selling pastries and coffee at one of the concession stands.
"Mmm, say no more." Serena grinned and looked around as they walked out to the arena lobby. "Where is the stand you were talking about?"
"Oh, over here!" Dmitri tugged her along and walked up to the front counter. "What do you want?"
"I don't care. Anything's fine."
"Alright." Dmitri looked at the menu and began to order. Serena gazed around and heard cheering coming from inside the arena. "Looks like the last person is up. We should get back soon."
"I know." He took the drinks that were handed to him and gave one to Serena. "It's a latte. I hope that's okay."
"Sounds good to me."
"Oh, and they had croissants. I doubt they are better than dad's, but they will do." He handed his sister a pastry and began to walk back towards the arena. As soon as they found their seats, they began to tally up final scores before announcing the top three for that day's performances.
"I wish they'd hurry up.." Serena shifted in her seat and nervously bit off a chunk of croissant.
"Relax. You know it takes them a few minutes. I wonder what happened to everyone else?" Dmitri looked around and back at his sister. "I guess they decided to grab their own seats?"
"Probably. Who cares." Serena finished her pastry and sipped her latte until the top three skaters of each division were announced.
"If we could have our top three female skaters come to the center: First up, Mila Babicheva, Second, Sara Crispino, and third, Serena Djangelo!" The speakers rang as Serena's head began to spin.
'Third…?'
"Serena! Way to go!" Dmitri embraced her and turned her to face the rink. "Go on! You ranked in the top three!"
"Right.. We still have to wait to see how I do tomorrow to see if I can move on."
"You will. Now, go up there!" Dmitri grinned and watched his twin sister accept her position.
In Serena's eyes, she could have done better. She should have gotten first. 'First competition of the season, and I'm currently in third place. I still have tomorrow to go, and even then, I don't know if I can do better than what I did today. I worked so hard! Third isn't good enough. Why do I feel like such a failure?' Serena approached the stand and accepted the crowd with a weak smile. After the applause from the audience rang out, she made her way back to the stands to hear what her brother placed. As soon as she sat down, they began to announce the male division rankings.
"Third: Emil Nekola. Second: Michele Crispino. First: Dmitri Djangelo!"
"Way to go…" Serena said softly with a faint smile fading across her lips. "You better have a plan…" She whispered softly as she stood up to greet her brother at the gate. He approached her and embraced her in a tight hug.
"We did it!"
"Yeah, and that plan of yours is?"
"Serena, relax. This is just day one. We won't have to worry about anything until tomorrow."
"No, we need to think of something as soon as possible, Dmitri. We may have both placed, but what happens if both of us qualify?!"
"Relax. We're going to be okay." Dmitri led his sister out of the arena, and down the escalators to the lower level. "All we gotta do is go back to our hotel room, and think of a plan."
"We?! No no, it's your responsibility. You told me you had a plan."
"Which I do. I just need a plan B just in case."
"Greaaaaat" Serena sighed and placed her hand on the door knob when suddenly, they were both called out.
"Hey! It's those Italian twins! They're back after a long hiatus!" A man shouted as he pointed towards them. He walked over, a voice recorder in his hand. "Ah! The Djangelo twins! It's nice to meet you, I'm from the press. I hear you both decided to come back after taking some time off for…"
"College." Dmitri blurted out without hesitation.
"Ah, I see." He gestured them over to a corner, his camera crew behind him, taking pictures of them both. "Dmitri, your performance was practically flawless! How do you build up the stamina?"
"I live to skate. I practice as much as I can without over-stressing myself.
"Wow! Very smart! So, Serena, your performance was breathtaking and graceful, are you upset about the score you received?" The man held the recorder up close to her face.
Serena shook her head as the cameras began to flash in her face. "I feel like I could have done way better, but I am happy that I will be advancing onto the next competition. And my best friend will be there as well."
"Ah! Your best friend is?"
"Sara Crispino. She won second, but she worked very hard to get there. I'm proud of her."
"That's very sweet of you to say, Miss Djangelo. Are there any motivators in your life?"
Serena looked around at all of the reporters and a few people that were standing towards the doors. The flashing lights from the cameras were enough to blind someone and easily threw off her concentration. Dmitri gave her a nudge to bring her back to reality. "Ah! Yes! Quite a few people are my motivators, actually. My family always pushes me to be better than what I was the day before-"
"What about famous ice skaters?"
"Well, Michele and Sara Crispino, and Emil Nekola-"
"Anyone else?"
"Yuri Katsuki made me want to try again. I think he was the biggest motivation. Seeing him start back up a few years ago proved to me that anyone can do what they put their mind to."
"Wonderful! Dmitri, how about you? What do you plan on doing with your career? You seem to be heading for gold! You're already ranked at first, and it's only your first performance of the season."
"And I plan to place first in my other competitions, as well as tomorrow. I dream to one day win the men's championship in Paris, where my father won."
"That's why you are here, yes?"
"That, and to see my sister succeed."
"So noble! So, where are your coaches?"
"Well, growing up our father coached us, and when he retired-"
"So, you don't have a coach?"
"We do! We just take turns teaching each other routines and coaching choreography."
"Dmitri..." Serena sighed and buried her face into her hands. 'You are such an idiot! How could you straight up say such a dumb idea?'
The press became quiet and then everyone began to speak amongst the people around them. "So. You coach Serena, and she coaches you?" The press leader shook his head. "You two and I need to have a discussion in private. This meeting is over." He stood up and walked over to a closed door. He opened it up and let Serena and Dmitri inside.
"What's the deal? Why did you take us away from that?! We need the publicity!"
"Dmitri!" Serena hissed as she nudged her brother with her elbow.
"Just who are you, anyways? I have a feeling that you aren't just head of the press."
"I work for the International Skating Union, and I am the director of this qualifier. I am legally allowed to disqualify you both for what you have done. I brought you in here to save yourselves from further humiliation. Do you two understand how unethical this would be? You both would have a slim chance of competing at the same competitions. I'm sorry, but the rules state that other competitors may not aid in other competition's success. This translates to coaching another person that may be competing."
"But, Serena's in the female division, and I'm in the male division-"
"Yes, but you two still would have to spit up to travel to different places to compete. You have two options, and only two. One, you forfeit and go home."
"Anything but that! We worked so hard to get here!" Dmitri slammed his palms down onto the director's desk.
"Are you sure? You haven't even heard the second option yet."
"Dmitri, stop and think!" Serena hissed as she nudged his arm with her elbow.
"I'm not forfeiting. I'll run 1,000 miles in 2 weeks before I give up my chance to win big."
"So be it. You two will get to compete again, but not until next season. If you really want to win that badly, you can train harder and sharpen your skills up. You both will be put on a waiting list for a coach. Unfortunately, that would mean traveling to different competitions. Do you think you two can handle being apart?"
"Can't we see if someone will coach both of us?"
"Mr. DJangelo, I don't think you understand how unlikely that is. You're lucky that I'll give you this opportunity and let you both keep your medals."
"N-Next season?!" Serena's eyes began to water as she clutched her fists together. "No! We worked so hard!"
"I know you both did, but you two should have studied the rules a little harder. You both are great skaters, you can go on to win gold each time you compete. However, I will say that you both need to spend a little bit more time practicing after so much time off."
"What if someone doesn't choose us?! How long does it take?"
"Well, since you and your brother did a good job and placed in the top three, you both have a pretty good chance of getting chosen. If you get chosen, I'd stick with your coach so you will get to compete next year. Sometimes it can take weeks, if not a couple of months to find someone. I'd say that if you don't receive a letter in the mail by late March, you both will have to find your own coaches and come back next year."
"Someone will choose us. We're great at what we do. Come on, Serena." Dmitri stood up and walked out of the room. Serena followed closely behind while wiping her eyes with her jacket sleeve. There was a crowd of reporters that were interviewing other skaters, and people that were leaving the arena. Dmitri took Serena's wrist and led her over to the side so they could talk. Dmitri pulled Serena's hands down and noticed that her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were red and slightly puffy.
"Hey. Look. I know you're upset-"
"Dmitri you idiot! You didn't read the rules thoroughly, and you wouldn't listen to us! Your own friends and I even tried to tell you! We wasted all this time for nothing, and now I might not be able to make my dream come true!"
"Serena, calm down! We'll get a coach. You and I."
"Dmitri, if someone chooses only one of us, we have to go with them. We'll have to split up."
"No, we can find someone that is willing to teach both of us."
"Dmitri, I have to try to live my life again! I have to try to make my dream come true myself. Why can't you accept that?"
"Serena, we both know you can't do it without me. You've never been able to succeed without me."
"You're such a jerk, Dmitri!" Serena tried to storm off, but was grabbed by Dmitri. He hugged her tight as she tried to struggle away. "Let go of me! I'm going back to our room!"
"Serena, just give this time. We'll make this work. We always do."
"Whatever. Just let me go!" Serena broke free and stormed off towards their hotel room.
Emil approached Dmitri with Mickey behind him before he was aware of the situation. "Dmitri! Hey! Oh, Serena! Great jo-"
Serena rushed past Emil and Mickey as she walked down the hallway to the staircase. She walked upstairs but could hear someone calling her name from the bottom of the staircase. She stopped and noticed Emil was approaching her. Serena sighed and shook her head.
"Don't worry about me, alright? I'll be okay-"
"Serena, what happened?"
"Dmitri's an idiot, that's what happened! We pretty much got disqualified because we don't have coaches." She wiped her eyes and turned to ascend the staircase. Emil rushed up behind her and followed Serena to her hotel room.
"That's not telling me a lot. Come on, talk to me. Mickey's with Dmitri right now. I don't know where Sara is, and I know that you'd probably rather talk to her but-"
"I appreciate you even being concerned. We were told that we should sign up to obtain a coach, and even then, it isn't promised. If someone doesn't choose us, then we must find our own coaches. I should have never came back. I should have just stayed huddled in my room."
"Don't say that! You're great at what you do, and you deserve to be out there with a gold medal around your neck. Someone will choose you both."
"That's another thing. Someone could choose only one of us, and the other might get chosen by another person. Meaning, we may be split up."
"Well, that hasn't happened yet, so just try to relax. I know it's a lot to take in right now, but just keep practicing. You have your friends on your side."
Serena embraced Emil tightly and began to cry. "I hate this! I should be advancing on and winning! Why do I have to be a twin?! I'll never get to have my own life!"
"You do have your own life, Serena. Your brother is just a big part of it. I wish I had siblings. I know I don't exactly know your situation, but your brother DOES mean well. Just like Mickey means well with Sara."
"Mickey's obsession got pretty bad after what happened 5 years ago. He had every right to."
"Everyone became protective after that. The important thing is, is that we are all close just like we were 5 years ago. We have grown up, have taken on challenges, and have found love."
"You and Mickey have found love with each other. None of us have found love."
"Not yet, but we all do at some point. I promise you, when you do find love, you'll be a completely different person. I feel the best I have ever felt, and we've only been dating for nearly 2 weeks."
"I can tell." Serena wiped her eyes. "Thanks for the encouragement and for listening to me. I know I'm being silly about this."
"You aren't. I understand where you are coming from, and I know that you have goals to accomplish that you can only accomplish on your own. You'll succeed. I promise you."
"Thank you, Emil. You're such a great friend. I'm so happy that we all met."
"Same. Let's go grab something to eat. I bet Dmitri is helping Mickey look for Sara."
"That sounds perfect." Serena stood up from her bed and walked over towards the door. "You did great out there, Emil. I watched you, just like you watched me."
"Thanks. That means a lot." He grinned and followed Serena out the door.
Thank you all for sticking with me, and being patient as I finish up my college work! I try to make my chapters as long as possible, to keep everyone more entertained :)