Chapter 7
As soon as they arrived in the lobby, Serena spotted Dmitri heading towards her. Her heart began to race, as she remembered the real reason why she was upset.
"Hey. Can we talk? Just us?" He began to utter as he approached her.
"We can later. I'm starving." Serena kept walking with Emil towards Mickey and Sara.
"Alright." Dmitri approached the group and watched as Sara embraced Serena in a tight hug.
"Serena. I'm so sorry. Dmitri told us everything-"
"Probably not EVERYTHING, but it's okay. It doesn't matter right now. Let's get something to eat and then you and I can talk later. By ourselves." She glanced back at Dmitri and then back at Sara.
"Deal." Sara pulled away and took her hand. She led her towards the lobby exit and started chatting up a storm. Dmitri tried to hear what was going on, but he had no luck, as someone grabbed onto his jacket sleeve. He looked back and noticed that it was Mickey.
"Hey, I know you want to talk to her about everything that happened but let her relax and spend some time with Sara. I think it will make her feel better." He took Dmitri's wrist and pulled him back.
"I know. I just have the feeling that she hates me right now."
"She doesn't. As one twin to another, I say give her some space, I know it's difficult-"
"You're just saying that because you and Emil are dating, and you're less sensitive to your sister."
"Hey, there's no need to be a jerk, man." Mickey huffed as he crossed his arms. "I'm telling you, back away from her while she's like this, or she's going to blow up on you. Be smart about this. Do you want to push her away?"
Dmitri sighed and shook his head. "Never."
"Okay. Then take my advice. Come on. They're almost out of sight."
"I think I heard them say that they were going to a small French café a couple blocks down. Sara's been talking about it all morning." Mickey looked around and spotted Emil, who was trying to catch up with the girls. Mickey took off, with Dmitri following closely behind.
Soon after everyone was reunited, they walked into the cafe and found and empty table. Sara took Serena's hand, and led her to the ladies room.
"Hey, so can I talk to you? Something exciting happened today, and I want to share. We can take a walk and I can explain more later." Sara walked over to the vanity and began to fix her hair while staring at her reflection.
"Uh oh. What did you get yourself into this time?" Serena laughed softly and applied a layer of lip balm onto her lips.
"Well, you can't tell anyone, okay? I don't want anyone to find out just yet."
"Why? Seriously, tell me what's going on."
"I may be in a relationship. I mean, I don't know just yet. They haven't made it official or anything, but we.. kind of met up last night after Mickey fell asleep and walked around town."
"Oh my god, why didn't you tell me?!"
"I figured you were asleep, so I didn't want to wake you. But, you are the first and only person I'm going to tell. So, don't tell anyone just yet. I want to take things slow and I really hope it works out."
"Well, I hope it does, too. If this person makes you happy, then I want you to be happy. You can tell me all about them later. You and I can go get dessert and coffee and discuss everything."
"I'd like that. Come on, the guys are probably wondering what happened to us."
"Alright. Lead the way."
Sara walked back to the table with Serena trailing close behind her. Dmitri glanced up at her and then looked away quickly. Serena sighed and sat down by Emil and Sara.
"So, what looks good?" Dmitri glanced at the menu and back at Mickey.
"The crepes look good. With strawberries and whipped cream. It's something I haven't had for awhile." Mickey spoke up as he flipped through the menu.
"Oooh! That sounds good. Except, I'll have crepes with chocolate and whipped cream. I really shouldn't, but I should have a cheat day."
"My dear Sara, you look perfect. Don't you stress a thing." Mickey smiled at Sara and sat his menu down.
Emil looked down at his phone and began to write out a message to Serena.
"Hey, I don't want to make a scene, but I hope everything's okay. I understand that this all just happened and you didn't exactly have a long time to talk things through."
"Mm. Chocolate crepes from me, please." Emil looked up and sat his phone down.
"Strawberries and chocolate for me. It's been a rough day." Serena sighed and looked down at her phone as it vibrated.
"New message from: Emil". Serena tapped her message icon and read the message. She stared at the message before taking her time to reply.
"Not really. I have so much on my mind right now. It's tearing me apart. And Dmitri won't even look me in the eyes now. Everything seems helpless. Thanks so much for checking in on me, though. You're the best. I'll text you more about it later." Sent.
The waitress soon came over and took everyone's order. As soon as she walked away, Sara started a new conversation.
"So, Serena and I are going to go out after dinner and talk some and probably grab some dessert. You boys will just have to occupy yourselves."
"You two? Alone? Never!" Dmitri and Mickey exclaimed together.
"Mickey! We need our time-"
"Fine. At least take Emil with you."
"What?! How is that going to help them?" Dmitri scoffed and crossed his arms.
"Hey! I do a good job at watching over my friends. It's what I do."
"Yeah, well, what if you ALL get hurt?"
"Then it would be worse if you and Dmitri were with us. Besides, I'm just going to watch them. I'm not going to be a part of the conversation."
"We weren't going to let you be apart of it anyways, Emil." Sara sighed and grabbed Serena's hand. "It's much needed girl's time."
"Ouch. Fine." Emil frowned and looked down at his phone. "But it can't be long. It's already 8:30."
"We know, we know. We've also been up since 8 AM."
"This is true." Serena sighed and looked up as the waitress brought their orders. "Finally! Food." She began to dig into her dish.
"You should have eaten something earlier." Dmitri frowned as he cut into his crepes.
"If I would have, I would have thrown up after learning about our fate." Serena sat her fork down and took a drink of her water.
"That's not healthy." Mickey shook his head and looked over at Serena.
"Neither is what happened, but it happened anyways." Serena cut another piece and placed it in her mouth. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be nasty about the situation. It hasn't even been that long and it's still in my mind."
"Don't be, Serena. We're all here for you both. Friends support each other, even if they compete against one another in a sport. You should know this by now. We've been friends for going on 6 years now. Sara and I wouldn't have it any other way." Mickey shoved a fork full of crepes into his mouth.
"Neither would I." Emil spoke up.
"Thanks, everyone. I do feel like we can make a comeback if we work hard enough. And, if someone will choose us."
"They will! I know it's easier said than done, but you can't worry so much about it, Serena. You just found out about it today. Both of your names are out there now, and any day, you will be chosen. You have to believe in yourself, first." Sara took a drink and sat her glass down. "You both did damn good, and there were a lot of people there watching. The applause both of you got was incredible, and people want more. "
"The applause just makes me want to keep going." Dmitri finally spoke after a few moments of eating. "I know it sounds arrogant, but I've always fed off attention. There's someone out there who will make us stars."
"You were wrong about us competing without a coach, but I really hope you're right about someone choosing us."
"I'm well aware of what happened, Serena. I said I was sorry, alright?"
"I know you did. It's whatever now. Just don't do anything else to screw up our career." Serena finished off her plate and placed it in the middle of the table. "That was amazing."
"It really was." Sara sat down her fork.
"The two girls are done before we are. That's sad, you guys." Dmitri finished up his dish and placed it in the middle.
"I'm full. I don't think I can eat anymore." Emil frowned and looked down at his small remains.
"You okay? Normally you can finish your meal." Mickey finished his plate up and placed it in the middle.
"Eh, I'm not feeling the greatest right now. I think it's because I'm tired from performing today."
"I think we all are. We just need to all get some good rest."
"I agree with you. Oh, but I'm going out with the girls as they have their time. Maybe if I'm hungry enough, I'll stop behind and pick something up."
"Do what you need to. I do hope we can have some time together."
"Oh, Mickey! You're starting to choose Emil over me! That's wonderful." Sara beamed at Mickey.
"Oh Sara, you will always be my gold medal."
Emil cleared his throat and stood up with Serena. He handed Mickey his bill and Swiss franc. "Here. You can keep the change if you want. I'll make sure they stay safe. Just trust me."
"I do trust you." Mickey frowned. "We will get to see each other later, yeah? I figured we could celebrate your silver victory."
"Aw, Mickey.. of course. I'll be back later." Emil grinned and followed Serena and Sara out the door. Mickey sighed and sat back.
"So, you want to talk more about what you plan on doing? You know how this is affecting Serena."
"I know. For starters, I'm going to talk to her. I won't argue." Dmitri stared down at the table and looked over at his friend. "As far as someone choosing us, I am hopeful. However, I don't know for certain when it will happen, and what we should do beforehand."
"Well, for starters, you both should keep up with practicing.
"We were planning on it. I'm more concerned about Serena not hating me. I did a bad thing."
"Yeah. You did. But there's nothing you can do now except for help her out and accept what comes to you both. Take this time away from her to clear your head so you don't start an argument with her later."
"I know. I just hope she'll listen to me."
Meanwhile..
"So, I wanted to tell you about the person I've been seeing. I know you haven't forgotten."
"Not at all. Thank god Mickey stayed with Dmitri and they both allowed Emil to shadow us."
"I know, right? It's almost as if this is a dream. He's keeping his distance, too." Sara looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Him and my brother make a great couple.. Mickey's been so different since they got together. It's been really nice. He even told our parents, and they're completely fine with everything. They want to meet Emil when he comes to visit for New Years. Speaking of, we're all still crashing at your place for the weekend, yeah?
"That's the plan. Mom and dad are leaving the 30th of December, so it's just us."
"I bet it'll be fun. Mickey and I normally plan an outing together when our parents aren't around."
"That's amazing. I love spending time with him, but I just wish Dmitri would shape up."
"He will. It just isn't his time, I guess. But, look on the bright side. He did mention that you guys could try again next year-"
"Yeah, but did he also tell you that we have to be chosen by someone to coach and sponsor us. He's flawless. He will have no problem getting someone to teach him."
"And you'll have an easier time than he will! Look at you, Serena. You're amazing. You radiate when you walk into a room. You make heads turn. Your routines are perfect. Ignore what those judges have to say! What's the worst that could happen?"
"We won't get chosen together."
"So what? That could be a great thing!"
"If you say so."
"I DO say so. Think about it. If you both get to go on your separate ways for a while, it will give you a chance to have some time alone with yourself and you'll be able to skate without your brother nagging you on."
"Easy for you to say. You and Mickey are still skating together with your father as your coach."
"Only for another couple of years. After next year, we must find our own coach. We want to continue skating. We just need to find someone to help us with that goal."
"You can both achieve it." Serena looked over her shoulder and noticed that Emil was stopped in front of a small café and chocolate shop. "We lost him. I think he wants to go in there. We should go back to him."
"Alright. It's pretty cold, and I could go for something warm."
"Same here. So.. about this love interest." Serena turned around and started to head back towards Emil.
"Her name is Mila."
"Mila? Like.."
"Babichevia? Si!"
"That's so awesome. I'm so happy for you."
"Thanks. We seem to be hitting it off. I just hope it lasts."
"Just take things slow. Long distance relationships can be tough, but if anyone can do it, you can. I'm just glad you got over that Seng Gil. He was a jerk to you."
"He was, I know. But it took a good person for me to see that. Serena, thanks for listening and keeping this a secret. I do appreciate it."
"Hey, any time. Our friendship means a lot to me."
"Same here."
The two approached Emil and stopped talking. Emil frowned and crossed his arms. "Can I join in now?"
"Sure." Serena laughed and shook her head. "I don't know why you find out conversations so interesting."
"Well, I don't know what you two were talking about. But I think I know.."
"Well, we saw you looking into this café, so we figured we would stop for tea and dessert."
"Oooh, that sounds perfect. Are you feeling any better?" Emil opened the door to the café and waited for Sara and Serena to walk inside.
"Kind of. We just need to find a coach."
"Oh, trust me. You'll find the best coach for you both. The perfect coach just comes to you, it feels like."
"I guess." Serena walked up to the counter and began to look at the chocolate behind the counter. "I shouldn't. I ate so much at dinner."
"Same. But, do you want some tea?" Sara looked at her friend and back at the lady behind the counter.
"Sure. Chamomile if they have it."
"Ah, make that 3!" Emil reached into his wallet and handed Sara some Suisse franc. "I'm going to go sit down. Mickey's been texting me.
"Fine, fine. Thanks." Sara grinned and took his money, as Serena began to hand her portion in.
"Here. That should be enough."
"No. I'll take care of it. It's the least I can do to help."
"You being my friend and talking to me is enough, Sara."
"Yeah, but I insist. Please."
"Okay. Thank you, Sara." She looked back at Emil.
"Anytime. 3 Chamomile teas, please!" Sara handed the woman her money and looked back at Serena. "He's so sucked into that phone."
"He's in love."
"Ah, I guess you could say that I'm on my way there myself." She watched as the woman walked back to the counter with a tray in her hands. There were 3 cups of steaming tea nesting carefully on top.
"Merci!" Serena smiled and helped Sara back to the table.
"Ah, thanks ladies!" Emil reached out and took a cup from the tray.
"No problem." Serena sat down and began to sip her tea. "So, Emil, we can tell that you are absolutely smitten.. wanna talk about it?" she smirked at him between sips.
"I could go on and on." Emil blushed and began to grin like an idiot. "Dating an Italian man is a dream of its own. He's so gorgeously sculpted-"
"Ahh, this is so weird to hear!" Sara giggled and sipped her tea.
"Hush, let him finish!" Serena smiled and leaned forward.
"He's everything I've ever dreamed of in a lover.. I'm just glad that he decided to look my way. I worked so hard for him to notice me, and it finally worked."
"Oh, I can guarantee that he's always liked you, Emil. I know my brother. He doesn't text anyone besides you and me, and occasionally our parents. It's been that way since we've met you. He thought you were trying to get to me, so he was uneasy at first, but because you wanted to always be around HIM and not me, he lightened up."
Emil blushed deeply and looked down at the table. "Thanks for telling me. I would have always thought that I annoyed him."
"Oh, you did at times. But he still wanted to talk to you and be around you, just like you wanted to be around him."
"You two were meant for each other, and I think Sara can agree with me on that." Serena looked down at her phone . "We should get back. It's getting late. We must have been here for a moment."
"I would say about 15 minutes in here, and 20 minutes of walking. My face is still frozen!" Emil wrapped his scarf around his nose, lips and chin.
"I don't know how. You live in a naturally colder climate. Well, it gets pretty cold there."
"It does, but that doesn't mean that I like cold weather." He stood up and watched as the other two followed.
"He's right. Alright, let's face the cold again and get back to the hotel. Besides, Dmitri and I fly back home tomorrow. Dad bought us a plane ticket home."
"Uh oh, is he mad?" Sara followed them out of the café and walked back towards the hotel with her friends.
"No. Neither of them are. They're too busy worrying about moving to France. He texted me before I met up with you and told me that he was proud of us, but that he figured that we would want to come home. I agreed. As much as I want to cheer you all on, I feel as if we need some time to worry about finding a coach that will deal with us, and we need to practice harder than we have been. Unfortunately, my goals have been stretched out a bit, but dad mentioned that he would talk to me when I got home."
"That's great, at least he's understanding. I plan on coming to Italy during the holidays. Mickey wants me to come and visit before we come to your house for the new year weekend.."
"Ah, you're finally going to meet the family! That's great!" Sara grinned and nudged his arm. "I'm excited."
"Yeah. I am, too." He blushed and looked forward. "Also, you said that your parents were going to be gone, right Serena?"
"Mmmhmm. They're looking for a house to buy, so they'll be gone the whole weekend. It'll just be us."
"Sounds like a plan. Finally, we're back. It's so much warmer here!" Emil stretched his arms up as they walked into the lobby of the hotel.
"Yeah, it's much better." Serena led them to the elevators and patiently waited for the next elevator to take her back up to her room.
"You going to be okay?" Sara placed her hand on Serena's right shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"Yeah. I think I am. Thanks, Sara. I appreciate your concern."
"Anytime. I know how heated arguments can get between siblings, but if you need me, you know where to find me. Okay?"
"Of course." Serena stepped into the empty elevator and watched as her friends followed her. She pressed the 3rd floor, and watched as the doors closed. As soon as they arrived, they walked out of the elevator. Serena led them to her room, and paused a moment before using her key to enter. "On second thought.. I don't know."
"What do you mean?" Emil looked at her, confused at her reaction. "I thought you said you were going to be okay?"
"I did. But I'm afraid this is going to erupt into one big argument. I don't want that."
"Then don't let it happen. Come on." Sara took the card from her hands and opened the door. They walked in and found Mickey and Dmitri watching the recap of the performances. Luckily, it was showing after Serena and Dmitri's performance.
"Hey, I was wondering when you all would be back." Dmitri smiled. "We just started watching."
"Oh. Nice." Serena smiled and sat her bag down. "Dmitri, we DO need to pack. We have an early flight."
"I know." Dmitri stood up and walked over to his suitcase.
"And we should all probably get going. We have the last day to complete." Mickey stood up and walked over to Emil and Sara. "It was fun, though. You both go home and relax some, okay? Don't worry so much. You'll both be fine."
"Thanks. We do appreciate it. And thank you both for coming out with me tonight. It helped." Serena walked up to Sara and Emil and embraced them both before holding open the door. "Please, let's skype after everything is done, okay?"
"Of course." Sara grinned and walked out. Mickey and Emil followed.
As soon as the door closed, Dmitri began to speak. "So.. can we talk? I don't want to argue, I just want to converse about what happened to us."
"Yeah. We can. I don't want to argue, either. I just want to understand your intentions. I got so upset at you, and I'm sorry." Serena sat down next to Dmitri and embraced him in a tight hug. "You've always been this way, and it's always been for the best. I'm just scared."
"Scared about what?" He hugged her back and pulled away.
"What if we get separated?"
"It's a possibility, but we're twins. We work together, and people understand that. Someone will have to know what we're worth, together."
"You know my passion has always been for the ice and for wanting to learn pair skating. I appreciate that you still consider me a partner, even though I'm your sister. You've could have gone on and done amazing things, but you stayed behind with me. You're the best, Dmitri. Thanks for being so positive about all of this."
"I have to be strong, for both of us. Don't get me wrong, you're very strong, but you have a hard goal to achieve. And you WILL do it. But for now, just focus on what needs to be done." He kissed her forehead and packed the rest of his clothes away. "Alright. I'm all set."
"And I'm almost done, as well, I didn't really unpack anything."
"I can see that." He grinned and stood up. "We should probably get to bed and worry about the rest tomorrow, okay?"
"Deal." Serena stood up and walked over to her bed. "I'm exhausted, anyways."
"Same here."
"Good night, Dmitri. Wake me up when it's time to go, okay?"
"You know I will."
"Alright, everyone! We're going to go through some of our favorite jumps that we like to do! Since there are only 10 of you here, we will go one at a time."
"Hey, what jump are you going to do, sis?" Dmitri nudged Serena and she continued to stare at the instructor.
"I was thinking a double axle."
"Oho, so you're going for one that you're most confident with."
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Don't you want to live life on the edge sometimes? Come on. Dad's not here to tell us what to do and what not to do."
"Well, this is what I choose to do. You can do whatever you want and fail at it." Serena crossed her arms and huffed.
"Hey, relax. I'm only playing."
"Dmitri Djangelo, you're up!"
Dmitri dashed away from his sister and landed a double axle. Serena's jaw hung open as he made his way back over to her.
"What? Shocked?"
"You did the jump I was going to do!"
"So what? You can do it, too. Are you afraid that mine's going to be better than yours?"
"Never."
"Serena Djangelo, it's your turn."
Serena glared at Dmitri and dashed to the end of the rink. Once she built up her momentum, she jumped and landed a double axle, flawlessly."
"Way to go, Miss Djangelo! That was a perfect double axle!"
Serena made her way back over to the group and looked over at her brother. He was beaming towards her. Serena's new friends were also smiling at her, especially Emil.
"That was amazing! You landed perfectly!" Emil exclaimed.
"Thanks. It just takes practice, that's all. Oh, and don't ever doubt me like that again, Dmitri." Serena stood next to Emil and smirked over at her twin. She looked back and watched as Sara was next to practice a jump.
"I hope I get that good one day." Emil watched as Sara landed her jump perfectly and then looked back at Serena. "Girls are just much more graceful than men."
"Guys can be, too! You will get better. It's only the third day. The more you practice your jumps, the better you'll get! If you want, I could help you practice!" Serena began to clap for her friend as she skated back over towards them.
"R-really?! You'd do that for me?" Emil's face turned a bright red as he looked down at his skates. Dmitri cleared his throat and nudged Emil's arm.
"Don't get too excited. She's just helping a friend out." Dmitri scoffed.
"Dmitri, be nice!" Serena frowned and stared over at her brother.
"I know. And I'm really thankful for her generosity."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Well done, Miss Crispino! Alright, everyone. We've gone over in time. Tomorrow, we will pick back up where we left off. Get plenty of rest!" The instructor made her way off the ice, while everyone else followed behind her. Sara tugged Serena back, and had a smirk stretched across her face.
"Looks like you have an admirer."
"Huh? Who?"
"Emil! I saw him blushing at you. I don't know what you two were talking about, but he's always super chatty when you come around. Never mind. He's that way with Mickey, too."
"He's just shy, that's all. He's happy that he has friends. He's a good kid."
"Yeah, sure." Sara giggled.
"Besides, there's someone here that I sort of have a crush on."
"Oh my god! Who?!" Sara stopped and looked at her friend.
"You can't tell anyone. Dmitri would probably kill me."
"Okay, I won't. Who is it?!"
"Erik." She nonchalantly pointed over at a tall, slender boy.
"Ooooh! That brunette with the tanned skin? The one from Greece?"
"Yeah. Him. Now stop talking about it."
"Alright, alright. Come on. We need to take a shower. It's almost 4, and everyone's going to get dinner at the same time. It always happens." Sara groaned.
"There's no way we will get showered and then back to our hotel rooms in time to meet up for dinner. We can go to a different restaurant this time. We don't have to go to the one that everyone usually goes to."
"Okay, sounds good to me." Sara opened the door to the locker room and led Serena inside. They quickly showered and dressed themselves. As Sara was about to leave, Serena walked over to the door and looked back at her friend. "I'm going to grab a drink from the vending machine. Do you want anything?"
"No thanks. Mickey's probably waiting for me outside, I should hurry so he won't freeze."
"Good idea. We'll meet up with you both in a little bit, okay?"
"Sure thing." Sara walked down the hall, while Serena made her purchase at the vending machine. She walked back to the locker room to retrieve her bag. She unzipped the top to pull out her sneakers, and noticed a folded-up piece of stationary.
"Huh? I don't remember putting a letter in my bag…" Serena opened the letter and began to read it to herself.
Serena,
I must speak with you to discuss the feelings that I am having towards you. I hope that you will meet me, and share the same feelings towards me. I'll be waiting in the stands at 5. Come alone.
- Erik
"Oh my god! When did he slip this into my bag?! How long has it been in here?! It's already 4, I have no time to get ready! Do I look okay?!" Serena spoke softly as she looked in the bathroom mirror. "Dmitri's not going to like this." She sighed softly and sat back onto the locker room bench. "No. I'm 18 and can make my own decisions. I'll just play it off and say that I left something in my locker." Serena rummaged through her bag and pulled out her purple neckerchief. "Perfect! He knows I love my accessories!" Serena locked her locker, and walked out of the locker room, her gym bag strapped across her torso.
"Deep breaths.. maybe he's already there.. Maybe you won't have to wait.." Serena spoke softly to herself as she opened the doors to the arena. She saw someone sitting alone in the stands. It was Erik. Serena felt herself begin to blush as her heart began to race.
'That's him! It's gotta be..' She thought to herself as she began to climb the stairs towards her crush and admirer.
"Serena. You came." Erik stood up from one of the seats and smiled at her.
"I did." She laughed nervously and looked down at her feet. "So, you have feelings towards me?" She looked back up and noticed that Erik was inching his face closer to hers. Serena could feel her heart begin to pound as she braced herself for her first kiss. He pressed his lips to hers, and took a hold of both of her shoulders. His lips were soft with the hint of minty lip balm. It was the greatest experience of her young life, until she felt the uneasy drop in her stomach. She pulled away and looked around after she heard something.
"I just heard something-"
"Nonsense, babe. Come on." He cupped the back of her head and pressed his lips against hers again before sliding his tongue between her lips. Half of her wanted to keep going, while the other half was telling her that something was wrong. She heard snickering coming from her left, and jerked away from the kiss to see a group of teenagers: 3 girls and 4 guys.
"Cmon, Erik! You aren't doing it right! That is NOT how you kiss someone! You don't get the money if you don't do it right!" One of the guys shouted as two of the females held their cameras out to catch the action on video.
"I can't believe she's actually going through with this! What a sleaze! She must've known that he was in a relationship!
"Erik, what is going on-"
Erik forced another kiss upon her lips. As luck would have it, Dmitri was making his way inside to find his twin as she attempted to free herself.
"Serena- HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO HER?! LET HER GO!" Dmitri ran towards both of them. As Erik lost his guard, Serena finally ripped herself away from his grasp and dashed towards the stadium entrance. Tears were streaming down her face as she nearly ripped the handlebar off the door as she heard the screams coming from inside the stadium. She ran outside and slumped against the outside wall as Mickey, Sara and Emil approached her. She couldn't speak. All she could do was sob as she relived the moments that just happened to her.
"Serena! What happened-" Sara knelt down to her friend's level and reached out to her.
"I was just apart of a sick joke." Serena wiped her eyes and inhaled sharply. "Erik left a letter in my bag saying he needed to speak with me, and when I met up with him, he kissed me. I felt off, and then noticed that there were others around us. Some of them were filming, and saying that he wasn't going to get paid if he didn't kiss me properly. He never liked me. He just wanted to make me look like an idiot." She buried her face into her arms and curled her knees into her chest. A few moments later, Dmitri burst through the doors.
"Serena?! Oh thank god, you're right here."
"Dmitri.." Serena looked up.
"Look, I don't know what happened, but he didn't say much as I was beating the shit out of him. The others ran away. He's still in there.. I'm pretty sure I knocked him out."
"Dmitri!" Serena jumped up and took him by the shoulders. "You're going to get banned!"
"I don't care. He obviously hurt you. Now come on, let's get back to the hotel room and you can tell me what happened. We don't have to go back to practice if you don't want to."
"But if we quit and go home-"
"We don't have to. We can explain what happened and just relax for the remainder of the time and then go home."
"I don't want to skate anymore.. I'm done.."
"Serena, you're shook up, Don't say stupid things like that."
"I'm serious. I don't want to compete anymore."
"You don't have to compete for awhile, sis. You and I can still practice and-"
"I want to take a break for awhile, Dmitri." She embraced him in a hug and began to weep. "Please.."
"Okay.. let's just get you back to the hotel.."
"Dmitri!" Serena shot up from her bed and tried to catch her breath.
"Huh?! What is it?! What's wrong?!" Dmitri jumped out of bed and ran over to her side. Serena buried her face into her hands and let out a long sigh.
"The nightmares are back. They are as vivid as ever."
"Shit.. Are you sure?"
"Yes, Dmitri." She wiped her eyes and laid her head onto his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and began to rock her side to side.
"It's okay, Serena. It'll be okay. You haven't seen them since then, and I beat the living shit out of that guy.. and I didn't get in trouble, I might add."
"Yeah, but we still left with our tails tucked between our legs."
"You were pretty shocked, sis. Rightfully so, that guy was making out with you as a joke."
"I'm well aware."
"Look, Serena, that was the past. You have a bright future ahead of you."
"I won't if I don't get chosen by someone."
"You will, Serena. We both will. Anyone would be crazy not to choose us. We're the Djangelo twins. We're Italy's finest siblings, next to Michele and Sara, of course."
"I know. I just want to succeed."
"You will. You have me, remember?"
"Yeah. I know. Thanks Dmitri."
"Anytime, sis. Let's try to get back to sleep. We're leaving tomorrow to go back home."
"Right. Sorry for waking you up."
"Don't be. Goodnight."
December 24th,
It's been three weeks since everything happened. I can't eat. I can barely sleep. I am not motivated to do anything whatsoever. Just when I thought things were going to be okay, I get proven wrong. I wish Dmitri would have thought about our plan a little better before agreeing to help me. Come to think of it, it's all my fault. I'm the one who acted upon something without thinking it through. I know I'm not at a total loss, but I really don't want to leave this place behind. Is it bad that I want this home and the restaurant to stay with me until the day I die? I can't skate forever, even though I love doing so. After you get so old, you lose touch at what it means to compete. If I do get chosen, I will work my hardest to succeed, and I will not let any negativity get in my way. If I don't get chosen, I don't know what I will do. I just want someone, ANYONE, to give us a fair chance.
I can't let myself down. I won't let myself down."
Serena shut her diary and rolled over onto her back. She turned her head to face the window, but the sunlight was practically blocked out by the thick, purple curtains. She exhaled and sat up, feeling dizzy almost instantly.
"Hey, sis!" Dmitri's voice echoed up the stairs and down the hallway.
Serena looked towards her door and watched as it swung open with force. Dmitri ran inside and jumped onto her bed. He was holding two envelopes. "Look! One's for you, and one is for me! It looks like we both got chosen together!"
"Oh my god! Someone actually chose us!" Serena snatched her letter from Dmitri's hand and studied the address and her name on the envelope. "I can't believe it.."
"Well, believe it! We were amazing!" Dmitri shredded the envelope's top off and pulled the letter out. After carefully skimming through the letter, he grinned widely and began to laugh. "Holy shit! I got Jean Jacques Leroy! The king chose me! I can't believe it!"
"Huh?! Gimmie that!" Serena grabbed his letter and began to read it. "That's so unfair!"
"He might have chosen you, too! I told him that it was my passion to skate with my twin sister. He may have considered it! Open yours, quick!"
"Alright." Serena handed Dmitri back his letter and took a deep breath before opening her envelope. "Serena Djangelo,
Congratulations! After careful consideration, you have been chosen as a skating pupil by a registered coach! It is recommended that you begin to practice and to become acquainted with your coach as soon as possible! Your assigned coach will be contacting you through email provided to set up a meeting time. Until then, prepare to win gold at next year's competition.
Your coach will be: Christophe Giacometti-" Serena's eyes widened with shock. "What?! No no no no no we were supposed to be together!"
"Let me see. You probably read it wrong." Dmitri reached for the letter and began to read it. After a few moments, he let out a long sigh and cradled his forehead in his hands. "God damn it."
"W-What am I going to do?!"
"You're going to compete. Don't you remember telling me at the competition that if you get chosen by a different coach, that you must do what you have to do in order to keep this place? Do you remember that?"
"I-" Serena's eyes began to water. "We haven't been apart for more than a couple of days, and even then…" She wrapped her arms around Dmitri's neck and began to sob into his shoulder. "What are we going to do?! We've always skated together!"
"I don't know." Dmitri sighed and shook his head. "Now I know how Mickey feels about him and Sara having to split up one day."
"I feel sick.."
"Hey! Calm down! It's not SO bad.." Dmitri let out a nervous laugh and rubbed her back. "Maybe JJ will take you in, too! You said it yourself, you like him."
"Well, I DID say he was pretty cute. That's not the point, Dmitri. I'm going to have to train with someone I have never even met!"
"I've never met JJ. Come on. I think we should try to see if one of them will take both of us. The idea of a strange guy alone with my sister bugs me enough."
"We don't even know him yet, Dmitri. We can't be scaring off our coaches by our insecurities. I know what happened 5 years ago. I was the one who had to go through it. I didn't trust people for a very long time, but something is telling me that it will be okay… wait.. what am I saying?! I don't want to split up from you!"
"Wishful thinking isn't just going to magically solve everything."
"You're right. But, acting towards your problems and doing something about them, will. And who's to say that JJ won't be a creep?"
"He's my coach, I don't think I have anything to worry about."
"Wait a minute…are you going to be this way with every guy that encounters me? You picked on poor Emil when you found out he was crushing on me. When he was 15, none the less. And, it turns out that he's one of my best friends and he's nice to talk to. And, he's not interested in me. He has Mickey. Look, one of these days Dmitri, I WOULD like to get married and have my own family."
"Don't even speak like that right now. We have skating to think about."
"You're damn right. But one day when I achieve everything that I want to achieve, I will find love and happiness. And, one day, you will find love and happiness as well. You know how I am."
"I know. You fully complete one goal, and then you move on to the next. You don't cut corners, and you don't take short cuts."
"That's kind of the same thing, but yeah. The point is, you're my brother, and if we have to split up…" Serena paused and shook her head. "I'll be devastated. But, I have to do this to fulfill my dreams."
"Don't forget, I'm competing to help."
"Oh? I know you said that you were going to help, but I didn't think you were THIS interested." Serena began to laugh and wiped her eyes.
"What kind of a brother would I be if I didn't support my sister? Besides, you can't do it alone." He pulled her in for a hug. Serena stared at her wall and sighed.
"Yeah. That's why I have you."
"I wonder how our coaches are going to get in touch with us? Did you leave a cellphone number?"
"I did. And an email. I filled out everything on that form."
"Hm, then they are either going to text us or email us within the next couple of days. Tomorrow's Christmas, so we probably won't hear from anyone tomorrow."
"Ah, it is Christmas tomorrow! I've been so concerned about getting a letter that I nearly forgot."
"Well, get excited. Mom and dad got us a lot this year. Most of the stuff is for us."
"Ah, yeah. Here. I bought you something and made you something. I figured if we did get split up, you'd need something from me to help from being alone. It would be our luck that it happened, but we need to be strong, I guess. I know it's not Christmas just yet, but I wanted to give it to you now. Alone." Serena handed Dmitri a neatly wrapped present with a green bow.
"Oh, sis." Dmitri sighed and embraced her in a hug. "I know this isn't what we wanted. But, I'm doing this for you, and you're doing this for your own dream. I know I can be controlling at times, but I just worry about your well being. I really hope you don't resent me for that. It'll be hard getting used to you being away from me and in the presence of another guy, but I have to trust both of you. Even if I don't know him."
"Dmitri, I'm so proud of you." Serena smiled widely and pulled away. "Okay. Well now that the moment is over.. open it."
"I want to go get yours."
"Okay. Hurry though." She huffed and watched as her brother left the room. Moments later, he came back in and sat on the edge of her bed. He took the gift back from her and looked at it.
"It's beautifully wrapped. I'm sorry I can't say the same about yours." He handed Serena her gift and began to unwrap his own. Moments later, he pulled out a smaller, rectangular shaped box and a knitted green scarf.
"I hope it keeps you warm while you practice. I made it."
"Serena, I love it." He grinned and wrapped it around his neck and shoulders. "It's very warm. Thank you."
"You have one more! Open it!"
"Alright, alright." He opened the rectangular box and pulled out a gold chain necklace. "Whoa, sis! This is amazing! How did you-"
"Pay for it? I helped mom and dad in the restaurant."
"Serena, I love it. Thank you."
"Anytime. Now you'll look more like dad! He never goes anywhere without his chain."
"Haha, I know. Alright. Open yours. I saw it and I knew it would match your eyes."
Serena unwrapped her gift and opened the box. She pulled out a long, gold chain with an emerald gemstone pendant. "Dmitri! It's gorgeous!"
"Just like you. Here. Let me put it on you." He took the necklace from her hand and hooked it around her neck. She turned around and placed her hand over the pendant.
"It makes me feel so pretty!"
"It should. It really does bring out your eyes."
"You know how much I love emeralds."
"I know you do. We should probably go downstairs and meet mom and dad for dinner."
The next morning..
Serena's alarm went off at 10 AM, prompting her to roll over and hit the snooze button. 5 minutes later, it went off again. She rolled over and grabbed her cellphone from the nightstand.
"Alright.. Alright.." She groaned as she turned off the next alarm. As she was looking through her Instagram, she noticed that she had an email notification. She was about to swipe left to clear the notification, when she noticed a familiar name. "From Christophe Giacometti.. already? But I just found out yesterday.." She tapped her screen and opened the email.
"Buongiorno! By the time you read this, you will have probably already gotten your letter in the mail, or at least I hope you have. My name is Christophe Giacometti, and I have chosen you as my skating pupil to help you win gold in next year's competition! I watched your performance at the Swiss Qualifiers and I was blown away by your performance. I know with my coaching, I can help you win gold. I will be flying out to Italy for a couple of days to introduce myself and to get to know you before we begin our training. My flight leaves at 9 AM on the 29th of December and gets to Italy around 11 AM. You and I will be leaving back for Switzerland on January 4th, so please take the time to prepare your belongings, as you will be moving into your own furnished apartment while you temporarily train under me. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask anytime. Please respond to this email with your phone number and address in case I need to get ahold of you.
Sincerely, Christophe Giacometti."
Serena paused for a moment before she wrote a brief reply with her address and her phone number. 'Wait.. He may need a place to stay. There aren't hotels near us.' She thought before began to type her last few sentences. "We have a couple of guest bedrooms if you would like to stay while you are here. There aren't any hotels near my home or my rink. I will have one made up if you do decide to."
"And send." Serena sent the email and then felt her heart sink. "This is really happening. I'm really going to have to train away from Dmitri. I don't think JJ will want to stay in Italy the whole time, so we will probably both be traveling out of the country. Dmitri's going to be upset when I tell him that I offered up one of our free rooms to my coach whom I've never met." She stood up from her bed and walked towards the door. "It's time to wake him up anyways.. might as well get it out of the way."
She opened the bedroom door and crept down the hallway to Dmitri's bedroom. She opened the door slowly and noticed he was still asleep. "Hey.. Dmitri.." She whispered loudly as she walked over to his bed. She bent down and nudged him awake.
"Serena, please. It's so early."
"It's 10 AM. And it's Christmas. Wake up!"
"Alright. Fine." He groaned as he sat up in bed. "I feel like I didn't sleep at all."
"I'm sorry. We can sleep early tonight." She sat down on the edge of his bed and looked at him. "I got an email. From Christophe Giacometti. He says he's going to be here on the 29th to get to know me before we begin training."
"The 29th? That's really soon."
"I know. I also told him that he could use one of the guest bedrooms if he needed to."
"Wait, Serena! Why did you do that?"
"Dmitri, the nearest hotel is an hour and 15 minutes away. He can't drive 2 ½ hours every day to watch me practice."
"Ugh. Fine. You and your heart of gold."
"Well, he chose me, Dmitri. I'm lucky that I got chosen at all. I know I threw a fit, but I'm trying to get used to this situation we are in."
"I know. I am, too."
"I can't believe I'll be training in Switzerland. He mentioned my own furnished apartment, so at least that's giving you some peace of mind."
"So, you really are leaving the country?"
"Yeah. It's time for me to grow up and try to do something for myself."
"I know. I'm proud of you. It'll be different at first, but I'm sure we will be fine. I wonder if that means that I will be training in Italy and still living at home? I hope he mentions something when he gets ahold of me. Oh, speaking of, I wonder if he has emailed me yet." Dmitri pulled up his phone and frowned. "Nothing."
"Give it time. He's probably asleep. That or he's taking time to send out his letter."
"True. Alright. I'm up now. Let's go celebrate Christmas with mom and dad."
He stood up out of bed and helped Serena stand up. "Okay. This Christmas seems different already." Serena led Dmitri out of the room.
"How so?"
"Well, the whole competing ordeal, mom and dad announcing that they're moving away to France, the fact that we aren't kids anymore.." Serena walked down the steps.
"Ah. Yeah. Those are good examples."
"Ah! Buongiorno Dmitri e Serena! Buon Natale!" Serena and Dmitri's mother got up from the table and walked over to the counter. "I made you both a plate. It's my home made fette biscottate and caffè latte. This afternoon I'm putting together a meat and cheese platter."
"Ah, perfetto!" Dmitri sat down at the table next to his dad, and Serena sat on the other side of Dmitri.
"You kids both have a lot of unwrapping to do." Their dad took a sip of his coffee and looked at Serena. "This may be the last big Christmas until after we move. Next year will be close to the time that we make our way to France."
"I know. I just want us to all be together."
"And we will be. Your father and I are so proud of you both." Their mother walked over and placed a plate in front of Dmitri and one in front of Serena. "Eat up. I bet you two will want to practice after you get done unwrapping presents."
"Maybe." Serena took a bite of her biscottate.
"No. We need to." Dmitri took a sip of his coffee and sat his mug down. "Just because we got chosen, doesn't mean we can sit back and relax until our coaches get here."
Serena groaned. "It's Christmas, Dmitri."
"We don't have to practice long! Just a little bit. An hour at most."
"Fine." She dipped her biscottate in her coffee and took a bite.
"Enough you two. Finish your breakfast so we can spend some time together around the tree."
"Yes mom. Sorry." Dmitri took a bite and chewed in silence.
"Oh, yeah! Mom, dad, my coach emailed me today. He said he's coming the 29th, and I told him he could use one of the guest bedrooms. We're leaving on the 4th of January."
"That's fine, sweetheart. We'll be gone. You know that, right?" Their mother smiled at her and sipped her coffee.
"Yeah, but I just wanted to know. You'll both be back on the 2nd, yes?"
"We will. We want to see you off! We're so proud of you and Dmitri for taking this step."
"Thanks mom. I still don't know if I'm traveling away or if I'm staying here to practice."
"Well, have you two accepted the fact that Serena is going to be split up to train?"
"Dad, that's not cool." Dmitri snapped as he dropped his biscottate onto the plate. "We talked about it, yes, but it's been hard to accept."
"Calm down. I know it is. I'm just giving you a hard time. It's what I do. You're going to have to get used to it. My brother and I split up after I started dating your mom. Technically, we stopped seeing each other all the time when I was in the same competition as your mother."
"We know. The female division did so much better than the male division that year." Serena mocked with a smile.
"Yeah, they did. I was damn proud of your mother. And I know you two will make me just as proud."
"And me as well. My babies are going on to be skating stars."
"It'll be okay, mom. We'll still visit." Dmitri reassured her as he took another bite. "Besides, you and dad will be living it up in France come next winter."
"Well, we hope to have found a home by next fall. It takes time to finalize things and move to another country."
"True. I still can't believe you're leaving."
"Well, believe it, little lady. Your parents spent a big portion of their lives raising you two, coaching you two at an early age, and running the family restaurant. We deserve a break."
"I know you do. We both agree, don't we, Dmitri?"
"Yeah. I suppose so."
"Alright you two, let's go unwrap presents." Their mother ushered them into the family room around the Christmas tree. "You both know the drill. The pile on the left is Serena's, and the pile on the right is Dmitri's. You both have the same amount of gifts to open."
"Alriiight." Dmitri sat down and grabbed a square box. "Look, you have one that's identical, Serena!"
"Oh, yeah. Open those first." Their father spoke as he sat down in his chair with his coffee. Serena and Dmitri began to open their gifts. They were both brand new pairs of skates. Dmitri's eyes widened as he pulled them out of the box. Serena stared at the box for a moment before opening it up and admiring the bright white leather boots that were nested in tissue paper.
"Mom, dad, they're perfect!" Serena grinned as she pulled them out.
"We figured you both would need new skates after taking some time off. Start breaking them in when you get a chance."
"We will, mom. It'll take a bit, but we will be ready to go with these. Thank you." Dmitri looked over at Serena.
"Alright, keep going." Their mother urged them and sat next to their father.
"New skate gear!" they both chimed out as Serena pulled out two pairs of skate pants and 2 matching skate jackets. Serena's was purple with white stripes. Dmitri's was Green and black. Dmitri grabbed a larger box, and looked over to Serena. "It looks like you both got us the same things-"
"Not all of it is the same. That one is, and a couple others are. Just keep going."
"Alright, alright. Sorry, dad." Dmitri opened the box and pulled out new blade guards, blade soakers, boot wax, back-up laces, and new hip pads. Serena opened hers up and found the same thing. They moved on to their next gifts. Serena pulled out a long, slender envelope and looked over at her parents.
"Oh, we wanted you to open that last, but what the hell.. go ahead and open it."
"Alright." Serena opened the envelope and pulled out a gold house key. "A key to the house? But I already have one-"
"That's actually the original key."
"I don't get it." She frowned.
"Your mother and I told you that you were going to have to buy the house from us, but we figured that once you win the competition next year and come home, you will need that money to refurnish the home after we move out. So, we took care of the house for you. Just take care of it, and use the money you get from the restaurant to thrive."
"Whoa, sis! That's amazing!" Dmitri exclaimed as he watched Serena jump up and embrace her parents tightly.
"Mom, dad, this is so much!"
"It really isn't, sweetheart. We wanted to see the house go to someone we trusted, and since your father and I are moving, we figured we would stay here until you come back next year."
"But, what about your move?"
"What about it? We're still moving. We have plenty of money saved up, and the money we get from the restaurant in the next year will be saved back for our move. Just take care of the house, okay? We promise to while you're in Switzerland, but come home and work hard for us."
"I will." Serena kissed her father on the cheek and pulled back. "Thank you both so much."
"Dmitri, you got something big, too. Here." Their father reached into his pocket and pulled out a car key. He tossed it to him and watched as his face lit up.
"It's a new car?!"
"Yeah, but it doesn't have all the expensive stuff to it. We wanted to get both of you a car, but Serena's car is already way nicer than the one you had before, so we figured she could have the house, and you could have a car."
"That's so unreal!" He jumped up and ran outside. They heard him began to shout moments later.
"What kind is it, mom?"
"Oh, it's a little Fiat. The same thing he had, but a newer model. You know how much he loved that thing." She grinned as she stood up. "We knew this would be our last Christmas together for awhile, so we wanted to go out with a bang."
"Thanks you two. You're the best."
"And you're the best kids anyone could ever ask for. Now, enjoy yourselves. Your mom and I are going to go take a nap before we have to make Christmas dinner."
"Oh, we'll be up in time to make something small for lunch, don't you worry! You both be careful at practice."
"We will." Serena walked outside and crossed her arms together. "Dmitri, I know you're excited but it's cold and- whoa.." Serena's jaw dropped as she saw the gorgeous, ruby car in front of her.
"Check it out, sis! Best Christmas ever!"
"I can't believe they can afford this.."
"Well, you know the house was already paid off, right? They recently put a lot of money into renovating our home, and they wanted to renovate the restaurant, but they knew you would want to make it your own, so they decided to leave it alone."
"Wait, you knew that?"
"Of course. Just like you knew about my car."
"I didn't know about your car."
"Oh. Well.. ready to practice? We can start to break our skates in. I saw mom and dad already had them sharpened and balanced."
"I guess so. But only for an hour."
"Of course. I can't wait to drive my car." He grinned and took her hand. "Come on. Let's go get ready. We can talk later about what you want to do with the house."
"Alright. This all just seems like a huge dream to me."
"Well, don't screw up. Use your prize money to get a head start on life."
"I won't. I have so much that I'm skating for now. I can't lose, or I'll be ruined."
"You won't be ruined."
"I won't be able to come back home."
"Well, don't even think about it, because you're going to win. I'm sure this coach of yours will make sure of it."
"I hope so."
- Thank you all for your support, and happy New Year! It's been awhile, but I have still been writing. Finding time to edit and publish has been tough, but I am determined to edit more chapters and upload them as soon as possible 3