"Just my luck," thought Yuri, disgruntled.

By the time he got to the rink, the other skaters had broken up for lunch. The rink was completely vacant save for the makeup disaster sitting on the bleachers.

"Georgi, I need a favour," Yuri yelled across the rink. Georgi looked up from his phone. His eyeliner had spread to other parts of his face besides his eyes. Not again, Yuri groaned internally.

"Got dumped again, eh?" enquired Yuri in what he thought was his sympathetic voice as he sat down next to his rinkmate. Georgi only glared at him slightly venomously. I am actually becoming more sensitive, thought Yuri.

"I wouldn't call it getting dumped, Yura, let's just say Anya is temporarily reconsidering her life choices," huffed Georgi. "Added to the fact that she deleted all our pictures together, unfollowed me, blocked me and trashed me on her blog... but never mind. What do you want?"

"In other words, you got dumped," observed Yuri. "I don't know why you keep hooking up with that inflated airhead, but i suppose stupid people are chemically attracted to each other. Georgi, you've got to help me with my homework. And don't call me Yura."

"I don't know how you manage to call me stupid and then ask me to help you with your homework in the same breath, but whatever," grumbled Georgi, taking the book. This is easier than I thought, Yuri thought triumphantly.

Georgi wasn't bad at math, but Yuri wished Anya had chosen a different day to dump him, because he was terribly distracted. He kept abandoning equations and going off on long-winded stories about the two of them which Yuri had already been forced to listen to twice before. He was even more emotional and frustrated than Yuri was and he even cried for ten straight minutes when they finally proved one equality. Yuri gave up in despair and began to do the sums himself, while Georgi went on.

"And then she kissed me, Yura, while we were standing there under the stars, the cool night breeze blowing in our hair and-"

"I've got it!" Yuri mentally punched the air. "Just a bit more and I can find x!"

"Find my ex?" exclaimed Georgi. "Yura, how on earth could you suggest such a thing? Do you think I am a stalker? Do you think I can't accept Anya's life choices? Do you honestly think I'll even be able to find her when she's deliberately avoiding me?"

"Yes, yes and I hope you won't!" snarled Yuri impatiently. "For the last time, Georgi, I don't give a shit about your stupid ex and if I were her, I'd have dumped you by this time too and- oh, come on!" he groaned, as Georgi got up and trounced away. "Nobody knows how to take a joke in this country any more!"

"He can't find x and he doesn't know y either," snickered a familiar voice behind Yuri as a pair of hands covered his eyes from behind. Yuri cursed. He was not in the mood for all this.

"Get off me, you old hag," he growled, wriggling free of Mila's grasp. "I'm busy."

"Busy doing what, hitting your head against a stone wall?" drawled Mila, plonking herself down into Georgi's vacated seat. "What's all this? Oh lookie here, the little bitty baby boy's got homework to do!"

"Mila, my career depends on whether I finish this or not, so either help or go away!" wailed Yuri. "Preferably, go away."

"It's just math, don't be so melodramatic," yawned Mila. "I could do this stuff in my sleep."

"So do it then!"

"Nuh-uh. You gotta learn to do it by yourself."

"Don't bullshit, you haven't got a clue how to do it either," Yuri muttered mutinously. Mila didn't give up.

"I do know someone who'll be able to help you though."

Yuri looked up. "Who?"

"I heard he majored in math in college-"

"For Pete's sake, who?"

"Also, he'll probably be really happy to help you out-"

"Mila, if you don't tell me who it is right now I swear by Yakov's non-existing hair that I'll-"

"Otabek."

"Excuse me?"

"Otabek," Mila said happily. "He's a maths guy. Plus, he'd totally love to-"

"Don't be a shithead, Mila!" yelled Yuri, conscious of the fact that he was blushing to the roots of his hair. "How the hell am I supposed to ask a rival from another country whom I've met once in my life to do my homework for me! Talk sense, for once in your life!"

"Who cares if he lives in another country, what've you gotta do, send him a letter by pigeon?" retorted Mila. "Also, I don't think rivals who've met each other once in their lives yell Davai! at each other every waking moment-"

"Oh god damn it, why is the entire planet making such a big deal out of this!" exploded Yuri. "What's the big issue if I say good luck to some guy who's taking part in a competition? We've got a pair of assholes kissing each other on live TV and all you idiots can think of to fantasize about is Otabek and me? Get a life, for crying out loud!"

Yuri picked up the book and stormed off as dramatically as he could, hoping against hope that Mila couldn't see the smoke he was sure was pouring from his ears. What was with everyone today? Why is the whole world conspiring to piss me off? There was nothing else for it. Yuri would have to go home.