Triple Axel
Disclaimers: See Chapter One.
Warnings: See Chapter One.
Author's Note: See Chapter One plus…
Heavy poetic license, suspend disbelief, as always.
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Chapter Two:
The Approach
Two hundred and twenty athletes were gathered in the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. They were all dressed identically in red, white and blue winter gear complete with knit caps, scarves and mittens. It was the middle of August. The Center had their air conditioning on full blast to offset the warm clothes and keep the athletes as comfortable as possible.
Everyone was milling around, the buzz of their conversations getting louder and louder. It was nine o'clock in the morning.
Finally, several people walked out into the middle of the floor and began setting up equipment. A woman climbed up on a ladder and a camera on a tripod was positioned in front of her. She looked through the viewfinder and had the position adjusted by her staff several times before she nodded, satisfied. After a brief conference with one of the men with her, static and feedback suddenly crackled through the giant arena.
"Attention! Attention, please!" The low roar of conversation began to die down as everyone turned to face the man holding a microphone.
"Okay, if everyone could please take a seat in this section directly in front of me," he said, pointing. "Just sit anywhere then Annie will rearrange you as she sees fit. Please, we ask that you stay quiet so we can get you set up as quickly as possible because then we'll have to adjust the lights. How long this whole process takes will depend on your cooperation. Now please, take a seat."
The roar started up again as all two hundred and twenty people started filing into the aforementioned section. Ten minutes later everyone was finally seated and looking expectantly toward the center of the floor.
The photographer was scanning the rows with a critical eye. She would lean down and speak to an assistant, pointing out the changes she wanted. He would then direct specific people to their new seats. This process went on for an hour until Annie was satisfied. Next, she had her assistants move giant lights and reflectors around. She kept looking through her wide-angle lens while she had another assistant check the light readings in several locations. She was finally satisfied. It was nearly eleven a.m. She climbed off her ladder and spoke to her assistants then left the floor with a Staples employee.
"Attention! Attention, please!" the man's voice boomed again. "Thank you so much for your cooperation and patience. You may now have a thirty minute break. Please do not leave the Center, especially in your gear as it has not yet been unveiled to the public. There are food and drinks provided in the lobby. Please make note of your row and seat number and return to it in thirty minutes. Thank you!"
The dull roar erupted again as two hundred and twenty highly trained athletes rose in unison and started making their way to the lobby toward food and drink tables that had been set up for them.
"Excuse me," a soft voice said.
"No prob," a young man with slightly spiked dirty blonde hair said. He looked down and met a pair of brown, almond-shaped eyes and felt his heart speed up. He smiled at her and said, "Now, don't forget, we're in Row G."
The girl blushed and flashed him that beautiful smile he'd been daydreaming about.
"Right, Row G. Thanks," she said softly, forcing herself to stay calm as she looked into his intense blue eyes. I can't believe it's really him! The guy from the billboard! her brain screamed.
"Melissa, hurry up!" Taylor said loudly as she grabbed Melissa's arm and pulled her down the stairs. She gave him an apologetic smile as she was pulled after her friend.
"Melissa," he repeated to himself. The girl from the magazine. He stared after her while being jostled by people trying to get around him.
"Yo, Jackson! Let's go before the hockey team eats all the food!" the wiry blonde next to him said.
"Who was that?" Jackson asked Eric
"The cute little Asian?" Jackson nodded. "Figure skating." Eric observed the expression on his friend's face. "Careful dude, she's probably jailbait."
"Yeah, maybe."
Eric sighed and pulled on his arm. "Let's move, I'm starving!" Jackson was still staring at the spot where he'd lost sight of her in the crowd. Eric made an exasperated sound. "Oh my god, you stalker! Just Google her and get it over with!"
"Great idea!" Jackson pulled out his phone and headed to the lobby for better reception.
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Melissa looked back over her shoulder apologetically as Taylor dragged her away. She could still see the cute guy with beautiful blue eyes and the sexy, full bottom lip watching her. She felt her face grow warm again then was forced to turn around to watch where she was going.
"Who was that guy?" she asked.
"What guy?" Taylor said as she cracked her gum and pulled off her hat and mittens.
"The cute one you dragged me away from."
Taylor looked back to where they had been. "That's Jackson. Snowboard cross."
"You know him?"
"Sort of. I mean, we all kind of know each other, ya know?" She pulled off her scarf as they reached the lobby.
"Well, what do you know about him?"
"He can really shred."
Melissa rolled her eyes. "No, I mean about him?"
Taylor grabbed two water bottles off a table and tossed one at Melissa as she continued walking. "Oh. Uh…I think he's twenty-ish. Maybe twenty-one. He seems like a nice guy. Kind of quiet for a shredder."
"What else?"
"Um…I don't know. Give me a list of questions and I'll go ask him." She flashed a big smile then cracked her gum again.
"Taylor, no!" Melissa looked panicked.
"Chill! I was just teasing." Taylor noted the look on Melissa's face. "You like him!" Melissa's cheeks turned a dark red. "Aww…that's so sweet! Why don't you just Google him?"
Melissa looked puzzled. "Really? People do that?"
Taylor rolled her eyes. "Where have you been? Of course they do."
"Sorry, I've been a little focused on other things the past eight years."
"Get out once in a while, why don't you?" Taylor retorted as they joined the line for the women's room. She pulled off her thick, down jacket to reveal a red bikini top underneath. Wolf whistles broke out and echoed around the hallway. Taylor posed and blew kisses. Melissa chuckled and shook her head in disbelief at her friend's boldness.
After a few minutes Taylor grabbed Melissa's hand and said, "This is bullshit! Come on, there has to be another bathroom that doesn't have a line this long."
"You can come in the guy's bathroom, Taylor!" a tall, dark haired guy called.
"In your dreams, Seth!" she replied. But she did give him a wink and toss of her hair before pulling Melissa toward the information booth. Taylor leaned forward over the counter and batted her eyelashes while she talked to the man there. After a minute, Taylor was leading Melissa to a private bathroom in a back hallway, reserved for VIP's.
She pushed open the door and stopped short. There was a skinny Asian girl with several facial piercings sitting on the sink, smoking. "Hey, chickies!" she greeted, holding out a joint. "Come on in, there's plenty of room!"
"Uh, sorry. Wrong room!" Taylor said while backing out, pushing Melissa backwards. Taylor turned and grabbed Melissa's hand and ran back down the hall.
"Who was that?" Melissa asked.
"Abby Fujimoto. Skeleton. Very bad news. Come on, we'll find another bathroom."
"What was that odor?"
Taylor stopped short and looked her in the eye. "Come on, you've never smelled pot before?"
"Pot? That's illegal!" Melissa gasped.
Taylor shook her head and smirked. "God, you really are sheltered aren't you?" She took a deep breath and continued walking down another hallway. "Why do you think I got us out of there? Like I said, Abby is bad news."
"Should we report her?"
"Nah, she'll get caught on her own. I can't believe she's smoking here. The U.S.O.C. is coming today. She's so freakin' stupid!" Taylor pushed open another door and found an empty bathroom. "Finally!" She planted herself in front of the mirror and played with her hair while Melissa stood there sipping her water, trying to process everything.
"You know, they say she's so good at her sport because she's fearless," Taylor suddenly said. "Guess now I know why she's so fearless." She shook her head. Their eyes met in the mirror. "You shred high, you die," she stated.
"Have…have you ever tried it?" Melissa asked, suddenly curious.
Taylor frowned then bent down to make sure they were alone. She lowered her voice and leaned toward her friend and said, "Yeah, a few times when I was younger, after Torino."
Melissa looked shocked. "You never told me that."
"I know. It's because I wasn't proud of it."
"What…what was it like?"
"It made me feel really weird and disconnected. I couldn't focus enough to ride my board." Her eyes grew wide as she said in all seriousness, "I don't ever want to feel like that again. Shredding gives me all the high I'll ever need, it's my life. I'd die without my board." Melissa nodded her understanding.
Taylor took a deep breath then put her coat, scarf, and hat back on. She gave herself a final look, adjusted her hat and said, "C'mon. Let's Google your boyfriend."
"Shut up, Taylor!"
Taylor looked horrified. "Whoa, I guess Daley's right. I am a bad influence on you. If she catches you talking all rude like that, she'll ban me for life." Melissa just rolled her eyes.
They returned to their seats. Melissa didn't see Jackson again so she busied herself looking for information about him on Taylor's iPhone. She reluctantly put it away when the man with the mic called for their attention.
- - - - -
Jackson had to sprint back to his seat, they were getting ready to start. He looked for Melissa and spotted her halfway down the row. She was bent over something staring at it intently.
"Dude, I was about to send out a search party!" Eric said, clapping him on the back. He leaned forward over the back of Jackson's seat and asked, " What did you learn from your cyber stalking?"
"Her last name is Wu, no face book, MySpace or Twitter, she's favored to medal in Vancouver, she trains mostly in Utah and she's legal. Barely."
"Hey bro, barely is legal enough! What else?"
"Nothing yet, I watched some video of her skating. Man, she's so graceful, but she's strong, too. She totally nails her jumps."
"As long as you totally nail her who cares how she skates?"
Jackson turned around in his seat to look Eric in the eye. "Not cool, man. Don't talk about her like that."
Eric held up his hands in surrender. "Whoa, dude. No offense intended, sorry." Then he smirked, "Does our little Jackson have a crush?"
"You are such a douche, McGorrill," he said punching him in the arm harder than necessary before turning back around and adjusting his hat.
Eric leaned forward and quietly said, "You must have a crush or you wouldn't have hit me so hard." Jackson turned around and just stared at him for a minute. "Okay, okay!" Eric said. Jackson turned back toward the photographer with a satisfied look on his face. Damn, I hate that stare! Eric thought with a shudder.
After a few more adjustments, Annie finally started snapping the official pictures of the entire 2010 USA Olympic Team. After another hour, the photographer picked up the mic, and from her perch on the ladder, thanked them all for their cooperation.
An assistant took the mic and said, "If you'll check under your seats, you should each have a folder with the schedules and locations for your specific team and individual portraits. We start in a few minutes with the hockey teams. Gentlemen, if you'd please change into your jerseys and meet in the northwest corner where you'll see more cameras set up. Ladies, after you change, meet in the southeast corner. We thank you for your cooperation and please, be on time and wearing your team uniform."
Taylor sat down in the seat next to Melissa. She had taken her jacket off but was still wearing her hat, scarf and mittens.
"Is that the new team uniform, Taylor?" someone asked.
"Yes, Jason, it is," she retorted looking up at him. "Aren't you guys sliding in Speedos this year?"
"Yes. Yes, we are. Would you like a private showing?"
Taylor seemed to consider this for a moment. She slowly looked him up and down and said, "Maybe later. Give me a ring and we'll see."
Jason's eyes widened slightly then he nodded once and started toward the steps.
"God, Taylor. How can you…say stuff like that?"
Taylor just giggled and shrugged as she pulled out her schedule. "So, when are your team pictures?"
"I haven't checked yet," Melissa said. She pulled the folder out from under her seat and opened it. She scanned the sheet until she found figure skating. "It's four hours from now! I need to practice. This is wasting the whole day. Daley's going to be so pissed."
"Calm down! You were already up at four this morning for a three hour workout. Taking one day off isn't going to hurt your chances."
"Taylor, this is the Olympics. The Olympics! This is what I've spent my life training for. I don't want a repeat of Torino."
"Oh, please! You were fifteen, Melissa. You cracked the top ten. The top ten of the best in the world! There's nothing to redeem. You represented. A repeat of that would be awesome."
"Not for me! It would mean that I didn't improve at all in four years. It would mean that…"
"Hey! At least you didn't face plant on a basic-ass trick in front of the whole world! You don't have to see that stupid fall replayed during every interview you've had for the past four years!"
"Okay! You win."
"Anyway, you have more important things to think about," she said, cracking her gum.
"Like what?"
"Like this! Snow cross pictures are right after ladies figure skating. And, they're in the same location! This is perfect!"
"Oh, god." Melissa felt something start fluttering in her stomach. "When are yours?"
"Um…" Taylor started moving her finger down the page. "After that. Sorry, babe. You'll be flying solo when you meet him."
"That's okay, I…" Melissa's thought was interrupted by her phone ringing. She pulled it out and said, "Hello?" There was a long pause then, "I know. Yes, we just finished the group picture." Another pause. "No, I can't. We have team and individual portraits now." Taylor heard a loud voice coming from the phone and recognized it immediately. She shuddered.
"I have to wait my turn," Melissa continued. "They have a very detailed schedule." Taylor pulled her iPhone from Melissa's pocket and started surfing the net.
"I know, Daley. I will. I'll leave as soon as I can…Yes…I know…I…Okay. Bye." Melissa rolled her eyes as she flipped her phone shut and stuffed it in her pocket.
"Hey cutie!" Nathan McHugh said as he dropped into the seat next to her. His wild mop of curls continued bouncing after his body was still.
"Nathan! I was looking all over for you!" Melissa said as she hugged him. "I thought you'd be easy to spot in this crowd, but I didn't see you anywhere!"
Nathan looked at her in mock horror. "You mean I'd be easy to see because I'm…because I'm one of the few…"
Melissa's eyes opened wide in shock. "No! Oh, Nathan! I didn't mean… I meant because of your hair. It's so…big and unique and…"
Nathan started laughing. "Relax, Melissa! I know. I was just kidding. It's these toques, eh," he said holding up his hat. If I wear it no one will recognize me! Hey, Taylor," he said, finally taking notice of her.
"Toques, eh?" Taylor said.
"I'm practicing for Vancouver, eh."
Taylor was looking at something behind Nathan. "Oh...kay. Um, would you like to come meet Louie now?"
"Now? Really? Where is he?" Nathan started bouncing in his seat.
"He's over there," she said pointing vaguely behind her. "Come on." She stood and started walking back down the row. "Remember, he's straight so don't…"
"See you at pictures, doll!" he called to Melissa as he followed Taylor toward a group of snowboarders.
Melissa smiled as she consulted the schedule again.
"Hi," a deep voice said.
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Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed.
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A/N: I know the whole Olympic team is not picked that early, it's part of my poetic license.
No offense meant to Canadians, I love you guys!
*Sighs* I miss watching the Olympics...regular TV seems like such a let down.