Whenever I’m around him, I’m drawn to him, and I want to do things that I know I shouldn’t. Things that will distract me. That is the last thing either of us need. He was good for a distraction when everything felt so far away. When the showcase was months away instead of tonight.
These showcases are not graded but they’re for fun to lead up to the real competitions. In a way, it’s a good practice to have in front of an audience before the holidays. This way, if people turn up here, they’re more likely to turn up to the real events. Coach Darcy says it’s vital to do things for fun in between comp season and I usually enjoy them. I love the feeling of skating. I like being on the ice and my body just flowing with the music in a practiced motion.
But nothing is ever fun with my mom. If anything, these things give her more of a reason to critique me. “Denise Beillmann was sixteen was she landed her first triple Lutz,” she always says, comparing me to one of my idols. With Austin’s situation, it means that I have to do my best. Now more than ever.
With all the practice I’ve been doing, I haven’t spoken to either of the girls much either since they convinced me to go out. They know when I get like this: I push everything else aside and I focus on doing better. Since I shouted at them and left, I have been sneaking out early in the morning to avoid talking to them and I sneak back in late at night when I know they’ve gone to sleep. Even on the few days when they're both watchingNew Girlre-runs late at night and offer me to join them, I decline and lock myself in my room. Since we aired out why I was stressed, they've understood that sometimes I need time for myself.
I’ve been practicing all morning, doing the most I can to make this routine flawless. There is one other duet on my team and three soloists: Eva, Madelyn, and Augustus. They don’t take these showcases as serious as the comps, but I have run into them a few times at the other rink in town. We all have a strange relationship.
Since Augustus and I broke up, we’ve not spoken, or barley glanced at each other. We were pretty close with the other skaters when we were together but when we broke up, they all took his side. They all think I’m too cold and insecure and that he was right to breakup with me. That I deserved it. They only think that because they don’t have the weight of the world on their backs every time they need to skate. They get to do it for fun. They have that choice.
“Good luck today,” I hear a voice from behind me as I walk towards the locker rooms. For a second, I think it’s Miles but when I turn around, I see him.
Augustus Holden.
He’s a few inches taller than me, a typically uptight Russian with dark blond hair and scarily sharp cheekbones. He's attractive in a way he shouldn't be. It's almost unfair. It's just my luck that I see him before my performance.
He stalks towards me in his white body shirt and I freeze.
“What?”
“Isaid,good luck. We both know you’re going to need it after regionals,” he growls as he towers over me. My back presses against the wall, trying to put some space between us but he moves in closer.
“Don’t give me that bullshit," I retort, "We both know that you messed up our routine on purpose."
“Ah, Amelia. That’s not what happened, and you know it. I told you I didn’t want you anymore and you couldn’t take it. It’s not my problem you let your feelings get in the away of the performance.”
I curl my hands into fists and take a deep breath before shoving him in his chest, but he doesn't move by much. “Go fuck yourself, Augustus.”
"Oh, you'd love that wouldn't you," he snarls, leaning further into me as his expensive cologne invades my senses. "I know you like to watch when I get myself off."
I take in another deep breath, and I meet his icy blue eyes and whisper between pushes at his chest, "Fuck. You."
I didn't even realise there was someone else in the corridor until I see Miles' tall body next to me, almost towering over Augustus. He's dressed in dark jeans and a white top, but I can only see the large expanse of his back.
"Wanna say that louder, baby? I don’t think he heard you," Miles says, turning back to me before blocking Augustus from my view as he pushes him, and he stumbles back.
Is it just me or has the temperature climbed up in this corridor?
Augustus laughs incredulously, looking at me from the side of Miles as he points at him. "Thisis your boyfriend?"
I nod.
Fake boyfriend.
Fake.
Fake.
Fake.
Augustus gives him Miles a once-over, snickering like a middle schooler. There must be something because my fake boyfriend is gorgeous. No matter how irritating he is.
"Got a problem with that,Gus?" Miles asks and I can literally see the blood drain from Augustus' face. If they were to fight right now, my money would be on Miles. Augustus is tall but he couldn't hold a candle to the burliness of Miles.
"Not at all," he bites out, shaking his head before sauntering off down the corridor. I let out a real breath of relief this time and Miles turns around to me.
I immediately burst out laughing.Thisis why Augustus couldn't take him seriously. Hell, even I can't. Even though this guy oozes sex he also has poor fashion choices. His T-shirt has 'I heart my girlfriend' written across it in bold letters and a red heart. I shake my head at him.
