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My blades glided over the slick surface. The breeze I generated with the swift movement swept around me. I closed my eyes just for a second.
This—this was where my new life, my real life, truly began.
THREE
Jasper
I was just tyingup my sneakers when an energetic knock sounded on the apartment door.
“Time to get going, lazy bones!” my self-proclaimed coach called through the wooden slab in his typical playful tone. “The day’s not going to wait forever.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I grumbled half-heartedly. “A guy’s got to put his shoes on, you know. Especially when his coach insists that he needs to walk to the rink.”
“All part of your training. You can never have too much endurance work.”
It was hard to feel truly annoyed listening to Niko Okabe’s cheery, lightly accented voice. Even harder when I reminded myself that he’d flown halfway across the world from Japan just to haul me out of my slump.
But that didn’t mean I was going to somehow transform into Mr. Sunshine myself.
“As you always say,” I retorted dryly, and glanced at the hallway mirror. A few rakes of my fingers through my auburn hair was enough to tame it into shape.
I fumbled around for the keys of my garage-top apartment as I swung my equipment bag over one shoulder. When I shoved the door open, Niko grinned at me from the landing on the side of the garage, just as chipper as he’d been when he’d arrived at my grandparents’ door in Ottawa a couple of months ago.
He was already in his workout attire of black athletic pants and brightly colored tee, his black hair spiked in his usual style. The hot pink streak he'd dyed through it caught a flash of sunlight, nearly blinding the shit out of me.
I locked the door behind me and shoved the keys into my pocket. Niko was renting a bachelor apartment over a store in the middle of town, closer to the arena than my place was, but he insisted on joining me for the walk over every day.
Maybe to make sure I did actually walk. But he said it was so we could warm up our minds too, talking over goals for this practice session.
He strode down the stairs ahead of me, a thermos dangling from one slender hand. “It’s a beautiful day.”
“As I’m sure we’ll appreciate so much while we’re hanging out in a windowless room.”
“It sets the mood.” Niko wagged a finger at me. “You know that attitude is at least fifty percent of the performance.”
I couldn’t stop one corner of my mouth from ticking upward in the start of a smile. “Then I guess I’ll be skating clear and sunny today.”
Niko simply chuckled, that light but warm laugh that gave the impression you genuinelyhadbrightened his day. The sound sent a weird twinge through my stomach that I didn’t want to look at too closely.
It really was a gorgeous day if you were into that sort of thing, the sun beaming down over Hobb Creek like it was setting it up for a picturesque Hollywood film set. Summer was still hanging on enough that the breeze that brushed over my bare arms was enjoyable rather than chilly.
As usual, Niko started chattering away about his opinions on the progress I’d made.
“Your Lutzes have been looking much better in the last few weeks. Good height, and you’ve barely popped out of any of them.”
“Hurray!” I said in a sarcastic cheer.
“We need to celebrate our victories,” Niko insisted. “That’s attitude too. Be happy with where you’re at, and the audience will be happy watching you.”
“When I have an audience again.”
“We’re getting there.”
There wasn’t a particle of doubt in Niko’s voice. He unscrewed the cap on his thermos, took a swig, and grimaced. He managed to swallow with a bob of his Adam’s apple, but he poured the rest of the white liquid contents out into one of the decorative flower beds next to the sidewalk.
“Another failed experiment?” I couldn’t help teasing. “When are you going to learn that carbonation and milk just don’t go together?”
“They do!” he protested. “If you’d ever had proper Calpis… It’s a crime that you can’t buy it here. But if they can make it, there’s got to be a way.”
