Page 5 of Unsteady

“You go to Waterfell?”

Not just Waterfell itself, but that’s a skate embroidered into the end of the logo: a figure skate.

She spins back towards me so fast, her entire balance gets knocked off. I grab her, not shocked that she feels light as air from how small she is, and place her back on solid ice before she can blink.

Her name is lost on me, if I ever knew it, but I remember her. I’ve seen her in and out of the complex before, always in a rush of some sort, always barely put together.

But the memory that’s hitting me hardest is seeing her burst into our practice one day that ran late, shouting the head off our even keeled coach, before a tall, stern-faced man picked her up by the waist and carted her off.

I remember it best because I stayed after, lingering in the tunnels for a moment as she started blasting loud, vibrant music and blazed onto the cut up ice, keeping the Zamboni from clearing while she skated like she wanted to kill someone.

Pure passion.

She’s beautiful this close, even in her haphazard look, her hair is shiny and dark, skin flushed but pale with a unique little patch of freckles under her right eye.

“Glad I caught you.” I try to smile, my old charm covering me like a thick coat, a shield, before she blinks once, twice, then sharpens her brow into a deep frustration and shoves away from me.

“I’m sure you catch all kinds of things.”

Smiling still, in spite of the lack of usual response and the emptiness wading in my gut, I offer, “I play hockey for Waterfell.”

“Alright, kiddos,” she calls, ignoring my words and presence completely as she marches off the ice with an upturned nose. Something twists, whether at her dismissal of the thing that once made me so valuable, or the lack of any recognition. “Let’s go.”

The two boys grab their shared gear bag and strut behind her, Liam just as animated as before, and Oliver just as dejected. It punches in my chest, something twisting as I look at his beaten down expression and rush off the ice, following them.

“Hey,” I call, waiting as all three turn around. “Can I talk to you for a minute—uh, sorry you didn’t say your name.”

Liam giggles and points up at the slip of a girl guarding over him.

“That’s Sadie.”

“Thanks, nugget.” She rolls her eyes, hip-checking him in the shoulder as she looks up at me. “What for?”

“It’s about… the boys. Just—” I cut myself off as she struts down to me. The closer she gets, the faster my heart starts to race at the idea of arguing with her.

“What?” Her tone is just as aggressive as her stance, arms crossed and glaring up at me, as ifsheis the 6’3” center with three extra inches of skates.

“I know I’m new to the scholarship program, but Liam and Oliver are incredible—even as young as they are. “

“I know.”

I manage to keep the smile plastered to my face, mainly because something warm is thrumming in my gut. “And, well, I think parental support is important to kids, especially with their interests—”

“Get to the point, hotshot.”

Alright, fine. No more charm. I harden my stare and cross my arms. “You should make an effort to be here. Not a forgotten promise.”

Her eyes turn molten before me, fire beneath the slate gray, and for a moment I think she might tackle me; attempt to check me into the boards.

Maybe it’ll help, force me to feel something besides the empty chasm of nothingness yawning inside. Maybe, if she turns out to be stronger than she looks, she'll knock me flat on my ass.

Honestly, I hope she does.

“Noted. Anything else you’d like to spout off that high horse of yours?” She doesn’t wait even a second before continuing. “Great!” Her hands clap together sharply. “Glad we had that talk.”

“Wait.” I try again, my frustration mounting as I reach to grab her wrist and stop her retreat.

She flares, igniting at the contact and pulling herself from my touch like I've tried to set her on fire. I release her immediately, only to see her little hand now wrapped, as much as it can be, around my wrist. She’s bending it, like a bully on the playground, in some attempted self-defense move that sends a zing up my spine.

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