Girls Only! (20 page)

“Five more times,” Heather grumbled.

“What’s wrong?” Kevin asked as they skated in unison around the rink.

“Later,” she said, wimping out once again.

He reached for her hand as they prepared for the lift. “Ready?” he whispered.

“I’m counting the beats,” she said, knowing that she must keep her arms straight for the difficult move.

“One . . . two . . . three!” Kevin reached out, keeping his arms stiff, too, as he lifted her off the ice.

This time the lift was excellent. But they continued to repeat the practice, making their footwork accurately match the meter of the music. Working through the preparation and the actual move with Kevin, she thought back to the first time she’d laced up the boots on her rental ice skates. She was a tiny preschooler, just turned four years old. The feel of the ice beneath her feet was like nothing she’d ever encountered. From that moment on, she knew she wanted to be an ice skater.

Ice-dancing lessons came a year later, after Heather had learned a few skating basics. At that time, she and her brother were so close in size that their parents (and their coach) decided they should train as ice dancers instead of pairs skaters.

At first, neither Kevin nor Heather had understood the difference between pairs skating and ice dancing. So Coach McDonald made an attempt to explain. “In pairs skating, there are side-by-side jumps, spins, and other dangerous moves.”

“What kind of dangerous?” little Heather had asked.

“The death-spiral, for one . . . and the hand-to-hand lasso lifts are risky,” her coach said.

Back then, Heather had thought pairs skating was much too hard. But she was only five and still tripping on the front porch steps. The idea of skating like a unit of one seemed almost impossible. Especially with her energetic older brother!

“What’s ice dancing all about?” was Kevin’s question.

“Ice dancing is fancy footwork performed in time with dance rhythms like the cha-cha or the fox-trot. As partners, skaters must demonstrate different styles of music,” Coach had told him. “It’s like ballroom dancing on ice. And they have to mirror each other, just like in pairs skating.”

Later, they learned that there were special holds and positions—all part of the ice-dancing technique. But each partner had to keep at least one skate on the ice at all times. The only exception was allowed during certain lifts and jumps.

After six years of spending many hours each week, perfecting complicated steps and arm positions, Heather was ready to make a change. Maybe the biggest risk of her life!

“Where was your head today?” Kevin asked later as they stepped off the ice. He seemed upset with her, but
she had it coming. After all, they were in training for the Summer Ice Spectacular—only six months away. She couldn’t fault Kevin for asking.

“You know how it is. Off days and on days . . .” A ridiculous reply, but she wasn’t ready to blurt out her plans. Not here at the rink. Not with Coach within earshot.

“No, I really
don’t
know, Heather. Maybe you better explain.” Frowning now, her brother stood near the barrier and stared. Like he was trying to put things together without a single puzzle piece. “Maybe we should finish that talk we started the other night.”

Heather felt trapped. Besides that, Coach McDonald was coming toward them. “Later,” she said quickly. “We’ll talk some other time.”

“So . . . there
was
something on your mind last Friday night. You bribed me away from my math homework for ice cream, but you didn’t finish what you started.”

He knew her so well!

She took a deep breath and put on her skate guards. “Well, if you know so much, why don’t you tell
me
what I was thinking!”

Kevin shook his head and turned on his heels. He went to sit on one of the wooden benches surrounding the rink. Heather watched him, her heart sinking. They rarely had harsh words between them. Almost immediately, she was sorry about the outburst.

Oh great
, she thought.
Now he knows there’s something bugging me
.

Yet she didn’t know how to smooth things over. They would walk home together, sit across from each other at the dining room table—for homeschool lessons—and eat lunch together, too.

Togetherness was the thing that was beginning to gnaw at her, almost more than anything. She wanted to become something on her own. If only she could break free of the skating partnership. If only she could go it alone!

Coach had a few suggestions for them off the ice, and then they headed for the mall doors. Together. During most of the long walk home, they were silent. They carried their sport bags over their shoulders and tromped down the snowy sidewalk. Occasionally, a brave bird flew overhead, twittering a wintry song.

At the intersection of Main and Cascade Streets, Heather exhaled, letting the arctic air carry her frustration on wings of white frost. Two more blocks to go.

Kevin finally broke the silence. “We were stunning today . . . had the same great line and terrific action going on in our feet. Coach thinks we have a good chance at a medal next summer.”

Summer Ice Spectacular! What an incredible thrill it would be to take first place. Heather had literally dreamed of the beautiful medal. And it wouldn’t be just for her and
Kevin to enjoy. They’d share the delight and the honor with their close-knit family.

She could imagine little Joanne wearing it, the medal hanging down to her chubby knees. And Tommy? She knew he’d want to run off with Kevin’s and show the neighbor kids on the block.

As for Kevin, he would value the win as much as either of them. After all these years, he was still devoted to working hard. He had perfected his half of their partnership. She was sure
he
had no secret plan to run off and pursue a new skating goal! Kevin was focused on being the best ice-dancing partner ever.

Wishing for an easy solution to her problem, Heather listened as Kevin recounted Coach’s approval of their morning workout. She watched his expressive blue eyes and the determination set into his chin. His hair was every bit as blond as hers, cropped short on the sides and fuller on the top. Though a boy, he was almost a reflection of herself—only taller.

Most of all, she knew Kevin’s heart. He was a compassionate but highly driven sort of guy. And at thirteen, he seemed to know exactly what he wanted in life. At least when it came to his ice-dancing career. He was headed for Junior Olympics and far beyond. And he was taking his partner with him. Whether she liked it or not!

Unless she jumped off
his
bandwagon and got on
board her own, she’d be stuck ice-dancing through her teens and who knows how far into her twenties. She had to change course. As soon as possible!

Groaning silently, she could hardly wait for the
Girls Only
Club meeting. By tomorrow afternoon, Livvy and Jenna would have an amazing plan for her to follow.

Surely they would!

A Perfect Match

Chapter Five

“The zero-hour club meeting will come to order,” said Jenna, waiting as Heather and Livvy gathered onto her four-poster bed. Sasha, her golden-haired cat, was curled up near the pillows, oblivious to the trio of girls.

“Any old business?” Livvy asked, leaning forward on her elbows. Her stockinged feet waved in the air.

“Let’s just get on with it,” the president spouted. Jenna’s comment made Heather feel nervous. Especially because both Jenna and Livvy were gawking at her, probably eager to hear what was so important. They had every right to know.

Struggling with her feelings, she realized there was only one reason they’d agreed to this special meeting. Only one. It was because of her tears after ballet class. They felt sorry for her.

She studied her friends under the recessed lighting of the newly remodeled attic room. Livvy was as pretty as a picture with deep auburn hair and the greenest eyes ever. Her skating history (awards and competitions) would make anyone proud to say she was her friend. Livvy also loved to write letters, especially the snail-mail kind, because she enjoyed writing in cursive. The feel of a smooth ballpoint pen on fine stationery, she always said, reminded her of ice skating on a perfect ice surface.

Livvy’s grandmother had recently moved to Alpine Lake to give her granddaughter “a good dose of mothering.” At least, that’s the way Livvy described it. Heather knew that Livvy often fought the sorrow in her heart; losing her mother to cancer at such a young age had made Livvy a very private person. Heather and Jenna never pushed for more than Livvy felt comfortable sharing.

Jenna, on the other hand, was as chatty and warm as Livvy was thoughtful and dreamy. An advanced gymnast and ballet dancer, Jen was the only daughter of the village’s Korean pastor and his wife. She wore her black hair in a short, perky style, and when she smiled, her dark eyes squeezed shut.

The joy of her life was tiny Jonathan—her newly adopted baby brother. In fact, Jenna was always showing him off to the
Girls Only
Club members.

Heather always felt terrific when she visited Jenna, knowing there was a sweet baby just down the hall.
Baby Jonathan reminded her of the day her parents had adopted Tommy and Joanne.

“Earth to Heather!” Livvy was waving her hand in Heather’s face.

“Oh, sorry,” she blubbered.

“You’re not sick, are you?” Livvy said, her own face turning a bit pale.

“No . . . I’m fine. It’s just that I’m having a tough time these days.”

Jenna scooted closer to her. “That’s one of the reasons why we have this club, you know. We’re your friends, Heather. You can tell us anything.”

Anything?
Heather wondered about that.

“Maybe we should pray,” Livvy suggested.

“Sure, let’s,” Jenna agreed, touching Heather’s arm.

“
I have
been talking to God about things,” Heather told them. “But I’m not being selfish or anything. If that’s what you think.”

Livvy’s eyes widened. “About what?”

Taking a deep breath, Heather knew the time had come. It was now or never. “I can’t keep this to myself any longer,” she said, gazing at one of the dormer windows. The light from the sky gave her courage somehow. “I’ve decided to quit ice dancing. I want to train with a free-skating coach. Go it alone.”

The room was still, except for a little gasp from Jenna. Livvy, however, wore a timid smile, almost as if she was
offering encouragement.
She
would know what sort of challenge Heather was up against, switching to figure skating.

“Are you sure about this?” Jenna whispered.

“Definitely,” Heather answered, feeling an unexpected surge of confidence. She turned her gaze to Livvy. “Do you think I can make the switch? I mean, do I have what it takes?”

Livvy’s face lit up. “I think you’ll do super fine.”

Heather waited for the question that was sure to come. Jenna was the one to bring it up. “What about your brother? Does Kevin know about this?”

She felt the weight of the world on her. “That’s the hardest part,” Heather admitted. “I thought maybe you could help me with that. Help me know how to tell him.”

Jenna’s face was serious. “What can
we
say?”

“Just give me some ideas—how to break it to him,” she said, reaching over and petting Jenna’s cat.

“Why don’t you come right out and tell him?” Jenna suggested.

Livvy didn’t seem as sure of that approach. “Maybe it would be better to tell him in phases,” she said.

“Like how?”

“You know, uh, bring him to one of my coaching sessions, maybe,” Livvy said, her eyes filled with concern.
“I’m sure that would get him thinking about what
you’re
thinking.”

Heather was amazed. “You mean you two aren’t gonna try to talk me out of this?”

“Why should we?” Livvy said. “It’s your athletic future we’re talking here.”

“Your choice, too,” added Jenna.

Heather was quiet for a moment. “Do you know what I actually thought you guys might say?”

Jenna’s dark brown eyes turned curious. “Something about being out of your mind to abandon your skating partner?”

Heather nodded.

“Well, to tell you the truth, I think you must be,” agreed Jenna, putting on a silly smile.

“Yeah, to give up ice dancing with someone so
adorable?
” Heather teased.

Livvy shook her head. “No, seriously, just because a guy is cute—or your brother—doesn’t mean you should stick with a partner . . . or your old goal.”

“I know. And I’m not.”

“But,” Livvy added, “you should know that when skating couples split up, they really do mess up their relationship. And usually get off course for a while.”

Heather had given that plenty of thought. She hated the idea of setting Kevin back, away from his goals.

“It takes lots of time to develop a solid relationship with a new skating partner,” Livvy said.

“Or . . . maybe Kevin will go solo,” offered Jenna. “Ever think of that?”

Heather didn’t know what to think. For one thing, her idea sounded outright selfish in some ways. And whether Kevin would believe it or not, selfish was the last thing she wanted to be!

“Oh, I wish I didn’t have to do this to him,” she groaned. “It’s gonna hurt so bad.”

“Poor Kevin,” whispered Jenna.

“No kidding,” replied Heather. But she felt much better having shared her dream—and now her dilemma—with Jenna and Livvy. “You guys are the best.”

Livvy grinned and rolled over on the bed. “We know.”

“We’re the
Girls Only
Club,” said Jenna. “What do you expect?”

Getting up and stretching her legs at the barre across the long wall, Heather was glad for Jenna’s terrific bedroom/workout room. “Let’s practice ballet,” she said.

“You’re on!” Livvy said, hopping up.

“What’s your style?” Jenna hurried to the CD player.

“Something slow and sad,” Heather replied. Which was exactly how she felt.

“Something zippy and bright will cheer you up,” replied Jenna.

“Probably not,” Heather said softly.

A Perfect Match

Chapter Six