Janelle’s P.O.V.
Take a deep breath in.
And let it out.
Concentrate.
Push your foot, and glide the other.
Stay in control.
I am in control.
I haven’t been on the ice for a few months now and it feels amazing. Nerve-wracking, but amazing at the same time.
After the incident back in my hometown in New Brunswick, I never thought I’d want to skate again. But thanks to my uncle, here I am.
He’s been visiting me and my mother every day since we moved here to little old Richmond Hill, Ontario.
After my mother had mentioned that I wanted to throw away my skates, he took every chance he could to convince me otherwise.
That’s why, two weeks ago, he took me after closing hours to test out his ice rink.
And to be perfectly honest, I didn’t think I had missed skating this much, but I did.
After gliding a few times around the ice, I felt free.
I thought that what happened to me, would have deterred my love for skating forever, but it didn’t. I’m relieved that it didn’t. It means he hasn’t taken everything from me like I thought he had.
Shaking that thought away, I concentrate again on my next move.
I’ve been slowly building myself back to some of my favorite moves.
Here we go…
I push myself off and set myself for a Quad-A.
It is such a complicated and intricate move, but it's for that same reason that I love it. I practice for over a year before I landed it perfectly.
Satisfied with my landing, I smile proudly.
I haven't lost it!
But then a voice catches me off guard and makes me turn around in surprise.
I thought I still had half an hour before the rink opened?!
That hot bastard pisses me off, yelling at me that I shouldn’t be here.
Asshole.
Thankfully, Uncle Henley tells him to step out for a while.
“I’m sorry, Jan. Bex isn’t usually this obnoxious.” He says, shaking his head.
“If you say so, uncle Henley,” I answer, rolling my eyes.
“I saw you practice. You landed that Quad A pretty well for someone who didn’t want to skate anymore. Should I throw your skates out now?” He teases, pointing at my feet.
“You want me to say it, don’t you?” I sigh dramatically.
“Yes, I do!” He says, puffing out his chest with a mischievous grin.
My uncle. The fifty-seven years old two years old!
“Fine! You were right,” I mumble.
“What was that? I didn't catch that?” He says, cupping his ear and tilting his head to the side.
“You were right! I was wrong! Happy now?” I scream, throwing my hands in the air.
“Verry. Now, you should get your things and head home. Your mother called saying dinner was almost ready.” He says, kissing my temple.
After my father ran away with his mistress, it’s only been my mother and me. And uncle Henley. He has been such a great role model, and I’m thankful to have him in my life.
On my way out, I cross paths with the guy uncle Henley called “Bex”. I roll my eyes seeing him scrunching his nose at me.
What a jerk. He doesn’t even know me and he thinks he can boss me around. Well, he’s got another thing coming for him if he thinks I’ll let him do it! I will never let anyone else tell me what I can and can’t do in my life!
I shudder at the memories of… him.
It will never happen again!
Stepping into the kitchen when I got home, I can already tell uncle Henley told her what happened.
“Tell me, how cute was he?” She says, interlocking her finger under her chin, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
“I don't know what you’re talking about,” I answer, picking at my food.
“Sure you don't. From what I hear, he’s about your age,” She says, her smile ever so growing.
“Even if I thought he was good-looking, which I don’t, I wouldn’t care about it. I have better things to do than be bothered by some hot shot know it all crazy jerk!” I scoff, stabbing my fork into a piece of chicken.
“So he is good-looking!” She beams, making me look at her in disbelief.
“Seriously mom, is that really what you caught on from everything I just said?!”
“I’m sorry sweety. I shouldn’t be teasing you. Especially after everything that’s happened in the past year. I am happy to hear you are not quitting skating. Uncle Henley says you'll be ready to compete in less than a month.”
“He said I could compete so soon?!” I ask, my eyes bulging out.
“He did and sounded very proud of you. He says you’ve been working hard in the past two weeks to reinforce your muscles.”
“Has he been watching me? I thought I was alone on the ice?”
“You were alone on the ice, but that doesn’t mean you were unsupervised. What if you had fallen and gotten hurt? It could have been dangerous,” my mother says worriedly.
He said the exact same words to me. Mind you, he said it much more angrily than my mother did.
Have I been too harsh on that Bex guy?
Now that I think about it, it was unsafe to be there alone. Even if it felt great.
Now I feel like an ass for being so rude to him.
I probably should apologize to him if I ever see him again.
“Are you excited about school on Monday?”
“Not really,” I mumble taking another bite out of my plate.
“Oh, come on. I’m sure you’ll have a great day and new friends in no time,” She encourages.
“Maybe. It just sucks being the new girl halfway through a semester.”
“I know sweety, but it’s a fresh start,” She says, her eyes becoming sad again.
I hate it when she does that. I know she does it unconsciously, but it still annoys me. I want to put everything I’ve been through behind me and never think about it ever again.
Aksara