Gliding out of their serpentine footwork step sequence, Frankie and Charlie clasped hands and picked up some speed into a set of powerful back crossovers. The approaching throw triple loop was Frankie’s favorite element.
Gliding on a long outside edge, Charlie grasped hold of her waist. Just as he was about to propel her into the air, his blade caught an edge. He stumbled forward. Frankie, who had already started to leave the ice, found herself completely lost in the air for a frightening moment. The next thing she knew, she was sliding down the ice on her side. Everything on her right side stung. All the oxygen left her lungs.
Of all the stupid things to fall on. The loop should’ve been our moneymaker move. Gah. Now we’ll have to start from the beginning again.She slowly got to her hands and knees. At least it felt like a “normal” fall. She’d be sore and have some fun colorful bruises later. She could just hear Leslie suggesting she dye her hair to match them. The thought made her snort.I hope Charlie’s okay. I guess if something bad was going to happen, at least we could get it out of the way now.
“Frankie! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to . . . I never would . . . I mean to say . . . I’m sorry.”
She got her first look at her partner, who was kneeling next to her. His face was ashen, and his eyes continuously scanned her body. His hands hovered near her as if he was afraid that touching her might break her.
Her voice came out hoarse as she said, “I’m fine. I know it was an accident. How are you?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” he repeated.
“Charlie, look at me.” His green eyes were glazed over. He seemed to look right through her. Nevertheless, she tried to get through to him. “I’m okay. I promise. It. Was. A. Fluke. Fall.” Frankie gripped his hand and squeezed it hard. “Charlie, I need you to focus on the present, not relive the past.”
The sound of skates stopping sharply next to them caused both of them to turn their heads.
“Charlie. Frankie. You good?”
She gave Leslie a thumbs-up. Charlie hesitated.
Leslie nodded. “Baby bro, I need an answer from you.”
He didn’t respond.
“Bro.” She clapped her hands together. “Char . . . lie. Snap out of it. Frankie needs you.”
His attention finally settled on his sister. “Frankie?”
“Right here,” she said, waving to him.
Leslie sighed. “Now give me a straight answer. Are you physically okay? From back there, it looked like you hit your knees pretty hard.”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay, then.” Leslie’s eyebrows knitted together. “Do you think you can run and fetch the first-aid kit from the front desk? I see a few scrapes on you two that need cleaning ASAP.”
“First-aid kit?”
“Yeah, the one behind the cashier’s desk. I’m just going to help Frankie over to the boards.”
Charlie finally seemed to understand what Leslie needed. “I’ll be right back.” When he jumped to his feet, Frankie noticed a hole in the right knee of his skating trousers.
Leslie helped her come to a stand. “Now that he’s out of the way, I need a straight answer from you too. Are you really okay? Or were you just saying that ’cause my brother was here?”
“It stung, but the fall didn’t feel any different from ones I’ve taken on jumps before.” Her butt, hip, and the palm of her hand still ached, but the pain had mostly subsided.
“That’s a relief.” Leslie exhaled. “You did a really impressive karate-style kick out of the loop jump, but when you landed, your feet were still crossed. If I had to guess, I’d say it looked like you got too far back on your blades.”
And once that happened there was nothing anyone could do to keep from going down. She shrugged.
“I’m just glad it wasn’t something more serious. Every time I watch Charlie skate, it makes me anxious. But when you start layering in pairs elements, it takes me to the edge of having a nervous breakdown.” They sat down on the hockey bench at the edge of the rink. “I have no idea how you can agree to willingly be suspended ten feet in the air over the ice by someone. Or be tossed into a jump like a ragdoll.”
“I’m an adrenaline junkie?”
They shared a soft laugh.
Her mind returned to Charlie. “Do you think it would be best if we left it here for today and tried filming the test another time?”
