HANNAH
Grant
Good luck tonight, Han!
All the guys say good luck too!
Wish I could be there to watch you.
Me
Thanks, G.
Grant
Feeling okay?
Me
I think once I get out there, I’ll be okay.
But right now, I’m so nervous.
Grant
Inhale confidence, exhale fear, remember?
Me
I remember!
I hope you guys have a good game too!
Grant
Who doesn’t love Boston?!
Text me after so I can hear about how it went.
Me
I will, I will.
Thank you for checking in.
Grant
Course. Love ya, sis.
Knock ‘em dead!
“We madeit to your big day. How are you feeling?” Tierney asks in the small dressing room at the Washington Figure Skating Club’s rink. She pulls my hair out of my face, securing it with a pink ribbon. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks, T.” I fix my sleeve and take a deep breath. “I’m feeling everything right now, to be honest. Scared. Hesitant. I’m happy too, but I overheard two teenage girls ask what I was doing at a competition as small as this one, and their friend answered with, ‘she sucks now.’ That’s jarring.”
“Fuck ’em,” Tierney says, setting down the brush. Her dark eyes find mine in the mirror, encouragement behind her gaze. “Might as well go out there and give them something to talk about.”
“You’re right.” I smile. “At the end of the day, I don’t need to listen to what anyone else says. I’m doing this for me.”
