Coach lifts an eyebrow but smiles slightly."Right."
Where is this shit coming from?
I can feel the guys glaring at me like they don't know whether to raise their swords and shout "hey" or laugh like idiots.
"Spoken like a true leader," Niko says with a derisive grin.
"Fuck off," I say."I am too young to be a leader."
"So was Julius Caesar," Niko shrugs.
"No, he wasn't," Martin says with disbelief.
"Yes, he was," Niko continues, frowning."I saw the movie.With Colin Farrell, blond, gay, big black horse…"
"That was Alexander the Great, you asshole!"
"Was it?Well, the movie was too long, boring, must have forgotten…"
"Boring," Martin says."Like you speaking."
I smile as I watch their fake wrestling match and turn around.
I grab a protein bar and gaze out the window.The glacier's out there looking smug, like it knows we'll be back tomorrow at 7 a.m.pretending we can beat it.I chew mechanically.
Her name… still blank.Pathetic, really.I can remember every split time from last season, but not the name of the woman who’s been stuck in my head for a week.
I can picture her smile, though, the shape of her in the sheets, the way she made my usual easy confidence feel suddenly...insufficient.
I lean against the window, breathing slowly.Out there on the glacier, we'll set our lines and fight the clock, just like always.But will it be enough?Will I be brilliant without trying again?
I take one last bite of the bar and toss the wrapper, wrinkling my nose at the synthetic, far too sweet taste.Why do they supply us with this shit?Like us being athletes means we cannot have decent food.
"Thomas, you coming?"Niko calls from the door.
I nod at him and take my towel.
Olympic season.
Time to inspire.
Time to handle the pressure.
Shouldn't be that hard, right?
***
Sölden, Austria, October 7
Katharina
I slide the van door behind me with a stronger push than I intended, and the bang has me start and makes the driver twitch.
"Hey, easy, with my car, girl," he calls.
"Sorry," I smile apologetically.
Because just like this, I'm in.
