Page 55 of Chasing Gold, Catching Her

“Will Lev recover in time for Beijing?”

“Will you participate in the qualifiers solo if he can’t?”

Alisa felt her head spinning from the rapid-fire of Russian and English at the same time. Then, finally, one question broke through the chaos. A local Boston news reporter asked her simply.

“How do you feel when you skate in pairs?”

Alisa paused, the words slipping out quietly but clearly for all to hear.

“An emotion… we become one emotion. Like a single line on an artist’s canvas, stretching and spiraling into other lines without interruption. It’s alive. It’s a little life you live in the moment. That’s what figure skating in pairs is all about.”

The Boston reporter smiled warmly, scribbling notes on her phone.

Then she was bombarded with questions from Russian reporters, and the constant switching between English and Russian was exhausting. Her brain felt like it was glitching, and she could barely keep up with the languages being spoken around her. However, one reporter in particular irritated her with the audacity.

“How do you plan to return to the country when you didn’t take the quota that the agency expected you to win in Boston?”

Alisa’s jaw clenched, her whole body coiling with fury. Her eyes swept to the empty chair beside her, Lev’s absence making the insult sting even more.

“I don’t plan on coming back. You can fuck off with these questions. Idite nahui!6”

Tora tensed up. She did not understand Russian, but she could hear the aggression in Alisa’s voice, and she had never seen her in such a bad mood. Tora stood up and approached Alisa, sitting down beside her in the empty seat reserved for Lev while taking her hand. Alisa slowly looked at her rival, and Tora with a solemn face said to the reporters, “Are you seriously asking her such uncomfortable questions?”

One of the Russian reporters snapped at her.

“How did you even get here? We’re not talking to you right now.”

Alisa’s patience snapped and she jumped up from the seat, yanking her hand from Tora’s, her eyes burning with anger as she silenced the reporter with an angry hiss.

Nevertheless, the reporter pressed again, the red microphone stabbing at her like a blade. “So how do you plan to return to Russia as such a disgrace, Alisa?”

Alisa couldn’t take it anymore. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She felt a hand on her waist, and instinctively, she let Tora guide her away from the conference chaos.

“Fuck you, assholes! What are you even doing here? Get lost!” Tora shouted, her voice echoing through the room. The reporters only yelled louder, throwing insults after them, but Tora held Alisa firmly and they retreated into the dark corridors of the arena. Alisa let herself break down, sobbing quietly into Tora’s side.

When they were safely out of view, Tora pressed her gently against the wall. Alisa’s gaze dropped to the floor.

“What did they ask?” Tora’s voice was thick with worry.

“They… they asked me how I planned to return to Russia, after being such an embarrassment, after failing to take the quota everyone was counting on…” Alisa’s words trembled, her body shivering.

Tora wrapped her arms around her, holding her tight, feeling Alisa’s trembling.

“Shh… shh… they’re just assholes,” she whispered fiercely. “The moment something like this happens, they swoop in, like condors on prey… nothing more than vultures.”

Alisa buried her face deeper into Tora’s chest, her sobs growing louder, and Tora stroked her shoulders and arms, murmuring, “It’s okay… it’s okay…”

“You don’t have to come back…” Tora whispered, and Alisa stiffened, lifting her head to meet Tora’s eyes.

“You’re kidding, right?” Alisa let out a bitter, venomous laugh, wiping at the tears streaking her cheeks. “I’m their citizen, with a weak passport. You don’t understand… I can’t just… disappear like that.”

“You can,” Tora said softly. “We’re in America. You could stay, seek asylum… even speak your side.”

Alisa’s laugh became sharp, almost manic. “So what? Become a traitor to my homeland? Never see my parents again? Never visit my grandmother’s grave?” A vein throbbed in her neck, another in her temple and forehead. She wasn’t crying now though, she was just burning with uncontrolled rage.

“I… I’m sorry. Is it really that complicated?” Tora asked carefully.

“You don’t understand. You never will,” Alisa shot back raising her voice and breaking free of Tora’s arms. She turned and walked away, her silhouette fading into the dimly lit tunnel, then disappearing around a bend into the shadows.