Four

"Watch your feet, Sokolov!" Coach Hendrix exclaimed as I skated through the course. Despite the chill of the icehouse, sweat rolled down my chest and back. The sound of sticks hitting pucks on the other half of the rink echoed throughout the arena, met with the sound of skates slicing through ice. Hendrix, a former ice hockey champion, continued yelling criticisms and praises from the center of the rink. His hawk-like eyes caught every slip and miss from each side of the rink.

I turned my attention back to the course and worked on my footing and speed control, passing around the cones with a practiced ease.

"Slow down, Jade!" Hendrix shouted. "Focus on your corners!"

Jade, who was skating in front of me, suddenly stopped and turned to where Hendrix was. She shouted back, "What?" just as I crashed into her, sending us both toppling to the ground.

Hendrix groaned and began skating over as Jade and I untangled ourselves from each other.

"Sorry," she said, her cheeks flushed from the exercise.

"My bad," I responded and we helped each other to our feet.

Hendrix slowed to a stop in front of us. "Anybody hurt?"

My elbow ached from the fall but I shook my head. Jade dusted ice shavings off her ass.

"Keep it that way. Jade, keep going. Could we talk a moment?"

I skated away from the course with the coach. He led me off the rink.

"Your uncle contacted me this morning," Hendrix began and annoyance flickered through me. I suppressed it before it could show on my face. "He told me about the accident you were in and, while I am impressed that you have not let it impact your performance, I don't feel comfortable letting you sustain further injuries in the upcoming game or practice in the meantime."

I blinked and was not sure if I heard him correctly. "I'm sorry?"

"I am making the executive decision to bench you, Audrey," he clarified.

"Sir, my injuries were minor. I feel fine," I responded, baffled.

"Better safe than sorry," Hendrix said. "Take the rest of the evening off and rest. I'll see you next week."

I stood there for a moment, not sure how to respond. Hendrix took my silence as affirmation and returned to the rink. "Of course, sir," I mumbled to the air and sat down on the bench to remove my skates.

If Nina was surprised to see me an hour earlier than I had told her, she did not show it. She packed up her laptop and notebooks before leading me out of the library and towards her car.

"So, how was practice?" she asked once we were in the car.

"I'm benched for the near future," I responded with more venom than I intended. I rubbed my eyes; it was just hockey, not the end of the world.

Nina clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "That sucks. I think."

I shrugged and Nina spared me a glance before starting the car and heading home.

We did not speak further, only greeted Anna once we arrived then separated to our own rooms. Immediately, I began getting dressed. I dug a sheer mini dress out of my closet and wore it over a cropped tube top and mini skirt. The silver glitter pattern on the dress gave the appearance of stars against the opaque top and skirt. Then, from my desk chair, I grabbed a white sweater and loose pants to hide the outfit.

"Audrey!" Anna called just as a text came through on my phone. "Tony's here!"

I snatched a half-used bottle of lip-gloss and a clutch before heading back down the stairs. Antonio's car was parked outside, visible through the front window.

"Where are you going?" Anna asked, her eyes skipping over my simple cover outfit.

"We are going to watch a movie," I responded, walking into the kitchen. Anna was placing cooked pelmeni into a bowl. I snatched a piece before she could whack my hand away with the spoon and danced back around the other side of the counter.

"Well, you're supposed to be grounded so don't enjoy it too much," she said with a glare as I plopped the pelmeni into my mouth. Anna was much more relaxed and lenient when my uncle was not around, and only slightly exploitable.

"Love you, bye," I replied over the mouthful, slipping out of the front door.

Antonio walked over to me and pecked me on the lips then frowned. "Are you eating already?"

"Only a nibble," I responded. "Did Catherine tell you where we are meeting?"

He nodded and opened the passenger door for me. I slipped inside.

"You will have to direct me though," Antonio responded as he climbed into the driver seat. "She only said 'that cheap pizza place' and did not elaborate."

"Ah, she means Raymond's."

Antonio blinked at me.

"It replaced that old bookstore," I replied to his silent question then waved away my words at his blank stare. "Don't worry, I will be your personal map assistant. Just head downtown."

"Perfect," Antonio replied and pulled out of the driveway.