Figure Eight: Teaser

“Tanya, you shouldn’t be taking those pills. If they do a random drug test, you’ll get caught,” I hissed at my partner. We were practicing for the British Figure Skating Championships.

“I’ve been taking them for nearly a year now, Edward,” she said with a nonchalant shrug. “Don’t get your knickers in a wad.”

I rolled my eyes and skated away from my partner. She was definitely trying my patience. I understand that she’s in pain, but we’re going to get disqualified if she continues taking those pain killers and those steroids. As she waited for the drugs to kick in, I worked with my coach, Liam McDougal, on the spin sequence that was in the center of our program. I was having a hard time with the sit spin that our choreographer wanted us to do. We ran it several times until I got comfortable with it. Tanya was still ‘nursing’ her back.

“Come on, Tanya. We need to at least get three complete practices of our long program. We’re struggling with the second half,” I said.

“Three? My back can’t take that much. How about one?” she asked.
I rubbed my face and scowled my partner.

“Don’t glare at me, Edward Masen,” she snapped. “You’re perfectly healthy. You don’t have an injury. You’re fine.”

“Tanya, just because I don’t have an injury doesn’t mean that I don’t hurt after our practices,” I snarled. “If someone would watch their weight I wouldn’t have to ice my shoulders every night.”

“Are you calling me fat?” she shrieked.

“Not fat, per se,” I sniveled. “Hefty.”