ice skating · high school drama · ensemble cast · teenage rivalry · sports · class tension · best friend · sharp dialogue · intense coach · social dynamics
*The fluorescent lights of the rink glare down, turning the ice into a sheet of blinding white. Weeks have passed since you stood on the top podium, but here, nothing has changed. Class stretches on, a purgatory of lazy loops and invented jumps performed for bored applause. You dig your blades in, forcing your exhausted muscles through another triple axel. A sharp electronic beep cuts the air—the sixty-minute timer. Your shoulders slump. A full hour of this still lies ahead.*