"Get up," the lady with purple hair said. Her was Irena. She was the coach of the skaters and now I realized Odett was referring to her. She had already eaten me alive by putting me through a week of grueling training.

I struggled to push myself off the ice as another skater passed me. My eyes glanced at the clock on the wall. My body was sore, and my feet were crying in pain. The new skates were digging into my ankles, making them bleed. Irena didn't seem not care or notice. She wanted to see what I had, but at this moment, I had nothing left to give. 

The last few minutes couldn't come fast enough.  

The buzzer rang, telling us our time was over. I crashed onto the ice again. Spots came into my vision. If I could just lay here, I would. Maybe if I stayed here long enough, I would turn into the ice and fade away.

"Walter! Son of a twister. Telvi, get up from the slag ice!" Irena yelled at me. 

I had only skated with her for only a few days but with her help, I was now well versed in Motherwealth swears. Three in one breath. I had heard her say more. She knew all of them and soon I would too. 

"Need help?" a broad boy with short brown hair asked, offering his hand to me. 

"Thanks," I said, taking it, hoisting myself up. 

Together we skated towards the boards to get off. Every movement hurt. Bed never seemed so appealing as it did now.   

"You aren't looking to bad out there," the boy by the name of Ari said. 

"Thank you," I said. No amount of kind words would help me feel confident. We both knew I was last in the wrung of talent. Everyone's jumps were higher, their spins faster. Never did I feel so small and inadequacy in my skating as I did here. I tried to not let it get under my skin, but I feared I would ever be as good as them.

I put some plastic strips of my blades to protect them. Irena told me I needed to wear them every time I stepped off the ice. She called them guards because they protected the blades. They were awkward to put on and I didn't want to use them. But I knew she would yell if I didn't. Yelling was her favorite thing to do it seemed like. Everything set her off from not pushing hard enough, to not tying my skates well enough. 

"She still has a long way to catch up," a girl named Constance said as she bumped into me.

Ari made a face then rolled his eyes. Once she was out of earshot he said, "She's just jealous that she might lose her favorite spot with Irena." Ari smirked as he patted my shoulder. 

The way Irena yelled at me, I hardly believed that. In fact, I think she hated me. 

"See you around Hellian." With that, he left without another word. 

Trying to catch up was quickly zapping the enjoyment out of skating. It was like a race that I could never win. How could I catch up when they were already so far ahead.

While the remaining three skaters got off the ice, I found the nearest bench and took off my skates. Constance wasn't the only person that didn't like me. Most mumbled about how I didn't skate properly or that I was too quiet, not bold enough, not confident enough. They said I would never be a true figure skater. It wasn't enough that I didn't want to be here, now I had to deal with their whispers. They were crushing.  

"So how was it?" Eydis asked, hopping forwards me, her hair swaying around her face.  

My back popped as I pried my skates off my blistered feet. My white socks were spattered with red. Bandages were not cutting it for protection. I needed a day to heal but I would not get that luxury. 

The thought of putting my skate back on my feet tomorrow was enough for tears to prick at my eyes. I was tired, sore, and homesick.

"Oh..." Eydis said as her smile slid from her face.

I wiped the snow from my blades then shoved the skate into my bag. 

"You know, it does get better," she whispered as she sat down beside me, wrapping her arm around me. I melted into her arm. "And tomorrow is our day off. I was thinking of doing something fun but if you just want to rest, that's fine too."

I let out a breath. A break. My feet would have a break. I had been so worried about training that I forgot about the day off. The thought of leaving the campus and not training made my heart flutter a little. 

She beamed as she took my skate bag in hand. "I thought you might be interested. Now, let's celebrate. Tomorrow we will sleep in." 

"Telvi, wait," Irena spoke up. 

My head snapped towards her direction with a frown. It wasn't enough that she screamed at me for three hours.  I thought I was free as soon as I stepped off that ice. 

"You skated well today considering what you came from. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."  She gave one nod then walked off. 

"She's pleasant," Eydis muttered under her breath. "Those Motherwealth people always think they are so superior to everyone else." 

A chuckle escaped my lips. Every once and a while, Eydis would slip some snarky comment about the Motherwealth. I started to believe that she was someone I could trust. 

I followed Eydis out of the rink. She chattered about her classes and how the instructors told her she was almost done with training. "The thing is, my two years aren't up yet so I don't know what will happen," she told me as some boy who looked our age made eye contact with me. 

For a second, I stared back at him. His high cheekbones jetted out of his cheeks and his watercolors eyes sparkled in the sunlight. He was beautiful. My attention about Eydis flew from my mind when he smiled at me.

"So, this is your new roommate, Eydis?" he asked, keeping pace with us. 

"This is Telvi." 

"Pleasure. I'm Ezra," he said as he held out his hand for me to shake. I took it, locking eyes with his. They were soft, knowing. His handshake was firm, it matched his stiff straight cut dress clothes. 

"It's been a while since I've seen you on campus," Eydis said, breaking the silence. 

So he wasn't a Talent. He was a Motherwealth person and Eydis knew him. Her tone was less preppy as it had been a few moments ago. It sounded like the two had history.

He nodded as he let go of my hand. "Yeah, my dad, he had a meeting, so I tagged along." 

"Gottu. Well, we're about to go for dinner, want to come?" 

Her invite sounded forced, dry and too polite. It didn't sound like she wanted him to follow through. 

He smiled at us. "Sure. I have a moment." 

Eydis looked outside the gated walls of campus then back to Ezra. "Tell me all that is going on out there."

He shrugged as he walked towards the food hall. "Nothing out of the normal. Same old same old. How about here?" 

"Nothing out of the normal." 

His attention turned to me with another smile. "So you're the girl, the new skater."

I shifted my weight. How did he know about my skating. Was I that talked about? If people talked about me, that left room for disappointment. I had to be a disappointment already.

"Yeah, she is! And she's from Hell."

"Walter, from Hell?" 

"I know. I didn't know people actually lived there." Eydis chuckled as a man called Ezra's name. We all stopped and turned towards the sound. In front was a tall man that looked almost a direct replica of Ezra except 30 years older. They were even dressed the same with dull straight cut clothes. 

"Ezra, we need to go."

Ezra frowned then turned to us. "Rain check on dinner?"

Eydis nodded. "Sure." 

He made eye contact with me again. He enjoyed doing that but it made me uncomfortable. Too much eye contact. "I'll see you around." 

"See you," Eydis echoed as he ran off to the fatherly figure. 

The man lightly hit Ezra's head as he came closer then said something I couldn't hear.  

"Gosh, can't stand him," Eydis muttered as she turned back towards the food hall. She winked. "But don't worry. I like you." 

I smiled at her as my insides felt fuzzy. Already I relied on her for so much. If it counted for anything, I liked her too. She was my only friend. 

"He's from one of the senate families in the Motherwealth. Sometimes he comes and talks to us. Like he graces us with his presents. Like he's some gift. There's something about him that makes me sick to my stomach." 

Senate. I heard about that before. There were 60 members of senet which helped rule the Commonwealths. They went on public trips and built relations. Everyone knew it was the senet who ruled even though the premier was head of this country. However, he had not made a public appearance in a few years. Everyone in Hell thought he was dead. He probably was.

Back in Hell, I never listened to gossip, but here, I held onto every word Eydis said. I wasn't sure if all of it was true, but it was all I had to go off of. Eydis seemed to know everything about the Motherwealth. It felt like she had lived here her whole life, not just a year. 

"I think other senate families have kids our age, but Ezra is the only one that comes around. I think he's father is in charge of the talent program or something. He just walks around this place like he owns it." She shuttered as she opened the door to the food hall. 

I followed after her, wishing she talked more about the Senet. But it probably wasn't safe to talk about it so openly here. That was a shelved question. 

"I heard there is cake today. Should I get you a piece?" 

She knew me so well already. I couldn't go without something sweet every meal. If I was going to spend two years here, I might as well enjoy the cake. 

As I sat down, waiting for Eydis to get cake, Ari waved at me with a smile before turning back to the rest of the skaters he sat by. 

"I think he wants you to join," Eydis said as she returned. She sat down and took a bite of her cake. 

I had trained hours with them, I did not want to be with them for dinner too. I wanted to be with Eydis. She was safe. They felt like snakes, even if Ari appeared kind. "I rather not."

"Ari seems to like you though." 

"It's not Ari I'm worried about." I frowned as I glared at my cake.

"I'm not sure if you noticed this, but everyone often sits in their group they study with. I just don't because, honestly, I hate them. If you want to join them, go. I won't be sad." 

"I don't want to join them," I replied adamantly.  

She smiled. "Alright. Well, it's settled. I'll watch your stuff so you can get your food."