Hello! First of all, thank you so much for reading my book! I get so excited when I find out that people read them!

Second, I love to pick out music for each chapter. I normally mark it with a <> for when I want you to listen. You can follow my guidence or you can just listen to the song where you want to. It is completely up to you!

Enjoy Pucking Fantastic,

DarlaH

"El, geeze come on," Cami said, using my nickname to grab my attention as she threw her jacket at me.

I caught her black spandex jacket and smiled at my curly brown-haired best friend knowing I was being too slow for her liking. I looked at my white slightly beat up figure skates tied as tight as boa constrictors against my ankles. With lace job like this, I was good to go for the next hour or two of practice. "Cami, take a chill pill. We still have two minutes." I chuckled, standing up from the bench I sat at only to feel light-headed and sat back on the bench to regain myself. I looked at the bench with a frown, not sure why I lost my balance.

Cami walked over to me and took her jacket back. "Had too much of a party last night?" Cami asked as she wiggled her eyebrows.

She was just playing since she knew I didn't party; I was too committed to my skating career. Partying would take too much time that I didn't have. I was going to the Olympics, at least that is what everyone told me. Skating was my life, and I wasn't about to do anything to jeopardize it.

Without skating, I was no one, I had no other side; it was just skating. But that was how I liked it. My life revolved around skating. I talked about skating; dreamt about skating, all of my friends were from the rink so I really needed nothing else. The rink was my home, my place, my world. "Please, there was nothing I did last night except hang out with my brothers," I said as I remembered forcing them to watch TV with me before they ended up, leaving me on the couch alone to do other things.

She nodded as she pulled her brown curly hair into a ponytail. "Oh, by the way, is your brother Jaimie, single?" she smiled as she started going out onto the ice rink.

I rolled my eyes at her as I followed her lead. She would never in a million years get to date Jaimie. But Cami had a crush on him since we moved into town years ago. I thought it would end, but her crush only got stronger. "When will you get Jaimie is too focused on school to care about anything else?"

I had a set of twin older brothers, Jamison or Jaimie, for sort and Paulo. Even though they were twins, their personalities were anything but the same. Jaimie only cared about grades and school, whereas Paulo played practically any sport that had a ball. He liked anything fast and his grades suffered because of it.

"That is such a bummer because he's easy on the eyes," Cami sighed as she took off her blue rubber skate guards before she got onto the ice.

I chuckled, knowing Cami had a crush on Jaimie for longer than I could remember. But the thing was, I was pretty sure he had no idea who she was, even though she had been to our house countless times. "You can always dream." I stepped on the ice and felt the cold air hit my face, then felt my skates dig into the ice, making a ripping sound, causing me to smile.

I stepped onto the ice almost every day, but there was something about being here that wasn't tiring. This was where I felt truly at home. I turned on one foot and started skating backward. I felt my inside and outside edges dig into the ice as I got used to my skates for the morning.

<>

Cami plugged in her iPhone to some new playlist that she probably made last night instead of studying for the history exam we had today. Within seconds, the music started blasting through the speakers. The song was poppy and catchy and instantly; it got me in the mood to skate with speed and power.

I turned forward again, then started my warm-up laps. I held up my arms with grace as I moved around the rink. For being 6:30 AM, I felt more alive than normal. There was a buzz in my body that I hadn't felt in a while. I was sure it was because the sectional skating competition was coming up.

I had skated for most of my life. I honestly couldn't remember a time when I wasn't skating. It was my second skin or my crutch as my brothers liked to say. This was my norm, every Monday through Friday I would wake up, mom or dad, if he was in town, would take me to the rink then I would take the bus from here to school which was only a few miles down the road.

My muscles got limber after a few laps. I turned backwards again, then lined myself up to do a warm-up axel jump. I stepped forward and pushed off the ice, a second later I landed it with ease making me smile. Deep in my bones, I knew today would be a good skating day.

"Ellis! Get over here," someone called out to me from the boards of the rink.

I looked over and saw my coach, Kris in her black puffer and couch purse in tote. There was a look of irritation on her face that made me sighed, sure I did something wrong.

I skated up to her as she shook her head. "Ellis, what was that? You should have pushed for more air. It looked like you only half tried. Also, what are you doing? You keep going up and down on your knees. Stay low, you look like a pucking bunny. Try it again."

I held back a laugh that wanted to come to my lips. At least she was working on her language. It was about time she tried, after all, children skated here too. Seeing the scowl on her face confirmed she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I nodded at her in silence.

Kris had been my coach for about three years now. Ever since my family moved to Portland, Oregon, I latched onto her. We just clicked and developed a strong relationship since then. Yes, she was moody, but she understood me, and I likewise with her. Without her, I wouldn't have qualified for sectionals this season. Nothing escaped her eyes.

I pushed myself away from the boards and skated away. Once again I set up to do an axel. This time, I focused on posture and using my legs as I pushed myself off the ice. I felt myself float in the air, then, like a feather, land gently on the ice again.

I turned and smiled at her, happy with my jump.

She nodded with a straight face. "Now double it," she said, unamused by my flawless job.

I nodded at her, although I wasn't sure I could land a double axel without practicing any of my other jumps. But for that reason, she kept me on my toes, always pushing me. That was how she would make me a winner. I skated with speed as I set up for the jump. I stepped forward and.... no, I couldn't do it. It was too soon. I shook my head, faking a landing, as if it would fool her.

"What the hell, Ellis!" Kris shouted at me.

"I'm going to do a double loop first," I called out to her, then set up to do an easier jump which I landed with ease.

"Now double axel," Kris called out as she crossed her arms over her chest, not happy with the jump I just did.

I nodded, then set up for the jump, stepping forward and pushing myself off the ice. I felt my toe pick hit the ice a little too soon and suddenly I was on the ground. I looked at the ice that I sat on, slightly dazed, not understanding what happened. But now my butt was cold and wet, causing me shiver. I stood up and brushed off the slush from my butt, then skated over to Kris.

"Do you know what happened with that Ellis?" she asked as she shook her head, as if I should have known better.

I shook my head. I had no idea what happened, but that was why I had her. She would tell me everything I did wrong, for better or for worse.

"You bent over in the air, you set yourself up for failure as soon as your foot left the ice. Now try again."

I nodded as I pushed off from the boards. I needed my jumps to be flawless because sectionals were only about two weeks away. Everyone knew my jumps were my strength, but lately, they hadn't been as strong.

I had to focus. I needed to see myself landing the jump before I even left the ice. Silently, I set up for the jump then pushed off the ice fearlessly, seconds later, landing it. I smiled at Kris as if to regain myself in someway. That was what I was expecting. Flawless.

Kris nodded at me, taking it. "Ok, let's run your short program," Kris said as she shuffled her ugg boot wearing feet across the ice to the booth to control the music.

I frowned at her, not liking the fact she was unamused by my talent this morning. She must have fought with her husband or something like that last night. Kris was an amazing coach, but she also had a temper. Few could deal with her, but I could. I let most of her actions roll off my back.

Quickly, I shot Cami a quick look as if apologizing for playing the same song for the 100th time this week. She was just as tired of the song as I was by now.

She smiled as if to tell me it wasn't a big deal, then set up a camel spin. She was used to it because she was in the same boat with practicing her song repeatedly. I memorized every note in her long program.

I set myself up for the start of the program and looked at Kris, letting her know I was ready. Seconds passed until the music played. I moved my arms like feathers as my blades pushed forward like bullets. As I did backward crossovers, I reminded myself I had to be as graceful as a ballerina, but as powerful as a gymnast.

I set up my first triple flip and landed it with shaky legs. At least I didn't fall. I just had to pull the rest of the program together. I spun, jumped and did footwork patterns until I was breathless and slowly the music died out, ending my short program. I took a deep breath and smiled at Kris, happy with my job.

She smiled lightly at me, happy with my work, too. She gave me a thumbs up then called out, "El, great job, now take a breather lap. I want to run your long program next."

I sighed, trying to catch my breath as I skated slowly around the rink. She was going to kill me. I hated doing my programs back to back. I had no real say in the matter though; it was just going to be one of those days. "Ok Kris!"

By the time I made it back to Kris, I was more breathless than normal. Seeing this, Kris motioned for me to do another lap and I followed her command, then went back over to her.

"Ready?" she asked with excitement in her eyes.

I nodded at her. Convinced she was only excited because she didn't have to do the program she planned for me. "Of course I am."