Last Chapter!!!! Dang! Thanks so much for reading this story! I hope you have enjoyed it! Also, enjoy this upbeat Brazilian song. Keep any eye out for the <>

I looked around the rink as I tied my skates. Since spring break started, no one wanted to wake up at 6 AM to get to the rink. This whole week had been empty and it looked like today I would have the whole place to myself again.

"El, did you already warm-up?" Kris asked as she stood over me.

I jumped slightly, I didn't hear her walk up to me. She was such a ninja sometimes. She looked sour. I needed to brace myself for her mood today. I nodded. "Already done," I said to her as I got my skates out of my bag.

"Good. Be on the rink in 10. I'll be waiting for you," she said as she started to walk away.

I shook my head as she walked off. I wonder what made her morning hell. Breaking me from my thoughts was the sound of my name. "El!" Cami said excitedly as she walked into the rink. I looked up at her and smiled. Her skin had a pre-summer glow to it. She just got back from her tropical vacation on some southern island.

A week without her was way too long. "Cami! Oh goodness, I missed you," I said to her.

"Same!" she said as she ran up to me. She hugged me tightly and as she pulled out of the hug with a smile. "But dang girl, you know what you need to miss more than me? A tan. You look so pasty." Cami said with a chuckle as she sat down next to me.

I looked at my white rink tan and chuckled. She did have a point. I was pasty. But it was hard to find time to go out and sunbathe. I was hoping once summer came I would get more of a tan.

"Aren't you going to brazil soon to visit your grandmother?"

I nodded. "Next month."

"There! You'll get a tan then!" She said with excitement. "And while you are there, bring me back a new pair of shoes will you? We all know Brazilian shoes are the best."

I chuckled at her. "Yeah, I'll look for you. But why don't you ask Jaimie to get you some?" I asked, knowing that she had Jaimie wrapped around her pinky finger. I never thought I would see my brother bend over backwards for anyone, but Cami was living proof of that.

I would admit, it was kind of weird walking in to see them kissing on the couch. But I was happy for them because they were happy. They were good for each other and anyone could see that. They brought out the best in each other.

"You know, that's a great idea."

"Are you ready for a grueling practice? I saw Kris, I think she's in a mood," I warned her as I laced my skates. I knew Cami didn't get along with Kris as well as I did, but they still made magic happen. I think switching coaches was the best thing for Cami in her skating career. It takes a lot of guts to switch a coach, feelings always get hurt and links get severed. Cami knew that but yet she went forward with it, she was fearless.

She frowned. "Noooooo! Just what I needed. Pucking fantastic," she said with sarcasm as she got out her jump rope to warm up. Suddenly her chipper mood was ruined.

"You signed up for this when you changed coaches last December," I said, reminding her that she was the cause of this stress.

She nodded. "You're right, El. But there's nothing I can do about it now," she sealed her own fate. But I think she still stood by the idea that this was the best option for her to do. "Anyhow, I'll see you out there?"

I nodded back at her. "See you there," I said as I stood up from the bench to get onto the ice.

I looked out into the smooth ice and smiled. I liked it when I was the first one to get on. The ice looked so perfect, like glass. It had only been a month since I was cleared to skate and I trying to get back to where I once was with skating. I knew I still had a lot to cover and make up, but the challenge didn't discourage me. It just gave me more drive. I was willing to sacrifice almost anything to get to this coming Nationals. Even if that meant I had to spend long hours at the rink.

This time, I was going to nationals and nothing was going to stop me. I felt the cold air hit my face as I took off my skate guards. I stepped onto the ice and smiled. Today was going to be a good day, I could feel it. The skates under me felt natural and like they were supposed to be there. I turned backwards skated to the boards where I dropped off my water and set up my music mix.

<>

Instantly a poppy Brazilian song started to play as I went to do a lap.

I felt my muscles get limber after a few more laps. I turned backwards again as I felt my edges cut into the ice. Going against the agreement I made with Kris, lined myself up to do a warm-up axel jump. I stepped forward and pushed off the ice, a half a second later I landed it with ease. I smiled. I had a feeling that today would be a good day.

"Ellis! Get over here," Kris called out to me from the boards.

I didn't think she was on the ice yet. Without waiting a second I skated over to Kris who was wearing her black puffer coat and coach purse in tote. She frowned at me. I sighed, bracing myself for the fight that was about to come.

She shook her head. "Ellis, what was that? We agreed that we wouldn't work on jumps today." I had been back skating for a month but she was still playing it safe. But I wasn't going to get to nationals with her being easy on me.

I shrugged at her. "Changed my mind."

She ran her hands through her hair and sighed loudly. "Pucking Hell Ellis," she said finally. I was already pushing her buttons.

I smiled lightly. Time to push her a little more. Today was the day I was publicly going back to jumps. She just needed to realize that I was ready. "No, Pucking Fantastic, did you see that jump, Kris?" I asked as I pointed towards the empty ice.

She shook her head, making her straight black hair fall out of her hair clip on the back of her head. "That axel makes me believe that you have been jumping recently."

Nothing escaped her eyes. She caught me red-handed, there was no point in lying any further. I had been testing my jumping skills for a few days now. I nodded at her. "Of course I have. Can't you see I have a new fire in me? I want you to push me."

Kris shook her head, she was hesitant. But her eyes said that she wanted to push me.

I put my hand on the boards and looked her right in the eyes. I needed to push her over the edge. "Pucking do it, Kris," I said, challenging her.

She sighed, caving to me. "Fine. Do it again," she said.

With a nod, I pushed myself away from the boards and skated away from her. Once again I set up to do an axel, this time, I focused on posture and using my leg strength 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 smiled at her. And with that, I knew that she was back to her old self and so was I. I turned backwards and set up for a jump. I stepped forward and pushed off the ice. A second later I felt my butt make an impact on the cold surface.

"El! Are you ok?!" Kris called out to me. Worry filled her voice as she opened the door to where she stood, ready to shuffle unto the ice if needed.

I chuckled as I stood up from the ground, to show that I was fine. I brushed the ice from my butt as I skated to her with a smile, that was the softest fall I had in a while. "I'm way ok. Let's try that again."

She eyed me, not sure if she wanted to. Finally, she sighed. "You know what you did wrong, right?"

I nodded. Of course, I knew, it was a simple mistake that I wouldn't let happen again. "I bent in the air."

"Ok, then try it again," she said and with that, I pushed off the boards and went to set up the jump again.

Before I knew it, I was done with skating and unlacing my boots.

"That double axel was fire," Tom said as he walked into the lobby to get something from his bag.

I smiled. "Thanks."

He nodded as he heard his name being called. "I got to go," he said as he ran back into the rink.

"See you," I said as I slipped on my sneakers. I felt my phone buzz and I pulled it out instantly. Callum was going to be late from recording this morning. I shrugged. I should have expected as much. He had been very busy recently.

Turns out the label wanted his band to make a full demo as soon as possible and his band has been slaving away at it ever since they found out. I was proud of them. But then again, I always knew they had it in them.

"El!" Garret said as he ran up to me with a smile on his face.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked as he sat next to me. Any bad blood that we had was now gone. I was willing to forget and move on. And now our relationship was stronger.

"So El, I was thinking..." he said, he looked so uncomfortable. I was sure that I was the only one that made him uncomfortable and still could not figure out why. "Is Paulo single?"

I nodded as I remembered the conversation I had with my brother the night before. "Yes?" I asked, confused about why he was asking such a question.

"Would it be weird for me to ask him on a date?"

I raised my eyes in surprise. Now it was making sense why he didn't want to date me. This is why he never wanted to date me. He only wanted to be my friend. He wasn't nervous around me per se, he was nervous because I was Paulo's sister. "Oh."

He frowned at me, he looked crushed. "I knew this was a stupid question to ask," he said in defeat as he stood up from the bench.

"Wait," I said as I grabbed onto his hand. "Garret."

He stopped to look at me, his eyes reading me in silence.

"Go ahead, I don't think it'll be weird," I said to him with a small smile.

His face lit up as he hugged me tightly. "Great!" he said then ran off to join his team.

"Was that Garret I just saw?" Callum asked as he walked into the rink. He pulled his sunglasses off his face and smiled. I could see amusement playing in his eyes as he looked at me. He put the sunglasses in his shirt and chuckled, waiting for a response from me.

"Yeah," I said with a shrug. "I think he has a thing for Paulo," I said as I stood up from the bench.

"I'm not surprised," Callum said as he pulled me into an embrace then kissed me.

"Really?" I asked, having a hard time seeing my brother as desirable.

"Paulo has a lot of admirers. Do not let him fool you," Callum said with a chuckle. "Goodness, I missed you this morning."

"Rough practice?" I asked.

"My throat is raw from singing the same song for two hours." He said as he rubbed it.

"Let's get some bubble tea then," I said as I held his hand. With my other, I grabbed my skate bag and walked out the front door of the rink lobby.

"It's like 10 AM," Callum said with a chuckle.

I shrugged. "So, I have been up since 4:50. It might as well be lunch for me," I said as I pulled him to his Range Rover.

He chuckled at me as we got into the car. "You are going to be fire in this competition season."

I smiled. I wish I knew that for a fact but I didn't. I didn't know how well I would do. "I hope so."

"You work harder than anyone out here. Anyone can see that," he said as he started up his car With a smile on his face.

I nodded. I knew I did. But the thing is, practice wasn't the only thing I had to have. I needed my natural gifts back too. But I wasn't sure if Callum understood that. "How close are you to being done with this demo?" I asked, changing the topic.

He shrugged, "Maybe a week," he said as he tapped on the leather steering while of the car. He was thinking about a song, I could see his mind playing the beet as he tapped the wheel.

"That's great news. Oh, on another note, Jaimie's and Paulo's birthday is next week. We are celebrating with dinner and cake next Friday. Are you free?"

"Of course, I already have it in my schedule. And speaking of schedules. How did your doctor's appointment go yesterday?"

I shrugged as I thought about the painful appointment I had with doctor Wells. I was about to drop her and get a new doctor. But my parents liked her for some reason so I was stuck for the time being. One thing about that appointment was the fact that there were no changes and nothing that stood out to them on any of my tests. For the time being, I was still ok and healthy. "I'm clear for another 6 months," I said with a smile.

"Now that is worth celebrating about," Callum said as he kissed my hand.