Vyria and Her Acrobatic Skating Team

Copyright © 2014 Stasia Xu.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4917-2899-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-2901-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-2900-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014905056

iUniverse rev. date: 04/02/2014

Contents

Chapter 1    Fails Again To Reach The Podium

Chapter 2    The Charity Performance

Chapter 3    The Rival

Chapter 4    Vyria’s Acrobatic Skating Team

Chapter 5    Rivalry Escalated

Chapter 6    Grandpa’s New Business

Chapter 7    On Stage At Last!

CHAPTER 1

Fails Again to Reach the Podium

Another Women’s Canadian Figure Skating Championship is underway. As Vyria Rose enters the skating rink, her heart beats faster, as it usually does when she is competing. Under the eyes of the many spectators in that full arena, her coach, who is also her mother, Marilyn Rose, speaks words of encouragement to her: Just follow the music! Don’t worry! At this point, it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose. Most importantly, I want you to enjoy your skating. Her coach’s last advice before her performances is usually the same. Don’t worry! That is what she always says. However, how can Vyria not worry? She is 18 years old already. Last year, she ended in the 8th position among 17 people in the Canadian women’s championship. She has been skating since she was 3 years old and has been working so hard to get into the senior level. After her success at entering the senior level at the age of 15, she has been practising even harder every day, yet her improvement has been very slow.

Even though it is hard to relax during the competition, Vyria decides to listen to her coach. Enjoy the skate! That’s what I’m going to do, Vyria decides. She takes a deep breath. She smiles as she looks around at the audience. She checks out her attire once more. She loves her yellow outfit with the red borders. Her yellow skate shoes are her favourite ones. She has double-checked her shoes, making sure that they are tightly laced. Her blonde hair is tucked neatly into spiral buns. She is happy with her look today. Then she poses in her starting position. She is ready. The music starts, and she begins her free skate.

Soon Vyria is about to perform her first jump, a triple loop–triple toe combination. She does the triple loop. She jumps off from the back outside edge of her skate and rotates three times in the air. Unfortunately, the landing isn’t very smooth, and she cannot complete the triple toe. Vyria continues to skate. She jumps again. This one is supposed to be a triple salchow, but she makes it a double. Her next jump is a triple toe combination. She is rather slow into the jump, but she does a nice triple toe–double toe–double toe combination.

Then Vyria performs a spin. How she wishes she could spin as fast as her mother can. She is a bit slow in her spin. After she finishes her spin, she skates again. Regaining her speed, she skates into another jump. It is a single lutz, when she had scheduled a triple lutz. It is her worst jump. She tries to have a better jump, and she makes a nice double axel. Vyria does another spin, which is unfortunately as slow as her first. Afterward, she attempts a double loop, though she had planned to have a triple loop here. Then she enters into a spiral, gliding on one leg while holding the other leg above hip level. Next she begins her step sequence, changing each step and turn in tune with the music. Her last jump, a triple toe, is pretty good. Vyria finishes the program with another spin and, of course, with a smile.

Vyria glides out of the rink. She knows that she has made a lot of mistakes … again. Phew! She wonders whether she will ever get to the podium. Certainly she won’t make it this time, not with such a performance. Soon she is sitting beside her coach, Marilyn Rose. Marilyn can smile easily in front of the camera. Vyria also tries to smile, although she is nervous. She knows that the scores won’t be very good. It feels like forever as she waits for the scores to be announced. Finally, the judges are ready. Her Technical Elements score is 40.52, and the Program Components score is 39.88. There is no deduction. The final score for her free skate is 80.40. The Short Program which she did previously had a score of 37.64, so her total combined score is 118.04. This score isn’t much different from last year’s score. She feels rather disappointed, because she has practised so hard during the year.

Vyria knows that she won’t win this day. The only thing she wants to do is go home immediately and forget about it. However, as usual, her coach would like her to stay and watch the others perform. And as usual, her coach will tell her whenever any of the skaters performs well. Vyria knows that it is good to watch better skaters and learn from them, but she feels sad, because she knows all the theory, has watched the best skaters’ performances, and yet she just can’t achieve that level of perfection.

Vyria and her coach stay until the event is over. They congratulate the winners and go home. Actually, they don’t really go home, because they visit Vyria’s grandparents’ house. It has been a tradition that they celebrate whatever the outcome may be. And there is no better way to celebrate than to have a dinner prepared by Grandma.

Vyria’s maternal grandparents, Grandpa Edward Rose and Grandma Candy Rose, live in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Their house is not very far from Vyria’s house. Vyria often visits her grandparents and vice versa. This day the Canadian Figure Skating Championships happen to be held in London, Ontario, so they can drive to Barrie right after the competition.

I wonder what Grandma has prepared today, says Vyria, trying to regain her positive mood.

I have no idea either, replies Marilyn. It is pretty obvious that she is as unhappy as Vyria is.

Mom, you must feel very upset that I lost again, says Vyria, putting her head down.

It’s all right. There’s always next time—as long as you don’t give up, says Marilyn.

Will you give up, though? asks Vyria.

Marilyn smiles and glances at Vyria before she focuses back on the street and her driving. If I gave up easily, I wouldn’t win anything, would I?

Surely, you’re the best! confirms Vyria. Marilyn Rose was a great skater in the past. She mounted the Olympic podium three times, twice for gold medals. She was crowned the world champion for several years. She was such a legendary skater. Many times Vyria can’t understand why she can’t reach even half of what her mother has achieved, even though she is Marilyn’s biological daughter.

You’ll be great, too, as long as you don’t give up, says Marilyn to comfort her.

Will I? I still don’t get it. I have tried so hard, practised so much, and yet I’m still imperfect. I made so many mistakes, both in practice and in the tournament. Can I really win anything? Vyria doubts it.

If you give up, of course you won’t win anything, says Marilyn. You’re still young.

Mom, I’m 18 years old, says Vyria. Today I ranked 10th. It was so sad. I actually ranked worse than last year, despite all those many hours of training.

Eighteen is still young. There’s hope. Actually, if I may criticize you, there’s only one thing that I’ll say. I want you to enjoy the skating experience. Don’t be too hard on yourself! Honestly, it showed on your face when you performed today. If you could loosen up, perhaps you would be better. At least, you’ll enjoy it, says Marilyn.

Well, it’s easy for you to say that, because you’ve been so good in skating. I’m rather different, though. If I relax myself, I tend to make more mistakes. So I was extra careful, Vyria argues.

You’re right that it’s not easy to be relaxed and careful at the same time. Perhaps practice will make you better in the future. Just don’t give up! If there’s nothing else you can do, I believe that more practice time is all you need, says Marilyn.

More practice time, eh? Vyria wonders whether she can ever be perfect, even with more practice.

* * *

Vyria, dear! How was your competition? says Candy in greeting. Vyria isn’t allowing Grandma and Grandpa to watch her skate this year, because she wasn’t very optimistic about the result even before the competition began. She instead asked them to cook some good food for her, so at least she could enjoy Grandma’s tasty food after the competition.

As expected, not very good. I rank 10th this year, replies Vyria, who despite her disappointment in the skating rink is very pleased with the good smell of the food. Grandpa! Are you the one who cooked the steak? she asks cheerfully.

T-bone steak. Ha ha, you have made the right guess. I added some red wine. Perhaps you have smelled it, says Edward. Vyria knows that Grandpa usually adds alcohol to his steak, while Grandma uses more spices but no alcohol.

Your ability to smell is as good as your skating. Now, can you guess today’s soup just by the smell? asks Grandma.

I wish my skating performance was as good as my ability to recognize food by its smell! I think it is seafood chowder, isn’t it? says Vyria.

You’re 100 per cent correct! replies Grandma.

Vyria doesn’t wait to be invited to the dining room. She has always acted as if she is in her own home when she visits her grandparents. Once she looks at the food on the dining table, Vyria becomes even more excited. Fresh vegetable and berry salad with French dressing, Grandma’s delicious handmade croissants, and last but most exciting, Grandma’s chocolate cheesecake. She hugs and kisses Grandma and Grandpa, who laugh at her excitement. Grandma and Grandpa are both very good at cooking. It is always such a pleasure to have dinner together with them.

They are soon sitting together around the dining table, and they begin to savour the delicious food. As they eat, they begin to converse. The first round of conversation is, of course, regarding the figure-skating championship that Vyria has just competed in. However, they soon find out that Vyria isn’t interested in talking about it, so they change the topic.

Vyria, have you decided which university you want to apply to? asks Edward.

Yes, and I have also decided which major I want to take. I’m going to take an accounting major at Georgian College in Barrie, replies Vyria.

Accounting? Ha ha ha! So you want to follow our path of success! Edward chats happily. Edward and Candy were both accountants in the past. Now they both have retired, but they still work part time as accounting consultants for some smaller companies and non-profit organizations.

That’s right! Grandpa, Grandma, you’ve got to help me prepare my college application. I really, really want to be accepted at Georgian College, pleads Vyria.

All right! Don’t worry! Grandpa says and he winks.

They eat and talk happily the whole night. That night, Vyria and her mother stay with Grandpa and Grandma. Once Vyria slips under the blanket, Vyria takes out her iPad. She can’t sleep, so she decides to watch the video of her mother’s performance when she won a gold medal at a winter Olympics. Vyria loves this video the most.

Marilyn Rose was such an awesome skater. Her jumps were so high and looked effortless. Her spins made her look like one of those toy tops that you would set spinning with a string. Her spiral was so elegant, and her step sequence was so very smooth. She did everything perfectly. How Vyria wishes she could skate as well as her mother. Vyria loves skating as much as her mother loves it. Skating is her mother’s life, and so it is for Vyria. Vyria has practised so hard, yet she still can’t live up to her mother’s legend. Unable to hold her tears anymore, she weeps bitterly.

* * *

Vyria Rose lives with her mother. Her father’s name is Carl Smith. But, instead of Smith, Vyria decided to take her mother’s family name after Carl divorced Marilyn. Carl then married a woman named Fairy, and they had two children whose names Vyria refuses to remember. However, because Carl often mentions their names, Vyria ends up unable to remove their names from her memory: Daniel (10 years old) and David (6 years old). Vyria is even unable to forget their ages. Vyria hates Carl because he divorced her mother. Of course, Vyria hates Fairy even more and doesn’t want to meet her and her children. Unfortunately, Vyria has to meet Carl once a month until she reaches 21 years of age, because there is such an agreement in her parents’ divorce contract. Because she is 18, she still has to face Carl for another three years.

Carl comes to their house, as usual, one Saturday. He comes alone, because if he brings his wife and children, Vyria will not see him. That day, Carl takes Vyria for a fishing trip. It is winter time, January, and he is going to take her ice fishing. Vyria’s house is right by Lake Simcoe, and they will fish on that lake.

As Vyria comes out of the house, Carl asks her about her competition. Vyria didn’t allow her father to watch her skate in the competition, so he doesn’t know how she did. Vyria answers his question with a sour look, because to her, there is nothing to celebrate. So their conversation ends quickly. They both quietly pick up the ice-fishing gear from Carl’s truck and soon begin walking on the lake. It is a cold morning, but luckily it isn’t snowing. The sky is clear blue, and there is a bit of wind. Carl walks very carefully on the ice. Vyria follows behind him. They both walk quietly and carefully until they arrive at their destination. Then Carl makes a nice hole so they can begin catching the fish underneath the ice.

So have you decided what major you want to apply for? asks Carl after they have both settled down comfortably beside the hole. They have dropped their baited lines down into the water and are waiting for the fish to take it.

Yes, I’ve chosen accounting, answers Vyria.

Accounting? Don’t you wish to be an engineer, like me? Carl jokes.

Never! I don’t want to be like you, says Vyria harshly.

Carl is taken aback by his daughter’s response. Although he knows that Vyria still cannot forgive him for leaving Marilyn, Carl regrets Vyria’s response.

Whoa, whoa—take it easy, my dear! I know that you still don’t like me, but this is your life we’re talking about. You shouldn’t make a decision regarding your own future based on your emotional feelings. I heard that you’re good at math and physics, so becoming an engineer is a pretty good choice, says Carl.

"Accounting definitely