Film of Love

Vingt-Deux

Make way to the time of Dem’s shining light. Today we will witness the first and last completion she will be joining and competing. She will showcase the talent she has—giving an end to their speculations and belittling her years ago.

10:30 in the morning she freshens up herself and checks all the things she needs—as she listens to the song she will be performing later on. If she ever finds time in this hectic day she will meditate a little to help her mind to be stronger, her soul to be tougher, and let her nervousness and anxiety go down—far from her. This time she didn’t listen to any upbeat songs as per request by her pal, Aryn.

“Are you all good?” her coach asked as she went into their shared room. All the things from her luggage are scattered on the hotel’s floor. Her dress for tonight looks amazing and magical, in the color of black with red bits of jewels on the outside—the inner is also bright red, it contrasts the dark shade.

“I’m too nervous!” she said.

“I know but don’t be!” she assured the girl.

“It’s been years, right?” she asked. “it’s been a while to hear screaming voices from the people. Even they don’t know about me and how a loser I am!”

“Don’t say that!” the coach said. “You are not a loser! They just blind to see your talent!”

“Hell yeah!” she sighed as she packs her things inside her sports bag.

“I also want to thank you, coach!”

“For what?”

“For everything! From the start and thank you for not giving up on me!”

“Well, that’s what coaches must do, to help their students improve and never give up on them,” she said. “I’m sorry too!”

“Why?”

“For not be able to help the committee to give you a chance,”

“that’s in the past coach!” she smiled. “I am here now, so let’s just enjoy this while it lasts!”

“I’ll be putting all of my faith on you!”

“Thanks!”

“May the odds be ever in your favor!” her coach last said as she was called to keep on track with the other coaches and athletes. Dem was left with a hopeful feeling that she can and she will take home any medal for her family, people, and for her best friend that is rooting for her since the beginning.

It may be the last for her in this path of life but Dem is just starting to write her own story and walk to her path of life. This time she will never be bothered by the words, stares, and actions by the people whenever, and wherever they’ll be.

“This time will be my last dance in the ice that surrounds people who never saw me,”

“Dem! Let’s go so we can eat lunch!” her coach said.

“We will be having vegan this lunch!” the other woman announced. They are all in the hallway of the hotel carrying their precious possession and themselves. They are a team from Honfleur with an average amount senior, junior women, and men ice skaters—both have a mix of different levels walking down the hallway.

“Are you nervous, Dem?” Glenda asked, she is also the same as Dem. A nobody to the ice of the people. Figure skating is such a highly competitive Olympic sport.

“Yes, I do!” she honestly told the 18-year-old woman. “this will be my first time in an international, who could be still? Huh?”

“Yes, I know because me too,” she said. “It sucks! That you’ll be leaving us!”

“Yeah! I’m sorry!” she apologized. Glenda, Aryn, and her are such cool co-skaters that help each other but they are the only ones who sink in the bottom. After Aryn’s retirement was announced the whole community was in the chaos of asking who will be the next, who will represent now—they were in a carnival of chaos and debate of who will be the next. There will be no next Aryn, there will be a new representative. After that, it’s a mere blessing for the other skaters to make their glow up in terms of the sports. The team has some pretty much-talented skaters but because of no chances of standing up they were in the back or sunken deep in the bottom. Given the one vacant spotlight, some of the athletes’ emotions and deep temptation and desire to get that were starting to come out.

The GSU and their coach were in the sudden meeting and greatly decided to let Dem and Glenda shine. Not all countries automatically qualify to send even one skater, however, Dem and Glenda were allowed to attend the world championships for that year.

The autumn days went by fast and the cold wind was starting to get stronger means they are coming near the beginning of winter. The competition started earlier than it should be because of circumstances by the GSU and Ice skating League (ISL).

“By the way, are the foods organic?” Glenda asked the tall boy with glasses, another junior figure skater.

“I think so?” he said unsurely. “Organic vegan foods are so damn expensive! Who will pay for those expenses to us?”

“Sponsors?”

“Oh! Yeah!”

“Look what are you wearing, dude!” Dem exclaimed and pointed at the guy’s shirt whose name is Mark.

“If there will be a real organic food today’s lunch I will finally call myself a vegan!” Glenda exaggeratedly said. She suddenly gets too much energy.

“She is obsessed with the green leaves!” Mark whispered. “Later on she will be a horse munching up some good veggies here and there.”

Mark just straight up teased her like that. We are all one big family of freaks who will glide, slide and spin in the middle of the ice.

“Hey!” she slapped his arm.

“Ouch! What?”

“What!? What!? Huh?” she mocked him.

“I thought we are pals here!”

“We are!” Dem added.

“Pals of freaks!”

“Is that a word?”

“Uh!?” she doubly looked at her. “Didn’t you hear that?”

“I know it works but does it make sense?”

“Yes, it does!”

“Whatever!” she stops arguing. Defeated by the appeal of Dem.

“Roar!” Jinn said another senior figure skater is always busy scrolling on his phone.

“What?” she asked. “Trying to scare us little Baleine?”

“Don’t call me that!” he said annoyed by it. “It’s not because I am wearing blue and my hair is the same as my clothes don’t mean you have the right to insult this majesty!”

“Whoa! Chill bro!”

“I’m sorry! I’m stressed about the fact that I am eating vegan right now!”

“Are you serious?” Dem asked as the food is now served at them. They are all seated at this long-ass table reserved for the athletes.

“Just be glad we are eating!”

“I am. It’s just that-” he cut what he will be saying and proceed to munch in the food. On the other hand, Glenda is filling her stomach with a nice spoonful of veggie in her mouth.

---

On the other place, the old man in his black and red suit was seated on his chair in his veranda—sipping a glass of red wine.

“I can feel the air of the day,” he muttered to himself.

“Grandfather! It will be the day-” he cut his grandson's words.

“I know!” he said. “I will be able to see them!”

“Make sure everything is ready!”

“Ready for what?” Tristan asked.

“Are you dumb!” he sharply said. “I am asking if those puppets of yours are ready to make sure that my little key will be the shining light tonight.”

“Oh! Yes, grandfather!” he said. “They received the treat and the threat.”

“Good!”

For this time, Tristan does not understand what is the cause of this and why he is willing to pay up thousands of euros into the team he merely knows and never pays attention to. He only knows that Dem is there, and maybe guessed that he is doing that to keep the one step ahead of this.

The old man is not dumb to do this but isn’t it obvious, he thought. Tristan never knew that Aryn is not the only one he is keep watching for but also her best friend and people around them. He will us Dem and Dem’s family to his own game. His dad is working under his company. A very hard-working man but lacks social and competing skills—unlike her daughter that he can see and read the desire that is hiding inside her.

The old man finished up his wine and went outside to go to the venue as early as possible. He was followed by his guard and his secretary. He entered the limousine by himself because Tristan will have other plans.

“See you soon!” he mumbled and chuckled like a psychopath he is.