Page 76 of Side By Side

“What? Why?”

“The changing room is where–”

“Are you going to kiss me again?”

“What? No,” Chandler said.

“Then, we’re good,” she replied.

Being back in that room was like going back in time. It felt a lot smaller than it had when she’d been here before, which she’d expected, but the bench where they’d been sitting was still there. It had been repainted, but it was the same bench. She knew because there was a scratch from a skate’s blade in the same spot. It was coated with white paint instead of blue now, but it was the same bench with the same scratch in the same room, and Belle was here.

“Want to get changed and run through it out there?” Chandler asked, probably recognizing that Belle was being quieter than usual.

“Hey, you two are skating together?”

Belle looked up to see someone she didn’t recognize standing there dressed and either ready to skate or she had just finished and was back to change.

“Hey, Tamara. Yeah, we are,” Chandler replied. “Do you know Belle Elrod?”

“No,” Tamara said.

She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, and Belle guessed that she was either a program student or had been one previously.

“Belle, this is Tamara. She’s part of the school’s alumni program, like me.”

“Alumni program?” Belle asked.

“We come back. They parade us around.” Tamara rolled her eyes. “The more money they get, the more people they can train. You know how it goes. Were you here, too?”

“I was, yeah. It was a long time ago, though,” Belle said.

“Belle got in at only ten,” Chandler shared.

“Shit. Really? I didn’t get in until I was thirteen.”

“You left?”

“At sixteen, yeah. I’m eighteen now. They told me I was good but that I wasn’t likely going to make the Olympic Team, so I was all washed up.”

“I’m sure they didn’t say it to you like that,” Chandler suggested.

“Not exactly, but you know how it goes. We’ve got a finite amount of time. That’s what they drill into our heads, isn’t it? Finite amount of time to make it. I had it enough to get here and stay for a few years, but then, I didn’t make it, and they needed to make room for someone who might. I know it’s a business to them, so no hard feelings. I’m really only here tonight because my boyfriend is Jacob Leboski.”

“The gold medalist?” Belle asked.

Tamara smiled with pride and replied, “Yup. He’s all mine, too.” She chuckled. “We met here, and he still comes back and skates for them, so I decided I’d do the same.”

“Cool,” Belle said.

“So, you two are doing same-sex pairs? That’s so cool. What made you decide to do that, Chandler? I thought you were with Walker.”

“He got hurt.”

“Yeah, Jacob told me. But you didn’t want to find another guy?” Tamara looked at Belle. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Belle said with a shrug. “Hey, I’m going to go get in some stretches out there. I’ll see you in a few minutes?”

“Oh. Yeah, sure,” Chandler replied.