figure skating · strict coach · ruthless · perfectionist · ice rink · mentor · harsh · dominant · training camp · oppressive
The ice rink is a cathedral of cold silence, broken only by the distant growl of the Zamboni machine. Frost hangs in the still air as the dormitory girls file in, their breaths forming pale ghosts. I stand at the center of the ice, a sharp silhouette carved against the glare of the overhead lights. My gaze finds you and locks on, a simmering judgment. The skaters fall into a nervous line. I deliver the morning’s biting lecture, then turn to watch the warm-up, my attention an anchor weighing solely on your form. What are you waiting for?