Eventually, I looked up. And there she was again.
Sheila Lin.
For a second, I thought I was hallucinating. She was still all inwhite—a structured sheath dress this time—and the streetlights beyond the lobby windows made her glow like a goddess. She looked so beautiful, so flawless, I couldn’t help staring at her.
But then, inexplicably, she stared back at me.
I straightened out my slumped posture, ignoring the resulting muscle spasm. I must have looked ridiculous, all sweaty and disheveled, that stupid shredded skirt poking out under my puffy winter coat. And my mouth hanging open in shock, because now Sheila Lin was not only looking at me but alsowalking toward me.
She stopped, the click of her stilettos still echoing. “Ms. Shaw.”
I was so stunned Sheila Lin knew my name, I forgot how to form words.
“It is Ms. Shaw, isn’t it?”
I swallowed. “Yes. Hi. I’m—Katarina. Or Kat. Most people call me ‘Kat,’ but I don’t—”
She stuck out her hand. “I’m Sheila Lin.”
I almost laughed.TheSheila Lin, introducing herself, tome? As if everyone in the world didn’t know who she was. My hand trembled as I took hers, and I thoughtthis is it,the peak of my career. I skated at Nationals, and I touched Sheila Lin’s hand. It’s all downhill from here.
“This is your first time competing at Nationals,” she said.
I started to nod—then stopped, because she hadn’t actually asked a question.
“I didn’t see your coach with you. Where do you train?”
“At the North Shore Ice Rink, outside Chicago. With Nicole Bradford.”
No point in explaining our strange coaching arrangement, or the money troubles that had led to it. Sheila wouldn’t be familiar with Nicole anyway. Heath and I were the first team from North Shore to ever make it to Nationals.
“Well done today,” she said. “It’s rare to see a young team with so much raw power.”
I sunk my front teeth into my lip, unsure how I should respond.
Sheila arched one expertly plucked eyebrow. “You don’t think you skated well?”
“I could have skated better.”
“You canalwaysbe better. But don’t let that stop you from carrying yourself like a champion. If you don’t believe you’re the best, no one else will either. You understand?”
“Yes,” I said—though I didn’t. Not yet.
Heath pulled up outside and hopped out of the truck. I was already imagining myself introducing him to Sheila. It wasn’t until he started to push through the revolving doors that I remembered the black eye. The bruise showed through his sweat-melted makeup; he looked like he’d been on the losing end of a bar fight.
I gave Heath a sharp look, and he stopped in the doorway, the truck’s red hazard lights flashing behind him. Sheila didn’t seem to notice.
“Tell me, Ms. Shaw,” she said. “What are your plans for the summer?”
Chapter 10
Heath white-knuckled the steering wheel, trying to stop the truck from skidding onto the shoulder in the steadily intensifying snow. I knew he needed to concentrate, but I simply could not shut up about my conversation with Sheila Lin.
“Her skating school hastworinks, and they’rebothOlympic-sized! There are dedicated teachers for every single dance style on staff, and technical coaches, and—”
“Why us?” he asked.
“Whynotus? I don’t understand why you’re not more excited about this!”
