Page 99 of Wonderstruck

The music softened, and so did mymovements, and my breaths. My arms rosegracefully as I slowed into a spiral sequence. The pink fabric of my dress fluttered as I leaned into the stretch, my body folding into a perfect arch. The audience’s hush wrapped around me, and I almost felt them holding their breath with me.

As the music built to its finale, so did I. Mylegs tensed as I powered through the last few seconds, gathering every ounce of energy for the final spin. My body dropped low, then rose high into a blur of motion, my arms pulling tight as the spin gained speed. The crowd’s applause swelled just as the music stopped, and I froze in my final pose, chest heaving, arms extended.

For a moment, I just stood there, my skatesrooted to the ice with such a stance that it was hard to tell where I started and the ice ended.

Reality came rushing back in awave—cheers, claps, and the tidal waves of emotion coursing through me. My cheeks burned red, and my breath came fast, but the weight in my chest lifted.

Right now I truly didn’t care about what anyone else thought. How I’d be scored. If, at the end of today, I’d realised this whole thing had been a waste.

Because I’d done it.For myself.

“Do you see it?” I asked Aspen, my headburied into my hands as we sat in the common room, my knees tucked to my chest.

Turns out that maybe asmallpart of mecared about the outcome. And that small part was starting to devour me whole.

“Not yet,” She muttered, which only mademy stomach twist into knots.

Mylong programme went just as well as theshort, with only another wobble during my axel landing that could have thrown me. But that wasn’t why I was worried. I was worried because I’d made the rookie error of watching everyone else's skates.

These girls were good.

Reallygood.

The kind of good that only came fromeating, sleeping and breathing skating from the second they could walk.I was in my head. I knew I was. But it felt like a safer place to be than in the moment.I’d placed fifth after the short so my chancesof going to sectionals weren’t great, but not so bad that I couldn’t pull it back in the long. But what if that wobble was the deciding factor of this entire thing being a waste of time?

“She’s here,” Aspen said, but I kept myhands firmly pressed against my face.

Not knowing whether this whole thing wasstupid would be better. I could live with not knowing, actually. If I never knew then I’d never have to come clean to the others about failing. In fact, I should just walk out—

“You need to see this.” It was Aspen’s voice,but I refused to open my eyes, even as she gripped my arm and pulled me from my chair, walking me over to where I assumed the score sheet was posted.

I turned to Aspen as we came to a stop,keeping my eyes clamped shut. “What if my name isn’t even up there? What if I’m dead last? Oh God, I’m dead last aren’t I?”

“Rory, you are not dead last,” Aspen saidfirmly, though her voice had an edge of impatience. “Will you just look?”

I hesitated, every nerve in my body tellingme to look away, then forced myself to scan the list. Names I’d never seen before blurred together until my eyes landed on mine.

Aurora Greene—Fourth Place.

“I…” My voice caught. “Aspen. I’m fourth.”

Aspen let out a piercing shriek that turned afew heads. “Rory, you’re going to sectionals!”

I stood frozen, staring at my name. The weight of it hit me all at once—this wasn’t just a good performance. This was validation.

I was on the right path. My path.

“Are you crying?” Aspen asked, her tonesoftening as she noticed the tears brimming in my eyes.

I laughed, wiping at my face. “Maybe. Idon’t know. It’s just… I wish they could’ve seen this. They would’ve been so proud.”

Aspen pulled me into a tight hug, her armswarm and grounding. “They are proud, Rory. Wherever they are, they’re so proud of you.” She tugged me tighter, but I had a feeling squishing my ears against her was just to keep me from hearing the cracks in her voice. “And so am I.”

I hugged her back, the noise from the bottle neck of skaters crowding the sheet fading into the background. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be.

When we'dbothstopped crying and Aspen got caught up with the othercoaches, I found myself wandering over to the judge's table. “Could I get my copy of the leaderboard?” I asked, my fingers locked.

An auburn-haired woman smiled up at me.“Sure thing, honey.” She chirped, before handing me the sheet.

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