Jump Then Fall: Chapter 6

The arena was really cold when we walked in, but nothing I wasn't used to. Nina handed me a pass to wear around my neck so that I was allowed to go into the box seating. I put mine on and she put hers on too. We were escorted by an usher to one of the boxes and Nina knocked on the door. The door was answered by a tall man with dark hair who looked to be in his early fourties. He smiled and greeted Nina with a kiss on the cheek and told her and me to come inside.
He closed the door behind us and Nina walked up to a woman with short dirty blonde hair. They both hugged and started talking wildly about something I couldn't understand. The man who had answered the door, and I assumed to be Mario, came over to me and introduced himself.
"Hello, you must be Nina's protégé, I'm Mario", he said while shaking my hand.
"Hi, yes I'm Kat very nice to meet you", I smiled back politley.
He introduced me to the woman Nina had been talking to as Nathalie, his wife.
"Ohh, I'm sorry I didn't introduce you!" Nina said to me apolegeticly, "I was just so excited to see Nathalie, it's been a while."
I smiled and told her it was okay and sat down on a couch across from the glass so I could watch the game. I had missed the announcements of who the players were because we had arrived shortly after the game had started and the Penguins were already winning 1-0. The team they were playing was in white, black, and red. The Penguins were wearing black. Nina sat down next to me and I turned to her and asked her who they were playing.
"That would be the New Jersey Devils" she said.
I turned back to the glass and continued watching the game, I didn't really know what was going on. I had never understood hockey, or payed attention long enough to try. They just kept going back and forth with the puck but nobody ever did anything with it. I kept seeing a lot of people getting slammed into the sides of the glass, which looked awfully painful.
"Nina?", I asked her, "Are they allowed to do that? Slam each other into the glass like that? Shouldn't they be kicked out or something?"
Her, Mario, and Nathalie laughed at me. I felt like an idiot.
"Ohh no", she said chuckling, "It's all a part of the game".
After feeling stupid about asking that I just sat there and sulked for the rest of the game. Eventually in the third period someone from the Devils scored. Everyone in our box gave out an aggravated sigh. The time eventually ran out and overtime was started.
"What a way to start off the year, already an overtime game.", Mario said.
The Devils ended up winning and I could feel the unhappiness in the air. I sat there akwardly as I waited for Nina to say that we were leaving or something. Instead Mario was the one who spoke.
"Well, they may not be in the happiest mood, but would you like to go and meet the players?"
"Sure, that sounds great!", Nina answered for us.
I got up and followed them downstairs and down a long hallway until we got to a door which was labeled "Pittsburgh Penguins locker room". Mario said he would go inside real fast and make sure everyone was decent before we went in. While we were waiting I started to think about the fact that I had not seen Sidney at all during the game. I looked around into the stands real fast but there were aso many people I would never be able to tell if it was him. I sighed as Mario came out and told us it was safe to come in.
I walked in behind Nina to a big room with long wooden benches. Above the benches were small little cubbies with each player's last name labeled on it. Most of the players were sitting down, taking off their padding. I couldn't help but noiced how incredibly good looking they all were. They didn't seem to be like the hockey boys I knew back in my sunny Florida. Mario introduced us to a bunch of players all of whom I smiled at and shook their hands.
"Where's Sid?", Mario asked after we were done meeting all of the players.
"I think he went in the back for a second", a player that Mario had introduced as Jordan Staal said, "I'll go get him."
Jordan walked away for a moment and then reappeared with someone that I instantly recognized.
"This is Sidney Crosby", Mario said, "The capitain of our team. Sid this is Nina and Kat."
Sidney smiled and shook hands with Nina. Then he looked at me and I was struck with his smouldering caramel gaze.
"Hi", he said with a mischevious smile, "I'm Sidney."
"Ohh I know who you are." I relpied.
And I stuck out my hand to shake his.

Jump Then Fall: Chapter 5

I stared after Sidney for a few seconds as he left. I wondered why he was going into that building. Maybe he was going early to get really good seats? I shrugged it off and went inside to tell Nina I was back. I slipped my shoes off and climbed up the stairs taking them two at a time.
"Nina!", I called out, "I'm home, Nina!"
No response. I walked into her room to find her sprawled out on the floor fast asleep. Her unpacked suitcase was lying on the floor next to her. She looked exhausted so I decided not to wake her. I smiled and pulled the quilt off of her bed and covered her with it. I decided to follow in Nina's footsteps and take my own nap. I tiptoed into my room, pulled down my comfoter and settled into my nice warm bed for a well deserved nap.

I woke up about an hour and a half later feeling fully rested. I heard someone moving downstairs so I assumed that Nina was up. I yawned loudly and trotted downstairs to see what she was up to. When I got down there I noticed that she looked very dressed up with heels and everything. I wondered where she was going. I felt kind of sad that I was going to have to spend the night alone in this big huge house. I was about to say something when she turned around and told me to hurry up and get ready.
"Get ready? For what?" I asked, confused.

"Ohh I didn't tell you? Were going to the Penguins home opener tonight, across the street."
Hearing her say this I thought of Sidney and his sweatshirt. He must have been a fan.

"Ohh, okay." I said.

"Listen, I know you're not a huge hockey fan, but trust me, it will be fun! I got box seats since I'm good friends with the owner, Mario." She said, smiling, "So hurry up and get dressed! Meet me down here in fifteen."
Fifteen minutes!, I thought. How was I supposed to get ready in fifteen minutes. I ran upstairs into my room to try and find something to wear. I went into my huge closet and stared at all of the different options. I felt like I was going shopping in my own house. I skimmed though the racks trying to find something. Everything I saw was either too casual or too fancy. I signed deeply and closed my eyes.
"Whatever is the next thing I touch, is what I'm going to have to wear" I told myself.
I moved my hand and grabbed something. It was a very pretty black and white tunic with ruffles at the bottom. The colors sort of swirled together making a very pretty pattern. It was a good choice. I put it on the mannequin that Nina had put in there to see how the outfit would look. I ran over to the jeans and decided on a pair of dark wash Lucky brand jeans. I sliped those on the mannequin too. Next I went over to the shoes. There were so many different options. I wanted something that was not fancy, but not too casual and ones that were comfortable. I eventually decided on a pair of black slouchy ankle boots. I put them next to the mannequin and steped back to see if I thought this outfit would work. Perfect. I quickly changed into the outfit and ran out of the closet.
I looked at the clock. The game started at 7:00 and it was 6:40. We were supposed to be leaving the house at 6:45. I quickly went in the bathroom and over to my jewlery stand and put on a bunch of silver bangles and a small silver cross necklace. My hair was a mess from traveling but I made it look halfway decent in a teased ponytail. I applied a minimal amount of makeup as Nina was yelling from downstairs saying that we were going to be late.
Once I got downstairs I grabbed my dark gray peacoat and was pushed out the door by Nina. She smiled at me as we made our way across the street to the shining silver dome.

Jump Then Fall: Chapter 4

At first the walk was quiet. He walked ahead and I followed behind. The only time we made eye contact was when he turned around to see if I was still following him. Everytime he looked at me, my heart started to flutter. What was wrong with me? I had only known this boy for ten minutes and already we was making my palms sweat? It was rediculous but there was just something about those shining caramel eyes.
After about five minutes of silent walking, I started shivering. The sun was setting fast and I wasn't prepared for this night time chill. I guess he noticed because he suddenly stopped walking and took off his jacket and offered it to me. It was a black zip-up hoodie with a large penguin on the front. It seemed a little absurd for a guy his age to be wearing something with penguins on it, but I didn't say anything.
"Ohh, thanks, you really don't have to. I'm fine.", I lied.
He looked me up and down before saying "You don't look fine, you look cold". He then thrust the sweatshirt into my hands. I slowly slipped it on and we continued walking. The sweatshirt was big on me and covered my shorts, making it look like I wasn't wearing any. But it was still warm from his body heat and smelled heavenly. I wrapped my arms around myself.
Once the sweatshirt was on, we started talking. He asked me about my hobbies and I told him how I had been figure skating for 15 years and I had just moved here from Florida. He asked me if I missed the warm weather.
"Yes.", I sighed deeply, "I miss the warm breeze and the sunny, bright skies and most of all the salty air."
He smiled at me and told me he understood because he too was far from home. He told me how he grew up in Canada in a town called Cole Harbour. I assumed he was here for school reasons so I didn't say anything else.
Eventually, and much to my dismay, we reached Nina's house. I sighed, he was the first, almost friend I had met here, not to mention a really cute friend. I didn't want this friendship to end before it even began. Suddenly he pointed to the shining silver hockey dome across the street.
"So, you going tonight?", he asked shyly.
"Going where? Over there? ...No, why? Should I be?" I stammered out.
"Well there is a hockey game going on tonight, so I thought maybe you were going?", he said, almost nervously.
"Ohh, I don't think so. I'm not really that into hockey. All the players are stuck up jerks." I told him.
The look on his face changed from nervous to anger. His eyes looked fierce. "That's not true.", he declared, "A lot of hockey players are really nice guys if you'd just give them a chance."
He looked like I had offended him. But I couldn't see how. I had not said anything bad about him. Since I didn't want to argue further I only responded with "Okay."
I slowly started to take of his warm penguins sweatshirt before he stopped me.
"No, keep it. You can give it back to me some other time." And with that he smiled at me, crossed the street and walked into the silver hockey dome.

Jump Then Fall: Chapter 3

When Nina left I plopped down on my bed and decided I would save unpacking for tomorrow. I was too tired from my strenuous journey to be bothered. I pulled my blackberry out of my aqua Tory Burch bag and dialed my mother's number. After three rings she answered.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Hello mom, it's me, Kat." I said.
"Oh. Hello Katherine. Is there something that you want?" she responded coldly.
"No, I uhm... I just wanted to tell you that I'm here at Nina's. The flight went well and everything. I just thought you'd want to know." I told her.
"Oh. That's all? Well I'm really rather busy so I'd rather you not waste my time with such unimportant calls. Goodbye Katherine."
And with that she hung up. I was so angry and hurt that I decided to go for a walk to clear my head. I walked down the hall to Nina's room and poked my head in.
"Hey. I'm just going to go for a walk to look around and stuff" I told her.
"Sounds good, bring your phone so I can call you if I need to. Let me know when your back." she said not facing me, as she was unpacking her clothes.
I stomped down the stairs and slipped on my Juicy Couture flipflops I had left by the door. I skipped down the red brick stairs and made my way down the street.
I probably should have grabbed a sweatshirt because the sun was gong down and it was getting rather chilly. All I was wearing was my Juicy flipflops, short jean Abercrombie shorts, and a thin tanktop. I walked around for about an hour, just trying to clear my head before realizing that I had no idea where I was. I looked up and nothing seemed familiar. I had never been to this large city before and I had no idea what to do. I didn't want to seem like a child and call Nina so I turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. I must not have really been paying attention to where I was going because before long I walked right into someone.
I stumbled back a few steps and looked up. A tall, muscular boy with dark brown curly hair and the most striking caramel eyes was looking back at me.
"Ohh God, I'm so sorry!" I gasped. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay. I'm sorry too. I wasn't paying attention either."
Then he smiled at me. And stuck out his hand.
"I'm Sidney, by the way."
What an unusual name, I thought. But he seemed nice. So I shook his hand.
"Kat. Kat Pellington."
"Well it was nice to meet you Kat. And I'm really sorry for running into you like that.", he said with a cute crooked smile.
"Yeah. Me too." I grinned.
He started to walk away until I called after him.
"Wait! Sidney?"
He turned around. "Yes?"
"I know this probably sounds like a stupid question. But do you know where we are?"
He laughed. I knew he thought I was stupid. "Uhm... Tannehill Street. Why?"
"Well I'm sort of lost. And I was hoping you could help me find my way back", I said with a pleading smile.
He smiled the crooked smile again. "And where do you live?"
Shit, I thought. It would have been helpful if I had asked Nina what street we lived on. Maybe he knew about that hockey dome across the street.
"Uhm... I know this sounds stupid. But I don't know. We live across the street from this silver hockey dome thing, if that helps." I said hopefully.
His eyes lit up when I said this. "The Igloo?"
I thought Nina had called it that. So I went along with it. "Yeah. That's the one."
"Well follow me then, I'll lead the way.", he responded happily.

Jump Then Fall: Chapter 2

The second floor was just as impressive as the first. Nina showed me around to the game room, which was filled with various arcade games like table hockey, a pinball machine, and a pool table, she showed me her bedroom, or the master bedroom, which was painted a light beige and had shinning wooden floors. It had the most comfortable looking bed I had ever seen which Nina said she had gotten specially made for her sensitive back. It was also equiped with two walk-in closets filled with more amounts of clothes than I thought possible. But I couldn't object, Nina was where I had gotten my fashion sense from and my passion for shopping. The both of us were know for taking day trips to the mall and coming back with completley new wardrobes. She also had an extremley large bathroom with not only a jacuzzi tub, but a glass shower and a small flat screen tv. The counter tops of the bathroom were made of the same gray marble that the island in the kitchen. The sink was large, but not as large as the mirror which was at least three times the size of my body. After Nina's room we visited what she called the "lounge room". This room was painted a dark blue and had low lights, two black leather couches like the ones downstairs, several stools and a long wooden bar filled with various alcohalic beverages.
"Don't even think about touching anything from behind there, unless it's a holiday party or something" she said in a serious tone.
"I won't" I promised. I had never really gotten into the whole drinking thing, unlike most of the teens who inhabited my sunny Florida town. Alcohal had taken something from me that I could never get back. My father. Late one September night when I was about nine years old I asked my father to go out to the store to the store to get me cough drops. I convinced him that I needed them, when really I just enjoyed their delicious cherry flavor. My father could never resist my pleas so he agreed to go out and get them for me. He never came back. He had been on his way home from the store when a drunk driver, going 50mph on a local road, swerved into his car and hit him dead on. He died on impact. I remember the police coming to our house and my mother screaming and crying. I didn't really understand what was happening until we buried him. I realized he was never coming home. From then on I had never had a good relationship with my mother. I knew she blamed me for everything that had happened, as did I. She had known that I didn't really need the cough drops and had tried to convince my father not to go. She was always cold to me, and I never felt like I was home. The rink had become my new home and Nina was like a mother. I could tell her anything, even about my mom, or my dad. She always listened and given me great advice. I don't think I would have gotten through it without her. I knew that moving in with her to Pittsburgh would only strengthen our mother-daughter bond. And I was glad to be rid of my mother and her stoney attitude towards me.
The last room we came to in the house was mine. She told me she had specifically designed it herself. The walls were a light yellow that made me think of the warm Florida sun. There were posters of all my favorite skaters hung on the walls. Michelle Kwan, Kristi Yamaguchi, Carol Heiss, Nicole Bobek, and Oksana Baiul. I smiled at that, Nina knew me well. My bed was a large queen sized bed that looked extremley soft and welcoming. I had one walk-in closet that was already stocked with clothes from many of my favorite designers, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, Chanel, Burberry, Dior, just to name a few.
"Nina! You didn't have to buy me all this" I exclaimed as I looked though the contents of my closet.
"Consider it a house warming gift" she smiled.
My bathroom was large and spacious. It too had a jacuzzi tub and a glass shower with a small flat screen tv. The counters were the same as the kitchen island and Nina's bathroom and the sink and mirror were just as big.
"Thank-you for all this. For letting me live with you, for buying me all this new stuff. I really appreciate it" I told her sincerly.
"It's really no problem. Anything for you.", she said warmly, "But I'll leave you to unpack your things and call your mom if you want."
And with that she left the room shutting the door quietly behind her.

Jump Then Fall: Chapter 1

I arrived in Pittsburgh feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. After a three hour plane ride, searching all over creation for mine and Nina's baggage, and a one hour taxi ride, I felt like I needed a nice long shower and a good nap. The taxi dropped us off outside of what I thought was an apartment building.
"Which one is it?" I asked her.
"Which one is what?" she replied, obviously confused.
"Which apartment is yours?" I groaned.
It was colder here than I had expected for an August day and I was feeling a little chilly. I just wanted to get inside and start unpacking. Nina gave me a look which made me realize that this obviously was no apartment building.
"This is my house, our house rather. Conviently located across the street from The Igloo" she said with a smile.
I turned around to look at a dome shaped silver building with the sun glaring off its roof that I had not noticed until now. I shielded my eyes. I was assuming it was the home of a local hockey team. I had never really payed any attetion to hockey. I had seen the players all the time at my old rink with their huge padding and long wooden sticks. Always forcing me off the ice to have practice. What did they even need to practice for? How hard could it be to skate around all day and shoot a little black puck into a net? It sounded simple to me. I could skate circles around them anyday. Getting lost in the memories of my old rink I finally looked up and saw the front door open, indicating that Nina had already gone inside. I sighed and trudged up several brick stairs until I came to the large entryway. I stepped slowly inside the huge house. I had expected it to be empty but it was already filled with furniture, newly purchaced furniture by the looks of it. The celings of the house were as high as a cathedral. The walls of the entrance were a snowy looking white. I hung up my black peacoat on an old warped coat hanger and walked deeper into the house. The entryway to each room on the first floor was huge and rounded. The first room I walked into was what I assumed to be the den. It's walls were painted a deep red that made me feel warm and welcomed. There were two black leather couches that looked like they would be very comfortale to sit on. Across from them was a huge flat screen tv hoisted on the wall. The room was already filled with various paintings and plants that made the room feel more homey. The other rooms on the first floor were just as welcoming. I visited the kitchen, which had a huge gray marble island in the middle, the pantry, which looked like it was stuffed with enough food for an army, another den, which looked just as comfortable as the first, a huge dining room with a long wooden table that had enough room to fit at least twenty people, and two decent sized bathrooms. After exploring the first level of my new home I made my way back to the entryway, where the stairs were, to go to the second floor and continue my exploring. I looked up and saw Nina standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at me?
"So, Kat... How do you like it so far?", she asked skeptically, "Do you think it's too much?"
"Nina, it's perfect!" I exclaimed.
With that she smiled and I slowly climbed up the stairs to meet her, dragging my suitcases and my previous worries behind me.

Jump Then Fall: Introduction

My name is Kat, I'm a figure skater, have been for 15 years. I'd lived in sunny, tropical Florida for all my life, until one sweltering August day. It was particurlary hot on this day and being on the ice felt so good. I practiced my axels, my salcows and my lutzs. After an exahusting and brutal practice my coach, Nina, came up to me and said she has something serious to talk about. Nina decided she was tired of the blistering heat that I so dearly loved and was packing up and moving to Pittsburgh, Pensylvania. I cried my eyes out when I heard the news. Nina had been my coach since I was four and now I would have to search for a new one, or so I had thought. Nina laughed when she saw the tears streaming down my face.
"Ohh please", she had laughed, "You thought you could get rid of me that easily?"
And with that my mother shipped me off to live with Nina in this cold city where I knew no one.