It`s time for Tuesday Tales.
Today we have an excerpt from Dance on Ice, a YA queer romance written with RJ Scott.
Please do bear in mind that these snippets are unedited so please be kind if you find any mistakes.
This story may have gay erotic scenes, strong social issues addressed and mature language. If those things offend now is the time to move onto another Tuesday Tales blog. Thanks for stopping by!
The week following the night at the noodle shop was non-freaking-stop.
I had skate every morning and Illia was working us all incredibly hard. Anita actually left the ice in tears twice, and even though she could be a witch at times I felt sorry for her. We were all giving it as much as we had and it was never quite enough. Sometimes, late at night when I was in bed, sore all over and half loopy from hunger, I wondered why I did it. Why was I skating? Why was I tormenting myself in a sport where only something like one out of fifty-thousand who tried made the Olympics. And that was the goal. Let’s face it if you didn’t win gold at the Olympics in figure skating no-one knew who you were. I suspect most people – who weren’t skater fanatics – could not name one figure skater who had not won a medal at the Olympics.
So yeah, those hard lonely nights made me doubt myself and my conviction to sports in general. Maybe Jun had the right idea. Be a nerd. No sprains, no bruises, no trainers yelling at you to be faster, tighter, thinner. Just books, books, and more books.
Yet, there were days when it all made some sort of mad, wonderful, agonizing sense. Those days were growing more and more distanced it seemed. Today, it seemed, was one of those good days. Group had gone well. I weighed in at one twenty on the nose. Illia had nodded. Once. Then went off to gather the girls weights from Anita who was in charge of jotting down the pounds lost or gained. I suspected the girls fudged things when needed. Lucky them. I wished I could do that but I had Illia hanging over my shoulder like a vulture.
©Copyright V.L. Locey 2024
I like how emotion for Anita could be felt, even though she sometimes acted like a witch.
Excellent scene. Figure skating is grueling. We had friends whose son and niece were in the ice dance competitions. They never made it to the Olympics.
I love the unvarnished pov about figure skating and where it might take you. Also his compassion for Anita. His words about mad, agonizing, and wonderful also describes the life of a romance writer, too, methinks. Great passage. We’re getting to know him inside and out.
Well done. I love ice skating and this seems like its real.
I felt that scene. I thought wrestling was the only sport that watched weight so intensely. Loved the scene. Great job!