st me on her way to the kitchen to start dinner for dad who will be home any minute. “We’ll talk about what happened to you today

expect mom to come back with a sarcastic remark, but she doesn’t. I

: Are yo

s, are y

e a fracture, but I still nee

hat mean you

ght have torn or di

can’t compet

ELLA

ad! Is Michael

home about an hour a

out! What happened?

ed me if I was ever kissed. I said no. Then he looked like he was going to kiss me but like the stupid ass that I am, I asked him

sabella, I

as I am. Part of me wis

o know, than f

essed when I told him I was working on m

our skating is amazing! Do yo

mind listening to my parent

at, I'm o

coming over!” “Sure,” mom c

ten. It’s the only time I’m able to spend with her outside of

cken me if she wasn’t my best friend. We laugh about how guys make fool of themselves for her. What matters to me is that no matter how m

, they are always criticizing her interest in boys rather than

ntures with boys that I’m not allowed to have. With Anna, you are better off asking, w

cking my forehead and making his way over to the dinner table. Anna has the decency my father doesn’t, to hand me my crutches befor

ks to being injured. Later that same evening when I took my new pain medicine, I started to see little green aliens that look like Kazoo from

ning the conversation, “Ok

ady know,

s,” dad

axel, but I did anyway. I threw my leg forward and felt a sharp pain on take-off. It hurt so bad I lost my breath. I used the boards to get off the ice and even managed to get t

ke to me, but tell your dad, what

The nurse practitioner said I’ll need an M.R.I to clear me from any bone or joint problems. She says if I

“You should tell Isa

rrects. “Why do you always l

hold is a big one and says, “Isabella, I’m sorry to be so harsh but you are not getting any younger an

ld a candle to those other girls. Skating as a single skater in your case is a waste of tim

ded, that you are only hope of winning an Olymp

y that I’m losing an entire skating season, and they have the audacity to tell me I’m not g

got this wink,’ and says to my parents, “Isabella needs a partner if she’s going to s

ter of fact, that’s

so?”

arena that Scott Brandon is looking for a pa

o his last partn

now is the last partner he had quit. I’m not sure how much truth is in that story. You know how the mothers like to sit and gossip. They’ve got absolutely nothing be

than feeling sad or angry, I imagine knocking all the dishes off the table and throwing a tantrum, but like always, I restrain mys

to be skating for several weeks, I assume it’s o

nce. Anna successfully puts dad on the s

are going to introduce you to Scott later next week. I’ll call his mother and push it back. She’s not going

ously,” mom answers. “This took a lot of planning. The only things we haven’t

e skater Isabella, this is you are only cha

’s not ‘your dre

rselves onto my bed. I reach for my iPod and put on Gringo by Akon, so my parents can’t hear our conversatio

er?” I say d

kater,” A

t to be a pair skate

es it scare y

onsidered it be

might as well take a shot at it, unless you choose

plating it,

stoppi

nsidering it after the fall, but

back to where you are now. This injury is going to make you miss a year’s worth of

lessen in the first year. You will get to skate with a GUY, which means you

ht be ga

ght not,”

thinking about my future, I was enjoying just being with Michael, until I found out he had a girlfriend that is. You have no i

ce to show interest in you. Now that you can’t skate, maybe you WILL meet someone, the cul

k Michael wi

It’s the first dance of the year! The b

Sounds like a

overheard her talking to Lara in the bathroom. She was complaining to her about how he never makes time for her anymore. He’s always too

s Joh

ael ’s bes

cute?

he’s so

to be cute,” I

sce.” I shouldn’t have asked if he h

r first kiss to be with a two-timing asshole. It’s nice that