Eyes on Ice [EDITING]

EYES ON ICE - 07

VII. Three Turn and a Salchow (On-Ice Training Part II)

"Linssen! Put more emotions on your performance. Interpret the music! I don't see any chaos at all!" was what France heard the moment he stepped inside the room, wearing the same figure skating pants and sleeve from yesterday which he quickly washed and dried last night. His eyes were fixed on Benjamin who was practicing on ice. "Be more confused, be puzzled! You're not just gliding shit and all, let alone executing your not-so difficult elements. You're skating to your music, your own story! Who the hell cares about others' satisfaction?"

France couldn't take his eyes off of him. Benjamin had said he just started skating a month ago yet it felt like he was far ahead of him. The way he moves on ice was great, though not so flawless. Not having even a single quad in his short program wasn't a letdown at all. If it was a competition, he was already nailing half of the technical score.

"Repeat! Focus on the skating skills and transitions. Keep the interpretation of music on your mind," Mason said. When his eyes landed on France who was about to go inside the rink, his eyebrows knitted. With his arms crossed, he shouted, "you're twenty minutes late, Javier! Get out of here and jog for twenty minutes. Come back here once you're done. Your time starts now."

France was confused for seconds but when Mason turned his back at him to keep an eye on Benjamin, he quickly went out of the room and started jogging outside. "Gago, nakakahiya," he whispered to himself while making his way to the hallway. He really had to consider that his coach is a lot stricter than his former one.

"You out for a jog too?" a man, probably in his twenties, who's wearing figure skating pants and a jacket, asked, suddenly appearing beside him.

France had to look at him. If he wasn't mistaken, the man was one of the skaters he saw yesterday. He's probably Mason's student too. "Yeah, I was kind of late so I was ordered to jog," he answered and smiled a little. "I'm France. Are you here for training too? I just got here earlier so I don't really know who I'll be training with except for Benjamin."

"Rob Asher," the man said, for introduction and brushed his fingers on his long brown hair exceeding up to his shoulders. "I'm twenty-four. Actually, Mason's my father. I'm just here in this villa for training, it's not actually my home. I had to jog for fifteen minutes because I woke up late. You have to get used to this. It's a tactic for punishment."

Mason and Rob were nothing alike. At least, that's what France thought. He didn't even recognize any facial features from Rob that's inherited from his father. From the color of hair, eyes, and lips, they were completely different. Even the one thing that's similar between them is simply their way of wearing eyeglasses.

"Why'd you get punished too? You're his son, right? Aren't there any.. uh, what'd you call that.."

"Considerations?"

France snapped his fingers. "Yeah, considerations. Wasn't he strict to you? I mean, you're his son after all," he answered.

Rob let out a gentle laugh that even France was mesmerized by it. "That.. well, I'm sort of excluded from it. I'm an illegitimate child after all. And it's not like Mason volunteered himself on training me like what he did with you. I even had to beg on my knees," he said and smiled. "It's not that I'm holding a grudge on you or anything. I just feel like I had to say it."

•••

He had been in it for eight times now. France tries to hold his frustration down as he glides on ice with a back inside edge takeoff of one foot, jumping on air at four rotations but falls again on landing at the back outside edge of the opposite foot. He cursed in his mind and tried to stood up quickly. The sound made by the sweeping movements of blades had been slowly bugging his mind.