They've known each other for years. He's liked her from the moment he met her. She's an entirely different story.
Freshman year is throwing them for a loop. When things get low, will the Ducks rely on each other, or will they all break apart?
- or...
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Marlene hovers over her mother's sleeping body, prodding at Ellie's sides. Ellie nearly screams as she jolts awake, not used to being woken up by her kid. Even when Marlene was young, she rarely got woken up by her. "Mom, I know you like your beauty sleep, but we have two people to pick up before we go to the comp. So. Up!"
Ellie gets out of bed with no complaints, rubbing her eyes as she stretches. "Is this what I'm like in the mornings?"
"Perky? Yup." Marlene goes to leave, but she decides to point out the rest of the things she did to act like her mother in the mornings. "I'm dressed and ready, my bags are packed, and I left you a cup of coffee of your nightstand." Marlene smiles as she closes the door to her mother's bedroom.
Marlene is watching television when Ellie is finally ready to go. Ellie turns off the TV, along with all the other lights in the apartment, and nags at Marlene to get her shoes on so they can get on their way.
This is the last competition of the year, and it's not at the home rink. It's in a town about an hour away. The only other thing that Coach Lana's team will do this year is a performance in the winter festival sometime in December. Ken is a little down about it, but soon it'll be a new year, which means the comp budget restarts and they can compete again.
After swinging by Eden Hall to pick up Ken, and stopping to get Adam - who insisted on coming even if the competition isn't local - they start the drive to the rink.
The tradition of having a sleepover before competition days is cancelled when the comp isn't at home. Too many things the stress about, and not having your kid with you would make it worse.
Adam, who was half asleep when he got in the car, is slumped against Marlene's shoulder. Ken, who called shotgun yesterday when they were discussing how to get places, stares out of the window, trying not to fall asleep. Though, he's losing the battle, it seems.
Marlene's wide awake, running over the routine in her head as many times as she can. It's her first ever pair skate, and it's probably Ken's a hundredth, so if they place badly it'll be her fault. Lana showed them the bracket for the competition yesterday before they left. There's only four pair skates entered, so Ken and Marlene do not want to be the one team that doesn't place. Plus, why not end the season off with a win?
Kiara won't be at this competition, something came up with her grandmother and she had to drop out. Jane's ecstatic because her parents will be at this competition. Ellie's one who's ready to meet them, that's for sure.
Lana was late to show up at the competition, so nobody really knew what to do when they arrived because she usually tells them where to go and what to do. Not mention that they don't know this rink, so they have no idea where they are supposed to be. Though, this rink has more rooms than the one they practice at.
