INT. OLYMPIC ICE ARENA - NIGHT
Lainey skates off the ice toward Sharon and her Mom.
SHARON
What the hell did you do? I told you not to do the quad. You have the triple axel.
LAINEY
I need to do this.
SHARON
When did you start coaching yourself?
LAINEY
I can make it up in the long program.
SHARON
Listen to me, I know you better than you know yourself. You're panicking and that's a dangerous place to be.
LAINEY
I need you to listen to me for once. I've been telling you for months the only way I can be relevant in skating is if I do the quad. I'm lucky to do maybe do one when Annika is doing multiple quads in her program. Multiple?! Skating is all about the jumps these days. And instead of working with me on it, you dismiss me. I went along thinking you knew best. But not anymore, I'm taking things into my own hands at this point. I'm the one out on that ice, not you.
Lainey heads to the Kiss & Cry area. Sharon follows. She's furious.
INT. OLYMPIC ICE CENTER - KISS & CRY - MOMENTS LATER
They sit down in the Kiss & Cry area and wait for Lainey's scores. The scores post and she's in 4th place. The Russians are 1 2 3. Everyone looks disappointed. Lainey stands, upset.
SHARON
Lainey, we need to talk.
LAINEY
Not right now. And I'm not talking to the press.
Lainey walks off looking distressed.
INT. LAINEY'S OLYMPIC APARTMENT - LATER
Lainey stretches on the floor. She looks over and sees her journal.
She opens the book and then throws it against the wall and starts crying in frustration.
INT. OLYMPIC ICE CENTER - TWO DAYS LATER
It's Lainey's turn to skate her long program. She stands at the edge of the rink with Sharon. She's wearing the beautiful rhinestone outfit. She takes off her skate guards.
Sharon places her wrist with the same bracelet as Lainey's next to Lainey's wrist.
SHARON
I'm here to support you. We worked so hard to get here as a team. Go out there and have fun.
Lainey hugs Sharon. Lainey's name is announced. She reaches down and touches the ice with her hand. She stands up and steps out onto the ice. The spectators clap upon her arrival.
She sees her Mom in the audience hollering her support. She smiles.
INT. GOODWIN HOME - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Lainey's Dad and brother and OTHER FAMILY sit watching the Games. They scream when Lainey gets on the ice.
INT. OLYMPIC ICE CENTER - SEATS - NIGHT
PAN UP from crutches to see Cory taking a seat just in time to see Lainey skate out onto the ice.
INT. OLYMPIC ICE CENTER - CONTINUOUS
Lainey skates to the middle of the rink. She looks around, but doesn't see Cory, who's there intently watching her. She settles into her starting position.
LAINEY (to herself)
This is for you Daddy.
Stevie Nicks' "Landslide" begins and she starts her program.
INT. GOODWIN - LIVING ROOM - NIGH
Lainey's Dad wipes his eyes as Brandon hands him some tissues.
INT. OLYMPIC ICE CENTER - NIGHT
Lainey mesmerizes the audience with enormous grace and beauty in her skating. She picks up speed and the crowd quiets in anticipation.
Lainey prepares for a jump, skating as fast as she can. She turns and jumps up, executing the perfect quad. Suddenly her hip gives out on her. She falls down hard on the ice. The rink hushes. Cory wants to jump to her rescue but he stops himself.
Sharon and Olivia look concerned. They wait to see if Lainey will get up.
Lainey gets back up. She continues to skate. She's able to do a beautiful spin and the crowd roars.
She does some lovely footwork and then picks up speed for a another jump. She looks determined and everyone sits on the edge of their seats. She jumps up in the air but she's only able to complete one revolution. The crowd quiets.
LAINEY'S POV: the crowd is really loud and the rink starts to spin in her mind. She's having a panic attack.
She tries to focus as best she can until the end of her program, but her skating looks stilted. When she finishes, she bursts into tears and can't catch her breath. She skates off the ice.
Cory gets up and heads out.
Lainey rushes into the back dressing area, running from room to room in her skates, looking around fruitlessly for something to help relieve her pounding chest. She eventually lies down on the floor in one of the rooms, fighting for her breath.
EXT. OLYMPIC ICE ARENA - LATER
Lainey exits the arena with her Mom and Sharon. She walks ahead of them.
OLIVIA
Are you sure it was just a panic attack?
SHARON
It happens a lot to the skaters. She'll be okay physically. But I think she should talk to someone when we're back in the States.
Olivia nods.
CORY (O.C.)
Hey there.
Lainey turns to see Cory standing on crutches. She looks at her Mom and Sharon.
LAINEY
I'll meet you at the shuttle.
She walks up to Cory.
LAINEY (CONT'D)
I thought you left for the States.
CORY
I did.
LAINEY
What are you doing here?
CORY
I told you I'd come.
LAINEY
You flew back to attend what is probably the worst performance of my life? You should get your money back.
CORY
You gave it everything you got, right? And you landed the quad.
She shakes her head, tears forming.
LAINEY
I fucked it all up. I choked.
CORY
No, you did everything you could to win. I can tell you about all of the races I screwed up if that helps.
LAINEY
I blew up twenty years of my life. Poof! (a beat) I think I'm going to be sick.
CORY
Hey, we're human. We mess up. You made it to the Olympics. You won a silver medal just this week. You had an off day. We all do.
LAINEY
I failed my team, my coach, my family, our country. I appreciate you coming all the way here but it was a waste of your time.
Lainey backs away in tears.
CORY
Lainey, don't do this.
LAINEY
I'm sorry. You have your own stuff to deal with. You don't need to deal with mine.
She turns and heads back towards her mother and coach.
YOU ARE READING
Olympic Conquest
Romance"You already are the person I want you to be. I see so much more in you that you won't allow yourself to see." Lainey is on her way to her first and probably only Olympics. At twenty-two, she has finally made the U.S. Figure Skating Team after yea...
