s k a t e || Winter Olympics Contest

"That's the Olympics."

"Gold's goin' to Canada. Sweden will get the silver. Bronze goes to the U.S." Scott adjusted his red cap as he turned to his friend, Viktor with a large grin.

Viktor let out a loud laugh, throwing his head back as he walked alongside his friend. "No, no, no, no, no. Sweden gold. Canada silver. And U.S. bronze," he corrected as he swung a large blue bag over his shoulder.

"Ay, Jenser!!"

Scott immediately perked his head up, his dark eyebrows rising as he searched the large outside area filled with countless athletes and trainers.

A tall young man dressed in red from head to toe, just like Scott, stood apart from the crowd, waving his arms in the air. "Team Canada is this way!!" he called to Scott, pointing toward the buildings behind him.

Scott nodded at him before turning to Viktor, standing next to him.  "See ya at the gold medal match!"

"Better start practicing now for silver, Jensy!" Viktor shot back with a wide smile.

Scott let out a laugh as he headed toward his tall teammate waiting for him.

"Bribing the enemy?" the tall teammate raised an eyebrow at him as Scott joined him.

"What?" Scott asked with a smile.

"That guy you were just talking to was wearing a Team Sweden Jacket," the tall teammate pointed out with a nod.

"Oh, come on, James!" Scott let out a chuckle. "That's Viktor. We're teammates back at school. We play for the same team. He's not my enemy."

"Well, for the next couple weeks," James began as he and Scott entered the building, "he's the enemy."

"What?" Scott cried as he raised his eyebrows at James.

"Hey, as long as he's wearing blue and you're wearing red, no friendliness."

"That's so mean."

James let out a chuckle as he turned the red cap on top of his head backwards. "That's the Olympics."

Scott simply shook his head as he pulled down on the brim of his red cap. "So, when's the first practice?"

James laughed. "It already started!"

"What?! But-but we just landed, like, two hours ago!"

"Hey, Coach says that as long the gold medals are here and we're here, not a minute is going to waste. Hope you got all your gear with ya."

"Yup," Scott replied with a groan as he adjusted the large bag on his shoulder. "Show me the way to the locker rooms!"

Scott followed closely behind James as they rushed through the crowd inside the building before turning sharply and heading down a long hallway.

"Ay, Nollsy!" a deep voice shouted.

James's bright eyes lifted as he looked up. "Yeah?"

A tall, bald man equipped in hockey gear and a red and white jersey walked toward the two hockey players. He held a tall hockey stick in his right hand and a black hockey helmet in his left. "Everyone is already out there. Better get goin'."

"Yeah, yeah. Alright, Ryan." James nodded as he walked past Ryan, the tall player.

Ryan looked at Scott. "Glad to see ya made it, Jensy. See ya on the ice!" He slapped Scott on the back before walking down the hallway.

Scott watched in silence as the tall hockey player walked away before turning to James and knitted his brow. "He's never that nice to me out on the ice. I didn't even think he knew my name!"