All Yours {BOOK 1 OF THE LAURIE U SERIES}

20| Ugly Cry

~Alina~

By the end of January, Elijah and I had perfected our routine. The Scouts and a row full of Judges waited outside the doors. Along with a couple hundred people.

"Breathe!" Coach said. She placed her hands on my shoulders and looked at me. "I'm proud of you." she smiled.

Never in my life has anyone said they were proud of me. I pulled her into a hug and she hugged me back, for a second before she pushed me away. "Don't smudge your makeup." she said waddling away.

"Team 7!" the boom box screeched. Elijah walked up beside me.

"Ready?" Elijah asks. I hear the crowd cheer and all I could do is nod.

The doors open and we walk out onto the ice. "Alina Bardot and Elijah Mickelson." the crowd cheers again and we skate around the rink once and then stop in the middle together.

(authors note: watch from 2:20-4:45)

I hug Elijah and he spins me around. "Oh my god! We did it." he says. I kiss his cheek and hug him
tighter. 

We skate over to coach. "Oh my god!" she says dancing around. I'm so happy I would hug Madeline but I'm not going to.

Coach hugs me and then pushes me back, holding me at arms length. "This is what its about." she says. I nod and she hugs me again.

Waiting for our score is the worst. Elijah grabs my hand and I hold onto his arm. I didn't hear anything. It was all white noise. Numbers popped up on the board but I couldn't see them. This is what it's about.

"Alina Bardot and Elijah Mickelson are currently in 1st place!" the crowd cheered. Elijah threw his hands up in the air but I just looked to Coach who was beaming.

I smiled but my heart felt as if it was swelling. I couldn't breathe and I needed fresh air right now. After the next couple got out on the ice I slipped my skates off and walked out the back exit.

I pressed my back against the brick wall and pressed and hand to my chest willing myself to breathe. This is what's it's about.

But I couldn't think about what I had to give up to get here. Who I had to give up...

A figure walked up to me. My vision blurred because of the oncoming tears and I lifted my head up. The makeup on my face costed about $120.

"Alina! Alina, look at me." the figure said.

I was sitting on the ground now. When did I sit down?

"What wrong?" I knew that voice but was praying it wasn't who I thought it was. "Alina." Reece said.

"I'm fine. You can go, really... I'm- I-" screw the makeup. I started ugly crying. Like Elena Gilbert ugly cry.

He sat down beside me and just watched me. "God!" I said burying my head in my hands. "I'm sorry." I breathed. "I'm such a mess."

He wiped my tears away. "I can see." he said. I looked up at him.

"Wait... we're you watching?"

"Yeah." he said. "You we're amazing."

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. He stood up and offered me a hand. "It was good to see you." he stuck his hands into his pockets and walked away.

"I- yeah..." I watched him walk away. He walked around the corner and I opened the door to inside. When I walked into the back room Hali was standing there.

"Hey! Oh my god, you were fantastic-" I turned around to look at her. "Oh honey..." she walked over and hugged me.

"I need you to fix my makeup."

~Reece~

It ripped me apart to see her cry and even more to walk away. I slammed the car door shut and leaned my head against the glass. Tucker was sitting in the passengers seat.

"You okay man?" he asked.

"Not in the slightest." I said sticking the key in the ignition.