Ice Ice Babies: Yakov’s Summer Camp
Well hated might be a strong word, but he didn’t like it.
But it was what he was good at and his family had done everything they could to get him into this special summer camp for figure skaters. They told him he would be the first to represent his country. He would be a hero for the newly formed country. They promised him it would be worth all the hard work, but he was 12 years old and no matter how talented he was – he didn’t have the resources the kids here at the camp did.
He wasn’t as tall. He wasn’t as thin. He wasn’t as flexible. But he was the first for his country and he couldn’t let them down. No matter how much he hated getting up at 5 am or being humiliated in front of everyone else.
So he did his best, even when his best wasn’t good enough.
He was halfway through the class before he spotted Yuri Plisetsky in the more advanced class. Lean and angelic… graceful in every way Otabek Altin wasn’t. He was beautiful. What Otabek imagined a figure skater SHOULD look like. Everything Otabek wished he could be but knew he could never achieve.
The rest of the first day went by in a blur of pain and sweat. Of doing his best to prove he belonged there. He left the class that day too tired to think and fell into the bed on his side of the room immediately after his shower.
He got up early the next morning, tried to warm up and before class so that maybe he would be better this time.
He didn’t expect to hear the worst news of his life that day.
“Alright. We’re going to pair you up. You’ll be working together the whole summer, so get to know your partner. No. You can’t switch. No exceptions. You’ve been paired according to your skills.” The coach, a big, broad-faced man with little mercy and a hard work ethic began listing names. He kept waiting to hear his own but it didn’t come until the very last pairing and by then, both of them knew who their partner was going to be.
Otabek’s world shriveled up into a pinprick of absolute horror. The best skater in the whole class was going to be stuck … with him. If ever there was a more unfair pairing, Otabek couldn’t imagine it.