CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

They did, in fact, go Christmas Caroling, and had a ball. They also took a nice long drive in Sophia’s car to look at all the Christmas lights. Sophia’s Dad had invited her down for Christmas, but she wanted to go to Warren’s again, so they went to her Dad’s house for Christmas Eve.

Warren’s parents and Sophia’s mom got together to buy them each cell phones, with the first year all paid up as long as they stayed within their plan, and under a special "family plan" offer that allowed Warren and Sophia to talk to each other (and Peg, Jim, and Ellen, who got cell phones for themselves at the same time) with unlimited minutes. It was a great present. Warren got Sophia a pair of diamond and emerald earrings, among a few other things, and Sophia got Warren a couple of sharp outfits, along with books and CDs. She promised him something else, but said it would have to wait for his birthday, which was in January.

And, suddenly, it was January, a couple days before Warren’s sixteenth birthday, and they found themselves on a plane to Chicago. Jim, unfortunately, couldn’t come, nor could Brian or any of the kids—their making it to Nationals had been so unexpected—but Ellen and Peg got the requisite time off from work, and flew out with them. Peg and Warren had gotten a hotel room, and Ellen and Sophia an adjoining one. Bowing to the inevitable, those arrangements were quickly changed. Peg offered to switch rooms with Sophia. Sophia and Warren happily agreed. "This is their thing, they’re in a hotel, we both know they’re sleeping together, they are both nervous and would be more comfortable with each other. Let them," Peg said to Ellen, who agreed.

On January 8^th, Warren and Sophia were preparing to step onto the practice ice at Nationals for the first time. Their compulsories and Original Dance were to be held in a smaller satellite rink, but the free dance—and this practice, which was a free dance practice—were held in the big main rink. Sophia and Warren were in the second group to practice, and were a bit intimidated while waiting.

They took the ice, trying to shake off the nerves. Unbeknownst to them, a bit of commotion had arisen with the other couples on the ice. They had noticed, unlike Sophia and Warren, some distinguished guests in the audience.

"What the heck are Elizabeth Cushman and Jack Garrison doing watching a junior ice dance practice?" Kim Burlington asked her partner, George Lahey.

"Yeah, and that’s Christine Arsenault with them," added Shawna Vickers. Her partner, Evan Podgar said, "Hey, their obviously here to check out the Future of American Ice Dance—you and I or Kim and George over there." All four broke up laughing.

"It’s just kind of strange to see them here." Kim said. "By the way, who are those two, she in the black dress and he in the sweatsuit?"

"That’s Sophia Daniels and Warren Kelleher. They won Eastern Sectionals, and it’s their first year ever competing," Evan said.

"Impressive," said Shawna, "Any good?"

"From what I’ve heard, they’re very good," said Evan. "Very much crowd pleasers. But they’re different. Classical ballroom dance influence—their free is all Big Band music—good technique, and a very different style of presentation."

"How so?" asked George.

"They focus on each other. They try to draw the audience in, rather than go out and get them. From what I heard, from a buddy of mine who was at Easterns, is that it’s very different but very effective."

Suddenly, the three singles skaters stood up and yelled, "GO SOPHIA AND WARREN!!!" Sophia and Warren looked up, and saw Liz, Jack, and Christine waving at them.

"Hey, look, Soph!" Warren pointed up. Sophia and Warren skated over to the boards, and the threesome came down to greet them.

"Finally get to meet you, Dance Hunk," Christine said, giving Warren a big hug and kiss over the boards. Even Sophia laughed.

"Nice of you guys to come out for some support. We’re terrified," Sophia confided, laughing.

"Don’t be," Liz counseled. "This is just a practice. Just loosen up."

"And we’re glad to be here," added Jack. "Can’t wait to see you guys practice that free dance."

The four ice dancers across the ice saw all this, and were amazed. These two nobodies, brushing shoulders with some of the greats of American figure skating? How did this happen?

After making plans to meet the threesome after the practice, Sophia and Warren skated by, and Shawna made sure to eavesdrop.

"It’s finally great to meet them in person, after so many internet chats," Warren said.

"Yeah, I think Christine enjoyed it, too," Sophia said with a gleam in her eye.

"You just shut up, Pookie." Then they skated out of Shawna’s hearing. She reported what she heard to her partner and the other team.

"Pookie?" Kim exclaimed. "She called him Pookie?? How so terribly precious."

"Look at them," Shawna commented at Sophia and Warren working on some steps. "They skate really close together."

"Bah. Let’s see how close they skate together after this", Kim said.

Kim was a consummate game player, and she did a bit of footwork, heading right towards Sophia and Warren. She timed it to end in a near-collision. And it did, sort of, but Sophia and Warren, used to skating during group lessons and public skating, neatly sidestepped the (seemingly) oblivious Kim. Sophia looked back, concerned, and said "Sorry!" thinking the near-accident had been their fault.

Kim just grumbled, and skated over to Shawna. "Shit. Didn’t even dent their composure."

"Look at them. Have you ever seen anyone at a practice session at a major competition so happy?"

"Happy to be here, no doubt." George interjected.

One couple was already running through their free, as all the other couples stayed on the ice, as was traditional. Sophia and Warren huddled into a corner, though, not wanting to disrupt the skaters’ that were practicing. Kim and George ran through their free, followed by Shawna and Evan. Both were good, Soph and Warren agreed, but had gone for the overly theatrical type program.

Sophia and Warren were next. The other four decided not to intimidate this time—even Kim—but huddled near the boards, because they wanted to watch these couple of unknowns.

As Soph and Warren took their opening positions, Christine yelled out, "Shake that butt, Warren!" Warren just barely managed to stop laughing as the music started.

"They are good," Evan said appreciatively. "Great edges, great knees. Their unison is superb. They skate close together. They’ve got talent, no denying it."

"Yeah, but their program is so ancient feeling. Look, they’re just dancing around," Shawna said.

"Yeah, but look at the program itself. It’s very well put together. Look at the speed, and the footwork. It’s very well constructed. God, they can get speed from almost nothing."

"I still don’t like it. Besides which, she’s fat."

"You don’t have to like it. I think the judges will, though. And she is by no means fat. She’s just not anorexic. Unlike some people," Evan said, looking over at Kim Burlington. Even Shawna giggled a bit at that.

Back in the locker room, Sophia was changing out of her practice dress. Kim decided to play the kill her with kindness game, to pump her for information—and to play with her a little bit.

"Hello, I’m Kim Burlington."

"Hi, Sophia Daniels."

"You and your partner are very good. That free dance is very well done."

"Thank you very much."

"Who’s your choreographer?" Kim asked.

"Don’t have one," Sophia laughed. "This is a budget operation. We choreograph ourselves. Warren does most of the ‘big picture’ stuff—Warren is my partner, Warren Kelleher—I fill in most of the blanks, and June, our coach, smoothes out the rough edges."

Kim was trying not to show that her jaw was hitting the floor. "I’m impressed. That’s a hell of a program."

"Thanks."

"Of course," Kim twisted the knife in, "you’d probably be better off with a choreographer. They’d be able to construct a program that was more cutting-edge for you."

Sophia just laughed. "No, this is our style."

"The judges frown on such an anachronistic style."

"Well, then, fuck the judges," Sophia laughed. She had by now figured out that Kim was trying to play games, and Sophia wasn’t going to fall for it. "We skate to what we like to skate to, and fuck the judges. We dance, that’s what we’re trying to do. Old swing music hits the bill perfectly."

Kim tried another tack. "That partner of yours, Warren you said?"

"Yeah, Warren Kelleher."

"He’s a hottie, isn’t he?"

Sophia saw that one coming, but played along. "Yes, he certainly is."

"Is he gay?"

"Not even a little bit."

"Hmmmm. Maybe I should come up to his room tonight, think he’d like that, Sophia?"

"Well, you can come up and ask him. Sure, why not?"

"Wow, Sophia," Kim said mock-innocently. "You certainly have a cavalier attitude about one of the *competition* bagging your partner right before Nationals."

Sophia just laughed. "Oh, you misunderstand me. I said you could try. I didn’t say you’d get anywhere."

"Oh, you seem so sure I won’t. I haven’t had a guy complain yet."

"Good for you. Neither have I. And the list of non-complainers includes my current boyfriend. Who also happens to be my ice dance partner." Sophia twisted the knife further. "You see, if you come up to Warren’s room, you will also be coming up to my room. We've been sleeping together for two years. So, come on up, Kim. If you time your visit just right, you might be able to watch Warren fuck me until I scream. Just so you can see what you won’t be getting any of." Kim just gaped at her, open-mouthed.

Sophia walked away with a jaunty, "You have yourself a nice day now." Once she got out of the locker room, it took her quite a while to stop laughing.

They had a wonderful lunch with Liz, Christine, and Jack. They also met some of the internet skatefans they had chatted with for so long. Liz and Christine would go on to finish one-two in senior ladies, and Jack won his first senior national championship in Mens.

They finished third in the compulsories, and were thrilled. The morning of the OD, Sophia woke up and gave Warren his birthday present. It was a gold chain with a gold pendant on it, sort of like the one Warren had given Sophia on her fifteenth birthday. This one, however, was round, and had carved into the gold a silhouette of a couple, dancing. Sophia had had carved into the back, "Dance with me forever, Love Pookie." Warren put it right on, and prepared to go dance with Sophia, on the ice. They finished third again in the OD, and were again thrilled. Vickers and Podgar were leading, with Burlington and Lacey second.

To their stunned disbelief, they won the free dance. They were too far behind to win the whole competition—Vickers and Podgar did—but a silver medal at your first Junior Nationals was a coup. And standing on the podium getting that silver medal was a complete trip—especially while watching a sour Kim Burlington get a bronze.

A few days after they got home, they were watching the Senior free dance on television. "Good ol’ week and a half tape delay," quipped Warren.

The usual figure skating play-by-play man, Tom Garret, was on the screen with ice dance analyst (and former US Dance champ) Sandra Willis. "Before we get to the senior free dance," Tom was saying, "we want to show you one of the highlights of the junior free dance."

"This couple did not win the junior national championship," Sandra said, "but won the free dance, ending up with the silver medal. However, this free dance was one of the most delightful I have seen in a long time. They are superb dancers, with great technique and near-perfect presentation, and they also skate with an unbridled joy that makes me remember why I love this sport. They clearly love skating, and they clearly love skating with one another. They may be the future of American Ice Dance, and their names are Sophia Daniels and Warren Kelleher."

Sophia and Warren just looked at each other. "They’re showing us? On TV?" Warren gaped in disbelief.

"Thank God you’ve got a videotape in," Sophia pointed out. "But, you’re right. The future of American Ice Dance? Two part-time scrubs like us?" They both laughed.

They watched themselves skate. They had taped practices and all, for critical viewing, but had never seen themselves skate in a competition. It was kind of a revelation.

When it was over, Warren was still amazed. "You know, it felt good, while we were skating it, but I didn’t realize how good it was until I saw it."

"Did you see our faces?" Sophia asked him. "I didn’t realize I smiled that much." Sophia thought for a minute. "Warren, I know we’re only part time skaters, and I realize why, and I agree with it. But I hope we never give it up entirely. I always felt it to be exhilarating. Now I know why. We look like the two happiest people in the world when we ice dance together."

"Yeah. I’m so glad they showed this. Glad I got it on tape, too. Something to show our kids someday, that’s for sure. "