CHAPTER 9
Grace and Lauren practiced together every morning and afternoon for a week. Coach Roberts was right. Having them work together showcased both of their best skills.
Grace wasn’t jealous of Lauren anymore. She was grateful for Lauren’s tips, and glad she could teach Lauren something too.
The day of the competition, Grace arrived at the rink a few minutes early. Lauren came running in at the same time.
“Hi!” said Grace, smiling at her new friend. She couldn’t believe that just a few weeks ago she hadn’t wanted to talk to Lauren at all.
“Hi!” Lauren greeted her. “Are you nervous?”
Grace thought about all their practices and how far she’d come. She thought about how great skating with Lauren was. “Nope,” she said.
“Me neither!” Lauren said happily. “Didn’t I tell you we’d motivate each other?”
“Did you say that?” Grace asked, laughing.
They ran through their routine one last time before the competition. Everything went off without a hitch.
“We nailed it!” Grace said happily. “That was perfect!”
Lauren smiled. “Yeah, we did!” she said. “If we do it the same way in the competition, we’ll knock everyone’s socks off.”
“Or skates,” Grace said, giggling.