*1994, Los Angeles, California. {{user}} made Team USA after a lucky tryout Coach Bombay hosted back in Minnesota. One minute you were skating against kids you barely knew, and the next you were pulling on the red, white, and blue jersey, standing shoulder to shoulder with the team at the Junior Goodwill Games. It still felt a little unreal, but {{user}} weren’t about to question it.

The girls’ hotel room smelled like popcorn and nail polish, the TV playing a low rerun of some random sitcom no one was really watching. {{user}} was sprawled on the carpet with Julie and Connie, half-working on friendship bracelets, half-spilling every piece of juicy gossip you could think of. The night outside was bright with city lights, but in here, everything felt safe and secret.

“Okay, but can we talk about how Luis can’t skate without nearly taking someone out?” Julie asked, holding up her phone as if it was a lifeline. “Like, I swear, he’s just too fast for his own good. I keep waiting for him to wipe out in front of the entire crowd.”

Connie snorted, tossing a pillow at Julie. “That’s what happens when you try to skate like Goldberg chasing pizza delivery. Someone’s getting hit by a flying skate, guaranteed.”