On Point

I have to say this is the first chapter of any book or story I've ever written that I've been happy with. I'm such a perfectionist to a point where everything I typed was trash, and I eventually came to the decision that I was never going to write anything. "Just stick to reading". Hey, I know this is only the first chapter, but I'm prepared to prove myself wrong at all costs :) Anyways....enjoy chapter one!

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Chapter One: Pilot

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

Reach. Pick. Rotation. Rotation. Rotation. Land.

Sounds easy enough, right? I glide along the ice, building up speed, and start the counting. By six, I effortlessly land my triple lutz.

"Good. That's it for now. Head back to school." My coach says.

"Why not again?" I question.

"Don't argue with me, Brook, not today." I stare at the ice.

"Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: 10,000 hours." Malcolm Gladwell. Ten thousand simple hours. Each hour, set on achieving one straight-forward but lengthy goal: mastery.

I have spent well over half my life on the ice attending practices and ice camps from hell, and seeing as half my life equals to 83,220 hours...I should be an expert. Eight times over. However, this is no where near the case.

School dances, football games, and in today's case, lunch, can wait. I am determined to be successful not only in the books, but on the ice too. As and Bs can only get me so far. Figure skating is a way to make a life for myself.

"We've been here for thirty-five minutes."

The realization of her words makes me uncross my arms and rush off the ice. Shit. I have ten minutes to get back to school. It's a fifteen minute drive.

I rip off my skates as fast as the long laces let me and throw them into my beat up 2004 Honda Accord. My car makes sounds I haven't heard before as I floor the gas and head for Blaby Academy.

After missing a dog and at least one stop sign, I make it by the end of lunch with thirty seconds to spare. Talk about pushing it...

"There she is." My best friend throws her hands up, acknowledging my lack of punctuality. She's standing at the school's entrance, gripping her books with her bitten nails.

"Sorry, Liv!" I speed-walk towards her, and we pile into the corridor with the rest of the students returning from their own lunch adventures.

We are halfway down the hall when a deeper voice calls after us. "Liv, Brook, wait up!" My twin brother, Jack, has to run to catch up with us as I refuse to stop and wait. I'm late enough as it is.

It feels weird to be one of the last ones walking in. This is the first out-of-routine thing that has happened to me in weeks, and I am beginning to think Jack has rubbed off on me. Recently, him and Liv had gotten together. Their story is a whole rom-com of its own, and now I witness what would be the invisible storyline between book one and it's sequel.

Ever since their confessions of love to one another, Jack has been hanging around us a lot more. Not that I mind it, but I can't say I don't miss my time alone with Liv.

As the two catch up on each others day, I walk ahead and into my first class post-lunch: calculus. I'm too thrilled with math, but my easy grasp of the concept makes the class tolerable.

I'm a good student on paper, thriving in each and every class. My perfectionist habits make me work harder than anyone here and makes me quite. I am successful in keeping out of the spotlight at school, but at home, I'm the main attraction. My life is no where near perfect, but focusing on the good things is what keeps me going.