My breath hitched as I skated to the center of the rink, an anxious lull over the audience. As I exhaled, a low hiss reflected off my mask. My cat mask is not there to only hide my identity, but also my fear, my insecurities, my flaws, and a dozen other things that make my stomach twirl. "UP NEXT IS THE RISING STAR ECLIPSE!" The announcer exclaimed over the speakers. The crowd burst into a mixture of applause and cheering. I did a light twirl, my arms stretched into a slight arch toward the floor, the small skirt on my skating attire moving with the wind. Soon the cheering died down and the music began. I skated with the music, the light twirls and spins intertwining with the music fittingly. It felt....like I was flying...soon the high point of the song came, I leaped high into the air, my body spinning rapidly. When I hit the ground, my left skate scraped the ice, sending a spray of ice behind me as I skated with one leg in the air. When the song neared its end, I did one final spin, ending it off with a bow. A few moments of silence followed before uproar of applause erupted in the crowd. A shower of roses rained into the rink. Smiling, I skated to pick them up before heading to the exit. I took off my skates the handed them to my aunt, a famous skater back in her twenties....who is also my coach. The announcer ushered me over to a desk in front of a camera. "So eclipse, you've been doing excellent! So you think you can make this year skating Olympics?" He asked with a shining smile. I thought for a moment before nodding.
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