Free Cheater: A Summer Games Short Read (Going for Gold) by Kelly Collins Page B

hummed to the songs we knew and soaked in the ones we didn’t. Collette was competing on the floor tomorrow. When it reached ten o’clock, I walked her to her room. She wanted me to come in, but I was reluctant because I knew if I followed her to bed she’d never get any sleep. But when she said she needed me, I changed my mind. I’d give her anything she wanted.
    Once she changed into her pink pajamas, I tucked her in. As she nestled in my arms, we talked about everything from hockey to hangnails. Amidst all the darkness, a light had emerged, and her name was Collette.

    * * *
    “ A lec ,” someone shouted. I turned to see the reporter from last week running up behind me. “Alec, talk to me about your mother.”
    It was only a matter of time before my story got out. I could see the headlines now: “Young Man Goes To Rio To Win His Dying Mother The gold.”
    When she caught up with me, I stopped. “Listen, I don’t want to be a story.”
    “Too late for that. You’re the compassion project for the Games.”
    I had no idea what she meant by compassion project, and I didn’t care. “I’m no different than anyone else at these games. The exception is I have a terminally ill mother. Lots of people have more interesting stories to contribute. You have refugees and political prisoners, rags-to-riches stories. Go talk to them.”
    She looked down at the bandana I kept tied around my wrist. “I disagree.” She pulled out her digital recorder. “Just give me one quote and I’ll leave you alone.”
    I thought about her request. I knew from experience that if the reporters were interested in my story, they’d dig far and wide to come up with it.
    “One quote and then I’m gone. My girlfriend is competing today, and I don’t want to miss it.”
    “You mean Bryn Carlysle?”
    “No, Bryn and I are no longer together. The girl who has captured my heart is Collette Lamont, but I like to call her Snow.” Collette and I hadn’t defined what we were yet. I hoped she didn’t mind me publicly claiming her. I suppose I’d need to beg for her forgiveness since I hadn’t asked for permission.
    The reporter’s eyes became the size of hubcaps. “What happened with Bryn?”
    It was obvious she’d already done some digging to come up with my relationship with Bryn. “Nothing. She’s a lovely woman. It was an amicable split for both of us.” I hated to lie, but I also refused to sully Bryn’s reputation. I wasn’t that guy. “I have to go.”
    By her confused expression, I knew the wheels were spinning in her head. “You promised me a quote.”
    “I did.” I considered my words carefully. “Winning. Losing. Living. Dying. Life is full of challenges. My mother is dying, and she’s doing that with courage and grace, but it’s how she lived that I will remember her.”
    “What do you hope to achieve here in Rio?”
    “I don’t have anything to prove. I came, I played, I conquered. I’m a Maes. That’s what we do.” My walk turned into a jog. There was no way I was missing Collette’s routine.
    When I reached the arena, I flashed my badge and took a seat just in time for the floor event to start. Bryn was second to last up. I’d seen her routine a thousand times. She’d been using it for the last two seasons. Despite the movement on the mats, my eyes were glued to Collette. She bent, and stretched, and fidgeted with the bling on the arm of her leotard.
    She didn’t pay attention to her competition; she stayed in her own head. Then her eyes scanned the stands. I had told her where I’d be sitting, and sure enough she found me. I pointed to her and then tapped my heart to tell her that mine was racing with hers.
    She took the corner of the mat. She only needed to beat Bryn to walk away with the gold. The distinctive beat of her music filled the air. People like me beat the mat into submission whereas others like Collette made it an extension of their body. Everywhere she touched, a flash of energy sparked,