Table of Contents

  Chapter One: The Secret

  Chapter Two: Older Sisters

  Chapter Three: Found It!

  Chapter Four: Prepare and Practice

  Chapter Five: Marvelous!

  Chapter Six: Two Weeks to Go

  Chapter Seven: Another Song

  Chapter Eight: Heart for Skating

  Chapter Nine: Lost Balance

  Chapter Ten: In the Zone

  About the Author

  About the Illustrator

  Glossary

  Famous Female Figure Skaters

  Discussion Questions

  Writing Prompts

  Other Books By Jake Maddox

  Internet Sites

  Copyright

  Back Cover

  Chapter One

  The Secret

  Standing by the rail of the skating rink, Maggie watched the skater on the ice.

  The skater moved with grace. She sailed across the ice effortlessly. One arm was raised in front of her body. Her other arm curled toward her back.

  She lifted her chin proudly, and a small smile tugged at her mouth.

  Maggie sighed. The skater was so perfect.

  Okay, so she was a few years older than Maggie. Two years, to be exact. She’d had two more years to perfect her style and movements. Maggie still had time to be as good as her sister.

  Still, Maggie couldn’t help but be jealous.

  “Your sister looks great out there,” Maggie’s best friend, Ellen, said.

  Maggie sighed. “Shannon always looks great,” she said.

  “You don’t sound very happy about that,” Ellen said.

  “I just wish she wasn’t so great, you know?” Maggie said quietly.

  Ellen nudged Maggie playfully on the shoulder. “Oh, come on. You’re a great skater too,” Ellen said, smiling.

  Maggie tried to smile back. “I never feel great when Shannon’s around,” she admitted.

  Ellen shook her head. “Don’t be silly,” she said. “You skate as well as Shannon. Your skating is just different.”

  Maggie turned to face Ellen. “Different? How?” she asked.

  “Well, your skating is more athletic,” Ellen explained. “Look. Watch Shannon.”

  Maggie turned back to the ice. Her sister had begun to speed around the rink, her arms waving behind her. The short skirt of her light-blue practice outfit looked like flower petals. She shifted slowly, and her skates turned around. Shannon continued to skate, but now she skated backward. She raised her arms over her head.

  “Okay, so?” Maggie asked Ellen. “What are you trying to show me?”

  “Well, if you were doing this routine, you would have leaped into a twirl or something fantastic by now,” Ellen explained. “Shannon is a great skater, but she just keeps skating straight.”

  “Does that make me a better skater?” Maggie asked.

  “It makes you a different skater,” Ellen said.

  Maggie rested her elbow on the rink’s rail. She propped her chin in her raised hand. “I don’t want to be different. I want to skate like that,” she said, looking at her sister.

  Maggie and Ellen continued to watch Shannon on the ice.

  Shannon skated a few more laps around the rink. She never stumbled or seemed unsure.

  Maggie admired her sister. She admired her sister’s talent and ability, and she admired how much Shannon loved skating. But she didn’t admire how Shannon always did better than she did during competitions.

  “The next competition is in three weeks, right?” Maggie asked.

  “Yep,” Ellen said. “I’ve been working with my coach on a great routine.”

  “That’s the problem,” Maggie said, sighing. “Shannon and I share a coach.”

  “So what?” Ellen asked.

  “So I don’t want Shannon to know what my routine is,” Maggie explained.

  “Then ask your coach not to tell her,” Ellen said.

  Maggie was silent. Then she said, “Maybe I’ll keep my routine a secret from both of them.”

  Chapter Two

  Older Sisters

  Later that day, Maggie sat on the purple rug in her room. She closed her eyes and listened to the music coming through her headphones. She tried to picture herself skating to the music.

  She didn’t notice when Shannon walked in. Shannon tapped her shoulder, and Maggie jumped.

  “What are you doing in my room?” Maggie asked.

  “I knocked, but you didn’t hear me,” Shannon said.

  “I was just listening to music,” Maggie told her.

  “Obviously. You’re listening pretty hard,” Shannon said.

  Maggie shrugged, trying to act like it was no big deal. “I’m just thinking,” she said.

  “Just thinking, huh?” Shannon said doubtfully. “I have the feeling you’re looking for a song for our next skating competition.”

  Maggie crossed her arms. “Maybe I am,” she said. “What are you skating to?”

  “I don’t know yet,” Shannon admitted. “I’m working on it with Coach Petrov. He keeps playing me stuff that I don’t like.”

  She flopped on Maggie’s bed. Leaning up on one elbow, Shannon looked down to where Maggie sat on the floor.

  Shannon said, “I do want to use a classical piece, though. I know the judges like classical music. And I know classical music shows off my skating.”

  Maggie shrugged again. “Yeah, I guess,” she said.

  “And I’m trying to move up from novice to junior, too,” Shannon went on.

  Maggie jerked her head up. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised. Shannon had been on the novice level for at least a year. At 15, she was definitely ready to move up to the junior level. That meant that Shannon would be leaving Maggie behind again.

  Maggie sighed. Shannon was definitely going to ace the junior level, just like she aced everything else. All that was left after that was the senior level. The best skaters in the world were seniors.

  Maggie turned around to look at her sister. “I’m sure you’ll find the perfect song,” she told Shannon. “And I’m sure you’ll make junior level, no problem.”

  Shannon sat up and smiled. She asked, “Do you really think so?”

  “Sure,” Maggie said. “You get everything else you try for, don’t you?”

  “Hardly!” Shannon said. She got up and added, “By the way, Mom said to tell you that dinner’s almost ready.” With a toss of her hair, she quickly strolled out the bedroom door.

  Maggie was usually happy being twelve years old. She didn’t mind being the younger sister.

  Right then, though, she wished she could be the older sister. Just once.

  Chapter Three

  Found It!

  The next day after school, Maggie, Ellen, and Shannon had ballet class. The class was for skaters to learn to move gracefully.

  The ballet instructor, Mrs. Harris, showed them how to wave their arms so they looked like tree limbs, blowing in the wind. She taught them how to hold their heads and how to stand up straight. She also taught them how to twirl and how to position their legs.

  Ballet classes were really hard. Maggie never felt free during ballet classes.

  When she was on the ice, she soared. She felt wonderful. The cool air from the rink blew across her face. It flowed through her curls. Moving her legs pushed her forward quickly. She loved every minute of being on the ice.

  Being stuck in the dance studio was awful. In dance class, Maggie’s body felt silly and lumpy. The black leotard clung to her body in weird ways. She always felt like a duck with two giant feet and not enough feathers.

  Mrs. Harris directed the girls to bend one leg and twirl across the dance floor. Shannon took the lead, and the rest of the class followed.

  “Smoother, Maggie!” Mrs. Harris called across the studio. “And stand up straight!”

  Maggie felt heat rush up her face. That was another reason why she and ballet classes did not go together. Mrs. Harris was always pointing out her mistakes.

  Maggie did what she was told. She straightened her shoulders. She held her head up high. She flung her arms out beside her.

  She spun and spun and spun and spun. Then she crashed right into Ellen.

  “Pay attention!” Mrs. Harris said. She clapped her hands twice.

  “Sorry,” Maggie whispered to Ellen.

  Ellen giggled. “It’s not a big deal,” she whispered back. “At least class is almost over.”

  “I know!” Maggie said. “I can’t wait.”

  After class, she and Shannon would head to the rink. There, they would skate for about an hour. Mr. Petrov would split his time between the two of them.

  Maggie always wished she had her own skating instructor, but she knew that good skating instructors were hard to find. The lessons cost a lot of money, too.

  Mr. Petrov was an excellent instructor. Maggie knew she was lucky to be his student.

  Finally, ballet class ended. Maggie walked over to her gym bag against the wall. She pulled out a purple sweat jacket and sweat pants and slipped them on. Then she walked from the studio with Ellen and Shannon.

  As they walked through the halls of the dance academy, they passed many rooms full of dancers. Music drifted through the doorways.

  In front of one room, a song came through the open doorway. Maggie stopped and looked in. The dancers inside were amazing. The music seemed to flow through them and into their bodies.

  As she watched the dancers, Maggie suddenly knew. She knew she’d found it.
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  This was her song.

  Chapter Four

  Prepare and Practice

  Maggie knew she had to be careful. She didn’t want Shannon to know what she was doing.

  “Um, I think I see someone I know,” Maggie said, thinking fast. “I’ll be right back.”

  Then she ducked into the ballet studio. She didn’t wait for Ellen or Shannon to reply.

  Quietly, Maggie walked around the edge of the room. She didn’t want to disturb the dancers. She just wanted the name of the song they were dancing to.

  “Excuse me,” Maggie said softly to the dance instructor. The instructor kept her gaze focused on her students, but she nodded slightly.

  “Could you tell me what this song is called?” Maggie asked quietly.

  The teacher continued to study the dancers. “It’s the Moonlight Sonata,” she said. “By Beethoven.”

  “Thank you!” Maggie whispered. She repeated the title in her mind. She didn’t want to write it down. She didn’t want Shannon to have any way of finding out the name of the song.

  She headed back to the hallway. “Who do you know in that class?” Shannon asked.

  Maggie shrugged. “I was wrong. It just looked like a friend of mine,” she said. Shannon frowned, but she didn’t ask any more questions.

  At the skating rink, Maggie enjoyed her hour on the ice. As she skated, the haunting melody of the Beethoven song glided through her mind. She began thinking about a routine to go with the song. She’d need to be able to hear the music for real. Then she could plan her skating routine.

  Soon, Shannon’s half hour with their coach, Mr. Petrov, was over. It was Maggie’s turn to work with the skating pro.

  “How are you doing today, Maggie?” Mr. Petrov asked as he walked up.

  “Oh, I’m fine!” Maggie said. And she meant it. She knew her song choice was perfect for her. The slow, gentle song would show off her graceful movements. She’d prove that she could be just as graceful as Shannon.

  “Have you picked out a song for your routine yet?” Mr. Petrov asked.

  Maggie hated to lie to her instructor, but she didn’t want Shannon to find out what her song was. “Not really,” Maggie answered. “I’d like to choose something soft, to show off my more graceful side.”

  “Graceful is good,” Mr. Petrov said, “but you are such a strong skater. Your music should be strong too.”

  Maggie frowned. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Are you saying I’m not graceful?”

  “Yes, you are graceful,” Mr. Petrov said. “You’re also very powerful. Your jumps are wonderful. I’d like to see you work on a combination of jumps.”

  “A combination? But isn’t that usually for the junior skaters?” Maggie asked, confused.

  Mr. Petrov nodded. “Yes, but I think you could be ready,” he told her.

  “But I’ve only been at the novice level for a few months,” Maggie said.

  “We can still prepare and practice,” Mr. Petrov said. He clapped his hands together and said, “Okay. Let’s see an Axel, followed by a double toe loop.”

  The Moonlight Sonata left Maggie’s head. She pushed off against the ice. She gained speed as she moved around the rink. She thought about the jumps Mr. Petrov had asked her to do.

  At the same time, she thought about her ballet class, and standing straight, and spinning on one foot. A thumping, grinding rhythm raced through her brain.

  She was ready.

  Leaping upward, Maggie moved her body into a twist. It felt great! She twirled into an Axel and landed easily. Leaping upward again, she tried the double toe loop.

  She completed the move. But when she landed on the ice, she knew right away that her footing was off.

  Instead of landing cleanly, her ankle buckled.

  Maggie closed her eyes as the ice flew toward her face.

  Chapter Five

  Marvelous!

  “Maggie!” Shannon yelled from across the rink.

  Maggie slowly sat up on the ice.

  “Maggie! Are you all right?” Mr. Petrov asked. He slid over the ice in his sneakers. He leaned down to help her up.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” Maggie said. “I’m not hurt.” She brushed off invisible pieces of ice from her legs.

  Her legs wobbled for a second as she stood up. How embarrassing! was all she could think.

  “I guess I’m not ready for the junior level after all,” Maggie said to her instructor.

  Shannon, walking up to the nearest rail, frowned. “The junior level?” she exclaimed. “But you just got to novice! Mr. Petrov, seriously, tell her she’s not ready for the junior level.”

  “Actually, I was the one who suggested it,” Mr. Petrov said.

  Shannon frowned and said, “Obviously, she’s not ready.”

  “Maybe not,” Mr. Petrov agreed. “But it doesn’t hurt to try.” He turned to Maggie. “Are you ready to skate?” he asked.

  Maggie nodded. She skated away from Shannon and Mr. Petrov.

  She shook her arms and rolled her head. She needed to shake off the feeling of falling. She’d fallen plenty of times while learning to skate.

  Falling was never fun. The only cure for falling was getting back up again.

  Maggie sped up as she skated around the rink. She pushed all thoughts of Shannon, Mr. Petrov, and falling from her mind. She focused only on moving her legs and soaring across the ice. She waved her arms gently behind her, like the wings of a bird.

  The melody of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata washed over her. She thought about watching her sister skate the day before.

  Spinning, Maggie began to skate backward. She lifted her arms above her head, just as Shannon had done. She tried to use her arms and hands with grace, like her ballet instructor had shown her.

  Still skating backward, Maggie suddenly wanted to jump. She wanted to leap up and twist through the air. She couldn’t just skate. She had to do something else.

  She threw her body upward. She brought her arms in. She spun tightly in mid-air. Then she landed on the ice, her arms once again outstretched.

  “Marvelous, Maggie!” shouted Petrov. “Just marvelous!”

  For once, Maggie had to agree with him.

  Chapter Six

  Two Weeks to Go

  A few days later, Ellen and Maggie walked out of the rink together after skating practice. “Come on, let’s go to the mall or something,” Ellen said. “You’ve been practicing so much.”

  “I can’t,” Maggie said. “I have to practice more after dinner. And I still have to finish up that social studies project.”

  “The competition is two weeks away,” Ellen said. “You have plenty of time to practice.”

  Maggie hadn’t told anyone that she was practicing two different routines. She worked on one with Mr. Petrov.

  That routine was safe. She could skate it in her sleep. It had the right amount of jumps and spins for her level. The routine would earn her a good score in the competition.

  Maggie wanted more than good. She wanted amazing. She wanted to outshine all the other skaters. So she had talked her parents into letting her skate one more hour every night.

  Every night, alone at the rink, she listened to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Only then, she skated the routine she would show to the judges.

  “Come on, you can take one night off,” Ellen said.

  “Sorry, I just can’t,” Maggie told Ellen.

  “Okay,” Ellen said sadly. “Maybe another time.”

  “See you tomorrow,” Maggie said. She hurried home. She quickly finished her homework. Then she ate a light dinner with her family.

  She couldn’t wait to get back on the ice. She couldn’t wait to finally practice her real routine.

  “I think I’ll go with you tonight,” Shannon said after dinner. She stood at the kitchen sink. She rinsed off her plate and put it in the dishwasher.

  Maggie brought her own plate to the sink. “Why would you want to do that?” she asked nervously. “You don’t need extra practice.”

  Shannon shrugged. “I’m not doing anything tonight. And I can always use extra practice,” she said.

  Maggie gritted her teeth. How could she keep her routine a secret if Shannon went with her?

 

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