<div class="floatleft">(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e6/05/55/e6055559955e456a723460dbb7ad8ac8.jpg)</div><br/>It happened in a heartbeat.<br/><br/>The lights. The crowd. The music. The judges.<br/><br/>The judges.<br/><br/>Right in front of the judges.<br/><br/>Her foot came out of nowhere, just for a split second. Enough to catch Olivia's foot and send her to the floor despite her partner's best efforts to catch her.<br/><br/>Right in front of the judges.<br/><br/>Why did it have to happen<em>right in front of the judges</em>?? She knew perfectly well why. Bella Branson and Max Williams had been a constant thorn in their sides. It was always the two couples fighting for first place. Every competition. Every showcase. Every charity event, they were there. No one had noticed the actual, purposeful trip except her partner Ben, and no one believed them. They had come in last place, throwing off their entire score and losing them the championship.<br/><br/>That had been two years ago. Neither Olivia nor Ben had been able to let it go. The rivalry had only grown, bringing snide remarks and jibes from each couple. Ben went out of his way to criticise and antagonise the other pair, and Bella and her partner seemed bent on the same until it was well known how much the two couples despised each other.<br/><br/>Everyone knew Olivia Greyson and Benjamin Starling were lifelong enemies of Isabella Branson and Max Williams and there was no repairing that.<br/><br/>Ever.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>"YOU<em>WHAT</em>!?" Olivia screeched into the phone. "WHY THE<em>BLOODY HELL</em>WERE YOU<em>SKYDIVING</em>IN THE FIRST PLACE!?"<br/><br/>"Liv, calm down. It won't-"<br/><br/>"CALM DOWN!? DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! YOU BROKE YOUR PELVIS THREE MONTHS BEFORE NATIONALS AND YOU'RE TELLING ME TO<em>CALM DOWN</em>!?"<br/><br/>"Thanks for the sympathy," he muttered.<br/><br/>"Ooooh no! You get sympathy for car accidents. Slipping on ice. Falling down the stairs. NOT WILLINGLY JUMPING OUT OF A BLOODY AEROPLANE!" She sank down onto her couch and hung her head with the phone pressed to her ear, battling tears. "How could you do this?" she whimpered, finally running out of breath and strength.<br/><br/>"I'm sorry, Liv. Cory dared me to go with him and I..." he trailed off. There really was no excuse. He knew how important this was to her. They were positioned to be top contenders, and there had been a vague rumour that Williams and Branson would not be there. It was most likely false, but there had been that tiny shred of hope in his partner's heart that they would finally beat the other couple. The hope that they could make up for being cheated out of their first place prize. The hope that maybe, just maybe, they could show the world what they were together.<br/><br/>And that was gone now. At least for the foreseeable future.<br/><br/>"I'm sorry, Liv," he repeated.<br/><br/>She sniffed softly and wiped her cheeks before speaking in a tiny voice. "I know." For a moment, she simply sat there in silence, then finally hung up without another word. There were no words in the world to describe her pain and disappointment. Everything was gone. Years and years of agony, money, and training down the drain.<br/><br/>It was all over.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>"Come on, Olivia. He was a good match! What did you not like about that one?"<br/><br/>Olivia flopped on the floor and began unbuckling her shoes. "He sweats too much."<br/><br/>Her coach, Pyotr Sidorov could not help rolling his eyes. "He was your last chance, Olivia. There are no more unpartnered men at your level. There is no way you can hope to make Nationals if you do not choose one of them and start working right now."<br/><br/>She lay back on the floor and stared up at the ceiling, once again fighting tears.<br/><br/>Pyotr let her stay like that for several minutes before speaking again. His tone was soft, cautious, thoughtful, but firm. "There is one other. A top competitor. A real opportunity. I will make arrangements if you promise me you will work with him. No more finding fault. No more stupid excuses. He is your ticket to Nationals. There is no other."<br/><br/>"Who?" she mumbled.<br/><br/>"You promise. Promise me now that you will accept this partnership no matter what, or you do not go to Nationals."<br/><br/>"Fine. I promise. Who is it?"<br/><br/>"I will go now and make arrangements."<br/><br/>He was avoiding her question. Olivia watched him go, vaguely trying to think of anyone else who might be available and good enough to have a hope of making Nationals, let alone winning it. There was no one she could think of.