Could this day possibly get any worse? 

First I get third in my competition, then Nik tries to beat up the person who's trying to help me the most and now my entire team and family is standing in front of me looking like they want some kind of explanation.

"Sasha, what's going on?" Dad asks in a cool voice. 

I look at Nik pressing Nate into the wall, Kate and Johnathan's shocked faces and a guilty Alex, standing just feet away. I don't know what to say or how to explain any of this.

"I asked you a question." He says more loudly. "What is he doing here?" He asks pointing at Nate who looks like he could pass-out from the fear. 

"Nothing." I answer shaking my head. "No, nothing. I ran into Nate in the hallway and he wanted to congratulate me on my-"

"You got third." He says in a curt tone, rubbing salt in my fresh wounds. "There's nothing to congratulate here. I suggest you go home Nate." Nik finally lets him come off the wall and he looks conflicted as to whether to stay or go.

"Leave." Nik hisses through his teeth.

Nate gives me a look that makes me too sad to think. All I want is to run into his arms, have him drive me away from this arena and never go back.

"Don't waste your time Nate. You won't be dating my daughter, she's not worth your time and quite frankly I'm not sure she's worth mine today." I feel my heart shatter into a million pieces hearing him say that. "Go date a pretty girl instead, perhaps one with more braincells than Sasha, hmm?" Nate gives me a conflicted look and I just feel like screaming at him to get out before this gets out of control. He sighs and looks at me again and then looks at my dad.

"I think your daughter's beautiful." He says bravely. "She's wonderful and tearing her down doesn't change anything." He takes a deep breath, then walks away and waves at me before he disappears out of sight.

"Don't look so flattered." Dad says crossing his arms. "You think Nate is going to change anything? First thing on Monday you won't be at school anymore, you'll be training."

"You can't-"

"I can!" Dad yells. "I will! Clearly school has distracted you and made you weak. Nathan Carter?" He asks in a disapproving tone. "I knew you were pathetic, I didn't realize you were stupid too."

"You're not pulling me from school!" I say angrily and his face changes from mocking to full on rage. 

"You will not tell me what I will do or not do!" He says. "Third place skaters don't get a say. We'll discuss this at home, get dressed!" He says and storms off down the hall. I stand in the hall feeling overwhelmed. I don't know if he's ever been that harsh with me.

"Sasha what are you doing with that idiot?" Nik asks and I look at him.

"Are you kidding me right now?" I ask feeling purely angry. "I expect that from him....not from you." I say shaking my head. "You know Nik, you're one of the only people I trust. I come to you because I always feel like I can count on you. Or at least I used to feel like that. I didn't realize you'd only support me when what I was doing lined up with your personal agenda." I spit crossing my arms.

"You don't even know what's going on, you don't know shit!" I tell him feeling more angry now. "Don't speak for me." I tell him and walk into the dressing room to grab my things. I pack up and give Kate a hug. She really squeezes me and tells me everything will be alright. Kate was always like an older sister.

I leave without checking to see if anyone's following me. I walk up to our car open the trunk and toss my things in it, sliding into the backseat. 

"You think just because you sit back there everything is fine?" He asks in a menacing tone and I don't answer, I just watch as Alex slides in next to me and Nik gets in the front seat. Dad pulls out of the lot and I put in my headphones to listen to music.

"Take those out Sasha!" Dad yells. "Give it to me."

"No." I say and shrug my shoulders.

"Sasha Elena Petrov, give it to me!"

"No! Not so you can yell at me the whole way home!" I say feeling my anger starting to boil over.

"I pay for your phone! Give it to me!" He says and reaches into the back seat. "Privileges are for winners."

"I'm not giving it to you. It's all yours when we get home, but given the way your not watching the road I don't know if we'll even get there!" Pure rage comes over his face and he starts yelling in Russian. That I'm a disappointment, and a few other choice words. I don't listen, I just turn up the volume and pretend I'm alone all the way home. 

The second we're there I get my things out of the trunk and walk straight into the house. I don't wait, I put it into the storage closet and walk to the kitchen to see mom making dinner.

"Hi Sasha, how was-"

"Sasha!" I hear dad scream and I roll my eyes.

"This one went really well mom!" I say sarcastically and she sighs.

"Give me your phone!" He yells and I take it out of my pocket and put it on the island in the kitchen. I deleted all of my texts and the call log of mine and Nate's calls. I logged out of all my social media and changed Nate's name to 'Micheal'. He won't have any proof.

"Fine." I say shrugging my shoulders. I didn't even feel sad, or scared, I just feel angry. 

"You aren't allowed out this week." He says and I nod crossing my arms.

"I expected as much." I tell him and he almost looks more angry that I'm not fighting with him.

"And-"

"And what?" I ask incredulously. "What else is there? I don't have any privileges as is!"

"What has gotten into you?" He asks sounding incredibly offended. "First you disrespect me at the rink-"

"You disrespected me!" I defend. "You disrespect me all the time!"

"You earn respect Sasha!"

"Oh yeah? And what have you done to earn my respect huh?" I ask as the rest of my family watches world-war-three going down from the other side of the kitchen.

"I gave you life!" He says and I snort.

"Mom's the one who gave birth to me!" I yell back in defence. "You didn't exactly raise me either."

"You watch yourself." He says angrily and I roll my eyes.

"Or what?" I scream. "What are you going to do? It's over dad, I didn't place. No Olympics!"

"I'll find you another sectionals to compete in." He says angrily. "You're not done until I say you're done."

"I think I am." I tell him with a small head nod. "You're not going to force me to do this anymore dad. I did my best and you refused to let me do it my way which would have won me the competition today!"

"I did what was right-"

"No! You wanted to be right! You don't want what's best for me, you want to control everything! No other skater on this planet has a parent as their coach! No other skater has their parent coordinating their routines! You're a control freak and you're forcing me to walk the same path you did because you couldn't make it happen, and because you pushed them so hard that they broke!" I yell gesturing to Alex and Nik.

"Enough of this!" He yells and I feel my anger and rage over this getting out of control. I can't keep this stuff in anymore. I have nothing to lose.

"No I want to talk about everything!" I scream back. "I am not a little girl you can push around anymore! I let you lead me blindly because you were my dad and I always thought you knew best. I thought I could count on you to do what was right for me and stick by me because I was your daughter. But you used me. I'm not even your daughter anymore, I'm your skater. You only seem to want your children for figure skating and as soon as you push them so hard they quit, you just move onto the next one! Tell me? Who's left after me?"

"You are a little girl! I can hear it in the way you whine, you pretend everything is the end of the world!" He sneers and I shake my head.

"Pushing your daughter so hard at rehearsal that she's crying in the shower at night, is a big deal. Putting your nine-year-old child on a diet where you weighed me everyday, is a big deal. Not speaking to or having a relationship with two of your three children, is a big deal."

"Don't tell me how to parent!" He yells angrily and slaps his hand down on the counter in the kitchen.

"Well somebody should." I tell him crossing my arms. "We're all fucked up now thanks to you. Especially me, I didn't have a childhood and I don't get to be a teenager. Everyone makes fun of me at school for my skating!"

"You didn't tell me this?" He asks angrily and I actually start laughing.

"Why would I?" I ask narrowing my eyes. "You don't even let me talk to you about my practices!"

"Because practicing is something I know!" He screams and I roll my eyes.

"Uh-huh? Then why did I lose?" I ask putting my hands on my hips.

"Because you're-"

"And don't feed me your bullshit about how I'm unmotivated or not focused. You know damn well I bust my butt every single week on that rink!"

"Maybe you're just not that talented!" He yells and I ball up my fists. "Maybe you're not as good as you think you are."

"Well why would I think that when I have you reminding me how awful I am all the time?!" I ask and he huffs.

"Sasha, you stop this right now! Starting Monday we'll be at the rink from dawn until dusk!"

"Why?" I ask shaking my head. "There's absolutely no point. I'm going to school on Monday."

"You're done with school." He says it once like the decision's been made and there's no arguing.

"I'm not done with school and you're not going to make me give it up because you have a distaste for the friend that I've made." 

"So this is all about Nathan Carter is it?" He asks and I nod.

"Yes it is." I tell him. "He's the one who helped me land my triple axel. Not you."

"It's a shame you won't see him again then hmm?" He asks in a patronizing tone and I huff.

"Don't you get it? You're not going to tell me what I'm allowed to do anymore! I'm done being your show dog and I'm through with you living your dreams through me! I don't want someone who doesn't believe in me, who refuses to let me become independent. Because if I'm doing fine without you, then you don't have a part in this anymore. I won't need you and you can't have that!

"At least Nik and Alex had the decency to quit before me. Maybe they knew what they were doing. Maybe you're right, maybe I'm just a dumb stupid little girl who doesn't know any better. But I'm tired of failing so you can have your ego stroked! You make me hate my life, you make me wish I wasn't a figure skater, you ruin everything that I love because you're selfish and small-minded! You have everyone in this house afraid of you and that's how you like it!" 

He marches towards me and raises his hand. He smacks me so hard I fall to the ground and I hit my forehead on the bar stool on the way down. I didn't even have the chance to react.

"Come on tough girl, stand up. Tell me what else you think of me." He snarls and I move away and then stand up feeling tears well up in my eyes. "Pathetic."

"I'm not pathetic." I insist. "I am talented, and smart. I'm beautiful and you're not going to do this to me anymore."

I walk out of the kitchen and go upstairs getting a large duffel bag and I start filling it with clothes, toiletries, even my Nate scrapbook. I grab my backpack and put my school stuff into it and then I walk downstairs putting my shoes on and then my jacket.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dad yells marching over to me.

"Anywhere but here." I tell him. "You've lost your mind, this is figure skating. Get a grip." I say shaking my head and I open the door. "I quit."