2005

4 year old Ariana walked with her mother into the skating rink in a homemade skating outfit and skates. Her mother steps onto the ice with sneakers as she holds her daughters hand. And searchs for the coach. They watch as Yakov Feltsman yells at the 9 year old kids to hurry up and skate. Lucy puffs out the smoke from her cigarette as she tried to size up Yakov.

"Yakov! Lucy Ivanov. I spoke with you on the phone."

Yakov looks up and sighs as he skated over.

"Mrs. Ivanov-"

"Lucy. It's Lucy."

"Sorry. There's no smoking on the ice." Yakov said as Lucy pulled out her cigarette and rolled he eyes.

"Oh...I'll smoke it quietly then." Lucy said sarcastically as she pulled on Ariana's hand so shed step forward.

"This here is my daughter Ariana."

"Mrs. Ivanov, I told you on-"

"I know what you told me. And it's Lucy. Only you've never seen her skate."

"I don't train beginners."

"All she does is talk about skating. All day, all night. I can't make her shut up about it. So it's easier puttin' her on ice, if you know what I mean. We figure with the right training she can make the most of her gift. Like Ice Capades maybe one day or something."

Yakov looks down at Ariana before looking back up at Lucy.

"How old is she?"

"She's a soft 4."

"She's a very pretty girl, but I don't take on students this young. I'm sorry. I have a class waiting." He said as he skated off and yelled at his class.

Ariana watched her go as Lucy stared daggers into Yakov's head. She then looks down at Ariana and nods purposely.

"Go on. Skate."

Ariana let's go of her mother's hand and skates around the perimeter as she looks at Yakov as she picks up speed. Yakov tries to ignore the little girl skating around, but Yakov just can't take his eyes off the little girl, she practically screams potential! Finally, stops teaching his class as a rare soft smile is placed on his lips.

4 years later

An 8 year old Ariana skates in her black leggings and white tank top as her mother sips her coffee, watching her.

"Wrong!....Ordinary. Nothing special there."

Ariana sighs as she tried her best to skate but faltered.

"Are you even trying. Cause there's other places I'd fucking rather be...Concentrate. is that what you call a clean skate, for christ sake?"

Ariana only roles her eyes as she tries again.

"Could you not swear in front of the kids, Lucy?" A mother asked.

"I didn't swear you cunt." Lucy said as she watched saw Ariana talking with a red headed girl.

"I'm Mila, by the way."

"Ariana." Ariana said as she shook Mila's hand, smiling.

"Stop talking to her! That girl is your enemy. You're not here to make friends."

Mila gave her a questioning look as she sighed, but the two skated toward the exit as Lucy jumps up.

"Where the hell are you going?"

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"Don't tell me what you have to do. I paided for you to skate. You're gonna stay on the ice and skate."

Mila frowns at Lucy as she gives Ariana a sad smile before walking to the bathroom as Ariana looks at the bathroom.

"Get over here." Lucy said as Ariana recognized the look and skated backwards, away from her mother.

"You'll have to come off the ice sometime. Ya hear me? I'll be right here waiting."

Ariana knows that it's true so she puts her attention on the ice as she jumps and spins in the air perfectly. She smiles as she lands it. But she stops when she feels something wet go down her leg, only realizing that she peed herself. She looks up at her mother, who glares at her, with her arms crossed across her chest.

"Skate wet."

In the bathroom Lucy hits Ariana with a hairbrush.

"Fucking terrible, scum sucking, loser!" She yelled as Ariana held her hands up. And just the  a female judge walks in. And Lucy looks up.

"A child sometimes wants to be corrected."

Lucy kicks the chair from under Ariana and causes her to fall.

"Answer me when I talk to you."

Through the cars back window you can see as Lucy slaps Ariana right across the face.

4 years later

Ariana skated around the rink and a certain blonde boy catches her attention. One of the new additions to Yakov's team. Yuri Plisetsky. He was good, Ariana would admit. She looks at her mom, and wants to impress her, so she skates fast and jumps into the air, spinning three times before she landed. She looks up smiling, seeing if her mother saw, but her mom wasn't even paying attention. She sighed as she looked down, but she did however, catch Yuri Plisetsky's attention.

"What does she need a fucking fur coat for? I don't have a fucking fur coat."

"Because, it's not just skating. The judges want figure skaters to be-"

"Rich, prissy, a-holes-"

"Well rounded. It's a question of fitting in."

"She's 12 and she lands triples. She doesn't fit in, she stands out."

"She stands out because she looks like she chops wood every morning." Yakov growled as he looked at Ariana's homemade outfit.

"She does chop wood every...?"

"Lucy. You want to work with me a little. 5 skaters I train, I know it's a small group, but their all brats. So I can't train Ariana full time."

"And I waitress full time to pay for your coaching."

"Yes, but she's not my kid."

"No, she's mine. And I'm not throwing my money away so she can fit in with these little shits. You can dress up a pig however you want, ya know what I'm saying?"

"It's not about fitting in. It's about how she's growing up."

"Lick my ass, Yakov. She can do fucking triples." Lucy said as Yakov sighed and walked away. While Ariana continued to do triples, only to bump into a hotheaded blonde.

"Watch it!" He growled.

"Sorry, Yuri." Ariana said as she bowed and skated away. Yuri scoffed as he watched her skate and jump, doing another triple, but landed badly.

"The hell was that!"

Yuri watched as Ariana's mother yelled at her, Ariana sighs as she skated away from her angry mother.

"Hag." Yuri mumbled under his breath.

Ariana skated until she heard Mila.

"Ari! Over here!"

Ariana looked to see if her mother was paying attention before skating over towards Mila, she may be three years older, but the two got along.

"Hey, Mi."

"You're killing those triples! Nice job." Mila said as she smiled.

"I could do better." Yuri said as he skated up to the two girls.

"Oh hush, Yuri. You're just jelous."

Yuri growled as he glared at Mila, causing Ariana to giggle.

"I'm paying you to skate, not talk!" They all turned to see Lucy Ivanov. Ariana sighed as she looked at her mother.

"Get to it already! Don't make me fucking repeat myself, Ari!"

Ariana gave Mila and Yuri a sad smile before she skated away from the two.

"Man she's a drag." Mila said.

"She's annoying." Yuri mumbled.

"You haven't even seen the worse of it." Mila said.

~ Ivanov house hold ~

Peter, Ariana's father, walks out of the front door as Lucy follows after him yelling.

"Go on! Get out! I'd thought you'd never leave!"

Ariana stands next to her dad by his packed car.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as she looked down.

"It's not your fault, Ari."

"Then take me with you." Ariana begged.

"I'm gonna be working 12 hour night shifts. I can't look after you."

"You could if you want to."

He got into the car and started it up. But Ariana holds onto his arm, not letting go.

"We'll talk on the phone. It'll all work out." Peter said as she continued to hold his arm, "You gotta move now, honey." As Ariana takes his hand and pats her head with it.

"Ari, please." He said as he pushed her back and closed the door, Ariana stared at him dumbfounded.

"You're not gonna leave me here..." Ariana cried as he stared ahead.

"Dad...?" She asked as he drove off, with her running after him.

"Take me with you!" Ariana cried as she fell to her knees in the middle of the road as he dad disappeared from her sight. Lucy watches silently as she walked back inside and closed the door.