Cosimas Lounge

Hello my dear friends :)

As I promised I want to fill this site with more english stuff for you to enjoy and here it is - I start posting my very first novel ever which was a so-called fanfiction :) Please have mercy when some english words or phrases seem a little odd but keep in mind please that it's not my native language as a German girl ;)

Before you can enjoy I have to say that this is a fanFICTION which means none of the events took place and all the famous skaters are only in it because of my huge admiration for their work and my love for this sport :) I want to take the opportunity to thank them all for the incredible inspiration that made me start writing at all & also a huge thank you for Billy Joels wonderful song that influenced me in writing this down, too :)

And here it goes, please enjoy part 1 of my fanfiction "Just the way you are", any feedback and comments or sharing welcome :)

Just the way you are

Sasha Ansbach sat on the couch in her appartment. She read her favorite-book. A young girl meets her figure skating-idol by chance and after some dramatic turns her dream comes true and they find to each other. She must have read the book already at least 1000 times, but she always had to cry at the same points.

Despite all, it was only a story.

Completely made up.

And even if Sasha loved to dive into her little dream-world, so she was sufficiently realistic to know that something similar never happens in the real life.

At least in her life.

Sasha was a rather quiet, sensitive type, that retreated quickly into her shell, if she felt treated unjustly or offended. Whoever didn't know her usually took her this attitude for arrogance. She didn't let many people close to herself. This had 2 reasons. First, the death of the grandmother, that she experienced with 15 years skin-near, had shaped her. She had loved her grandmother, she still loved her. She often missed her and if everything around her lay in shards once again, Sasha often thought of her and cried. She had had a wonderful childhood. Despite the alleged „blemish “, that some dull people and gossip-aunts around her, felt as such: she had had no father, was reared by her mother and her grandmother. Both had formed Sasha with much love and hug-heat to the human being, that she was now. She was infinitely grateful to both, her Mom Linda and her grandmother Agnes for that,...even if she sometimes could not show this. The other reason for her introversion was her look, which not corresponded to her ideas from beautiful. She was too small for her weight, expressed nicely. There were admittedly days, of which she thought,: hey, you look not so badly at all....but these days were rare. And so 2 sad green-brown eyes usually looked at her in an actually lovable face in her mirror.

Sasha shut her book and looked at the clock. It was short before 2 pm. In half an hour, she wanted to meet with her Mom. In the Saddle Dome in Calgary.

After her grandmother was dead, Sasha had emigrated with her Mom to Canada. That was now 14 years ago already. In Germany, her mother had already been a sought-after figure skating-trainer. When the offer to coach new figure skating-talents in Calgary lay after Agnes ' death on the table, she agreed, because there were no further relatives or other obligations which bound them on Germany, they had the freedom to do this step.

And they had not regretted it so far.

The life in Calgary was simply fantastic.

The surroundings.

The people.

Well, one must first win the by nature rather introverted Canadian with much patience for oneself. If one has managed this, one has found a friend for life.

It was, in short, a quite new life-feeling in this country, which had turned in short time into a second home for them.

Furthermore it entails some conveniences if you have a figure skating-trainer as mother.

Sasha had got to know many stars personally in the course of the time. First through shows and championships to which she, thanks to her Mom, always had backstage-passes and second through the fact, that she spent the biggest part of her leisure time with watching her mother when she’s coaching.

So she had got to know the Swiss Stephane Lambiel for example.

After he was deceived by the jury-mafia at the European Championships in Lausanne 2002 about a bronze -, or even silver-medal, he had placed all hopes into the Olympic winter-games in Salt Lake City and the Worlds in Nagano. However he could not repeat his outstanding performance of Lausanne especially since the biggest part of the already known world-elite was present at both competitons.

Sasha regretted all that even more, because as an only 16-year old one he had skated in Lausanne the free program of his previous life and was not rewarded for it.

In the end, a for his circumstances flawful Alexei Yagudin made it to the very top, followed by a Alexander Abt who had normally earned after an outstanding performance instead of Yagudin gold and on the third place ranked a middle-splendid Brian Joubert.

Sasha couldn’t understand the world at that time.

Had all the judges been blind?

Had no one discovered the unbelievable potential, that was in this young skater?

Yes.

One person had discovered it.

And that was Sashas Mom Linda.

After the debacle in Lausanne, the disappointing winter-games and the WM, Stephane had called Linda personally. She requested 2 days of time to consider. Her telephone rang in the evening of the second day. Stephane called once again.

And Linda agreed.

Admitted, the agreement took place for 2 reasons: Firstly, Sasha had bothered Linda permanently in these 2 days:“You MUST coach him, he’ll be great someday, I can feel it!“, and secondly Linda had of course also noticed at the first sight that she held an uncut diamond in the hands, waiting only for the right cut.

And so he stood with Linda on the ice 1 day later and trained.

He trained for his 1. European Champion-title.

At that time, Sasha was in the Saddle Dome more often than otherwise, because it was something special to see how an uncut diamond turns into a jewel.

And this young Swiss fascinated her with his skills.

He was the pirouette-king without a crown.

His „Cirque you soleil “-program was the sweetest she had ever seen.

How he imitated a tightrope walker on the ice....it simply had an irresistible charm.

Just like Stephane himself.

But despite intensive flirting from his side, he was more like a little brother for Sasha even if this didn't always please him.

From the first day of his stay in Calgary on, they had got along very well with each other.

Stephane and Sasha became friends quickly.

Very good friends.

And if Stephane could have decided, maybe even more would have been able to become of them. But Sasha had taught him gently that this would never happen. After all, she was almost 10 years older.

So they had agreed to be the very best friends and always be there for the other if there were difficulties.

But sometimes „forgot “Stephane this „agreement “and spread a charm, that she could hardly escape. But Sasha couldn’t take offence at him and sometimes enjoyed it even.

Last year, at the Euros 2004, Stephane had asked Sasha to come to the competition as his personal lucky charm.

She had traveled with her Mom often to competitions, but a skater, that Linda trained, had never asked her whether she would like to be as his talisman.

Usually, they were much too excited to think of something like that.

Apart from it, Sasha would also have refused since she couldn’t and don’t wanted to take so much responsibility.

But when Stephane wore his „please-please-please!“- gaze, not even Sasha could refuse him something. Furthermore she knew how much it meant to him to know her at his side, on the maybe most decisive day of his career, the possible 1. European Champion-title of Stephane Lambiel from Switzerland.

He had worked 2 years very hard and Linda had supported and demanded him after best strengths.

And the work had paid off. He had already climbed the top clearly in the short-program. Alexei Yagudin had landed chance-loosely after 2 falls on place 4, Plushenko had canceled due to an injury.

Then, the free program came.

Sasha stood trembling at the edge, not far away from the Kiss & Cry-Area.

It was a question of all or nothing.

Her hands hurt from keeping her fingers crossed and from the cold, but Sasha hardly noticed it.

She concentrated on Stephane, who left again the whole skater-elite far behind him.

Never previously, his jumps had landed so dreamily safely.

Never previously his program was so full of emotion and power of expression.

Never previously, his pirouettes were so breathtaking.

When he had finished his program, he earned standing ovations for minutes. The public celebrated its new European Champion. Tears of joy ran over Sashas face. Also Stephane couldn’t believe his luck and had let his feelings out. The whole hard work, the intensive training, how much blood, sweat and tears he had invested into his big goal, it hadn’t been in vain.

He knew whom he had to owe this. To the biggest part of course Linda, from whose experience and professionality he had profited enormously. She had made him to that which he was now, European Champion 2004.

But he had also another person to owe this.

Sasha.

Even if she had clarified from the beginning that both would never become lovers, she was always there for him if he needed her the most.

She was it, that comforted him, if something had went wrong in the training and not so as he had thought it.

She cheered him up again if there was a dispute with Linda.

She encouraged him again and again not to resign so shortly before the first big goal in his life.

In the Kiss & Cry-Area they fell each other crying into the arms. Tears of the joy ran also over Lindas face. She was so proud of Stephane.

They waited for the marks.

Yeaaaaah, already in the artistry marks 4-times 6.0...this could outbid no one.

And the marks for presentation.....

Aaaaaaaaah, 6-times 6.0!!!

Now, it was official.

The European Champion 2004 was Stephane Lambiel from Switzerland!

That was almost 1 year ago.

Despite many lucrative offers, to shift into the pro-camp and to skate in shows, Stephane stayed with Linda. And with Sasha. He knew, what he had to owe both, and wouldn’t forget this for no money of the world.

Also not, as Alexei Yagudin snatched away the certainly believed gold-medal before the nose from him at the Worlds 2004 in Dortmund.

Sasha was once more of the solid conviction that things had not been right.

Yagudin had slipped up the triple Salchow and with the quadruple Toeloop he had also to do magic badly in order not to kiss the ice.

But Stephane had shown a flawless program again.

No shaking, no slipping, nothing.

But he didn't complain.

He was pleased like a snow-king about the vice-title.

He had asked Sasha again to come along, and that she had agreed again, that was the most important for him.

This time, he was the one who had to comfort Sasha. She had hoped so much that he makes it. To see him robbed of the victory again, hurt her.

She was pleased of course also about the vice-title, no question, even if he wouldn’t have made it to rank in the first 3 places, this would have altered nothing between them.

No, something else depressed her.

As they were out of the gaze - and hearing-field of cameras and microphones, Stephane asked Sasha what’s wrong.

Sasha: You see, that’s what you get from taking your „lucky charm “everywhere! I have failed!

As a result, he first dried the tears, that still ran over her cheeks, took her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

Stephane: Cheri, I never want to hear something similarly stupid again! You have already brought me so much luck! Would I be an European Champion without you? Probably hardly! And if I wouldn’t have had you at my side today, I wouldn’t have become even vice-World-Champion! You know exactly how much it means to me to know you in my proximity! Therefore, I want NEVER to hear such nonsense from you again, Sasha! D'accord?

He called Sasha only by her first name if something was very serious for him. She felt that it was very important for him to know that she does well and she hadn’t to blame herself for anything.

She was very gratefully for him for this affectionate gesture and kissed him on the cheek.

Next year, Stephane, next year no one can stand in your way to the very top, she thought.