The Favorites
by Layne Fargo
Contents
Chapter 33
Overview
Katarina watches Bella and Heath skate Sheila Lin and Kirk Lockwood’s iconic Cleopatra program and realizes they execute it perfectly. The performance is devastating because it embodies everything Katarina once wanted with Heath. When Heath changes the famous ending and kisses Bella on the ice, the moment becomes a public declaration of their connection and sharpens the emotional stakes of the rivalry.
Summary
Katarina watches Bella and Heath perform the program she has imagined skating herself, in Sheila Lin’s costume and in Heath’s arms. Because Katarina knows every step, gesture, and musical cue, Katarina expects to notice any weakness immediately.
Instead, Bella and Heath skate flawlessly. Bella moves with complete control and sensual precision, while Heath matches her so closely that their chemistry feels undeniable. To Katarina, the performance reproduces Sheila Lin and Kirk Lockwood’s famous version almost exactly, which makes the routine feel both technically exact and emotionally painful to watch.
At the finish, Bella and Heath drop to the ice in the same death pose as the original program. Katarina expects the familiar ending, with Heath dying first and Bella following in his arms. Heath breaks that script by staying present, cradling Bella’s face, and kissing Bella, turning the tribute into a provocative new ending and deepening Katarina’s jealousy and sense of loss.
Who Appears
- KatarinaNarrator who watches the performance, compares it to her own fantasies, and feels intense jealousy.
- HeathBella’s partner; skates the routine perfectly and changes the ending by kissing Bella.
- BellaSkates Sheila’s Cleopatra program with precision and sensuality, intensifying Katarina’s anguish.
- Sheila LinLegendary skater whose original Cleopatra program Bella and Heath closely recreate.
- Kirk LockwoodSheila’s former partner; his original performance is the standard Bella and Heath echo.