Two and a Half Rotations Anonymous

Darkness permeates the early hours of a weekday morning as sleep wraps a blanket around New York City. The beaming moonlight penetrates the nighttime sky but steadily loses its strength as the first flickers of light appear. The color of the sky morphs from a royal blue to a golden orange against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.

At 4:59 AM, I am sleeping along with eight million other people. At 5:00, a shrill alarm clock sharply cuts through the atmosphere, coaxing me to open my languid eyelids. “Just 10 more minutes of sleep, then I will go skating,” I reassure myself. I figure skate both before school and after school. Although every inch of my body protests against abandoning my warm bed, I push the covers away, and winter’s brisk air slaps my chilly bones. After packing my school bag, I leave for the ice rink.

A shiver runs through my spine when I first step onto the glassy ice. Invigorating winds flow around the ends of my ponytail as I glide along the rink. After warming up, I discover that the invisible icicles clinging on to me have melted, and I start jumping. Bend your knees, look forward, align your body, increase your speed, and spring up. Defying the laws of gravity, I cross my arms tightly to my chest and...