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"Are you ready!!!" Madison yelled as she looked through the rearview mirror.
The response was a wide variety. Maddie whooped and almost jumped clear of the backseat; next to her, Olivia raised her camera and clicked the shutter; Gabriella reached over from the passenger seat and squeezed Madison's hand with an affirming nod.
The quartet, along with other skaters (who sadly were not available) had dubbed themselves the "Gadbois Gals", opposite their "Gadbois Lads". Currently, Madison sat behind the wheel of a small RV—perfect for a camping weekend up in the mountains. Initially, Madison planned to be the only one with a Class G license and the air brake endorsement, but the other women all decided to take the exams with her. Just in case.
This idea was inspired by Korean colleagues and ads they saw in Pyeongchang and Seoul during the Olympics—they had heard a lot about camping RVs and short, day-long camping trips, but never had the time. In the COVID years, camping became more popular in Korea, and Madison had seen many posts online. Now that lockdowns were lifted, the Gadbois Gals were finally doing the thing they had been talking about for weeks.
Madison was excited to spend more time with Gabriella, Olivia, and Maddie outside of the rink. They were funny and kind, and had facets to them than "figure skater". As much as some media tried to pit them against each other, Madison tried very hard to work past her natural competitive nature. She was getting too old to hate others, especially when they were all professionals doing their best.
As Madison pulled out of the parking lot and headed up the trail, the Friday afternoon sun accompanied them. Someone got a hold of the aux cord and queued up their playlist that they had collectively made throughout the week. There was a range of musical taste in this one playlist; doo-wop and blues (Maddie), beach pop and yacht pop (Olivia), swinging jazz and bebop (Gabriella), and upbeat punk rock (Madison).
Other than for music and picture-taking purposes, the four had made a pact to stay offline as much as possible. Their dance partners and romantic partners could survive without them for a weekend. Even though Adrián's pout was very cute, Madison knew he'd be fine. She knew that Gabriella was a frequent target of online hate—she saw the toll it took on her best friend. They both could stand to unplug for a bit.
The RV trundled and growled up the winding roads as the music played on. Madison checked into the women in the back periodically, apologizing for the bumps and the shakes. Yesterday, she had tested the trail with Gabriella by her side and had taken notes of challenging sections of road. But she hadn't considered extra weight into the equation. Now that the RV was weighed down with luggage and equipment, the back half was less prone to popping up, but the engine had to work harder to maintain speed. Thank goodness Olivia had the foresight to bring extra gas canisters.
Maddie had joked once that the four of them put together made one functioning person—and thank goodness for that. As far as planning for this trip was concerned, Olivia took charge of the camping gear and cleaning supplies, Maddie provided the furniture, Gabriella secured food and cooking materials, and Madison arranged the RV and camping location. While Gabriella had lived in Canada the longest out of the four of them, regulations and laws on this side of the pond confounded her. English was not her first language, and legal documents were confusing and tricky even for native speakers.
They reached the top of the large, wide hill. Everyone broke into gasps of wonder as Madison crested the peak. The view that unfurled before them looked like it had been ripped straight out of National Geographic issue. A strolling river meandered down the slope, flanked by large trees. Wildlife wove between the trunks and the branches. There wasn't a single human around except for them—perfect!
"Great work, Madi!" Maddie and Olivia cheered from the back. Gabriella patted her on the knee. Madison ducked her head.
Everyone disembarked and stood at the edge of the overlook. This spot was just gorgeous. The pictures Madison had seen online didn't do this place justice.
Behind them, Olivia pulled a tripod from the cargo hold. "Everyone smile in ten!" She set the timer and jumped into the shot next to Maddie. A couple poses later, they laughed at the candid shots. A lifetime of manicured looks and edited photos had turned Madison a little jaded. These days, she found satisfaction in the amateur, slapdash, homemade. She had some great memories at competitions in front of a crowd, but these simple, private moments with friends like this was what she held dear.
Gabriella's hand snuck into her own and squeezed tight once more. Madison didn't bring attention to it, but out of the corner of her eye she saw a genuine smile peek out from behind Gabriella's poker face. What a relief.
Maddie clapped her hands. "So, should we take a break, or get to unloading and setting up now?"
Gabriella glanced at the RV. There were contained loaded in the trunk, the side cargo holds, and strapped to the roof rack. "How long do you think it will take?"
Maddie hummed. "When Evan and I do it by ourselves, it takes two hours, give or take twenty minutes." She beamed as she spread her hands. "With the four of us, that time should be cut in half!"
The three incredulous looks sent her way made her laugh. "It's not that bad, I swear."
Madison sighed. "Well, let's get started. The sooner we start, the fast we'll finish." She hoped a strained muscle or twisted ankle wasn't in her future.
The quartet split up and began to unload the RV. Madison volunteered to climb up the roof and lower the suitcases via rope, because she had the most upper-body strength. Once everything was laid out on the grass, Maddie directed them through setting the tables, chairs, fire pit, canopy, kitchen, and lights. It was difficult work, but Madison had to admit that their camping spot looked downright homey. Since they were spending two days and nights here, it made sense to make their stay comfortable. Sure, they would have to take all this stuff down come Sunday afternoon—but they'd burn that bridge when they got to it.
"Woo! Good job, team! Looks great." Maddie plonked down on one of the lawn chairs. "I now understand why Evan wants a beer after doing yard work."
Gabriella laughed from the large wooden table—their kitchen for the weekend—next to the grill and fire pit. She pointed to the RV with her knife. "Check the white ice chest next to the fridge."
"Oh, really?" Maddie didn't need to be told twice. "Gabriella Papadakis, I could kiss you!" they heard from inside. Everyone let out a chuckle at that. Maddie re-emerged with an arm full of cans.
"All hail the queen of beverages," Olivia cheered as she caught a can. "Get over here, Gabi! Dinner can wait."
Gabriella put her knife down and joined them at the semicircle of chairs. She took the seat to the left of Madison, the seat left open for her. It was a seemingly unspoken agreement between Maddie and Olivia that Gabriella's spot was next to Madison, whenever possible. They never said anything explicitly, but Madison had noticed. She appreciated their quiet care. Gabriella found comfort in close proximity to Madison; she couldn't help but feel protective of the younger woman. Their coaches loved to joke that they were a "package deal" and "inseparable". That joke became more true the longer they knew each other.
"To a lovely weekend with lovely ladies," Gabriella crowed. She raised her can. "Tchin-tchin!" When the other women repeated it back to her, she took a healthy swig. "Now! Time to cook."
Maddie pulled Olivia up and motioned to the RV. "Livvy and I will set up the bedding and get the fire started."
Olivia nodded. "We'll do the dishes. You don't want us cooking."
Gabriella frowned. "That bad?"
Madison nodded. "Oh, yeah, that bad." She held out a hand. "C'mon, Chef. You can boss me around."
Gabriella took her hand and pulled her into a hug in their relative privacy. Maddie and Olivia were preoccupied with the fold-out beds in the RV, so Madison pulled her in a little closer and smiled into her hairline.
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