Chapter Five
Sister Finn Goes to Pride
GREENROOM
FINN and ROBBIE sit together on a couch. FINN is holding a tablet.
ROBBIE
What are we doing?
FINN
Watching.
ROBBIE
Yes, I guessed that, what with the tablet and the YouTube. Watching what, though?
FINN
Our national icons. Our great Canadian duo, the ice-dancing king and queen—
ROBBIE
Finn.
FINN
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.
ROBBIE
Uh… the… figure skaters.
FINN
Gasps dramatically with hand on throat. BLASPHEMER! They’re Canadian gold-medallist ice dancers, Robbie! They’re a national BLEEP treasure.
ROBBIE
And you’re going to make me watch them dance?
FINN
Make you. Like it’s not a privilege, an honour. You could only hope to—
ROBBIE
Finn.
FINN
Fine. Ingrate. Here.
FINN shoves the tablet at ROBBIE with the video already running.
MONTAGE of ROBBIE watching the video
ROBBIE
Okay, I see the appeal.
Damn. I kinda feel like a voyeur.
Oh my—
Did she just—
This was live? On international television?
Good Lord.
Wait—
Yeah, I’m definitely not doing that.
END MONTAGE
ROBBIE
No way I’m reaching that level of awesome.
FINN
You’ll be happy to know that no one expects you to.
ROBBIE
Gee, thanks.
FINN
No problem.
ROBBIE
Seriously, though. That was on TV.
FINN
Hey, that’s a gold-medal-winning dance! Of course it was on TV. Olympic champions.
ROBBIE
She really thought, ‘I’m going to sit on this man’s face in front of millions of people.’ Good for her. I love that for her.
FINN breaks down in laughter
CUT to ROBBIE watching video of previous competitors falling on ice while practicing and performing.
FINN
This is your bar.
ROBBIE
Watches a former defenceman wipeout on ice while attempting two-foot spin.
I think I can reach that. It’s barely off the floor.
CUT to CHAD and SOPHIA on the ice.
SOPHIA
So remember what we talked about. Don’t try to go full speed yet.
CHAD
Yeah, yeah, I know. Training wheels.
SOPHIA
And we’re not doing any lifts today because we don’t have the harness set up.
CHAD
Laughing. Why, you think I’m going to drop you?
SOPHIA
I’m heavier than I look!
CHAD
He skates toward her.
Come on, I can bench at least two of you, I’ll just—
He scoops her up over one shoulder, holding her around her thighs.
See? No problem. Barely even feel it.
SOPHIA
Nervous-sounding laughter. Oh my God! Okay. Put me down, macho man. You have to learn how to walk before you can run.
CUT to a shot of the ice before the first group warm-up.
STEF
She stands at centre ice, one arm in a sling, the other holding a megaphone.
All right, everybody on the ice! Let’s go! We only have three days to nail this choreography before rehearsals move to full speed. Gimme three quick laps and then five minutes of stretching and we’ll get started!
EMILY and ROBBIE hit the ice first, laughing and shoving each other to try to get out of the gate faster.
She quickly pulls ahead of him. The rest of the partners and contestants trickle out after them.
CHAD slows halfway around the rink, as FINN sets foot on the ice.
Immediately his feet go out from under him. CHAD laughs.
CHAD
Whoops! Ice a little slippery there, sport?
CHAD is too absorbed in watching FINN try to get up to notice ROBBIE coming up behind him. They collide.
ROBBIE
Hey, we’re trying to warm up here, buddy. You mind?
After several attempts to stand, FINN examines the bottom of his skate blade and curses, peeling off a strip of tape.
His face is red with anger or embarrassment.
SOPHIA and EMILY skate up and each take him by an arm.
EMILY’s partner ALONZO grabs a leg. Another contestant joins in and they do laps carrying FINN, now laughing, around the ice.
STEF
To the camera. I really need a whistle. Or like, maybe a whip?
“I still think you should let me kick him off the show,” Holly said several days later, as they were putting the finishing touches on their Pride parade outfits.
She was sitting on the bathroom counter to even up their heights, and Finn added a dab of glitter to the rainbow he’d drawn on her cheek.
“We’ve had enough last-minute substitutions.
Besides, it wouldn’t be fair to Sophia.” The partners all got paid either way, of course, but they got bonuses for making it to later rounds in the competition.
If they kicked Chad off for putting tape on Finn’s skate blades—a classic hockey “prank” that felt pointed and mean-spirited coming from someone Finn knew didn’t like him—Sophia would either have to retire her season early or have even less time to get a new partner up to speed.
“But he suuuuuuuucks.”
“Preaching to the choir,” he reminded her.
With a suffocating amount of setting spray, he pronounced her finished—and just in time. “Knock, knock!” came Gail’s voice from the front door.
“I thought we were picking up your sister.” Holly frowned.
“Yeah, that was before you changed your outfit six times.” Hopefully Imogen had worn what she and Finn agreed on during their hour-long Facetime session last night, because otherwise Finn was putting her in his clothes.
Or one of Holly’s cast-off outfits. He angled his head toward the door. “Come in, Ma, we’re just finishing up.”
Holly sighed heavily. “Your mom’s going to see me like this?” She bit her lip. “How do my boobs look?”
Finn pushed her butt off the bathroom counter. Maybe he should’ve added my stepmom is a MILF to his revised introduction to Robbie. “She’s seen them before. Go.”
Gail and Imogen had let themselves into the entryway.
As promised, Imogen had adhered to the outfit they picked out: jean shorts with white sneakers and a halter top with Undeclared Major in glittering letters.
She’d sprayed rainbow hair spray on her dark curls, and Gail must’ve helped with her eyeliner, because it was flawless.
She looked at him flatly. “So it’s okay if you get sex trafficked?”
She was still just a baby, so Finn didn’t tell her that yeah, he wouldn’t mind picking up at Pride—after he’d seen Imogen off home safely. Just to clear his head, of course. By getting Robbie out of it.
“I’m decent,” he protested. His running shorts covered his entire ass, even if they did say The only ethical consumption under capitalism on the back.
And he was wearing appropriate footwear of close-toed sneakers with crew socks in the bi pride flag colours.
Plus sunscreen. He was basically dressed like a nun.
Gail cupped his face, careful not to smear the stripes of paint on his cheek, and said kindly, “You look very slutty, sweetheart.”
“See,” Finn said to Imogen.
Then Gail turned her gaze on Holly. “Look at you! Wow. The ladies of Toronto are not gonna know what hit them. Love those boots on you.”
Holly flushed scarlet. “Thanks, Mrs. Graham.”
Gail winked. Poor Holly.
“All right, all right, quit flirting. Let’s get this show on the road. The train’s gonna be packed.”
Finn was right about that, but today he didn’t mind.
Most of the car’s patrons were dressed—or undressed—for the occasion, which made being in close quarters interesting.
Imogen did a little gawking, but she always caught herself quickly, and honestly, if people didn’t want to be looked at, they wouldn’t wear bondage gear in public.
They got off the metro at Bloor-Yonge, which might have been close to the action but wasn’t quiet, and eventually made their way topside.
“All right, Grahams,” Holly said as they reached the intersection. She kissed Finn’s cheeks and ruffled Imogen’s hair. “This is where I leave you.”
“You’re not sticking around?” Imogen looked caught between pleased and disappointed. Finn understood the second, the first less so. Maybe Imogen really wanted some one-on-one sibling bonding time?
“Sorry, hun. I love you, but me and my girls”—she glanced down—“are off to meet my girls and have some more adult-oriented fun.”
“She’s gonna drink and talk about boobs,” Finn translated.
Holly smacked him with the back of her hand. “Don’t give away my secrets. You’re ruining my mystique.”
Imogen giggled and held her arms out for a hug. “Have fun with your girls.”
“And you have fun with yours,” Holly said with a kiss to Imogen’s cheek and a wink at Finn.
Finn flipped her off and fluttered his lashes. He should probably drink less around Holly and stop spilling secrets.
Who was he kidding? He didn’t need any encouragement to tell her everything.
Imogen waved as Holly swept away into the crowd, and Finn wondered if he should wipe away the lipstick mark on the kid’s cheek.
Instead he pulled out his phone, snapped a picture, and showed her. Imogen glowed.
God, he loved his baby maybe-queer sibling.
“Where to?” she asked with eager eyes.
Laughing, Finn pointed her in the direction of Church. “Time for some rainbow mecca joy before parade hour.”
The street was pumping with activity. Shops had propped their doors open to encourage community, and several had stations next to them to hawk wares, give away samples, or just spread cheer.
A worker at a café handed Imogen a small rainbow flag, and they picked up temporary tattoos at a bookstore.
Throughout, Imogen clutched her phone—not an unfamiliar sight, and not surprising as she was definitely snapping photos. But he was surprised by the amount of texting. It didn’t match her usual patterns during special events.
They’d just disentangled themselves from a couple of effusive drag queens—they’d eyed Finn like candy before they noticed Imogen, then cooed over her and offered friendly advice that included staying with her big brother and aiming for the groin if she met any persistent creeps—when Imogen’s phone buzzed and she lit up.
She lifted her head and looked up and down the street. Then she grabbed Finn’s hand and dragged him to the next intersection. “We need to go this way.”