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“Ms. Nakamura,” the media coordinator finally interrupted. “Testing is confidential, and we won’t be commenting on athletes’ anti-doping procedures.”
Aiko gave a polite nod, but before the coordinator could call on someone else, another reporter spoke.
“Mara Ellison, The Canadian Press. Camden, our understanding is that your test was targeted rather than randomly selected. Can you comment on why officials may have requested additional scrutiny?”
I pressed my lips together. Didn’t the coordinator just say to back off the drug testing? Why was this the main focus of our interview suddenly, and not the dance tomorrow? Because everyone knew, and everyone was talking about it. Café gossip, whispers in waiting rooms, the looks from the other teams. My shitty past had arrived in Sapporo.
I opened my mouth, but Miles stepped forward. “Camden has complied fully with every anti-doping requirement. We won’t speculate about internal testing processes.”
Mara kept her gaze on me. “Camden?”
“What do you want me to say?” I asked her. Zoe stiffened beside me.
“Was the test routine?” Mara pushed.
“I already answered that.”
“You said testing is routine, not that yours was.”
I worked my jaw, keeping some spicy words back.
The media coordinator spoke up. “Next question.”
“Why does it matter, though?” I blurted.
Mara met my gaze again. “Because a targeted test this close to the competition would be unusual and might imply they were looking for something.”
I snorted. “Drug tests are generally looking for something, yes.”
A few chuckles, probably to ease the growing tension. My skin itched.
“We’ve been told it followed concerns raised about your conduct inside the Village.”
My eyebrows lifted. Zoe looked right at me. Questions about my conduct would be news to her, and the rest of the team.
Miles stepped forward. “That’s enough.”
But it wasn’t enough.
Because now everyone in the room was looking at me like the three officials had looked at me from across that table. Waiting for the bad kid to prove them right, for him to say something that would do the heavy lifting for them.
I laughed softly. I couldn’t help it. My smile came too, my armor when things got rough. “Wow, you guys work fast, huh.”
“Are the reports inaccurate?” Mara asked
“I don’t know. Nobody gave me a reason why I was supposed to pee in a pot.”
“Cam,” Miles warned.
“She asked.”
Mara went on, because why the hell not, since nobody was stopping her. “Were you questioned by Games officials after the test?”
The room went quiet again. A drug test was one thing, but being questioned too? That wasn’t routine. In the eyes of the people here and probably their viewers and readers, I was now guilty until proven innocent. An Olympic committee could do no wrong.
A sick, cold feeling opened inside me, threatening to swallow me whole. I didn’t deserve this. I’d come to the Olympics to figure skate, to ice dance, not to be dragged through the shit all over again.
“The team has no further comment on confidential welfare or integrity matters,” Miles said. “We’re here to discuss tomorrow’s competition.”