Midnight sun

10

"Hey." Theodore said. He was wearing his usual hoodie but he had the hood off. He let his hair fall across his shoulders is in wild messy waves giving me the impression that he had run his hands through them countless times today in frustration. He'd done countless times around me so I'm pretty sure I was right. He was holding a pair of skates in his hand and he had a mischievous glint in his eyes. I spelled bad news.

"Uh," I paused, looking at the skates then back at him. "Skates?" I hated that I didn't know how to raise a single eyebrow. It would have added extra effects to my question.

"Yes. Do you not have a pair?" He asked raising the said eyebrow. Show off.

"I don't. I don't know how to skate either."

"That's okay I'm sure the outdoor arena has one in your size that we could rent."

"Excuse me, did you not hear everything that I just said?" I asked rolling my eyes.

"I did."

"And," I prompted.

"And we're going to the skating rink." He replied, being deliberately oblivious. Alright two can play in this game.

"Let me just grab my purse and then we can go." I said heading inside.

My purse was already lying on the sofa so I didn't have to search for it. I checked to make sure my phone was inside and some cash. I was looking forward to how Theodore was going to make me skate. I had refused to learn to skate even though I had the opportunity almost all year round. While everyone my age was learning to skate and fantasizing about being hockey players or dancers, I had my nose buried deep in a comic book. I just didn't fancy the whole thing and I had no idea why someone would just chose to stay in the cold longer that he or she has to. It was just impractical.

We rode for thirty minutes singing along to Native American folk music. I don't know much about my father's life or who he was but I knew he was from a Native American tribe. My mother never told me, I assume that she didn't know herself. Regardless, I made sure to learn as many parts of the culture as possible. I didn't really know what I was doing either so I just stuck with the music. Or was wonderful and I was glad that I might be part of something so special.

"How do you know folk music?" I asked reaching for the radio to reduce the volume. I returned my attention back to him, he was still humming the tone quietly.

"I grew up listening to it." He said evasively. Odd. I was used to Theodore always attaching a back story to every reply that hearing him give an answer that was so short.

"Okay?" I reply.

What's up with him today. Theodore was usually stubborn and I was honestly in no mood to control his recent character change. Bedside, I had other things to worry about, like how my body going to acquire bruises from falling on ice countless times. I would ask him about his evasiveness another day.

We got to the arena and we noticed that there weren't many people there. Understandably, it was a school day. The place was usually packed during weekends and breaks. The scantiness of the arena meant I wasn't going to be forced to apologize to another person if I end up hitting or pushing someone away. Not that I've made up my mind to join him to skate at all. If it were to happen, I wouldn't be at a disadvantage, feeling sad that I was a total dead weight.

Theodore and I approached one of the stalls outside the rink so we could get skates for me.

"Size?" The lady asked boredly. I feel your pain sis. I would be bored if I was in stuck behind a counter on a cold Monday morning. I told her my size and we collected the skates from her.

"Now that we're here, are you going to finally answer me?." I confronted Theodore with my hands on my hips daring him to try and pretend like he didn't know what I was talking about. Let him just try, I would send a magic wave at him so quick he'd be flat on his ass in seconds.

"If you don't know how to skate, I would only need to teach you." He said, as if speaking with a child. I rolled my eyes at him. "How else were you going to skate? By magic?"

"Yes." I replied sarcastically. "I was thinking you would spell my shoes to go by itself and help me skate as gracefully as a swan." I saw something twitch in his forehead. There was a spell? "Oh my god, you do know a spell."

"I don't." He replied too quickly. Oh yes he did.

"You do." I said smiling. He was such a terrible liar. I could imagine his nose growing longer with every lie he told.

"Fine. I did one spell while I was young. It didn't work out so well and I was stuck in a bed with a broken for a full week." Oh. That was highly unexpected.

"Teach me what you know master." I found a bench to sit on and stuck my foot out to him to put on the skates. He got down on one knee and helped me with the skates, his fingers moving elegantly with the laces. I don't even know how I can find someone fingers elegant. Everything about him was elegant, even in a black hoodie and messed up hair.

"Thanks." I said smiling as he helped me to my feet.

"Take a single step at a time and imagine you're walking on a rope." Was his reply. He always has to be so professional.

"Why won't you just carry me to the rink." I complained making sure to grab his arm with my hands like my life depended on it.

"You wouldn't learn that way."

I did what he said and was able to get to the rink without much trouble. I only fell flat on my face once after throwing my hands up and down like a chicken. Theodore laughed to his hearts content. Glad I can brighten up your day jerk. I don't know why he couldn't be as kind enough to just pick me up and take me to the rink.

"Rules. Slightly bend your knees and lean forward. Don't be too stiff with your ankles. Go." Seriously? That's all he was going to say? This is not fun at all. At least he held on to my hand so I can be grateful for that one at least. With my first step, I had all of us crashing into the ice. He put himself in the position that caused his back to take most of the impact and his body acted as a cushion for me. It was actually sweet. I smiled at him and got back up to try again.

This time I was able to spend a minute before bringing us to the floor again. He did the same thing. Third and fourth and fifth time until we were spending more time lying on the ground than doing actual skating.

"Get a room." I couple of teenagers hooted as they skated past us. Theodore and I burst out laughing.

"Well today was an epic fail." He concluded. Getting up and giving me a hand. I took it. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder and skated to the entrance of the rink to drop me off. If I wasn't mortified and kicking, asking him to put me down, I would have marveled over how he was able to maintain his balance even with my extra weight.

"Don't do that." I warned when I finally found a bench I could sit to take off the devil shoes.

"Would you rather I have let you skate out of there?"

"Well no," I said, the argument already lost in my throat.

"Let go somewhere." I want to show you something." He said excitedly. I took of my skates and returned them back to the grumpy lady, who remained grumpy by the way, at we walked away from the arena.

We walked hand in hand into the town and Theodore led me into a building. We took the elevator to the top floor. When the doors opened, there was in the middle of the black painted room, a large telescope.

"An observatory?" I asked giddily. He nodded. Stargazing. He wanted us to gaze at the stars together again. That's what he said in his text yesterday.

"Instead of looking at the stars, we are going to sit in them," he said turning of a switch. The room went dim and tiny little stars danced around the black walls. And on the ceiling. It was beautiful.

"I think I like you a lot Diana." Theodore said after a while, I turned around to look at him.

"I think I like you a lot too Theodore." I replied.