'Til Then

Chapter 1

Coming from a small town, options are limited on everything. You are friends or enemies with everyone and one mistake will follow you around your whole life. Well, it seems that way.
The winters are brutal and the summers not long enough. School is always in the center of life if you don't go to church. The hierarchy and cliques are enough to drive someone crazy. And in that craziness is where I made my life time mistake, of sorts. 
It happened in the frigid winter of the year we first moved here. I've never been so cold or bored. So what did I do? I bundled myself up with every coat, hat, scarf, and glove I could find to stay warm. I had 3 pair of socks and two pair of pants on top of my long John's. I was not going to stay inside one more day.
Miss Marshmallow girl set out on her own this cold Saturday to see what was in this tiny dot town.
What I didn't expect to see was a beautiful frozen pond. My last town had one that we all skated on. We played hockey and had a grand time on it. People were always on it. This pond however, still looked like virgin ice. I walked around it and finally ventured to the center. The ice looked thick enough to skate on. So I started sliding my feet to imitate me skating. I had to get my skates on this ice.
I waddled home as fast as I could. I grabbed my skates and helmet from the house and the snow shovel from the porch and returned to my gold mine.
After shoveling the snow off the pond I did what I was good at. I skated. I was in my own happy place when I heard someone yell at me.
"Hey! You can't skate on there! Get off! "
So I skated to the person on the other side of the pond. As I approached the figure got just barely bigger than what it was from the other side.
This girl was short and brown hair coming out the sides of her hat. She was in a huge fluffy coat and bright pink snow pants and boots that looked like they were made for this frigid tundra. She looked like she had a little money. But I wasn't about to judge someone that was possibly going to keep me out of trouble.
"Why can't I skate on it?" I asked.
"Because nobody has ever skated on it. Ever. Why do that when we have a rink to skate at?" she simply replied.
"Oh. I didn't know we had one. "
"It's at the high school. The janitors open the school on Saturdays so the boys can get extra time to practice. Our hockey team is the best and the boys are the yummiest to look at" she said with a little more red to her cheeks than from the cold.
"I'm not interested in boys. I do love hockey though. I want to be on a hockey team. Do you know if this town has a girls team? "
"We've never had a team. There were never enough girls interested for a team. That would be totally cool if we ever did get one. I'd sign up for sure! "
"I played on pond at my old place. It was actually the town pond so everyone skated on it. But the kids claimed it in the mornings to play around." I smiled at the memory and quickly came back to reality.
"So do you want to come to the school with me to watch?"
"Sure. But I need to take my stuff back home. Can I meet you there?"
"How about I help you then we can walk there together? "
"Oh no! It's not much. Just my shovel and skates. You don't need to help!" I quickly shut that idea down.
"Come on. You're the first person that seems to love hockey as much as I do! We've got lots to talk about. Besides. I know you're the new girl that lives on the outskirts. You're the hot topic of the rumor mill. Let me make my own opinion of you since nobody has bothered to get to know you. "
Ouch. This girl gets right to the heart of the matter. I wasn't wanting to be noticed, but it's bound to happen in small towns. I wasn't ready to be bullied. Yes I did want friends but I was shut down every attempt I made at talking to people. I stopped trying and just began to focus back on my grades.
With a heavy sigh I said yes. I just hope it doesn't bite me in the butt.
She walked across the ice with me with a little hesitation.
"Are you ok?" I asked her
"Not really. I'm afraid the ice will break and suck me in." She was honest and I liked that.
I stopped and looked at her. "You don't need to be afraid. Look at the ice." I kneeled down and so did she. "If you look hard enough you can barely see the water below. My guess is that the ice is at least six inches thick." I stood up and continued. "It's not going to crack. Trust me." I smiled at her and continued across the pond.
I sat down next to my shoes and traded the warm skates for my cold shoes. I grabbed my things and stood up to be met with the saddest face I think I've ever seen.
"What?"
"Do you not have any boots?"
"No. I don't. But I have plenty of socks to keep my feet warm!" I replied cheerfully.
"I have a pair that was given to us but they are too big. We can go to my house and get them then go to the school."
"No. It's fine really."
"No it's not! This is just the beginning of winter and if your feet fall off I'm going to be mad!" She started with a stomp of her foot.
"Fine. I'll look at your boots but please just don't tell my family."
"Why" she asked curiously.
"Look. You seem to know a whole lot about me but I know nothing about you. I don't want to be picked on because we are poor. We get by and that is all anyone needs to know!"
"You need friends too. And with out feet you won't be going anywhere. I'm not going to make fun of you. I'm not from the center of town either. But we get stuff donated to us from my parents work. This community might not be all warm and fuzzy but they donate a lot to make up for their lack of social skills! So you step off your high horse and be the decent person I know is under there somewhere!" She folded her and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Humble pie served well." I fake bowed and walked home. "By the way, my name is Emalee. But you can call me Em."
"My name is Cassandra. But call me Case. It's more me," she smiled and side hugged Em.
The walk was quick and quiet. This young lady had me thinking a lot about everything. I was on auto pilot and forgot she was with me until I turned to leave the house.
"Oh! Sorry. I was in my own little world. I'm sorry!" I felt sheepish.
"It's no problem. It's nice to hear a second set of feet. You do have a long stride. How many strokes does it take for you to reach the end of the rink?"
"I have no clue. I never thought about it. Why?" I asked
"I was just curious. I like to listen to the skates and see if I figure out who is skating?"

I'm sorry I took this down. I realized some of the important information was left out after reading it yet again and crying.