Love On Ice ( The Love Dispute Series #1 )

~Chapter 1~

Athena

"Order for table 7!"

Asia shouts to me inside the coffee shop that is now filled with people trying to get away from the rain.

While I was pushing through the crowd of people to get to the counter,  the men's hockey team burst through the door.

The quiet chatter suddenly got replaced by shouting and whistling.

"Wolves! Wolves! Wolves!"

They chanted while linking together,  jumping up and down.

I sit on a chair in front of the counter where Asia is standing.

"Can I end my shift and go home?"

I plead.

"I'm not going to serve those idiots over there all alone, am I?"

She replies while laughing, enjoying my rage rising as they walk towards us.

"Yep, I'm out."

Throwing my apron on the counter, raising my hands up in surrender, I started walking to the door.

"Leaving so soon? We only just got here!"

Adrian stands in front of me with a huge grin on his face.

"You know it's not you, just that I don't like them."

I tilt my head referring to the bunch of guys shouting at the counter.

He nods understandably and moves to the side letting me pass through.

Adrian is mine and Asia's childhood friend from the rink.

He's a nice guy and I like spending time with him, but I really don't like the hockey team.

They are extremely loud and obnoxious.

Also, when I used to skate here my first year, they used to interrupt my training sessions, not letting me train.

I turn back my head.

"See you later!"

"At the party?"

He raises his eyebrows waiting for a response.

"Fine, I'll go!"

I scoff while rolling my eyes.

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Outside the rain is pouring, so I take out my umbrella and walk back to the apartment.

When I get there, I change into my sweats and sit on my desk to study.

A few hours go by and Asia comes back home from her shift.

She flings my bedroom door open.

"Adrian told me you're going to the party. Is that true?"

Her face lightens up.

"Yeah, I'll go. But only because I don't have a choice."

I turn my chair around to face the desk again.

She sits on my bed, looking at me but this time with a frown on her face.

"Hey, I understand if you don't feel like it. I mean, it's not even been a year since-"

I break her off mid sentence, not wanting her to finish it.

"It's fine. I'm going. I need to start doing stuff again-"

Now she cuts me off mid sentence.

"Just don't pressure yourself and if you feel like going home at any point tonight, I won't mind."

Her hand is rubbing my arm.

I just give her a short reassuring smile before shooing her out of my room so that I can study.

When the door closes behind her, my eyes start wandering off around my room.

They fix on the photo of me and my mom when I was fifteen.

We were in Tokyo for her 40th birthday.

That photo brings back so many memories and tears started falling from my eyes.

My eyes shift to the photo next to it, a photo of me and her after a routine we did together for the opening of an ice hockey game.

Seeing that photo, the horrible thing that happened almost a year after it was taken, all came back to me like a pile of bottled up emotions waiting to be let out.

I aggressively bounced up from my chair, making it slide and hit the wall and walked to the photo, taking it in my hand and looking at it one more time before throwing it across the floor, the impact shattering the glass of the frame.

"Shit!"

I shout before jumping on my bed and balling my eyes out.

I just laid there for two hours, thinking.

When I finally had the strength to get up I went to have a shower to refresh myself.

I quickly put on some leggings and a t-shirt when Asia burst into the room with four dresses in her hands.

"Time to start getting ready!"

She shouts in a melodic tone.

I'm not going to back out from the party since it will probably take my mind off everything and I don't want to disappoint Asia.

"Which one should I try first?"

I try to say enthusiastically, bringing a small fake smile to my face.

"Maybe the red one? No, the blue one!"

She hands me the long blue dress full of sparkles.

I take it from her and go to the bathroom to quickly try it on.

When I put it on I could already see that I didn't like it.

I walked out of the bathroom to see Asia sitting on my bed, waiting impatiently for me to come out and see the dress.

"Um, maybe try the red one."

She says handing me the dress with a smile on her face.

I try out a few more dresses and when i'm already bored and about to just wear any dress, Asia comes out of her room with a beautiful green dress, the colour of emeralds.

"Try this one. It's the last one i'll make you try, i promise!"

She looks at me with sparkles in her eyes, as if she is sure that this dress will be perfect.

I let out a sigh while taking the dress from her and going to get changed for what feels like the hundredth time.

When i manage to put the dress on because it's a little bit too tight, I walk out to see her jaw drop.

"You have to wear it! Actually, i'm giving you it. It's now yours!"

I roll my eyes and turn to the mirror.

The dress is sparkly. It comes down to half of my thighs, my whole collarbone is showing and the sleeves are just below my shoulders.

"It makes your eyes look even greener Ath!"

She says excitedly while coming to stand behind me in her beautiful black dress.

"Hey, you look amazing!"

She says sincerely while looking into my eyes.

I just give her a soft smile.

"We need to quickly do our hair and makeup because we need to leave soon."

She says with a serious face as if it was some type of mission.

I couldn't help but burst out laughing.