Fractured

Chapter 21

Mike chuckled on my other side, patting my back in mock comfort.  Looking up at him smirking, I was happy Francis invited him to come too.  I figured it would just be me and Francis and Brooke but it was nice to have him here too. I never really hung out with him much before.  "Don't worry.  If the ice breaks, we will know what to tell everybody," he said, making Brooke chuckle at his little joke.  Yes.  Ha-ha.  Laugh at the one person who has never skated in her life.

"I can't even walk on these things," I said.  Because yeah, it was ugly putting these skates on that he kept in the back of his car.  He had a ton of them so when I finally found some that fit, I could only groan.  I'm too stubborn for shit like this.

At finding out what we were doing, I was a little reluctant and had enough excuses.  One being this was a pond and we didn't know how much weight it would hold.  Of course, they reassured me that we would be safe.  Apparently, this pond freezes over thickly every year because they always come out here and skate so that excuse was kind of busted especially if Brooke wasn't worried over that.  My next excuse: we were out in the middle of nowhere so that wasn't safe either.  I think they figured out that that if I was whining over safety rules, they knew I was just 'chicken' because I'm not the type that would consider safety with something like this. When they call me chicken though, it's game over and I'm doing it no matter what.

It made me a little mad that Brooke had her skates on and was ready with no fear and not once did she trip walking down to the pond from the car with her skates on. Whatever.  It's not like I didn't trip a couple times but I had a reason, I just never skated before.  Of course, she held her fathers hand for help once they got on the ice and I was nearly hanging off of Mike in embarrassment.

"Do you remember this from last year?" Francis asked Brooke, guiding her very slowly with his hand and at seeing them on the ice, it was a very surreal moment for me.  I mean yeah, I wasn't the happiest camper because I didn't know what I was doing and they were having a ball with it.  But really, it was quite amazing.  The only time I've ever seen something like this was on TV and even then it looked magical.

Looking down at where I stood over the ice, where the blades came in contact... I mean, it's just crazy if you think about it.  I was standing over frozen water and I felt like the child I never was.  It was quite relaxing despite not knowing what I was doing for the fact that we were out in the middle of nature, over the strange works of such nature. 

"Yeah..." she answered him, pulling me back into reality when I looked up at where they slowly started to glide over the ice from where me and Mike was standing on the ice.  It seemed nearly impossible really.  In mean, how can someone keep their balance over ice to begin with?  Then, put a couple knives at the bottom of your shoes and to still be able to stand seemed just short of a miracle.  Then, to actually glide, move over the ice like that... I mean, go ahead, call me pathetic.  But it's not like I even did anything like this.  In all honesty, when I was little, I didn't believe it when I would see it on TV because it wasn't like I ever had the chance to experience or see anything like it.

"Remember how great you did...?" he asked her, smirking behind him and at me in a tease.  I bet I could do great too....

Scoffing, I couldn't deny though this was fun after a little bit.  I tested my balance and tried to do what Mike was showing me a moment later.  "Just push off and glide... it's easy really if you just practice." 

I did that and found it to be quite interesting.  Not exactly productive but it was neat to see the few inches I could glide when putting my weight in one direction.  Mike was there to help me though.  And it strangely made me feel like I sometimes do around Jan - overwhelmed.  Like I was getting the type of love and attention that has always been absent from my life.  I welcomed it this time and enjoyed it, even if it did make me a little uncomfortable.