Artifice

Ice Skating

Seeing that he already had the sketchbook in his hands, I didn't fight for it back. Before he could look through it he glanced at me, his facial expression was unreadable.

The realization that Harry Styles was a complete mystery to me set, I wanted to know who he was more with each day that passes.

He opened up the book in his hands revealing a sketch of a sunflower I drew ages ago for my mother, I obviously never got around to giving it to her.

His lips pressed together in a hard line and his eyebrows scrunched, I hated that I could never tell what he was thinking.

The next page was a face that I grew lazy and only drew half of. He flipped again to a dull black and white rose, next was a large eye that I colored in with pencils.

"These are incredible." He breathed out.

"Thank you,"

He flipped through pages until my most recent one.

"Where is this?" He asked.

"Pratt, I did this today actually." I smiled.

He closed the book in his hands and set it back where he picked it up from.

"Uh, you're very talented."

"Thank y-"

"Do you want to get out of here?" He interrupted me.

"Where would we go?"

"Somewhere fun."

-

"You like to skate?" I asked looking at the large ice skating rink, and dozens of people circling it.

"C'mon" he gabbed my hand and guided me to rent skates. He paid for the both of ours and we snatched an empty bench to put them on at. "You know how?"

"Somewhat, you're probably going to have to take it easy on me though." He nodded.

I carefully stood up with the skates on my feet and followed him to the entrance of the rink. When my feet touched the ice I began to slide, feeling myself going back but gaining balance.

I was determined to not completely embarrass myself tonight by breaking my backbone.

Harry slid beside me and grabbed my hand, slowly guiding me to join him.

"I'm doing it!" Harry smiled back at me, his coat and scarf blowing in the wind.

He didn't let go of me until we made it half way through the rink.

He slid around in circles, showing off how he could squat even slightly lift his leg up.

"Show off!" I yelled at him, still barely being able to slide smoothly.

After a few times circling the rink and Harry rushing past me with his tongue out, I began to get the hang of it. I could finally skate without having to be near the edge and blocking the smaller kids.

I glided to Harry who seemed unimpressed.

"Took you long enough, Abate." I elbowed him playfully.