Sometimes We Fall

two

I tapped my fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. "Why won't this bloody light change?" I yelled, hoping no one in the cars around me had noticed. It had been days since I could make it to the rink and I was eager to get back on the ice. I sighed, my screaming did not work because the light was still red.

As I waited for the light to change, I began to wonder if Matt was working today. I then started to think about him and try to figure out why I was thinking about him when a horn interrupted me. I must have been so caught up in my thoughts that I failed to notice that the light was now green. I sped off, hoping the person behind me wasn't honking for too long.

I smiled as I entered the rink. "Welcome back!" Said the cheerful lady working the ticket counter. She cut off a freestyle session wristband and passed it to me, along with my credit card. "Have fun!" She said as I entered the rink and I smiled back at her. As I walked inside, I dropped my bag down on a bench and began lacing up my skates. 

I was walking towards the ice, looking down at my phone to choose a playlist to skate to, when I collided with someone. I stumbled backwards, tripped on a mat, and just knew I was going to fall. But I didn't. The person's hands caught my waist before I could go down. I sighed a breath of relief and jumped right into my apology.

"I-I'm so so sorry. I should have been paying better attention." I said still looking down at my feet, embarrased. "It's okay, Luna." I instantly recognized the voice and looked up, seeing Matt.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking slightly concerned. "Yeah. Are you?" He nodded and dropped his hands from my waist, smiling. We stood there akwardly for a moment before I spoke up. "Well, I should probably get out there before more people show up." Matt nodded, stepping out of the way to let me pass.

"Have a nice skate, Luna!" He called after me as he walked off towards the skate shop.

I turned around and smiled, "Thanks Matt!"

I glided out onto the ice, smiling to myself as I pressed play on my music. One of my favorite songs began to play, O by Coldplay. 

(A/N: I linked the song above if you would like to listen.)

I made a couple of warm up laps around the rink before beginning to work on footwork, spins, and jumps. I had always loved improving when I was a dancer and it carried into my skating. I skated around the rink, making up a program as I went along while the last half of O played. 

As I finished my program in a layback spin, I heard clapping. I thought I was alone. I exhaled and opened my eyes, seeing someone watching me from one of the entrances to the rink. I took out an earbud and waved at them, smiling. 

"You're really good!" The girl called out. 

"Oh thank you!" I said as I skated over to her. She was young, probably around eight or nine. "Are you here for freestyle?" I asked her and she shook her head, sticking out her lip.

"Gee, I wish! I'm only in Basic 3. I have class in a little while but my mom likes to get here early and get a beer." I stilfed a laugh. Kids always managed to overshare information.

"Trust me, you'll get there someday. You'll probably be even better than me!" The girl laughed. "Really?" 

"Really." I said with a smile. "I'm Luna, what's your name?" 

"I'm Katherine, but I go by Kat!" She pratically screamed. 

"Well it is very nice to meet you, Kat." 

"Mhm." She replied and before I could say anything else, Kat's mom rushed into the rink, holding a beer in one hand. "Katherine Wells! What do you think you're doing? Get over here and leave that girl alone!" Kat looked down at her feet, upset, but obliged. 

"Bye bye, Luna." She called sadly, waving. "I'll see you later, Kat."