Matt's POV
"This is beginning to get really boring."
I laid across the floor and scrolled through my phone. After a hectic week, each volunteer was finally being given a day off. It was Saturday, so I was uninterested in staying put.
Doe was still in her pyjamas, fully taking advantage of how late she had gotten to wake up. She hung off the edge of the bed, reading to herself.
When she didn't acknowledge me, I cleared my throat and once again expressed my boredom. Doe turned to face me.
"What do you want to do?" she asked, skippily.
I thought hard, then pulled up an idea on my phone.
"We could go here," my face lit up.
There was a rollerskating rink nearby that had opened a few years ago. It held alot of memories with the most of us, especially the graduating class of three years ago. I recalled slipping out of any Science class to go there with friends from different schools. It had been a while.
I waited years for Doe's validation.
"Oh. This?" she finally spoke up, reaching out her arm to return the device, "It looks dead."
I folded my arms, "Okay, we could go get something to eat. There are plenty meal trucks on site and a restaurant."
I heard her sigh, then admit, "I can't skate."
"No wonder I never used to see you around there," I shook my head, "During our last year, I mean."
"Oh yeah. Also cause when you went, I was stayed put in school."
I deserved that.
We tried bringing along anyone else we knew but they had all made plans from before. Doe and I seemed to be the only ones who slept in late, only now deciding how to spend the day.
"Is it far?" Doe held up two black jeans, speculating between the two.
"Not if you run," I joked and her mouth turned to a frown.
I opened the small closet near the television, and pulled out an old shirt. Like routine, I prepared the iron, laying out the board in the small corner that was my room and got to work.
Like any other guest place, they were kind enough to provide an iron, at least.
"...So we're ironing things now?" Doe's voice startled me.
"It's been here for some time," I smile sarcastically and she went on to rummage through her drawers.
Doe glanced between me and a top she now held in one hand.
"Just hand it to me," I chuckled and she plunged it in my direction, suddenly.
The blouse fell to my feet and I groaned to pick it up.
Nearly half an hour later, I was ready and waiting at the empty receptionist's desk. I heard an all too familiar screech down the hallway. There was a random young woman, and Jack who called my name and latched onto my leg.
Great, now he's attached.
The lady apologised but I couldn't understand what for.
"That's fine," I squatted to get a better look at him.
Jackley made his way closer to me and began climbing into my lap. I ruffled his hair and asked about his day so far.
"Good, but I'm hungry," he responded.
At this point, I wasn't even sure if he knew what 'hungry' meant.
I stood, once again at eye level with the strange woman.
Without trying to sound rude, I asked, "Miss, who are you?"
"A specialist," her voice escaped dryly.
"She's here for Jack's screening," Doe's voice came around the corner and then she nodded her head toward the door.
I had been waiting on her all the time, now I was being rushed.
"I have to go," I said to the ground and separated Jack from my jeans. The lady immediately scooped him up and walked off.
Outside, Doe was in deep conversation with Ava. It was as if, they hadn't gotten the 'day off' part right.
"Please..." Ava whined, then pouted her lips out at me.
"What?" I stopped, figuring it out, "You want to join us?"
Ava nodded, cupping her hands together.
&&&
The rink was enormous in actual life, contrary to the photos circulating online. It was a bit more advanced than I had remembered it. The meal trucks were in an organised file, one after the other on one end, and opposite to the array was Canapé's best Mediterranean restaurant. The air was crisp and pleasant, it being a little after 3pm.
"Oh my gosh!" Ava screamed and ran right up to the railing, which overlooked the skaters.
I saw Doe sigh, "This is a bad idea -"
"It is. You can always go back," Ava interrupted and I could have seen straight through her, trying to bring out the worst in Doe.
"Listen, I -"
"So we should go to the arcade first," I hinted at Doe and she exhaled.
I sat through the first few hours filled with boredom, but Doe's random jokes made it all seem tolerable.
Afterwards, we visited the busy restaurant right next door. To my disappointment, Ava ordered plain fries and some water. Doe on the other hand, tried the signature dish which the place was named after, 'Spanakopita'. It was a light, savory pastry worth the price and I sampled some from her.
Finally, it was time for the main attraction. Doe, Ava and I made our way down a short flight of stairs and after getting suited up, Ava was already in the rink. She jumped high into the air, spun around and dared to race me back and forth. Before any one of us got carried away, I stopped to encourage Doe to leave the bench.
"Doe -"
"What if I fall..." she whined, holding one of the shoes in her hand.
"Then you'll get back up."
She dressed herself appropriately, helmet and all, then moved around by clutching onto the railing. Her feet slid every now and then, sending her into a short-lived panic mode.
"Matthew," she called out to me, as I skated past her, causing me to make a u-turn.
"Yes?"
"This isn't fun."
"I'm not sure how to fix that," I allowed her to replace the railing with my shoulders instead, "You've really never done this before?"
"I've tried," Doe struggled to inch farther away from the handles. Each time she would feel herself slipping, her grip on my shoulders would tighten.
"Roseline," my voice fell serious, "I don't want you to fall. So sit if you need to."
I took her one step at a time, as fast as she could have gone, to the other end of the railing. She grabbed onto my shirt every instance she was near collapsing. The easiest part of the whole thing was that she was willing.
"Could you wait!" she yelled at me, veins printing out from her arm's grasp on the railing once more.
After that, I didn't hold on to her, Doe's clasp was tight enough. What I did do, was keep my arms extended, for when she moved too fast and nearly killed us both.
Soon, Doe was at snail-pace in circles in her personal corner of the rink. A smile peeled from her face as she glanced back at me.
"What is she doing?" Ava's voice was traced in shock, "Doesn't she wanna be in the middle of the rink?"
"No..." I barely listened to her, instead kept my gaze on Doe.
"I hope she doesn't break something then," were her last words before gliding away and joining a group of people her age.
Nothing felt the same at the skating rink which was odd, since close to nothing had really changed. There was definitely a different feeling attached to it now.
"Stand over there," Doe pointed to the other end of the railing, behind me. She had found enough confidence to attempt a longer distance.
Oh, great.
"Are you sure?" I looked back at it and gave her a shrug.
"Oh my -"
"Okay," I surrendered playfully before she could lodge her full complaint.
I watched as Doe released the railing, and after the halfway mark I broke a sigh of relief. Weirdly enough then, Doe misjudged her speed the second time round and skid straight into me. She wrapped her arms around my neck at the last second and I clutched her waist, her top rising up her back.
The impact had sent me backwards until I neighboured with the icy cold railing.
Ava came over, having the time of her life recording. I shook my head at her and she stuffed the device in her pocket. Nevertheless, no one found it funny as much as Doe, who was killing herself laughing. She laid almost completely on the floor, snorting and trying to catch a gulp of air.
I knelt down beside her and she sat up, looking into my eyes.
"Sorry about that," she forced, stifling a huge smile.
"Uh-uh," I stood, offering her my hand but she declined.
"Nah, I feel like I might take you down with me."
Ava practically collapsed in pure joy, she and Doe dying over a dumb joke. Their laughs were scandalous. I left them where they were and exited the rink. For the rest of the evening, I sat on a bench and watched Doe continue in her small circles, until it was time to leave.
Everyone entered my car around 8pm, and the ride back to the orphanage was momentary and hushed. The only noises were Ava's lip smacking from her candy floss. I chose to take advantage of the silence.
"Ava, how come you're in an orphanage?"
I remembered Doe mentioning to me that Ava's mother was still in contact with her.
"My mom's not dead... Just can't afford to take care of me," Ava smacked, "I text her, you know?"
Ava reached into her pocket and got out her phone. She let Doe and I read a few of the messages.
"A lot of 'I love you's," I felt Doe's gleam as she observed out loud,"That's good."
&&&
Hours later into that same night, I found Doe in the position she was much earlier.
I sat on the edge of the bed and dipped my head to look at her.
"Matthew..." she fidgeted until she was seated upright, "You know I had already gone through some of Ava's messages. From before. When I lost her in the mall."
"...Why are you telling me this?"
"So I won't feel guilty about it anymore. Call it Christian Conscience. But yeah, that's how I knew about her mother."
I nodded. It was unlike Doe to do anything along those lines, so she must have been desperate.
"Well, I guess it's fine, she showed us anyway."
I was about to retreat to my corner but Doe stopped me. At first I thought it was to read scripture, but instead she pulled me in for a friendly hug. I peeled her off, although we had shared many before.
"You're welcome," I smiled, cutting everything short.
"We should go again -"
"No, we really shouldn't."
Doe chortled, a more civilised one than in the skating rink with Ava, and it brought a small chuckle from my lips. She squeezed me again, and I finally returned the embrace.
When she let go, I realised how cold I was on my own.
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