"Ugh!" Izzy jerks back from the mirror. "How much more time do we have?"
"What happened?"
"I stabbed myself." She turns her whole body around to look at Delaney and me. Mascara is smeared under her one tearing eye. "It would help if I wasn't cursed with the shortest eyelashes on the planet."
"They make vitamins for that." Delaney comes to her rescue. "Some sort of supplement I read about."
"Please fix it," Izzy begs. "I'd rather not look like I got punched in the face when the guys get here."
Delaney pretend curtseys. "As you wish."
I laugh and Izzy smiles as Delaney wipes away the black streak now trailing down her face.
With my best friend's crisis averted, I finish putting on some lip gloss. The girls talked me into using makeup, since we're all going out to celebrate Delaney's eighteenth birthday. It's the first "normal" group thing I've done in a long time, but it feels right. When they first suggested it, I didn't get as much anxiety as I usually do. Wes and Harrison have turned out to be sweet guys, especially to my friends, and I haven't had to deal with any June drama in weeks. I honestly can't believe she's kept her word – but I'm not going to question it. Life is a lot easier when you're not constantly looking over your shoulder.
"Why are going ice skating again?" Izzy asks Delaney. "It seems like an odd I'm-an-adult-now party choice."
I make a face at her. Although I'm not too sure about my own balance on skates, I say, "Way to be supportive."
"Well, it's not common." She shrugs. "I didn't mean anything bad."
"We're going because I like it," Delaney says, unaffected.
"Do you do it a lot?"
Delaney shakes her head. "When I was little and my parents felt bad after a bender, they'd take me to the store and buy me whatever I wanted. Once, I got ice skates. I only used them a few times, though." Her eyes light up. "Since it hasn't been cold enough to freeze Holton Lake yet, I was excited when I found a rink that had open skate times."
I frown as a thought pops into my mind, a slow-motion movie of me falling flat on my face. "Videos are not allowed," I announce.
"I second that," Izzy agrees.
"What about pictures?" Delaney steps back to admire her mascara correction. "I would like to document my day."
"Well, yeah." I nod. "We can stage those."
Twenty minutes later the guys arrive, and we scramble down the stairs like characters in a cheesy rom com. After saying goodbye to Delaney's aunt and uncle, we open the front door to find three cute boys wearing lopsided smiles.
"Welcome to the Man Van," Harrison says as we all climb into a silver minivan.
"The Man Van?" Izzy asks as Aaron and I head to the back bench seat.
"Yep." Harrison grins. "It's the name I came up with to de-soccer mom my ride. When your parents get a new car and give you the option of keeping the old one, you go with free."
"Wise choice," Delaney says from the front seat and leans over to kiss Harrison on the cheek. "You know where we're going, right?"
"I think so. Pull the directions up on your phone just in case."
Harrison backs down the driveway, and Wes pulls everyone into a conversation about choosing a restaurant to visit after we skate. As the front of the van weighs the pros and cons of Mexican food versus Thai, Aaron bumps his knee against mine.
"Are you ready for this whole triple date thing?"
"I think so."
He smiles. "You look nice."
I smile back. "And you smell good."
Aaron always smells good. And looks good. And compliments me. He's more gentlemanly than I thought most guys could be these days. The last few weeks have been some of the best of my life, and I realize a big reason why is because of him. Of course my friends have helped; they've always been there. But it seems like Aaron helps me breathe. I don't have to think around him, just be.
He squeezes my leg and scoots as close as his seatbelt will let him. "So, I guess I should let you know ... I haven't been on skates in years."
My face scrunches. "You live on a lake."
"And I love all summer lake activities."
"Oh. Well, I think the last time I skated I was ten."
Aaron chuckles. "Then this should be interesting. There is one good thing about Delaney's choice, though."
"What's that?"
"We'll have to hold on to each other the whole time."
I can see his sly look in the dim light of the van, and now it's my turn to laugh. "Any excuse, huh?"
"You know it," he says and kisses the back of my hand.
When we get to the rink, it's a lot more crowded than I expected. We have to wait in line to rent skates, and after we each trade our shoes for a pair, we head over to a seating area to put the death traps on. Yes, I'm getting more concerned about this activity the more I see people racing around the ice.
"Make sure you tie them as tight as you can," instructs a staff member as she wanders through the area. "You'll want as much support as possible."
I do as I'm told, and when I stand, Aaron asks, "You got it?"
"I think so." I may have overdone it; I can barely wiggle my toes.
"You guys," Delaney gushes. "Thank you so much for doing this. You have no idea how much it means to me. This is already the best birthday ever."
Her smile is so big, I think her face might split in two. I've never seen her so happy or excited before, and it makes me grin. Her behavior is more typical of Izzy, and I wonder for a second if they're rubbing off on each other. Regardless, it's nice to see Delaney like this. She's been through a lot, and she deserves to have a good time.
"Then let's get the party started," I say and look back at Aaron.
He gestures for us to walk ahead of him. "After you."
Delaney offers me her arm, and I link mine through hers in an exaggerated, goofy way. It's easier to walk in the skates than I anticipated, and it gives me a little confidence. When we reach the slippery surface, I look for Izzy and Wes and find them already coasting around at a decent speed. How is that possible?
Harrison and Aaron are behind us, and as soon as I step onto the ice, I slide. "Whoa," I say, letting go of Delaney and reaching for the edge of the boards. Harrison ends up right beside me with a somewhat terrified look on his face.
"Please don't tell anyone about what you see tonight," he pleads.
"Ditto," I say. "I already discussed a no video rule with your girlfriend."
"C'mon." Delaney appears next to Harrison. "Take my hand. It's okay."
As the two of them slowly glide away, I feel hands on my waist and hear a voice in my ear. "You want to hang on to the side a couple times around?"
Looking over my shoulder at Aaron, I nod. "That would probably be a good idea."
He gives me a quick kiss.
With one hand running along the boards and the other wrapped around Aaron's waist, we make it around the ice one time. As Izzy and Wes fly by us, she waves at me.
"Show off!" I half yell at her. Looking at Aaron, I say, "Apparently she has a career in the Ice Capades I don't know about."
"And Wes must speed skate in his spare time," he grumbles.
Determined, I put a little distance between Aaron and me. "All it takes is bravery and a little balance, right? I'm not afraid of a few bruises if I fall. Are you?"
"Hell no."
"Then we can do this."
"Hell yeah." He smiles, then pretends to be serious.
By the third or fourth time around, I've let go of the side and we're keeping up with most of the amateur skaters around us. The rink is playing a local radio station while we skate, and the music helps me create a rhythm with my small strides. As I get more confident and move faster, an exhilarating feeling takes over. I can't imagine what it would be like if I actually knew what I was doing.
Soon we're all cruising at a good pace, even Harrison, and I have to admit this is a lot of fun. Aaron and I alternate between holding hands, to him holding onto my waist from behind, to the two of us racing each other and our friends as best we can.
"Harrison wants to see if he can beat me," Aaron says. "You push me and Delaney will push him, and we'll see how far each of us go."
"Okay," I say and try to slide to a stop while trying to keep my balance.
Once Harrison and Delaney are lined up next to us, the two of us girls push the guys as hard and as fast as we can. Laughing, we let them go and watch their "race," not paying attention to the fact that we're also moving.
"Look out!" Delaney yells just before she collides into me. With nothing to stop us except each other, we both lose our footing and go down. It doesn't hurt when our butts meet the ice, so we lie there laughing until the guys, and Izzy and Wes, make it back to us to help us up.
Soon, we all decide to take a break and head to the concession stand.
"So," I ask Izzy after we sit down, "how come you never told me you could skate?"
"Because I didn't know. Beginner's luck, I guess." She reaches for a chip. Dipping it in some nacho cheese, she adds, "You're not doing too bad yourself."
I frown. "Um, did you miss me fall a few minutes ago?"
"Nope," she says between crunches.
"Do you want some of this?" Aaron rips off a piece of his soft pretzel and holds it out toward me. "It's pretty decent."
"Thanks."
I take it from him and pop it in my mouth. As I do, he slides his plate between us and his body over, so his leg and shoulder are touching mine. As the conversation picks up around the table, a warm feeling spreads through me ... and not just from Aaron's touch. I feel surrounded by good people, too. Who knew this mixed up bunch – two juvenile delinquents, a yearbook geek, and three lacrosse players – could become part of a happy ending to a pretty crappy beginning.
"Oh, look guys. It's the new cast of Friends."
My whole body tenses at the over-the-top, sarcastically sweet voice behind me. My heart stops, and everyone else either turns around or looks up.
"Are you kidding me?" Aaron mutters under his breath.
"Let's see." June practically prances to the end of our table and into my line of sight. She looks a little hyper as she braces both hands against the metal top and leans forward, grinning and causing Izzy and Harrison to lean back. Some of her girlfriends stand around her, along with a few guys Aaron knows.
"You," she points at Izzy, "have to be Monica because you're so anal about everything."
Izzy's face contorts. "Excuse me?"
June ignores her. "Which makes you Chandler," she continues, moving her index finger over to Wes. It then lands on Aaron and me. "You two have to be Ross and Rachel. Cute but clueless," she says, then uses her accusing finger to flip her hair. Her eyes land on Delaney, and she adds, "That makes you Phoebe because you're so artistic," she twists the word, "and Harrison is good 'ole Joey. Which makes sense, because he was dumb enough to tell us where you'd be tonight."
All eyes land on Harrison, and he puts his hands up in defense. "Jason and Max asked what I was doing this weekend, and I told them. It wasn't an invitation." His eyes narrow and land on the aforementioned duo. He repeats, "It wasn't an invitation."
"Don't care," June says and starts to back away. "We just want to hang out with all the "cool" kids." She uses air quotes when she says cool, then rounds up her entourage and shouts, "To the skate rental!"
As they walk away, I look at Aaron with wide eyes. "Did that seriously just happen?"
He shakes his head like he can't believe it either.
"I'm so sorry," I hear Harrison apologizing to Delaney. "I did not invite them here." His eyes meet mine. "I swear," he says.
"I believe you," I tell him. "She's ... she's just ..."
"Acting really strange. Don't you think?" Izzy asks. "I mean, she's always weird, but don't you think she was weirder than normal? All happy but mean underneath-like."
"I think that's typical for June." Aaron puts his arm around my shoulders. "So, what do we do now?"
I feel the weight of everyone's stares as if the decision is up to me. It's not. It's Delaney's day, and it should stay that way. These last few weeks without drama have been amazing, and I don't want to lose that feeling. I can be good at ignoring things, at least for another hour or two.
"Well, I say we continue as planned." I raise my hand. "Anyone else?"
Izzy's arm shoots up. "All in favor of pretending the ignorant troll doesn't exist, say aye."
Four more "aye's" sound around the table.
"Good," I say and pour the last of my candy into my palm. "Sour Skittles anyone?"
It doesn't take us long to finish our snacks and get back on the ice. Aaron and I skate hand in hand, but I confess I'm paranoid. I'll be watching my back the rest of the time we're here.
"You're not paranoid; you're justified," he says. "Plus, you're being an awesome friend by sticking this out for Delaney."
"She'd do the same for me," I say without hesitation. Probably more, I think.
"I just don't get it." He shakes his head. "June's been quiet for weeks. What triggered her now?"
"I have no idea."
Suddenly, a playful scream rips through the rink. We turn and find June at the opposite end of the ice, lying on her stomach while her friends hold theirs in laughter.
"This is so stupid!" she laugh-yells loud enough for everyone to hear.
Aaron rolls his eyes. "God forbid she isn't the center of attention."
Ignoring the disruption, we continue skating, slower now so we won't catch up to June before she picks herself up. Unfortunately, she decides to hang out by the boards where she fell, and we have no choice but to pass by. Refusing to acknowledge her, we just keep going – which earns us a comment to our backs.
"What? You're too good to say hello?"
Aaron somehow manages to stop on a dime and turns, pulling me around and into his side. I end up flush against him with my head at his shoulder and my free arm around his waist for balance.
"What do you want, June?" he asks with more force than I expect. "Why are you here?"
Her eyes flash. "That's none of your business."
"I think you made it our business when you found us in the lobby."
"I just wanted to say hi." She wiggles her fingers at us in a wave, but I see it more as an attempt to cast a spell.
"You ..." He gives up and sighs. "Whatever. C'mon, Lucy."
Aaron starts to leave and I follow, since we're still connected. We only make it a few feet before hearing, "You can't protect her forever."
Aaron glances behind us. "Watch me."
His words make me scowl. Protect me from what? June's snide remarks and pranks? When we're farther away from her, I say, "I never asked you to watch out for me."
"I know."
"Then why did you say that? You're not required to be my bodyguard."
"But what if I want to guard your body?" His eyebrows jump, and I try to give him a serious look while holding back a smile. Releasing my hand, he wraps his arms around my waist from behind. "We're together, right? Why wouldn't we look out for each other? It kinda comes with the boyfriend/girlfriend territory."
My heart stops for the second time tonight, but this time in a good way. Did he just make us official?
"Okay," he says in my ear. "It is my imagination, or did you just get all tense?"
We glide to a stop by the corner of the rink, and I turn in his arms to face him. "You said the b word."
He pretends to think. "Body?"
"No."
"Birthday?"
"No."
"Bungee jumping?"
"What? Stop playing dumb."
He grins. "Well, according to some people, I am cute but clueless."
I smirk. "You said boyfriend."
"I also said a lot of other things. Is that bad?"
"Well ... no." I look up at him. "It's just the first time you've said it, so ... do you really want that title?"
Instead of answering me, Aaron leans down and catches my mouth in an entirely inappropriate-for-public-but-mind-blowing kiss that leaves no question. After a few seconds someone whistles at us, making me pull away before I really want to.
"Was that a clear answer?" he asks before resuming his grin.
"Crystal." I smile back. Holy crap.
Taking a few steps out of Aaron's arms, I get the bright idea to race him.
"Sure, 'cause we're so good at skating," he agrees sarcastically.
"Damn right we are," I say with fake confidence.
I want a head start, so I say, "Readysetgo" as fast as I can, pushing away from him with my right foot, then my left. After I get a few strides in, I look back to see him behind me, pretending to catch up.
Laughing, I face forward again but not before something hits me hard from the side. The shove forces me to lose my balance, and I think Shit! as I trip over my own feet. I can't regain my balance, and all I can see are the boards heading toward my face. I put my arms out to brace myself.
And everything goes black.