Love, Hate and Hockey Skates

Eight

I gawked at him for a few seconds, unsure if I had heard him correctly.

"Can I go to it if it's after my game?"

He wasn't kidding.

"You...want to go?"

He shrugged. "Why not? I'd love to see you dance, I'm sure it's awesome. What kind of dance competition?"

"It starts a few minutes after your game ends, I don't think you'll be able to make it in time." I wanted to think of any excuse for him not to go. That was the last thing I wanted him to see.

Knowing about the competition was one fear, seeing me dance was a whole other level of terror I didn't want to experience with Ace Huxley. I could only imagine what he would've done to me back in high school if he had ever seen me dance.

Thankfully, it wasn't a passion I could afford at the time, and now it is the passion that helps me afford everything.

"I have my car, if it isn't too far, I'm sure I can drive there right after. If you let me go, that is." He smiled, and for the first time, it didn't touch his eyes.

He was acting as if he would be genuinely hurt if I didn't allow him to go. What the hell was I supposed to do now? I was a sucker for sad-looking people who tried to act like they weren't, who wasn't?

"If you go...you absolutely cannot make fun of me. Ever. Do you understand? I will stop being friends with you so fast." I pointed a shaking finger at him.

He put his hand over my finger and lowered it, then used his own to make a crisscross over his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die, I will never do that. I would honestly love to see this competition and be your personal cheerleader this time."

"Why do you want to go so bad?"

"Because this is what you love, and I want to see it. You come to my games all the time, it's the same thing, is it not? Friends have to support friends."

I wanted to cry at that statement. It was all I had ever wanted, but because of him, I never made any friends before.

Wow, I really blamed a lot on the person I was now calling my only friend. How the hell did the world come to this? Was this some sort of alternate universe? I questioned everything and none of it made sense. But yet, here I was – I actually wanted him to come and watch me compete.

I wanted him to cheer me on.

I wanted him to be there to say I did a good job, even if I didn't win.

What the hell is wrong with me? I was supposed to be tricking him, but I obviously didn't have it in me. But that didn't mean I was supposed to actually become friends with my bully.

Except he wasn't a bully anymore. He was the best and only friend I had ever had.

"Okay, you can come to the competition. I'll text you the address and I'll show up for the first half of your game, but I'm leaving early to get there in time."

Ace cheered and jumped in the air. "Thanks, Isla. I'm really excited now; this is going to be better than going to that party tonight."

I snorted. "How do you figure?"

"Because those parties are always boring, everyone just gets drunk and fights or gambles."

I bobbed my head from side to side. "Yeah, sounds like a University party."

"Well, I'm not interested in them. I'm more interested in hanging out with you, so this will be ten times better. Besides, I've always wanted to see you dance."

"You talk like we've known each other for years." I stopped when I realized what I had said. We technically had known each other for years, but does he remember that?

"I feel like I have," was all he said.

It didn't really confirm anything, but I still had my suspicions, which made inviting him tonight make me feel stupid like I was setting up my own trap to walk right into.

~*~

I was a nervous wreck leading up to the opening dance, I could barely watch whoever was performing and paced around the backstage. I was too nervous about if Ace was really in the audience out there, or if he decided last minute it was a waste of time.

Something had told me he was there, and he was going to watch intently.

'You got this, Isla. You've practiced weeks for this, you've nailed it.'

When it came to my turn, I hoped my attire was enough to throw him off to who I was. I performed my routine, a mixture of jazz-ballet and hip-hop. They were my favourite dance styles to mix and where I was really allowed to have some creativity. I felt my nerves melt away as I flipped and glided across the floor and forgot that there was even a crowd around me. Until it came to an end and the crowd erupted, but there was one voice I heard loudest over all the others.

Ace. I could hear his hollering and hooting, but I couldn't see where he was due to the bright lights in front of me. It was time for the next performance so I was ushered off the stage before I could find where he was. I ran to the back and drenched myself in water before I went to change and meet Ace out back.

The second I stepped out of the door I was clobbered by Ace.

"Isla, oh my god, that was amazing! I never would've thought you could move like that, holy shit!" He hugged me and jumped up and down.

"Easy, I'm super sore now," I groaned.

"Oh, shit. My bad." He put me down and grabbed my hand. "Come on, you probably worked up a huge appetite after that."

Ace dragged me toward his car, and we drove to the closest Mcdonald's, per my request. It was a ritual of mine, after every competition, I would get McDonalds because it was the cheapest meal I could pamper myself with after a job well done.

"I have to admit, that wasn't what I was expecting. An underground dance contest, that's a little different. How long have you been doing this?" Ace asked.

"Since my last year of high school, I needed the money." I shoved some fries in my mouth.

"Why not get a normal job working fast food or something?"

I chuckled. "Well A, fast food doesn't pay as much and B, my father never let me work." This was my opportunity to torment him a little. If he really did remember who I was and was genuine about being friends, I'm sure he would hate to hear how my life was while he was bullying me.

"Wait, your Dad wouldn't let you get a job? Why not?"

I tossed more fries in my mouth. "He didn't want me to have my own money and leave."

"Damn, what kind of guy was your Dad?"

This was my chance. "He was an abusive alcoholic."

His eyes popped out of his skull.

"Isla, what the hell? Why didn't you ever tell anyone?"

I feigned ignorance. "Why do you assume I never told anyone?"

"I mean, well, yeah I assume you didn't..."

I scoffed and threw my fries down.

"Tell me the truth Ace; do you remember who I am?