Our Destiny

11. Unbreakable vow

When the first snowflakes fell in Jersey City, and the air became so cold that every spoken word produced a cloud of steam, a group of friends decided to go ice skating. It was probably the best gathering they had ever attended, full of laughter and falls. Mostly falls.

The whole group of seven had a great time, especially during the moments when Chris, instead of skating, was sliding on his backside, clinging to Logan's pant legs, who was constantly trying to shake him off. Eventually, the gray-eyed boy ended up on the ground, with the brunette landing on his sore back. To top it off, Mike crashed into them with such force that his skate sliced Collins' jacket right next to the boy's neck. After this incident, they decided to head home before someone ended up in the hospital. They all returned completely bruised, and Chris additionally had a hole in his pants. Though a hole in the pants is better than one in the trachea...

***

A few days later, the girls were sitting in a café with George, waiting for the boys they had planned to meet. Finally, they heard the sound of the entrance bell, and the shivering friends walked in. Jake, Chris, and Mike pulled down the hoods of their jackets, while Logan, who didn't have a hood, began shaking the snowflakes out of his hair that were already starting to melt. The boys approached the table where the rest of their friends were sitting and greeted everyone.

"You won't believe what we saw," Collins said before even sitting down. Three pairs of eyes looked at him with curiosity. "A woman walking on that ice in high heels! It's freezing, and she decided to take a walk." He finished, clearly astonished by the situation.

"She was keeping her balance better in those heels than you do in boots," the gray-eyed boy muttered teasingly, and Chris shot him a glare.

"If push came to shove, she'd pierce your arteries with those heels," Allen added, causing Chris to make a horrified face while everyone else burst into loud laughter. This was normal for them, and at the same time, beautiful. They could sit together for hours and still have things to talk about, and Chris always found a way to surprise them with his "brilliant" ideas.

In less than half an hour, everyone was sitting with a cup of hot chocolate in front of them, persuaded by Alexa herself. The girl had been feeling really comfortable among them lately, which sometimes confused and even frightened her. Because she realized that she was becoming more and more vulnerable. Because she had more and more to lose.

Jake and Katie started talking and joking around, and soon others joined the conversation, except Logan. The dark-haired boy sat holding his cup, sipping the sweet drink. Then he looked around the café and only now noticed its décor. The walls, lined with orange tiles, were adorned with golden lights reflecting in the windows. Chains of artificial Christmas trees with red baubles and small, glowing icicles stretched across the ceiling. White snowflakes were also attached here and there.

Green garlands tied with red bows hung on freestanding columns and the counter. In one corner stood a green Christmas tree decorated with red baubles and a large, golden star on top. Next to it was a window through which snow continuously fell. The entire café smelled of cinnamon, chocolate, and tangerines, the main ingredients in today's dishes. In the background, a soft Christmas song played, which ended and was replaced by another. It all looked magical and created an incredibly festive atmosphere.

"Are you going to the dance?" Mike asked, looking up at George, who was sitting opposite him. For over a week, a poster announcing the winter dance, which was to take place in a few days, had been hanging in every school corridor.

"Probably," Katie replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. After her answer, Chris, Logan, and Jake began saying that they would probably go too.