Mali

Chapter Seventeen: Present

Another week has passed and nothing has happened.

Surprisingly.

By now I thought we would be dead, at least be caught. The snow was increasing and pilling up faster then I have ever seen before back in Chicago.

I realized we lived two hours outside the city and my house was basically covered by trees, I have just never seen so much snow.

Poor Pittsburgh.

We continued walking, past the coffee shop this time. It was just me and Ryder, and he wanted to show me something.

He was in a hurry almost, pushing me out the door basically.

We were a good few blocks away from the apartment by now when he pulled me aside.

"We should go.", Ryder said abruptly.

I was surprised and dumbfounded by it. I would think he would want to stick with everybody. Power in numbers.

I, too, thought about leaving. Getting as far as I could from that dreadful place. I don't want to take that chance of going back, especially if I could do things to prevent it.

But, I still think that now would be too early.

"I agree.", I began, "But, we should do it after winter. Settle a better plan, an exact plan, and wait till the time comes."

Ryder stared at me puzzled, "I would think you would want to leave asap?"

"I do, I just don't want to mess it up somehow.", I rebutted.

I would hate it if we had made it this far and to screw up that quick. I'm just being cautious. I tried telling myself that, so I wouldn't seem crazy in my own mind.

"How would we mess up?", he asked.

I couldn't find any words to use, so I just sputtered out, "We just will okay?"

Ryder left it at that. He continued walking further up the block, away from the apartments.

"Where are you going?", I asked.

"To show you what I initially wanted to show you.", replied Ryder.

I kept up with him, sticking right behind his feet. Attempting not to run into him at times.

It wasn't until another fifteen minutes later till I knew what he wanted to show me.

It was an indoor ice skating rink.

I haven't ice skated since I was a little girl, and I loved it. It's just years later time and school took it away from me. Now, I have a sinking feeling I'm going to fail.

Ryder helped lace up my shoes, it's hard to bend over with this sling.

I stood up and we hobbled our way over to the rink. Only a few people, maybe five of six people, were on the ice. All it means is there are that many less people I have a chance to run over.

We got on the ice and I felt like a kid again. Slipping and nearly face planting every time. I was like Bambi when he first tried to ice skate.

Ryder held onto my one arm tight to keep me balanced. To keep both of us balanced.

"I have never done this before.", Ryder blurted out.

I looked up at him puzzled, "Then why did you bring us here?"

He was trying to focus on two things at once and it wasn't working, "I don't know, I thought this is what normal teenagers did?"

I had almost forgot. Ryder was on the run for six years, well besides spending two of them at the asylum. He hasn't been a real teenager, I don't blame him.

"I thought they went out and got drunk or high?", I said lightening the mood a bit.

He laughed, "Yet again, that's your version of a teenager, you're not exactly a normal teenager." assured Ryder.

"So, we are both wrong then.", I said.

"Mhmm, whatever helps you sleep at night.", agreed Ryder, staying sarcastic.

I looked back down at my feet and trying to focus again. I began slipping and sliding again. Nearly bringing Ryder down.

Again.

We went around the rink multiple times. Sticking to the wall to decreasing the chance for when we would fall we wouldn't face plant, but catch the wall instead.

I didn't care for the numbness of my fingers and the inevitable failure that is sure to follow, all that matter is that for the first time in two years I was having fun.

Being another person. Acting like myself before it all. Except for the lone wolf part, I was that funny and loud girl again.

What's getting me is the fact that Ryder is bringing it out.

He is my first true friend that I have ever had. Yeah, of course, the rest of us that escaped are my friends, but they can't do what Ryder is doing for me now.

Making me feel special.

I started laughing at the very thought that I was beginning to like Ryder. Before him I had always thought I would end up a lonely old lady who's only company was a hundred cats. Ifs because people like me, or who I was, don't get friends let alone a boyfriend or a girlfriend.

We are meant to be the people that stand aside and behind everyone else, but still get the job done.

But, here I am. Falling in love with a guy who should be in front of me, not standing with me. It's not meant to happen, and yet it's happening.

It's stupid in a way, naïve for me to think that he loves me back. But, I can't shake it off.

Before I knew it Ryder was beginning to lead us off the ice.

A guy near the exit was summoning us off the ice because it was closing time. When we walked in here the sign said they closed at midnight, and we came here at near eightish. Four hours of ice skating, time really does fly by when you're having fun.

I slipped off the skates and Ryder once again helped me get my normal shoes on again. He payed for the skating like a gentleman, and headed out the door.

This was defiantly something that normal teenagers do.

Well, that argument is still undecided, so it depends on who you ask.

To me, it was still fun.