"You're sure you're okay with covering for me?" Sophie asked, a bit too eagerly.
Tam gave her a look from across the counter of the skate rental. "You'll probably start hyperventilating if I don't."
"Go on, it's fine! Promise," Linh assured her.
Sophie clapped her hands together excitedly. "Thanks, you guys are amazing."
Amazing enough to do your work?" Tam muttered, but there was no bite behind his words. She smiled before grabbing her skates from where she had thrown them down earlier and bounding over to the doors of the rink.
She had been waiting hours to get to finally skate. She'd been avoiding the rink since the rink incident with Brant, but a week after her talk with Dex and she was itching to put her feet on the ice again.
She sat down on one of the deep green benches that lined the outer area of the rink, separated from the ice only by the see-through barrier. She pulled on the polished white skates and laced them up with quick fingers, so close to skating she could almost taste the freedom on her tongue. When she stood up, she could feel Jolie in the skates, supporting her, urging her to do what she loved most. She complied easily, walking over to the nearest gate and unlatching it.
It was a free skate, and there were people cutting through the peacefulness of her sanctuary, but for once, she didn't mind. Her first choice wouldn't be during the session, but as she watched a couple of little kids stumbling on the ice with determination in their eyes and fearlessness in their stances, she thought that maybe it wasn't so bad.
The moment she stepped foot on the ice, she knew she was home. Nothing, not even Brant's state or Jolie's death or her parents' pain could take this away.
She pushed off, and the cold air stung her cheeks as she glided across the ice. She felt as though she had finally woken from a month-long sleep only to find that the world was much more beautiful than she remembered it. She spun around the rink, over and over again, and the noisy children and chattering people faded into the background, mindless white noise that couldn't hold a candle to this.
She was making what felt like her millionth round when she noticed messy blonde waves enter the rink, attached to Snowflake Boy's head. She slowed down, letting curiosity get the better of her and watching as he entered tentatively.
His eyes darted around the rink, seemingly searching for something, or someone. Finally, they landed on her, and they widened as he realized she was staring back, before his mouth curled up into a smirk. He sat at one of the benches, bending down for a moment, before getting up and awkwardly wobbling his way to her.
"So, we meet again." The boy said as he approached, a hint of a smirk crossing his features again. Sophie's eyes went down to his feet, noting that the brown boots from the month before were replaced by a pair of worn ice skates, clearly rental.
"So you're wearing proper footwear." She responded, gliding in front of him. It was almost painful to watch him scratch the blades of his skates against the ice like he was walking to keep up with her. She glanced at him sideways. "I can't seem to remember your name."
"That's because I never told you." He replied, swinging his arms wildly for a moment before regaining his balance.
"I'm Sophie Foster." She started, hoping to get a name out of him.
"Sophie," he repeated, his tone of voice thoughtful. Sophie wondered what he was thinking.
"I'm Keefe." He said after another minute of skating and awkward ice-scratching. He noticeably left out his last name, but Sophie didn't push it.
YOU ARE READING
Ice Dancer
Fanfiction~a human AU~ Breathe. In. Out. Sophie smiled. The ice she stood on reflected a warped version of herself, the lines from skate blades carving in and ruining the image. But she was still there. She was still going. She was still skating.
