The Christmas Party

It's Grand Just Holding Your Hand

"I don't know why I agreed to ice skating," I said.

We walked up to an outdoor ice skating rink with a mess of people skating lazy circles around the perimeter. There were children shrieking with delight, couples holding hands and gazing lovingly into each other eyes, and groups of friends giggling and pushing each other.

I hated ice skating. This was going to be a disaster.

"You're sure you don't want to skate with us?" I asked Luca. Thea and I sat down to shove our feet into the skates while Luca crossed his legs and sipped his hot chocolate.

"I'm sure."

"Luca, it's been like fifteen years; can't you let it go?"

"I will never let it go. I'm never going ice skating again!"

Thea and I exchanged looks and shook our heads.

"Remind me to never put my children in figure skating," I muttered.

"You would do well to remember that advice!" Luca hissed and sipped his hot chocolate.

I stood up once I'd finished lacing up my skates. When I stood up, they cut into my ankles and flared out. Thea took one look at me and shook her head.

"You don't have them tied tight enough. Here." Thea pushed me back onto the bench and grabbed my feet, unlaced my skates, then adjusted them to make sure they were tight enough.

"That's very uncomfortable," I said when she was finished.

"It's supposed to be. Trust me: it's better than what you had."

I looked helpless to Luca.

"She's right."

I looked at him again, my face begging him to save me. He grinned and waved.

"Have fun!" he said, wiggling his fingers when he waved goodbye.

I threw him one more pleading look to rescue me, but he continued to grin. Reluctantly, I followed Thea out to the rink. The moment Thea's skates connected with the ice she shot into the crowd, skating fluidly around the rink.

"Oh boy," I muttered and carefully edged my way onto the ice. I held on to the side of the rink and carefully made my way down the side; to say I skated would have been a lie: it was more of a tip-toe.

After a few laps own her own, Thea skated up to me, stopping abruptly and spraying me with ice. I glared at her and she met my annoyance with an easy smile. Her cheeks were red from the wind whipping around her as she flew around the rink.

"You've seriously never been ice skating?" Thea asked.

"I went skating one time when I was twelve and hated it. I fell all the time so my butt hurt; my ankles hurt from these stupid skates, and I'm cold."

"You're always cold though."

"Well this is worse!" I walked a few more steps and pointedly ignored Thea grinning at me, skating backwards like some sort of professional. "I shouldn't have a agreed to this. I should have stopped at coffee and Hallmark movies."

"It will all be worth it when you see Monica's face next Friday."

"I don't know if I believe that."

Thea laughed and stuck her hands out. "Come on."

"No way. Absolutely not. I am not letting go of the side."

"I won't let you fall," Thea promised. I eyed her. "Trust me, Lou."

I reluctantly gave her one hand while keeping the other firmly planted on the side. She gave me a tug and pulled me off the wall. I yelped in surprised and stumbled, almost slipping right onto my butt, but Thea's quickly reflexes pulled me into her chest and held me steady until I regained my balance.

"I almost died!" I gasped, my heart hammering in my chest from my near fall, clutching on to Thea for dear life.

She looked down at me with a laugh on her lips. "I told you I wouldn't let you fall."

I wrapped my arms around her and refused to let go. "I'm not letting go of you the entire time we are skating."

"You're going to make it a little difficult to move."

"Good! Let's just stand here and hug until you're ready to leave."

Thea laughed and skated backward, pulling me along with her. All of my muscles were tightened with fear of falling.

"You might have more fun if you tried to skate," Thea said.

"I was doing just fine on the wall before you yanked me away!" Thea laughed. "I'm sorry I'm not some child figure skating prodigy."

"I didn't figure skate."

"What?"

"No, I never figure skated. That was Luca."

I furrowed my brow. "What did you do then?"

"I played hockey."

I pushed myself away from her enough to look her in the eye to see if she was pulling my leg. "You're serious?"

Thea laughed. "Yes, I'm serious. Figure skating was boring, so I asked I asked our parents to let me play hockey."

"Everything about that makes so much sense."

"Looks like there's something you didn't know about me."

"That doesn't mean you're winning."

Thea laughed, her face alight with delight and pulled us down the rink. I grew more comfortable and released my vice grip around Thea's torso and grabbed onto her hands instead. She continued to skate backward, pulling me along with her. She looked over she shoulder every now and again to make sure the coast was clear, but otherwise she looked at me, smiling. She had this unguarded smile on her face and even if I hated ice skating itself, it was worth it to see how happy Thea was.

We moved slowly, gliding across the ice like it was the most natural thing in the world. After we went around a few times, waving at Luca each time we passed his bench, I realized I was actually having fun.

"Having fun?" Thea asked.

"No!" I said, but smiled.

"You're a natural."

"You're pulling me; I'm not even moving my feet."

"You'll get there."

"I feel like Bambi."

"It's cute."

I rolled my eyes at her.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready? For what?"

Thea let go of my hands and skated away from me. I began to scrambled.

"No, no, no! What are you doing? Don't let go!"

Thea threw her head back in laughter and skated circles around me, just out of reach, taunting.

"Try to skate, Lou. You can do it. Move your legs like you're walking."

"You're an asshole. You brought me to the center of the rink and left me stranded!"

Thea continued laughing. My legs were frozen and refused to move; my body went into survival mode, which roughly translated in the ice skating world to mean 'don't fall on your butt.' The momentum from Thea pulling me eventually faded and I stood in the middle of the rink helpless. Skaters were all moving around me; there were even children with more coordination than me, giggling as they zoomed by.

I looked at Thea and begged her to come save me. She laughed, skated just close enough that I thought I could reach out a hand and grab her, but she stopped one push of my skates out of reach. I was scared to move, but I knew Thea wouldn't save me if I didn't at least try to get myself out of the mess she put me in. Slowly, I moved my legs, centimeter by centimeter. I started to move. It wasn't going horribly. I wasn't falling. I tried bigger strides. I was actually moving, even it was at a snail's pace.

Maybe I can skate.

The next stride I made was a step too far, overambitious, but I slipped and stumbled and clenched my body, preparing for my butt to hit the ice, but it never did. Thea was behind me in an instant and caught me, her arms looping under my own and supporting me.

"I told you I wouldn't let you fall," Thea said.

I looked up; Thea was smiling down at me. My heart did a weird stutter when we made eye contact. I swallowed before answering, collecting myself. "You're an asshole. I can't believe you left me stranded like that."

Thea lifted me all the way up and skated around the front of me.

"I didn't leave you, stop being dramatic."

"Don't leave me again or I swear to God I will leave this ice!"

Thea laughed and grabbed my hands and pulled me along. "I won't leave you."

I huffed and glared at the ice. Thea laughed and I stole a glance at her, recognizing that same look of affection she shared with me at dinner. My heart softened.

"You know what has to happen now?" I asked.

"What has to happen?" she asked.

"I have to sing to you," I pointing to the speakers around the rink playing 'Sleigh Ride.'

"You really don't."

"And embarrass you."

"I don't think that's necessary."

"Giddy-yap, giddy-yap, giddy-yap, let's go / Let's look at the show / We're riding in a wonderland of snow / Giddy-yap, giddy-yap, giddy-yap / It's grand just holding your hand / We're gliding along with a song of a wintery fairyland!" I sang the only way I knew how: loudly and very off-key.

"Please stop," Thea laughed. Her laughter only encouraged me to sing louder.

"Our cheeks are nice and rosy, and comfy-cozy are we / We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be / Let's take that road before us and sing a chorus or two / Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you!"

People were staring at us now and laughing. Thea was shaking her head but still smiling. "I will let go of you," Thea threatened. I warned her with my eyes that if she let go it would only get worse and clutched her hands even tighter.

By the time I sang the final lines of the song, Thea joined me and we sang to reach other, wild smiles on her face, laughing.

"Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling, too / Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you / Outside, the snow is falling, and friends are calling, 'yoo-hoo!' / Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you!"

We both laughed and the next song started playing. I wiggled my eyebrows at Thea.

"Okay, okay," she laughed. "We can leave."

"Oh no, are you sure?" I asked sarcastically.

"You just have to get yourself to the exit."

"Theadora Isabelle Amato, don't you dare leave me!"

"Kidding," she said.

"You better be!"

Thea pulled me to the exit. I flung off my skates as quickly as my numb fingers would allow.

"Looks like you two had fun," Luca said.

"That's one word for it," I replied.

"I had fun," Thea said with a devilish grin.

"Did you see her leave me?" I demanded.

"Yes, I did." Luca high fived Thea.

"You guys are conspiring against me."

"Always," Luca agreed.

Thea collected our skates and returned them. When she left Luca turned to me with a huge grin on his face.

"What?" I asked.

"Have fun?" Luca asked with a suggestive smile.

"Yeah, I guess I did." I frowned. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh nothing."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I'm just wondering how long it's going to take you to admit you like my sister."

I looked at Luca like he'd grown a second head. "What?"

Luca glanced over my shoulder and smiled. Thea was back and he was saved.

"I don't!" I snapped.

"Don't what?" Thea asked.

"Oh nothing," Luca said. "Lou's wrong and she won't admit it."

Thea shrugged it off and we went back to the car. I punched Luca when Thea wasn't looking. He made kissy faces at me.

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A/N: Thanks for reading everyone! Don't forget to vote and comment if you liked the chapter! :) Do you like ice skating? I hate it. My school takes our students every year for a field trip and I refuse to skate with them, even though they beg lol