revealed.
“What?!”
“Geez, Murphy.” Allison winced. “Trying to wake up my roommates?”
“Your parents never took you ice skating?” Reagan asked incredulously, dropping her voice to a hoarse whisper.
Allison’s brow furrowed seriously. “No.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.” Allison shook her head, looking frustrated. Reagan apologized too much. “It’s not your fault.”
“But we grew up in the middle of nowhere , ” Reagan pointed out. “What else was there to do in the winter months?”
Allison arched an eyebrow. “Under- aged drinking and premarital sex?”
“Skating, sledding, and making snow people?” R eagan countered.
“Snow people?” Allison echoed.
“Well I suppose they’re better known as snow men , but it always seemed unfair to me that you could only build snowmen. What about snow women ?” Reagan huffed indignantly. “They deserve a chance, too, you know.”
Allison shook her head at Reagan’s antics. Her energy was contagious. “Of course you’d get upset about that.”
+++++
Reagan inhaled, enjoying the smell of the cold ice. She stepped out onto the sparsely populated ice rink and made a tentative stride. She hadn’t been skating since two Christmases ago, but knew that after a little while she’d be back to her old form. Gaining confidence, she started to skate faster in a wide loop around the oval rink. She crossed her right foot over her left, making a sharp, crisp turn around the first corner. The sound of her sharp blades cutting into the ice was familiar and comforting, bringing her back to simpler days.
A loud crash pulled her out of her trance, and she looked in the direction of the noise to see Allison awkwardly opening the large gate to the rink. She stumbled out onto the ice surface and immediately grasped onto the sideboards surrounding the hockey rink to keep from falling.
“Devil shoes,” she complained under her breath. “God never intended for people to fly or to ice skate.”
“Well, for starters, you didn’t tie your laces tight enough.” Reagan pointed to Allison’s unsteady feet and laughed. “That’s why your ankles are wobbling around like that.”
“And here I thought they’d rented me skates made out of Jello,” Allison quipped and rolled her eyes.
Reagan cocked her head to one side, amused by Allison’s lack of balance. The normally perfectly put-together girl looked anything but comfortable. “I still don’t understand how you could have grown up in Michigan and never learned how to ice skate.”
Allison scowled and her legs continued to wobble unsteadily. “It’s Michigan, not the North Pole.”
Reagan skated easily over to Allison and wrapped her arm around her waist. “C’mon,” she cajoled, “I’ll help you.”
With a minimum amount of convincing, Allison released her tight clutch on the boards and allowed herself to be led back towards the zamboni entrance. Reagan momentarily released her hold to open up the sideboards.
Without the support, Allison immediately spilled onto the ice. “Hey!” she loudly complained, her back flat on the ice. “What was that for?”
“I’m sorry.” Reagan held a mittened hand over her laughing mouth. “I didn’t think you’d fall so easily.” She reached down and pulled Allison off the slick surface and back onto her feet. The two wobbled unsteadily, both threatening to tumble, until Reagan planted her feet in the ice for better balance.
“Don’t you dare let go again,” Allison grunted through clenched teeth.
R eagan laughed. “I’ve got you,” she reassured the shaky girl. She steered Allison back through the rink entrance and helped her step off the ice and onto the thick, black rubber flooring.
Allison wobbled over to a wooden bench and sat down. She breathed a sigh of relief to be on solid ground again.
R eagan stood in front of her and grabbed onto her skating partner’s
“What?!”
“Geez, Murphy.” Allison winced. “Trying to wake up my roommates?”
“Your parents never took you ice skating?” Reagan asked incredulously, dropping her voice to a hoarse whisper.
Allison’s brow furrowed seriously. “No.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.” Allison shook her head, looking frustrated. Reagan apologized too much. “It’s not your fault.”
“But we grew up in the middle of nowhere , ” Reagan pointed out. “What else was there to do in the winter months?”
Allison arched an eyebrow. “Under- aged drinking and premarital sex?”
“Skating, sledding, and making snow people?” R eagan countered.
“Snow people?” Allison echoed.
“Well I suppose they’re better known as snow men , but it always seemed unfair to me that you could only build snowmen. What about snow women ?” Reagan huffed indignantly. “They deserve a chance, too, you know.”
Allison shook her head at Reagan’s antics. Her energy was contagious. “Of course you’d get upset about that.”
+++++
Reagan inhaled, enjoying the smell of the cold ice. She stepped out onto the sparsely populated ice rink and made a tentative stride. She hadn’t been skating since two Christmases ago, but knew that after a little while she’d be back to her old form. Gaining confidence, she started to skate faster in a wide loop around the oval rink. She crossed her right foot over her left, making a sharp, crisp turn around the first corner. The sound of her sharp blades cutting into the ice was familiar and comforting, bringing her back to simpler days.
A loud crash pulled her out of her trance, and she looked in the direction of the noise to see Allison awkwardly opening the large gate to the rink. She stumbled out onto the ice surface and immediately grasped onto the sideboards surrounding the hockey rink to keep from falling.
“Devil shoes,” she complained under her breath. “God never intended for people to fly or to ice skate.”
“Well, for starters, you didn’t tie your laces tight enough.” Reagan pointed to Allison’s unsteady feet and laughed. “That’s why your ankles are wobbling around like that.”
“And here I thought they’d rented me skates made out of Jello,” Allison quipped and rolled her eyes.
Reagan cocked her head to one side, amused by Allison’s lack of balance. The normally perfectly put-together girl looked anything but comfortable. “I still don’t understand how you could have grown up in Michigan and never learned how to ice skate.”
Allison scowled and her legs continued to wobble unsteadily. “It’s Michigan, not the North Pole.”
Reagan skated easily over to Allison and wrapped her arm around her waist. “C’mon,” she cajoled, “I’ll help you.”
With a minimum amount of convincing, Allison released her tight clutch on the boards and allowed herself to be led back towards the zamboni entrance. Reagan momentarily released her hold to open up the sideboards.
Without the support, Allison immediately spilled onto the ice. “Hey!” she loudly complained, her back flat on the ice. “What was that for?”
“I’m sorry.” Reagan held a mittened hand over her laughing mouth. “I didn’t think you’d fall so easily.” She reached down and pulled Allison off the slick surface and back onto her feet. The two wobbled unsteadily, both threatening to tumble, until Reagan planted her feet in the ice for better balance.
“Don’t you dare let go again,” Allison grunted through clenched teeth.
R eagan laughed. “I’ve got you,” she reassured the shaky girl. She steered Allison back through the rink entrance and helped her step off the ice and onto the thick, black rubber flooring.
Allison wobbled over to a wooden bench and sat down. She breathed a sigh of relief to be on solid ground again.
R eagan stood in front of her and grabbed onto her skating partner’s
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