Stuck in my head

😫14

Our bus leaves from Penn Station at 9:30 that night, and it's barely seven. Plenty of time for you to continue exploring, see Times Square all lit up like it's New Year's Eve, go up to the top of the Empire State Building, or even take a peek into Central Park at nighttime, when the moon is high and the lanterns are lit.

"How about we go ice skating?" Taehyung suggests as the two of you walk along the pavement, side by side. our hands are buried deep into the pockets of our coats.

"At Rockefeller?"

"Sure, why not?" Taehyung says. That sentence pretty much sums up your trip to New York thus far. "I've always wanted to go skating and see the tree during Christmastime. When else will we get the chance?"

Five minutes later we've paid for rental skates, a locker for your shoes, and a ticket to the rink. Visible right next to me there is enormous tree, the lights twinkling and cameras flashing as everyone scrambles to get their Instagram picture to prove that they actually went to the tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

When the zamboni is finished and the employees have skated over the ice enough to increase the level of friction, Taehyung and i balance on you skates as you walk towards the entrance. Slowly, everybody begins to glide on, wobbling at first before eventually getting the hang of it. There are a couple of small children holding onto those little penguin skate assistants, laughing as their older brothers and sisters guide them along the ice.

"I've never skated before," i admit nervously, about two seconds before you're about to enter the rink.

Taehyung's mouth drops open. "Never?"

"No," i reiterate, even more nervous than before. "I have no idea what I'm doing, I just said yes because like you said we're in New York and it's nearly Christmas and we should just seize every opportunity that we have and—"

"dahyun," Taehyung says, calming you down as he ushers me away from the entrance so we aren't blocking other people's paths. "It's okay. You don't have to worry," he tells you, holding onto your wrists to make you look up at him. "I can show you how to. It's easier than it looks, I swear. I won't let you fall. You just have to trust me, alright?" He shakes my wrists to catch my attention, make sure that you heard him. "Alright?"

Deep breath. Inhale, exhale.

"Alright."

Everything is, in fact, not alright. No matter what Taehyung says, ice skating is way more fucking difficult than it looks. Taehyung steps onto the ice and it turns into second nature for him, gliding around a small circle to get warmed up as i cling onto the side railing like an idiot. i have no idea how to move, i have no idea where to go, i just shuffle along the railing with the rest of the children who are far younger than me, also trying to skate for the first time.

This is embarrassing.