Melting Ice

Chapter 9

"Hey..." he called out.

 

He had found the girl sitting by the side, at one of the bleachers in the huge arena after making it from the school cafeteria in mere minutes, an accomplishment he would not be able to make usually. But he did, all due to the same girl that had occupied all of his thoughts somehow. Ever since having entered the arena, all he saw was the back of the girl, like how he had saw her for the first time, except this time not on ice.

 

The girl turned, and it was his third time actually looking at her almost perfect face. He knows that it is not perfect, no human is perfect, and that was a fact that Lucion had known since young.

 

His brown orbs shifted right into the umbre orbs of the girl and time froze.

 

All Lucion could read off from Jesslia's eyes were isolation, conflict and a lot others things that he could not phrase in words, but he felt them. He felt those emotions, all because he knew those emotions well enough, too well in fact.

 

It felt too familiar, like the time when his parents pulled and uncovered his mask. The mask that he had worn for such a long time that he forgot he could take it off, that the mask was like a second skin to him.

 

Exposed was the only word he could find to describe the whole process and it was all because his parents found out, found out that their son was not as happy as they thought, that he was not as 'real' as they thought he was. Maybe that was why they do not question anymore whenever he sneaked out at night every so often to visit  the rink like they used to; maybe that was why they do not question who he will be out with everytime he went out; maybe that was why they do not tell him what they expect out of him anymore.

 

Lucion blinked, his feet moving step by step, inch by inch towards the bleachers where the girl was sitting, and he sat right next to her. He looked straight at the rink, unable to bring himself to look at the girl, who was staring at him with puzzled eyes, one emotion he had not seen from the girl before.

 

But then again, who was he to know the girl so well?

 

Yet, at the same time, he knew the girl, like they had known each other for a long time, for they had one thing in common. And that was the wall between them and the rest of the world.

 

~~

 

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was soft this time, not like the previous times where she sounded demanding or distant. It was different this time.

 

"Can't I be here?" He finally turned to look at her. The girl froze, and he continued, "I understand how you feel..." and silence won the war once again. But this silence, it was comforting and soothing. It was the type that the two would like, because, it was when they do not need to keep up their fronts so desperately, trying to make sure that no one ever breaks pass that wall of theirs.

 

Seconds passed. Minutes passes; and when Lucion was finally, finally done with the silence, he finally stood up, causing the girl beside him to turn towards him.

 

This time, it was Jesslia's turn to wonder, wonder if the boy was going to leave, like everyone around her has or had. Finally admitting the fact that the boy was somehow different during the past few minutes, the thought that the boy might be like her flashed through her mind and it eases her, to know that finally, someone might understand how she felt.

 

Of course, she was grateful for her brother and her parents, but it was different. They had not fully understood what she had went through, because the rest of her family were blessed with the trait of knowing who to trust and who not to trust, while she had foolishly poured every part of herself to the people she thought had 'cared'.

 

The boy disappeared from her eyes and the mere light of the rink. She frowned, somehow being affected in ways that she did not know why. Maybe she had expected too much from the boy, again like how she had from every other people.

 

The lights of the rest of the rink buzzed loudly, lighting up the whole place and Jesslia blinked at the sudden increased brightness compared to before. When she could see properly again, the boy who she thought had left was standing right before her once more.

 

"Did you think I'd leave?" His smile was dazzling and she noticed two pairs of skates hung over his shoulders, each skate tied to its other half like how professionals usually do to their skates. He swung one pair, she noticed it was slightly smaller than the other pair, towards her, his smile wider by the second, "Come on."

 

She stared, a sudden urge of playfulness taking over her, "Come on what?"

 

"... Skating?" Lucion seemed to be surprised at the sudden different behaviour of the girl. His reaction caused the girl to burst out giggling, and Lucion was enthralled He was weird, he knows, but it was the first time he had saw the girl smiling, the smile making her already almost perfect features softer and prettier.

 

"I know..." Jesslia took the pair of skates from Lucion's hands, putting on the skates in a swift, clearly showing how much she is used to this, "You too!" and she reached out one hand to pull Lucion onto the seat next to her, wanting him to put on his skates too.

 

Lucion smiled again, his fingers moving to work on the skates and it was not long before the two were done. They were veterans at this, after all.  He looked up at the girl, "Have you tried pair skating before?"

 

"Of course I did, there's Yun, remember? You?" Jesslia turned her head in a cute angle and Lucion felt himself swaying for the nth time that day, though he did shake himself out of it within seconds, replying a stuttered, "N-no... I can't possibly do it with Yun, can I?"

 

And the two burst into laughter, the scene of Yun and Lucion doing a simple couple skate move together passing both of their minds at the same time, only to cringe at the idea of so. Lucion, in slight embarrassment, reached out to pull the still laughing Jesslia by her arm and into the rink.

Author's Note： Weeeeeeeewwwww~~~~ Holidays is coming soon~~ Why do I look so forward to it? xD Anyway, heres the next chappie~~ Hope it has more action that you guys like :p

Hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter as much as I had writing thisss :3333