Thin Ice ✔️

chapter twenty two: try and try again

Hunter's POV

I walked into the building and most of the lights were turned off. I was walking towards the locker room when a flashlight turned on in front of me.

"What're you doing here?" they shine the light in my face.

I put my hand up to block the light when I realize who it is. "Greg, it's me, Hunter."

He puts down his flashlight and I can hear the jingle of his keys as he puts it back on his belt. "What are you doing here at this hour?" he asks. "Don't you have some party to go to?"

"How do you know about the parties? I asked.

"You'd be surprised how much I know. You guys aren't the best at hiding things." he laughed. I really didn't want to know what he was talking about but he seemed to have no problem telling me. "Like how I found a used condom in the locker room bathroom, and the shit I hear after hours-"

"Ok, ok, I get it. You're not deaf," I cringed at what he was saying. In the bathroom of all places? I did not want to hear the rest of that. "Anyways, I'm looking for....an old friend. Did you see anyone walk in?" I asked, focusing back on why I came here.

"The young lady that rushed in?" he asked, a smile appearing on his face.

"That'd be her," I laughed.

"Well you know where the rink is," he smiled. I nodded and walked towards the hall that led to the rink. "Have fun kid!" he calls out from behind me.

I drop my head and laugh. Greg was something else. I strolled down the hall and everything felt surreal. Part of me wanted to race up to her and tell her how sorry I was, but I also needed to give her what she wanted. And that was space.

I turned down the hall and walked farther to the side of the rink. When the next opening came up I walked in and came out by the corner. As I got closer to the rink I couldn't see anything, but I could hear her.

I heard the skates gliding across the ice, a sound I knew all too well. Everything in the arena was dark except the rink that was illuminated by the lights above. I watched as she skated across the ice, jumping and turning just as beautifully as she did the last time I saw her. I made sure to go unnoticed but I stood there for a while, observing her.

I could watch her skate for hours. That's one thing I remember from back then. Watching her competitions was like watching a different person. She wasn't the shy Dani you'd see at school, but a more confident version of herself.

And it seems like nothing's changed. She was still doing the same jumps and turns from what I could see, she hadn't lost her touch. And that made me smile.

At least that was one thing I didn't destroy.

So I guess my visit here is over. All I wanted to make sure of was that she was okay and now that I've done that, I needed to think of something to say.

From what happened back there, it was clear she still held a grudge against the things I said. And who wouldn't, they were awful words. But it's been years and I've changed.

Now it's just time to show her that.

~~~~~

Opportunities were rare.

I would see her at an occasional game or a party, but pulling her to the side didn't seem right, so I never did it. It's not like it mattered anyway, she'd ignore me like the plague whenever I was around, and she practically ignored my existence.

But I wasn't about to let her forget about me that easily. It was going to take a lot more than ignoring me to get me to go away, but she seemed to be doing a pretty good job at it.