Make My Way

Chapter Thirty

Getting over Neil was easy, but accepting Katie and Luca getting back together was not as easy. My thoughts are whirling around me. I like Luca a lot. I have since third grade and that wasn't ever going to change. I had to tell him. I needed to tell him.

At 6:30 my alarm went off. I slowly got out of my bed. After I turned my alarm off I scrolled through my notifications, which included various games, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Snap from Luca. I couldn't open it not now its probably going to make me sad and I don't want to ruin my semi-good morning. I'll open it at lunch I thought to myself.

Threw on a black collared dress and pumps, not bothering to put contacts in. I pulled my hair back into a messy bun and called it good. After applying a little natural colored makeup, I ran upstairs. I grabbed a banana and got into my car.

I drove up to the school and parked near Aria's car. I grabbed my backpack and walked in the school. When I got there I headed straight up to my locker not stopping to notice Luca and the other boys in my class messing around in the first floor commons. When I got upstairs I joined my friends at their lockers. My phone dinged I looked down snapchat from Jordan, that's a new one.

Hey.

That's all just hey? I thought to myself. I shook my head and took a picture of my feet and said hey back.

School went by more slowly than I had ever thought possible. When it was finally over, I met Aria by her locker. "I have an idea," she said firmly and I knew whatever it was, my answer needed to be yes. "We're going ice skating."

I let out a small sigh of relief. Sometimes when she made that face, the idea she was about to suggest was insane. That one was actually good. "Okay, who are we inviting?"

"Vivian, Willow, Aurora, Merrick, Blake, and Liam," she told me with no second thoughts. She had clearly already planned everything out.

"Merrick's on vacation though, so he won't be here," I reminder her.

"Hmmm... Then we won't invite Vivian either," she decided firmly.

We texted everyone to meet us at the rink at seven. I could tell Aria had something planned.

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We got to the rink a little late and saw Blake and Liam already inside waiting. Aria and I had our own skates, so we paid admission and went inside to wait for Willow and Aura to rent skates.

Inside, we laced up our ice skates and got on the ice. Aria, Aura, and I skated ahead and left Liam, Willow, and Blake behind. I looked back to see Willow clinging to the wall and struggling to stay on her feet. Liam was next to her trying to help her stabilize. Blake was standing nearby laughing so hard his foot slipped and he found himself on his butt. After seeing him fall, I started laughing too and almost lost my balance.

Blake stood up and brushed himself off before skating to join us. Aria and Aurora were up ahead a little bit and Blake slowed down once he reached me. He looked up ahead at the two girls and I saw something in him. Whether it was his eyes, posture, or something else, I don't know but there was something. Two things actually. Regret and longing. And not for the same person.

When he looked at Aria, I didn't see what they had before. I saw regret. Regret for what a ridiculous thing they had broken up for. Regret that they would never be as close of friends as they were before they got together.

When he looked at Aurora though, it was different. So different. It was a longing look, a hopeful look. "You like her," I said with a sly grin.

"What?" he asked, surprised.

"Aura. You like her!"

"I..." he was at a loss for words, "how...?"

"I was right! Ask her to snowball!" I exclaimed.

"I would ask her but I've just kinda waiting for Aria." He said quietly.

"From one friend to another I can tell you she's moved on." I said firmly, "You have to ask Aurora. I have the perfect idea I saw it on Pinterest." I whispered my idea in his ear and his face immediately lifted from his state of regret and longing. I could tell he put Aria behind him. Which was a good thing I knew everyone would be happy with this decision.

"Thank you Stella!" He said happily and skated off to do what I instructed.

Aura slowed down to skate beside me and asked, "Where is Blake going?"

All I said was, "Noodles," and skated away as fast as I could, laughing. I saw Liam trying to teach Willow how to skate. Then, I understood why Aria had wanted to come here. Aurora went up to Liam to attempt to help teach Willow the basics of skating and Aria slid up beside me. "Smart," I said with a head nod in Liam and Willow's direction.

She grinned and said, "I know," and skated off with a very dramatic hair flip. I shook my head. I love my friends.

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By the end of the night, Blake and Aura we're going to the Snowball dance together and Liam had done a great proposal that could have made any girl swoon. He sang a song to her and held up a homemade poster the looked like a song playing on iTunes with the word Snowball? on it.

I got an excited text from Lila that said Xavier had asked her to the snowball too. He had put nine bottles of Diet Coke in her car (she loves Diet Coke) that each had one customized word on them spelling out Will you go to the Snowball with me Lila? and he left her to figure out who asked her. They were just going as friends but she was still extremely overexcited.

Now it was just me and Aria left without dates.