Thaw

I- I like you.

"Its cold, why are we out here?" MJ mumbled, pulling her jacket tightly around her as we hopped off the bus.

"It'll be fun!" I smiled and hooked my arm through hers. It was sunday, the day Rosa and Lorenzo were taking me and MJ to watch the Broadway show Hamilton. MJ came over early and to pass the time and after a bit of research, I found a ice rink a short bus ride away from us.

"Here you are." The lady at the booth handed me the skates I rented for us to use.

"Thank you!" I smiled courteously and took them from her hands. I head towards MJ who was watching the small crowd of people skate around skeptically.

"I cant believe your making me do this." She mumbles doing up the laces of her skates.

"You'll love it! Just c'mon!" I pulled her up and together we waddled to the ice. I went first and stepped onto the ice, the feeling making me smile wider. I turned around and helped MJ get on.

"See! Its easy!" I exclaimed as she took carefully calculated steps on the ice. I had my arms up a bit in case she fell.

"How do people have fun doing this when you could fall and break every bone in your body." she said, not looking up from her feet.

"Don't be dramatic, plus, That's why we have these." I knocked on the side of the helmet I was wearing.

"Okay I have to admit, that was actually kinda fun, at least once I got over the multiple near death experiences." MJ joked as we sat across from each other in our favorite cafe.

"Oh Please, you only fell, like 2 times." I rolled my eyes playfully and blew at the steaming hot chocolate in front of me.

"Soo, can you tell me what's the deal with you and Peter?" She questioned after a moment.

"Uh, w-what?" I coughed up the hot liquid that went down the wrong pipe in surprise.

"You know what i'm talking about." She crossed her arms and leaned back.

"I-I really don't, what do you mean?" I copied her position.

"Why are you avoiding him? He cornered me after school on Thursday begging to know why you weren't talking to him. Poor thing thinks he did something wrong." She sighed.

"I-I'm not avoiding him." I lowered my gaze in regret. Oh god, he thinks he did something to me?

"You don't want to sit at his and Ned's table at lunch, you don't come near the boy during decathlon meetings and you changed your seat in algebra to get away from him." She counted the things I've done to stay away from him on her hand.

"Okay, fine. I-I just, I don't know he, uh." I groaned, I couldn't admit it to her.

"Any day now." She tapped her fingers on the side of her mug of coffee.

"I just don't think I need any new friends right now. I need to focus on school." I lied.

"Bullshit. You're like the smartest person I've met." She rolled her eyes. I didn't reply.

"You like him, don't you." She stated rather then asked.

"No." I said way too quick.

"W-why would you think that." I ran a hand through my hair so it could partially cover my red cheeks.

"Don't even try to play dumb." She narrowed her eyes.

"Fine, yes, I freaking like him but I don't want to and I know it's horrible for me to go out of my way to get away from him, but, but I just can't do this sorta thing I mean I've never liked anyone before I don't know what else to do so please just say something before I jump off a building." I rambled.