Sleigh Bells

Candy Cane

Turns out, Lucas did know how to ice skate.

Kind of.

Rather than ice skating, he mostly held on to me and tried to keep his balance. He spun around a couple times without meaning to, and he looked pretty cool.

We skated for a couple hours, and Lucas got a little better as the time went on. By the time we left he could stand all by himself, without holding on to me. We got home around seven o'clock, Riley made dinner with Farkle, and then we laid blankets in front of the big fireplace to sit on.

Farkle took this to the extreme. He and Zay cleaned out the fluffy blankets from every closet in the house and piled them all in the living room. We burrowed into them, and I'm sure we looked like a trash heap, just with more people and unraveled yarn.

Lucas and I were wrapped up in a fluffy reindeer blanket, and Lucas had both arms around me. Farkle and Riley shared a blanket, and I suspected they were becoming closer than they let on. Zay came in with a basket of candy canes in different shapes and sizes, and we all yelled and clambered for one of the big ones.

Lucas and I got medium-sized ones, Zay got slightly one slightly larger than ours, and Farkle got a small one, because Zay wouldn't let him get a big one. Farkle's sugar rush was an absolutely nightmare. And Riley. Poor, sweet, precious Riley. Little Riley had a candy cane ball that was bigger than her head, about the size of a bowling ball. She sat, giggling, with it clutched in her lap like a serial killer would look with a knife. It was kind of scary, actually.

"Riley," I said, astonished, "You're not going to eat that whole thing, are you?"

"OF COURSE I AM MAYA," she shouted, ripping the paper off and trying to shove the whole thing in her mouth.

"Oh my gosh, Riley, you're going to kill yourself," Lucas said, rubbing his forehead.

"WHO CARES, LUCAS," she replied hysterically, "AT LEAST I'LL DIE HAPPY." 

We tried not to look at her as she attacked the ball of candy. Lucas brought his attention back to me, pressing his lips to mine gently. I cupped his face in my hands and sighed.

"What is it, Maya?" he asked, pulling away.

"No, no, it's not you," I reassured him quickly, "It's just... I would be okay with staying here forever, you know? Totally okay with that. But our trip ends in nine days. I'm just going to be really sad to leave."

"Me, too," he agreed, "But this was a great trip. I don't know how long it would've been until we started dating if we hadn't gone on the trip," he pecked me on the lips when he said this, "Besides, we still have a lot to do. We celebrate Christmas the day before we leave. And we still have to buy presents, make Christmas cards, go to the tree lighting ceremony."

"All of the Christmas crap that I hate," I mumbled.

He laughed and nudged my arm, "Be quiet. You love it."

"You'll never hear me say it," I said, shaking my head.

"Never?"

"Never."

"Admit it," he said, "You love it."

"I don't  love it and I will never admit it," I said stubbornly.

"Maya..." 

"You know what I do love?" I said slowly. Lucas got quiet immediately. I took a deep breath. I had to say this. Because now I knew it was true, and Lucas had to know that, because bad things happened and I had to tell him while I had the chance.

"I love you, Lucas Friar."

"And I love you, Maya Hart."