Ice

6-'who cares about march?'

So four weeks later, Gabriel, Hemera, Daniella, Alex, Mikel, Sam, and Ruby (all wearing the thinnest jackets they had in a long time) sat at a stone table in the center of the park that contained the pond now unfit for skating. Carly had left with her family to somewhere warm for Spring Break. Gabe sat at the end of the table, near Mikel, listening to the conversation.

"March kinds of sucks as a month," Daniella was saying. "I mean, it has no particular weather type, and there's nothing significant about it. What is there, St. Patrick's Day? At least in April we know there'll be a ton of testing. Who cares about March?"

"I kind of like March," Gabe pondered, if only to achieve a bit of banter.

From her seat beside Ruby, Hemera scoffed, "That's only because you hate winter, and it's ending now." He tilted his head in consent to her idea. There was a collective eye-roll around the table, everyone seeming to find Gabe's seasonal hatred amusing. "Well, I like spring, too. Everything gets so bright."

Gabe scoffed, "That's only because you like everything."

Yesterday had been their last day of school for a couple of weeks. The group had planned on going to a movie that day, but quickly figured out that only one of them had a car (that would be Sam), and there was no way seven people were fitting in it.

Gabe zoned out as Ruby began discussing some girl that she just "really can't stand"! Not even Daniella made a comment on her rage, the two being in separate grades.

Hemera, however, had a lot to say. As Ruby ranted, she threw in a few "she's not that bad"'s and "true, that's annoying"'s. Alex struck up a conversation with Sam about some football team or another, which Mikel quickly involved himself in.

Gabe's eyes traveled to the pond, where a few kids threw rocks to see the ice crack. He thought of the past Friday evenings he spent there with Hemera, and the failed lessons at skating he had received (though he could generally stay on his feet now).

His eyes glided over to the ecstatic girl. She was upset, her lips ever-so-slightly turned down as she listened to Ruby's anger.

"I think we're gonna take off," Sam said as he and Mikel stood. "We're gonna go to that movie... sorry, guys, but I am the one with a car." Ruby groaned, obviously agitated by their leaving, but everyone else bid a casual farewell. Hemera jumped up just as the boys began ambling away.

She beamed, "Wait, I'll walk with you! I really love to look at the flowers that are blooming near the parking lot. Anyone want to come?" The group was quiet, but Gabe got to his feet. Why not? he thought.

They started toward the nearby cluster of cars now, Mikel and Sam leading by a few steps. Gabe shoved his hands in his pockets, desperately trying to avoid the scattered bits of hardened snow. It wasn't difficult, considering all that was left were icy splotches in gutters and corners. Still, he didn't want to be near them.

Last night had been the first night to stay above fifty degrees Fahrenheit all year (well, all two and a half months of the year). He knew this because when his mother stumbled through the front door three hours late, her first move had been to turn on the news.

He hadn't bothered interrogating her, knowing that something must have come up at work. Even if that was not the case, what was the point in prying? Unfortunately, his father didn't seem to have that logic. He had asked countless questions, had basically required an alibi of the poor overworked woman (Which was totally fair, him being the one that disappeared for days at time. They never questioned him about that).