Forget Me Not (Completed)

Skating Day

Where I lived fall froze over very quickly. We had nice summers and long winters... pretty falls, but muddy wet springs. It was fairly cold and only November; even snowing. Just flurries but still. Downtown went through a depression a few years back. All the big pretty department stores closed, the families moved out, and the schools went downhill. There's a revitalization process right now. They had just restored the theatre and were moving restaurants onto the water front. My city was a blue collar steel town, but the steel factory closed. We had never really adapted with the times, and they were playing catch-up.
The ice rink was in a restaurant on the river; you could even see the river from the rink. I walked up to the teller and pay for Jackie's and my ticket. Jackie smiled at me.
     "Such a gentlemen." I rolled my eyes.
      We rented skates and went over to the little benches. It still smelled a little like sweat from the hockey game. I pulled on my black hockey skates as Jackie laced up her rented white figure skates. Then we finally hobbled out onto the little rink. We started skating around the rink in circles. Jackie started off gliding smoothly down the ice, and I chased after her. She turned around quickly and lost her balance. I had to reach out and steady her on me. She smiled up at me, I started to smile back until I saw someone across the rink.
"What?" Jackie looked back.
"Benny!" I started to skate over to him and let go of Jackie who fell to the ground.
"Sorry." I reached over and helped Jackie get back up. Sarah pulling Benny behind her, made her way towards us. She effortlessly stopped but Benny swung a little crashing into the board.
     "Hi Jay!" He said clutching the wall to steady himself.
     "Sup." I go for a handshake, he smiled and reached, but in the motion lost balance. Sarah reached out to steady him. Then she took my handshake.
     "Cool skates." She said pointing at my feet. She had hockey skates too. Benny had plain white ones.
     "You too" I nodded to her, and turned to Benny    
     "Catch ya later Benny?" I couldn't keep expectancy out of my eyes.
     "Wait. Since when do people call you Benny?" Sarah looked between me and him.
     "My mom always does. I guess Jonah does from when we were little." Benny smiled. "Oh?" Sarah remarked looking back at me, and studying my face. "How about we keep this party going. I'll skate with Jackie, and the two besties over here can skate together. Okay with everyone?" She took off with Jackie without a response.
     "Why are we...?" Jackie started but Sarah shushed her giggling and looking back at Benny. She then shot me a glare that said, If you hurt him I'll kill you. I was pretty sure she would too. I started to skate off, Benny was fumbling behind me, so I turned around and offered him my arm. He smiled and clung to me. He looked so cute. Nope. No. Did not just think that. As much as I convinced myself I didn't think that, I could see how someone else might think that. His softly curled hair fell just right out of his knit cap. His light blue scarf slung over his shoulder; it brought out the blue in his eyes. And his cheeks flushed red from the cold. I reached and pushed a stray hair from his face letting my hand rest on his cheek. He smiled up at me and I smiled back at him.
     "Gayyyyyyue" A boy yelled as he skated by with his friends. My back straightened and I pulled Benny a little faster, him still clinging to my arm.
     "Don't worry about what he says." I laughed a little but it was fake.
"I don't care what he thinks. I never much cared for people like him anyway." His smile faded, "But I am worried that you care."
"I don't..." I started.
"Of course you do. You always have."
"How can you not? Everybody thinks you're so perfect. Don't you worry something will spoil that?" I look down at him. He thinks for a moment.
"Maybe I don't want to be perfect." He said quietly.
"You? Really?"
"Don't you ever sit in class and stare out the window and see a blue bird and just think..." His eyes lit up as he searched for the word.
"I wish I could be free like her." I finished for him.
"Yeah... And stand at the top of the hill in your church clothes and just want to roll down the hill; like a child, and not even worry about grass stains. Or stand out in the rain and not even care if you get sick, because if you get sick it could lead to complic..." He said the last part in a sing song voice as if to mimic someone.
"Complications with what?"
"Oh nothing." He sighed.
Sarah and Jackie pulled up behind us. "Hey." Sarah said to me, looking to Benny first. "The competition is starting. How 'bout it? Girls vs boys."
"Aren't there going to be other people playing?" I asked.
"Nope. I signed us up for the first time slot." Sarah smiles at me. You down? Or are you afraid you're gonna get beaten by two cheerleaders." Sarah poked her finger into my chest.
"No way you beat us. Let's go Benny." We skated over to the competition which apparently was ice skating corn hole. They slid the corn hole stands and beanbags onto the ice. We started tossing the bean bags into the holes. I made all of mine, and Sarah did too. Jackie made about half of hers, but Benny didn't make any; he could barely stand up while we played. I sighed and walk over, I placed my hands on his arms and guided his arm through the throw and he made it in.
"Nice one." I said putting my hand out for a fist bump, but he pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arms up around my neck. It was quick but a part of me liked the feeling of his breathing, and his heart beating while I guided him through the throw. We lost the game and got off the ice. Another two teams would play and then the girls would play the winner.
"I'll grab us hot chocolate." Benny smiled at me and started towards the stand.
"Here." I stopped him and handed him enough money for two hot chocolates. "Hot chocolate sounds great." I smiled as I unintentionally watch him walk away.
"Bro. Why'd you put him on your team; you totally would have done better without him." A tall boy with fluffy brown hair said from behind me; he was the kid from before, "He's dragging you down." I started to object, but I could see his jersey under his coat. He was from the rival football team. I don't want him to think I'm soft. I thought.
"I just feel bad for him really. Poor kid, got no friends. I figured why not let him think we're friends, but I uh think he's in love with me now. Gay boy's gotta have his dream crushed. Don't want him perving on anyone else. I figure I'll embarrass him at lunch tomorrow. That ought to shut him up."
"Nice one." He fist bumped me. I turned to look for Benny only to realize he was standing behind me two hot chocolates in hands. His mouth hung wide open.
"I'm sorry?" He said eyebrows raised. He looked like he was about to say something else, but then rethought it, and just walked out the door.
"Benny Wait!"
"Benny? Looks like your the one that needed to be embarrassed. Boom." He did a handshake with his friend and the walked off.
I stood dumbfounded for a moment then looked at Sarah. She gestured out the door, "Go!" She mouthed. I started off out the door.
"You screw this up and I'll kill you." She shouted after me.