Chapter eight
"Ice skating?" I said shocked. "Alice, have you seen my legs?"
She laughed and grabbed my hand, dragging me through the gate and towards the booth where people could rent ice skates. The only time I've been ice skating before was with my friend, Ashton. He was dating this ice skater in elementary school and thought it would impress her if he learned to skate, so being the best friend I am, I went with him. Turns out neither of us were good skaters at all and that girl he was trying to impress ended up dating a hockey player.
"You'll do great!" Alice told me.
"Speak for yourself," I said, taking some money out of my pocket and handing it towards her.
"Oh, no, It's okay," she told me, pushing the money away that I held.
"You paid for my breakfast, It's okay." We told the man behind the counter our shoe sizes and I handed over the money to him. "Besides," I said, walking over to a bench to put on the skates. "guys are suppose to pay for dates, right?"
"Oh please," she scoffed. "It's 2014, woman can do anything."
She was silent for a minute before speaking up once again. "Wait, a date?"
"Yeah, I just thought - I mean, sorry." I scratched my head and took off my Vans and began untying my shoe laces. All I ever seem to do is embarrass myself. I mean, we've only known each other for a day. This wasn't a date. This was just two friends getting to know each other better. Alice probably felt bad for me anyways, that's why she was being so nice.
"No, I'd love for this to be a date," she bit her lip. "only if that's okay with you?"
The air smelt really awkward. This was the first time Alice and I have ever shared an awkward moment. I looked over to her face and a blush had showed up on her cheeks and her snow filled eye lashes began fluttering as she focused on putting her skates on.
I pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear like I'd watched her do a thousand times. "I guess it's a date."
She smiled and continued to tie her skates.
"Luke?" Alice inquired, breaking the silence between us. "How hard to you think it would be to pee in ice skates?"
I laughed. "Well, I do not know."
"I guess I'll let you know," she told me and then got off of the bench we were sitting on and wobbled over towards the bathrooms.
The day was a perfect one to be ice skating. The sky was a light blue, almost white, and show flaked were falling from the sky coating the world below. It was cold, but not so cold that I was freezing. The jacket Alice gave me was warm and cozy. The city around was still and it was like the little out door skating rink was its own world. Cars and sirens in the background seemed to disappear. It was almost like I was growing custom to the sounds around me.
The rink was busy. There were couples on the rink holding hands and little kids attempting to skate with their friends and parents. It's depressing to think that I'll be the worst skater out there, even though there are a few children no older than five years old.
"What're you doing?"
I wipped my head towards the voice and rolled my eyes. "Leave me alone, Alaska."
"You're on a fucking date?" She snapped. "Are you fucking happy I'm dead? You like this bitchy barbie more than you loved me? I actually can't believe you right now, Luke. You're unbelievable."
"I said leave me alone, Alaska." I continued to tie my skates tight and attempted to not make eye contact with her.
"You want me to leave you alone?" She laughed. "Well, fuck you. Fuck you, Luke."
"What the fuck is your problem?" I raised my voice and lifted my head to look at her. She was wearing ripped skinny jeans, combat boots, a black NorthFace and a Patriots hat with a red pom-pom. Her cheeks were red and her lips swolen and she was beautiful. But she was also dead.
"My problem? You're the one pushing me away!"
"Alasks," I said, lowering my voice a little bit. I bit my lip, taking my ring in and thought. Taking my phone from my pocket, I placed it to my ear so people wouldn't think I was mental. "You died. You took your life and didn't even say goodbye to me. You didn't even leave a note or anything, you didn't evem consider how I would feel and just took your damn life."
"I wasn't happy," she defended.
"I was going to make you happy," my voice was raspy and low. "I broke out of an asylum, which we both desperately needed to be in, to make you happy. All I wanted was to make you happy. That's all. I was going to do it too, but you didn't give me the chance."
"Luke, I'm sorry -"
"Someone once told me that life works in a strange way, but I mean, it seems to work," I started. "Wicked shitty days happen but then again wicked shitty days are inevitable and that's how the universe works. There needs to be a balance between the good and the bad. sort of like a yin and yan. That's how life is, a mix of good and bad, and to say you'll never have a good day or a good week or even a good month is crazy because that's bound to happen because that's the universe," I smiled at the memory of Alice telling me those same words last night. "So you know what, Alaska, you didn't give the universe a chance."
"Luke, don't do this to me, I need you," Alaska said, tears falling down her rosy cheeks.
"I needed you too, sunshine, but the universe works in the oddest ways."
"It's that fucking girl, isn't it, Luke? Isn't it?" She was bawling now and her voice was raspy like she'd been crying forever. "She's changing you."
"So what if she's changing me?" I said. "Maybe I need some change in my life."
"Don't push me away Luke, don't do it."
"I'm sorry, Alaska," I took the phone away from my ear and pretended to end the "call" I was in."Goodbye, Alaska."
She was gone.
"Who was that on the phone?" Alice came back balancing on her skates. "You seemed a bit upset."
"It's nothing," I said, shaking my head. "It was just my friend Mike checking in on me, that's it."
"Good," she said, grabbing my hands and pullin me off of the bench. "Put a smile on your face, because this will be the best date ever."
I smiled and when Alice tried to pull her hand away from mine, I only grabbed on tighter.
Alice stepped onto the ice and grabbed my other hand to help me on. As soon as both of my feet landed on the ice, I lost balance and grabbed onto the wall, letting go of Alice's hands. She started laughing at me.
"Not funny," I told her, taking a step forward and falling onto my ass, which only caused her to laugh harder.
"Luke, have you been roller blading?" She asked when I was finally on my feet again.
"I spent three years in an asylum and six years of my childhood depressed and mental as fuck because my parents got slaughtered in front of my eyes," I told her. "I don't think I'm a better roller blader than I am an ice skater."
"It's simple, really Just watch my feet." She glided a few feet in front of me and I watched her. She looked graceful skating and was pretty good at it.
I tried to copy her movements, which led me to failing once again and ending up on my ass.
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A/N: keep commenting!!! two updates in two days (wow)
