The Experience Buddy [Completed]

Chapter 13

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Silence.

Five minutes later.

"So...where are we going?" I asked again.

Never took this guy to be such a patient person. I roughly counted the number of times I have asked him the same question to be around 18 times now. No response, no signs of irritation, just solely focused on driving. Then again, it could be that he has gotten very good at blocking out my voice. Hero said that he had somewhere in mind for today so I just followed quietly.

Or not.

"Okay...so where are we-" Before I could reach count number 19, a huge signboard came into view. He made a right turn into the car park of Nazareth ice Oasis.

"An ice rink?" I shot him a puzzled look as I unbuckled my seatbelt. "First, a winter carnival. Now, an ice rink. What's next? Ice fishing?"

"Are you coming?" Hero turned back and glared. I laughed and took long strides to catch up with him.

We paid for entry and rented the skates then changed out of our shoes into them. I stepped into the rink and stood on the ice without an issue. While taking a quick glance around, I could feel butterflies in my stomach.

"Have you tried ice skating before?" Hero asked as he stepped into the rink while holding on to the edges.

"Have I?" I grinned and took off. It has been quite a while since I last ice skated so I wasn't sure if I could move as swiftly as before. Nevertheless, it felt great when the cool air blew into my face as I skated around the rink. I completed one round in no time, and was back where Hero was.

"I didn't think you could skate!" Hero exclaimed.

"I might have been living in a well, but I did many things in the well." I told him smugly. Hero removed his hands from the edges of the rink and trudged on the ice awkwardly. My attempt to not burst out laughing failed miserably, causing him to frown and look away in embarrassment. Turns out that he wasn't very good at skating but was doing a very good job at balancing. At least he wasn't falling.

"Stop laughing." He narrowed his eyes at me.

"I'm sorry." I bit my lips, stifling my laughter. "So you suggested this place because you wanted to show me how bad you are at this?"

"Hey! It didn't cross my mind that you will be this good!" He rolled his eyes. "I thought we could practice together as beginners."

Then I felt it again, the butterflies in my stomach. But it felt slightly different from earlier. It was the first time seeing a less confident and awkward version of Hero. I prefer this side of him compared to the one who was always carrying that stuck up attitude around.

"Here, take my hand." I reached out both of my hands towards him. He glanced around for a bit and hesitated for a second before holding on to them. Then I guided him on how to make a V-shape as he moved his feet while skating backwards myself.

He was a fast learner and in no time, he was skating much smoother than before. Although, I would also like to think that I'm a great teacher. Slowly, I let go of one hand and moved to his side. I was about to let go of the other hand when he grabbed it tighter.

"Don't let go." He said with a tinge of panic in his voice, as he continued to stare down at his feet.

"Fine. But can you please look up so that you can see where you are heading to?" I giggled.

With every round we went around the rink, Hero kept improving. Finally, at one point, he let go of my hand and went off alone. I stood frozen on the spot and I stared at the hand that was warm a second ago but feels the cold air now.

"Are you coming?" Hero turned back and asked.

"Huh? Uh yeah." I looked up, trying to recover from my dumbfoundedness at this new feeling that I couldn't describe.

Before I knew it, Hero came back and grabbed my hand, pulling me along.

Just then, the previous song ended and Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love" started to play.

After the whole bizarre ice skating experience, we went to get dinner. I couldn't exactly explain why but I felt shy throughout the meal. Not even sure if 'shy' was the correct word.

I avoided eye contact as much as possible and ate my food in silence. It didn't seem to bother him, or maybe he didn't even notice the difference, but he too, ate his food without much words. The same awkward silence as back when we were on our way to Lake Tahoe to meet with the rest, has made a comeback.

We had an ice cream cone for dessert and decided that it was getting late, so it was time to head back. The moment I got into the car, I turned the radio on.

As expected, karaoke in the car to our favourite hits was the best way to break this uncomfortable feeling.

After I got back to my room, I took a quick shower and opened my notebook. I was jotting down points about today which led me to think about the feeling in the ice rink. In the end, I decided to shake it off and just go to bed.

It wasn't easy to fall asleep that night.

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A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! While writing this, I kinda got a bit excited on my own. Like...finally!!! The start of something.