The Edge of the Rink

The cool air of the ice rink rushes past as your skates glide smoothly. You spin, feeling a sense of freedom and grace, the world around you blurring into a comforting swirl. This is your sanctuary, where you can forget everything else and just skate.

After a successful practice, mastering a new trick, you step off the ice, tired but exhilarated. Relief washes over you as you remove your skates, your feet aching slightly. As you leave the rink, the sudden warmth is a pleasant shock.

Your brother, Ian, is waiting to pick you up, but your stomach drops when you see his best friend, Hayden, in the passenger seat. The boy who was once close but inexplicably grew cold. The car ride is tense, filled with awkward silence and Hayden's curt replies.

Back at home, Ian's friends are already gathering for a movie night. Sleep eludes you after a disturbing nightmare, and you find yourself downstairs in the dark kitchen, bumping into Hayden alone in the shadows. The awkwardness continues, amplified by your comfortable, slightly embarrassing pajamas.

You join the movie night, a distraction from being alone, but the tension with Hayden is palpable. A jump scare makes you instinctively grab his hand, and you realize you've also leaned your head on his shoulder while dozing off. The brief physical contact and his quiet, knowing response leave you flustered.