"You're sure you're okay with covering for me?" Sophie asked, a bit too eagerly.

Tam gave her a look from across the counter of the skate rental. "You'll probably start hyperventilating if I don't."

"Go on, it's fine! Promise," Linh assured her.

Sophie clapped her hands together excitedly. "Thanks, you guys are amazing."

Amazing enough to do your work?" Tam muttered, but there was no bite behind his words. She smiled before grabbing her skates from where she had thrown them down earlier and bounding over to the doors of the rink.

She had been waiting hours to get to finally skate. She'd been avoiding the rink since the rink incident with Brant, but a week after her talk with Dex and she was itching to put her feet on the ice again.

She sat down on one of the deep green benches that lined the outer area of the rink, separated from the ice only by the see-through barrier. She pulled on the polished white skates and laced them up with quick fingers, so close to skating she could almost taste the freedom on her tongue. When she stood up, she could feel Jolie in the skates, supporting her, urging her to do what she loved most. She complied easily, walking over to the nearest gate and unlatching it.

It was a free skate, and there were people cutting through the peacefulness of her sanctuary, but for once, she didn't mind. Her first choice wouldn't be during the session, but as she watched a couple of little kids stumbling on the ice with determination in their eyes and fearlessness in their stances, she thought that maybe it wasn't so bad.

The moment she stepped foot on the ice, she knew she was home. Nothing, not even Brant's state or Jolie's death or her parents' pain could take this away.

She pushed off, and the cold air stung her cheeks as she glided across the ice. She felt as though she had finally woken from a month-long sleep only to find that the world was much more beautiful than she remembered it. She spun around the rink, over and over again, and the noisy children and chattering people faded into the background, mindless white noise that couldn't hold a candle to this.

She was making what felt like her millionth round when she noticed messy blonde waves enter the rink, attached to Snowflake Boy's head. She slowed down, letting curiosity get the better of her and watching as he entered tentatively.

His eyes darted around the rink, seemingly searching for something, or someone. Finally, they landed on her, and they widened as he realized she was staring back, before his mouth curled up into a smirk. He sat at one of the benches, bending down for a moment, before getting up and awkwardly wobbling his way to her.

"So, we meet again." The boy said as he approached, a hint of a smirk crossing his features again. Sophie's eyes went down to his feet, noting that the brown boots from the month before were replaced by a pair of worn ice skates, clearly rental.

"So you're wearing proper footwear." She responded, gliding in front of him. It was almost painful to watch him scratch the blades of his skates against the ice like he was walking to keep up with her. She glanced at him sideways. "I can't seem to remember your name."

"That's because I never told you." He replied, swinging his arms wildly for a moment before regaining his balance.

"I'm Sophie Foster." She started, hoping to get a name out of him.

"Sophie," he repeated, his tone of voice thoughtful. Sophie wondered what he was thinking.

"I'm Keefe." He said after another minute of skating and awkward ice-scratching. He noticeably left out his last name, but Sophie didn't push it.

"Are you a skater, Keefe?" She asked, though it wasn't much of a question. It was clear Keefe felt the same, because he raised his eyebrows at her. "Okay, obviously not a skater."

"Definitely not."

"Do you like to skate, then?"

"Not all that much." He replied.

"Then why are you here? Skating, I mean," she added, hoping she didn't sound rude.

"Well I can't answer all of your questions." He grinned. "Then I would lose my air of mystery, and you would lose interest, and we can't have that."

"Okay then," Sophie snorted. Another awkward pause. Keefe was too focused on struggling to keep upright to start more conversation, and Sophie figured she might as well take a chance and ask what she'd been wondering since she'd seen him helping Brant that day. "How do you know him?"

"Who?"

"Brant? The man who you helped on the ice last month?"

Keefe's eyes widened with recognition. "Oh, I don't. I didn't even know his name, until just now. What I do know is that he needs help, and I feel inclined to offer my services."

"You just... helped him? A random guy who was probably crazy that you didn't even know?"

"Help him." Keefe corrected. "That wasn't the first time and it won't be the last."

Sophie stared. Talking to this boy just made him more of a mystery.

"Wow..." she murmured.

He smirked, steady on the ice for once. "I'm totally awesome, right?"

"I wouldn't go that far..." Sophie said quickly, feeling her cheeks warm at being caught in admiration.

His eyes softened again, the teasing light leaving his gaze. "But really... I'm glad to be able to help out. If anything, it means that I'm worth something, right? If I use my talent to help people?"

For reasons unknown to Sophie, he sounded unsure of himself, as if needing confirmation, and she felt compelled to give it to him.

"You're more than worth something, Keefe. It's amazing, quite honestly." She admitted, thinking back to how he'd handled the whole thing.

His eyes twinkled, back to his joking persona in a flash. "So you do admit that I'm awesome."

"I said amazing."

"Still."

Sophie rolled her eyes, surprisingly at ease with the teasing book, before expertly skating off ahead of him.

"Hey!" Snowflake Boy yelled, but his calls were drowned out by their laughter.

"Remind me why our school thinks it's a good idea to at seven thirty in the morning,"
Sophie complained the next morning, a yawn swallowing half of her sentence.

Biana grinned, exuding an energy Sophie could only dream of having so early in the morning. "It's not so bad. The earlier we start, the earlier we finish, right?"

"I hate it when you're logical," Sophie muttered, rubbing her eyes again.

Dex walked up to them as the words left her lips, and he grinned teasingly. "You should appreciate it. It doesn't happen often."

Biana shoved him playfully, and the end of his sentence turned into a yelp as he stumbled back.

The three of them were waiting for the doors of the school to officially open, and Sophie blinked blearily at the reflection of the sun on the glittering windows above them. Normally, she would take the time to marvel at the amazing structure that housed their classes, but at the moment, she wanted nothing more than to be in her warm, comfortable bed.

Just then, one of the teachers came to unlock the door, and Sophie braced herself as the crowd of students behind them herded then inside the school. Sophie quickly waved at her friends, who had already been separated from her in the horde, before turning down the hall to her first period.

Have fun, Biana had mouthed, before she too disappeared down the opposite hall.

Not a chance, Sophie had responded.

She walked down the hall, feeling the pit of dread in her stomach she always felt during Ms. Galvin's class. Ever since that disaster or a first day, she had tried her best to please the woman, but she wasn't having any of it. Ruining that cape had put Sophie on her bad side permanently.

She sighed as she headed for the back of the classroom, avoiding the teacher's shrewd eyes. Fortunately for her, a new student was coming into their class, and the entire student body was abuzz with the news, which successfully distracted her attention from the quiet blonde girl hiding in the darkest corner of the classroom. All the seats around Sophie were unoccupied, since after the incident, nobody wanted to be in the general vicinity of Ms. Galvin's rage. After a few more minutes of loud chatter, she finally called the class to attention.

"Quiet, everyone!" Her voice cut through the gossip, silencing the class immediately. Everyone was terrified of being at the receiving end of her wrath. "As you know, a new student will be joining us today. I trust," she fixed everyone with her laser eyes, "that you will treat him well."

Immediately, a group of theatre kids started buzzing about needing a male lead for the upcoming winter play before Ms. Galvin shushed them. A knock came from the door, and the teacher clapped her hands together.

"That will be him." Her green cape, a new one that was decidedly not destroyed by Sophie, swished behind her as she walked over to open the door.

Sophie saw his hair before she heard Ms. Galvin announce his name. Ice blue eyes darted around the room before settling on her, growing just as wide as hers with shock and recognition.

"Everyone, meet Mr. Keefe Sencen."

Was finally feeling motivated and actually updated✌️

I love this chapter's banter a lot, one of my favorite's to write

Unrelated question: How are you?