Dancing On Ice

"She's out."

The door to the girls changing room swung shut behind me as I stepped out. "Hey losers," I greeted my friends who were sat on top the indoor gymnasium bleachers. Damien was the first to his feet, coming forward with a grin.

"That was a really good serve you did ten minutes ago."

"Yeah, served you right," I snorted, trying not to crack a smug grin at the light bruise forming near his temple. "And you're surprisingly upbeat for having got a volleyball to the head not too long ago."

"Jessie just called." His smile widened, revealing his pearly whites in all their glory.

"Ah, the infamous cousin I have yet to meet." I moved past him, lugging my gym bag over my shoulder to join Leo and Nick as we all made our way out the gym. I needed no further explanation from Damien to know that he had been invited over to spend the day at his cousin's place. I had gathered over the time I had gotten to know him that he adored that side of the family and any mention of them was enough to make his day.

"Well, have fun then." I turned around just as we exited the gym to the back side of the parking lot. Grinning at Damien and tapping the side of my forehead, I added, "And don't forget to put some ice on that."

"Yeah, you're forgiven." He winked and started to walk off but not before he heard me say, "I never said it was an accident" for which he flipped me off. I held back a laugh, one that Nick didn't attempt to restrain as I saw him shaking his head to himself.

"Still can't believe you spiked him."

I shrugged. "He stole my lunch. It's called an eye for an eye."

"It's called 'you're both idiots'," Leo muttered from behind me.

"You want to get on my bad side too, tough guy?" I raised an eyebrow at him and Leo held his hands up by his sides, backing up a few steps.

"I'll leave you two to it. I've got a date with-"

"Amy, we know." Leo and I said simultaneously. Nick didn't bat an eyelash at our sarcasm, simply giving us a wave and following Damien's trail out to the exit of the school campus. I let out a sigh, my eyes flickering to the watch on my hand before redirecting to Leo's whose gaze I felt on me. What got my attention was not that he was looking at me (his observant gaze is something I've grown used to by now) but the fact that he was not budging.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"I'm afraid not." Leo gestured at me before asking the same question. "And you? Shouldn't you be running back home now?"

I looked away. Leo had this ability of looking straight through me without even trying and the last thing I wanted him to figure out was the truth to that same question he had been asking me for days now. He would see me hanging around school longer than the others after it ended, and each time, I had given him the same answer - that I just wanted to get ahead of school work, especially AP Spanish. It always resulted in him staying back and keeping me company, without badgering me about the real reason.

"Yes," I sighed. The word sounded salty on my tongue but I gulped back the lie and for the first time, looked him in the eye and spoke firmly, "Yes, I should but I'm not going to. And I know you know why."

Leo's eyes didn't wander anywhere off my face, his pale blue orbs fixed on my own - calculating, and weighing my words in his head. I felt the air between us change into something of an unspoken understanding. Letting his breath out, Leo unfolded his arms from across his chest and dropped them in front of him in surrender.

"Then where are we headed?"

I didn't realize that I had been leaning on the chances of him saying something like that until the smile broke out on my face.

"Anywhere," I replied, and watched with a growing heart as he started to lead the way. I followed, first behind him before hastening my pace till we were walking side by side. He glanced down at me, his face reflecting the same smile that was on mine and without having to say it out loud, I knew that he acknowledged that 'anywhere' for what it really was: a thank you.

**

Winter can be brutal and harsh, a season that scares many because of its seemingly unforgiving nature. But it also is, what most people forget it represents until Santa comes knocking around: magic.

When Leo took the initiative of leading us 'any where', I was excited at the idea of what it might be. 'Any where' represented an infinite number of possibilities and with Leo, there was always an element of surprise planned in whatever he did - mainly because of his unbreakable front. I didn't even ask him a single question as we got in his car and he mumbled something secretively to his trusted chauffeur. I didn't ask as we drove on for over half an hour, were on the highway, and at one point noticed that we were actually leaving Philadelphia. I did, however, grow slightly suspicious when the car took a turn on the main road into a more rocky pathway that led deeper into a highly wooded area, you know, the kind that show up in horror movies.

"Um, Leo?" I fidgeted in the back seat, eyeing the tall trees that surrounded the car as it continued deeper down the paved path. "You're not planning on killing me and disposing of my body now, are you?"

I met his gaze in the front mirror and the glint of humor on his face was unmistakable.

"No."

I let out a huff at his vague response.

"That's informative."

The car came to a stop in front of a cabin. Leo got out then made his way back, opening the door for me. I looked up at him, chewing down on my lip skeptically.

"I promise I'm not planning on murdering you." When I still made no move to get out, he beckoned to his chest and added, "I wouldn't want to stain my favorite sweater with your filthy blood. If I was planning on killing you, I'd get someone else to do the dirty work for me."

"Wow, thanks."

He chuckled as I finally made a move out with a fake scowl written on my face, leaving my belongings in the car. Leo instructed Greyson to park the car and leave us be (in his totally cool yet rude Leo Harper way) for the next hour and a half. He didn't answer any of my questions as I watched Greyson start the car and slowly drive away.

"Should I be worried?"

"Logically? Yes. But you trust me so you have no reason to be."

With that, Leo placed a hand on the small of my back and steered me in the direction of the cabin. He knew I was only joking about all this but at the same time, I could not hide the curiosity of why he had brought me here of all places - to some deserted place in the middle of a wooded area, out of Philadelphia borders. I was just about to ask but at that precise moment, he opened the door to the cabin.

My question got caught in my throat as my eyes scanned the contents of the room. A countless number of framed pictures filled the walls, the surface of the glass covered by dust. Board games were piled atop the standing book rack at the corner of the room where there was a nice, inviting sitting area of couches and bean bags. On the other side of the room was a fireplace, untouched logs of wood right next to it. Over all, the room smelt musty and unused for years now but I could feel the memories that must have accumulated here.

I entered the cabin, hearing Leo shut the door behind us with a small click. As I explored the room, I noticed that there was a small staircase that no doubt, led upstairs to a few rooms. There was a small kitchen down the hall and another living room. But what caught my attention the most was the number of photos that lined the walls, all of a single family.

My fingers reached out to wipe off the layer of dust that coated the surface, uncovering the people beneath it. A family, all smiling straight at the camera. It looked like the kind of family that showed up on TV commercials, advertising Kodak worthy moments - perfect. Except for one thing.

A small boy stood in the corner, a smile plastered on his face but it was no doubt forced. The kind that could be wiped away in mere seconds after the picture was clicked. His mother's arms were wrapped around his frail shoulders, almost holding him in place. The sharp blue eyes that stared unhappily back were recognizable.

Licking my lips, I started to turn around but stopped when I felt Leo press in from behind me. His chest pressed into my back and his hand came forward, fingers curling around mine that were resting on the ghost of his past.

"This place...it's our family cabin." I felt him breathe in deeply before continuing, the rise and fall of his chest making my own heart jump in mine.

"We used to come here on a yearly basis." His hand redirected my finger to the woman in the picture, to whom he bore a striking resemblance. Her posture just poured out her confidence, the way her chin jutted out proudly and the way she held herself.

"My mother..." he then brought my finger over to the man stood behind her with one arm wrapped around her waist, the other resting on a tall boy's shoulder.

"That's my father...and brother, Andrew. He's the eldest." They looked nothing like him. Leo's father was tall, proud and handsome, just as his mother presented herself but his hair was a light brown color, eyes crinkling as he smiled with sparkling dark eyes. Andrew resembled his father just as Leo did his mother.

Finally, he brought me to the last person in the frame, a girl with long strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes who smiled just as brightly into the camera. "That's Melinda. My older sister."

He dropped his hand but didn't move away.

"Solved the puzzle yet, Makayla?"

My hand lingered on the photo frame, tracing over his younger self again before finally letting go. I peered around the room. Each and every picture was another family photo taken annually, in some Leo was younger, and in others older. Yet, the expression on his face hadn't changed. He was the odd one out.

"Why?" I turned, and finally faced him. "Why did you bring me here?"

He leaned forward till his face was level with mine. "To show you," he whispered, then tilted his head in the direction of the pictures, "that you're not alone in your struggles. We all have them."

"Leo..."

He stepped back as soon as he had started this, and my eyes followed after him. Replacing the emptiness in his eyes with a smile, he shoved his hands back in his pockets and changed the topic.

"But that's not why I really brought you here. Come on."

Questions sprouted up in my head but Leo didn't give me the chance to ask him as he walked past me, and through the back door of the cabin. I stood rooted to the spot, recounting everything he had just told me and when I heard him call my name, it broke me out of my trance. With one final look around the room, I left and followed him out, only to have my breath taken away again.

"Whoa."

I stopped in my tracks, eyes growing wide as I looked between Leo and the sight before me. It was a huge lake, perfectly frozen as layers of ice and snow piled atop it. And it was situated directly behind the cabin, almost invitingly so.

"A frozen lake? Really?"

Leo grinned and held up two pairs of ice skates which I hadn't even noticed he had had on him.

"In the summer, it's more beautiful. The snow thaws out to a garden, and there's a path you can take," he pointed to a trail, "that leads you deeper into the forest. We used to go camping sometimes. The lake would be a nice place to just cool down but in the winter, it presents a perfect opportunity for-"

"No."

Leo raised an eyebrow at my quick answer, his sparkling blue eyes dulling for a moment. "No?"

"I hate to kill your plan but no can do," I said with a nervous laugh, raising my hands by my side. "I can't skate, and ice skating on top of that is a huge no-no. You know I'm the least coordinated person on the planet."

"Damien would disagree."

I fought a smile at that but begun to narrow my eyes and step back fast when Leo made a move towards me.

"Oh no mister, this isn't happening."

He laughed. It was a rare sound and it almost made me agree to all this but then my mind flashbacked through various humiliating moments of my life and I was all convinced that this was a bad idea.

"Relax Makayla. I'm here to support you."

"No, you can't-" I took another step back only to trip and fall on my butt with a howl as my foot sunk through a half frozen patch of snow. The sudden cold shot through my foot and had my toes numbing instantly. This didn't escape Leo's notice as I frantically took my foot out of my now soaked boot, cursing under my breath.

"Looks like you need some new foot wear," he smirked at me and waved the skates in my face. Glowering up at him, I muttered a 'yeah, okay' in defeat and maintained my anger, even as he got down to his knees and slipped my feet through the skates for me. I kept emphasizing how bad an idea this is, especially considering the fact that the lake isn't 'ice-skating material' but Leo wouldn't have it.

"Ready?" he asked as we made our way to the edge of the lake. I peered over the surface, noticing the frown lines on my face through my reflection. I was about to say something particularly witty when I felt his fingers tickle its way through mine, something that had my heart jumping in my chest for a whole different reason. Leo smiled down at me encouragingly and with a shaky breath, I pretended that this wasn't the start of something embarrassing and set step on the lake's surface.

One wobbly step, then another, followed by a third but the whole while Leo's hand didn't let go of mine. That didn't stop him from mocking me, for probably the billionth time today.

"You know, it's called skating not walking."

"Shut up."

Leo chuckled under his breath. "Look, just watch me." And with that, he let go of my hand and started doing the one thing I could not manage to do: skate. I tried not to show how fascinated I was by him, by the effortless way he seemed to glide along the uneven surface of the lake, by how absolutely flawless he looked while doing it.

"You can stop staring at me and start trying now."

I rolled my eyes at him. "And that is where the problem lies. That word. 'Try'," I said, making air quotes with my fingers. Leo shoot me a look and skated right over to me, swerving to a stop right in front of me. I was both awed and envious of how he was totally in control, although I tried not to let the awe show so much.

"It's easy Makayla. Just don't over think it."

With a smile, he whirled me around by my shoulders, earning a loud squeak from me. Then, I felt his hands on my waist.

"Hold on Harper, don't even think about it."

And then he pushed me.

If there was one thing I was absolutely sure about, it's that Leo had been waiting for a moment like this since the moment he'd first laid eyes on me. Judging by the laughter I heard behind me, I was right. It was my first instinct to start flapping my arms around like a chicken to keep my balance. It didn't help, that like I had said before, the lake was completely uneven and rocky even at certain parts. I almost lost my balance and fell face-flat when I felt Leo's arm wrap around my waist and catch me.

"I swear, I felt a big fish moving underneath my feet."

"Calm down, there's no big fish." Leo's warm breath tickled my ear and I tried not to hear it how he must have.

"I bet this is real funny for you. I bet you brought me here so you could have a nice laugh at me," I mumbled under my breath, trying to pry away from his arms and yet holding on to him at the same time.

"I'm not denying that this is downright hilarious but," he spun me around, my skates screeching slightly on the ice, "that's not why I brought you here." My hands were on his chest, balled into fists gripping on his sweater for dear life. The humor in his eyes died down when he read the look in my eyes of utter desperation, and...well, embarrassment. Toning down the funny, he grabbed my hands gently and turned me around, gently this time.

"Just...let me do this, okay?"

I nodded, biting down on my lip. His hands rested on my waist again, fingers digging into my sides with a light pressure to steady me before he pushed off the surface of the ice and started. Started what he was doing before, moving magically around the lake except this time, I was in for the ride too. With his firm grip on me, he made sure I didn't lose balance as he skated us both around the lake.

My fear of looking stupid was replaced by the realization of how stupid I was being by not enjoying this.

"See?" Leo whispered in my ear. "It's not so bad."

I barely hummed a reply, trying to soak in the feeling of how it felt to glide like this without having to worry of falling. I was so invested in doing that that I didn't realize that Leo had pulled another trick on the rookie again. He had let go, and yet...I hadn't tumbled yet.

"Hey, look! I'm doing it!" I waved at him, and glided on, being careful not to put too much pressure on the ground and trying to copy the movements Leo had done. He smiled at me, nodding his head in approval. Happiness gave way to pride as I puffed my chest out and decided to show off to the one guy who always did to me.

"So much for you laughing in my face a moment ago, huh?"

"Yup. I was wrong." Leo raised his hands by his side and skated over to me. "But if you're not careful, you'll-"

"I can like, totally do this on my own Harper. I don't need your wise guy ways to teach me."

"Makayla, you shouldn't-"

He gestured at my skates but I didn't give him a chance to go to prove me wrong. Instead, I did it myself. One second, I was skating like a real Disney princess and the next thing, I knew, I tripped on something and fell back on the ice on my butt for the second time today.

"Ow," I groaned, rubbing my butt and glaring down at my skates. The laces of one of them had come undone.

"Need some help?" Leo skated over, bending down on his knees with a slap-happy grin on his face. He loved being right.

"No thank you," I snapped, starting to get up but almost falling headfirst this time.

"Easy."

I didn't ask for it but Leo wrapped an around my waist, the other grabbing my arm and helped me up in seconds. I avoided his gaze as he announced it being enough ice-skating for today and led us over to the edge of the lake. I was too busy trying to hide the fact that my whole face was practically steaming in embarrassment, the same embarrassment I had been trying to avoid the whole while.

We both sat down at the edge of the lake to remove our skates, but Leo being the gentleman (or acting like one), offered to undo mine for me.

"You know, I'm surprised the ice didn't crack where you fell."

"Ha. Ha."

He pressed his lips together, fighting a smile. Wow, he was totally enjoying this.

"You had fun though, right?"

I looked up, my chin lifting off my knee where it rested to meet his eyes. It was a genuine question but I could tell by the way that he held my gaze that Leo wanted an honest answer from me.

"Yes. I did." Then clearing my throat, I added, "Although that wasn't particularly the graceful way I wanted to end things."

Leo laughed and I found myself smiling when he did. He had laughed more today in my company than he had in several days at school combined. Knowing I was the reason behind it made me happy. There was something on Leo's mind, just as there was something on mine but he didn't want to share and that was fine by me as long as he knew I was still here to make him smile when he needed me to be.

"Say, Leo?" I scooted closer, and watched him as he focused his attention on undoing the laces of my remaining skate. "Do you expect me to believe that you just...happened to have that key on you? The key to this cabin?"

He didn't say anything, nor did he meet my eyes but I saw a smile lingering on the corner of his mouth.

My voice gentler, I asked him, "You planned all this, didn't you?"

He set the skates aside when he was done taking them off. My feet were instantly cold in the air and I took them off his lap, folding my knees beneath me. But my attention was focused on Leo, waiting for an answer. He shot me a long sideways glance before saying, "I like to think I come prepared for the possibility of anything."

"Leo, I know that to be true but this visit, here," I gestured to the lake, "it wasn't a possibility, was it? It was definite."

Leo watched me. I could not read his thoughts but I knew he was trying to bring himself to admit that I was right.

"Yes," he said, licking his lips and beginning to stand up but I stopped him, grabbing his hands. Edging closer on my knees till I was right in front of him, I pressed on, a smile on my lips, "And how long have you been carrying that key with you?"

A faint blush rose in his cheeks. It was rarer than any of his smiles and I made sure to memorize this priceless moment. He didn't let go of my hand or make an effort to move away again. But he did look away in what I could only call shyness as he mumbled in a volume so low I had to lean in to hear, "Since the snow-day."

Since he had noticed that I was feeling lonely without dad around too much.

I leaned in and without thinking, pressed my lips against his cheek. His skin was soft and warm against my lips, no doubt growing warmer by the second. It was just for a moment but it spurned something within me that I had forgotten was there. The same thing I had felt that night at that party. My stomach flipped when I moved back and saw Leo staring at me with his wide, crystal blue eyes, his mouth parted open in surprise.

"Thank you, Leo."

My words hung in the air between us for the seconds of mute silence that followed in which all we could do was look at each other. I was the first to break it and turned away, shoving my feet into my boots and stood up with my skates in hand.

"We should probably get going," I said, trying not to let the shakiness of my voice show through. When I glanced over my shoulder to see if he was coming, I had to hold back a laugh. Leo was still sat there, looking like an absolute dork with his face red as a beet and what I identified as a grin. The instant he caught me looking though, he shot up to his feet and muttered something along the lines of Greyson waiting for us to get a move on.

I turned my back on him and led the way back through the cabin but couldn't help but smile to myself when I felt Leo hurry up to be beside me again.

Something was different. I didn't know what but I knew that our little ice-skating incident had sparked off a world of possibilities. And Leo, as much as he thought came prepared, was capable of being in for surprises too. Little did I know there were more, much more in store for the both of us.

--------------------CHAPTER END---------------------

Teaser of the next chapter: And just when things looked like they were getting better for May and Leo, she's put back on square one. Something's up with Leo and it doesn't look like he wants to share. Who does May call for help?

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