Running On Ice

Running On Ice    

He fell to the ground with a thud. I was still speeding up behind him when I couldn’t stop.

My feet wouldn’t work.

I closed my eyes as I got closer to him, only seconds after I saw him fall. My skates went right toward his face. . .

This morning I never thought something like this would happen.

“Let’s go,” I yelled up the stairs. I had all my gear ready to go as my family and I got in the car to go to the ice rink for the first time since last year. I really like this place. It was an indoor rink with lots of blue bleachers around it and a huge speaker on the ceiling that played loud music. (I didn’t mind the volume.)

When we got there and finished paying, we headed to the benches to put our skates on.

“Does anyone need to rent skates?” asked my dad, I was the only one who had their own skates so when my brother and sister both chimed “yes” I wasn’t surprised. My dad walked into the red renting booth. He brought back the skates and everyone started putting their skates on and lacing them up. I only learned to lace skates last year. I have white figure skates that have hooks at the top so you can criss cross the laces every time you put them on. After everyone finished getting ready, we headed to the rink.

 

I haven’t skated since last winter, so I was a little shaky when I first got on the ice.

‘Good thing no one is here to see me fall,’ I thought.

I fell a couple of times, but after five minutes I got the hang of it. I remember the first time I went skating, I fell every time I stood up. I tried to walk regularly, and that didn’t work. I had to skate right behind strangers or my family members and watch what they did with their feet so I could mimic it. I also clung to the sides of the rink and practiced gliding until I got better.

As the afternoon passed, the rink was empty except for me, my sister, my brother, and dad. No music was playing, the only sound you could hear were skates scratching on the ice, and the occasional charming chatter of us. I was skating in slow circles when my brother came up to me and asked if I wanted to race him to the other side.

‘Why not?’ I thought to myself. So I said yes and my sister came over.

“3. . .2. . .1” She paused for effect.

“GO!” She shouted across the rink.

I took off beating my brother by at least three feet. The cold wind was rushing past my face and my gloves were warm on my hands. I could hear both my dad and my sister talking on the side and his skates hitting the ground fast. Just then I saw my brother’s sliding skate slip out from under him. He flipped over on the ice landing on the ground. I couldn’t stop in time but I skated so fast I ran into him, and my skate hit him right in the face. Scratched across the eyebrow, he yelled “OW,”  and his hand went to his face.

My sister and dad skated up to us as fast as they could. They were probably wondering why he was on the ground because they didn’t see the fall.

“His skated slipped out from under him while we were racing and I crashed into him,” I said, “By accident” I quickly added.

My dad went over to Max and asked if he was ok. Max sat up on the ice. There was a bloody line across his eyebrow where I had hit him. One of the best days of his life has quickly turned into the worst.

‘Is he okay’ I thought

“He’s fine he just needs to sit out for a little bit.” Said my dad answering my unasked question.

“I need to go home,” My brother said.

“Okay”

My dad helped my brother out of his seated position and skated with him to the rink door.

Even though that scratched was the only mark left on my brother, I apologized. I made a mistake. Not a big one. I have made many mistakes my whole life, and will soon make many more. For now, I take my skates off, get in the car, and stare out the window.

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