I couldn't say no to her.
She had told me to come before, and I felt bad about saying maybe, but now I even had better things to do. I was tired, and I had a
party I was going to, and now she wanted me to go
skating?? If she hadn't brought the other two girls to my room to “
convince me” I probably wouldn't have gone. My friend decided that
a brother in need is in need of a brother, so he came along.
I've never
skated before,
ice or
roller. I've
skied, but I didn't know if any of the skills would transfer. I was expecting to be the
young wobbly newbie I see at
ski areas, and I hoped I wouldn’t look like an
idiot. The
skates felt loose, they didn't fit right, and I could barely stand up on the
rubber of the
entryway floor, but
I wasn’t going to admit defeat just yet.
I took a tentative step onto the
ice, and slowly pushed myself off into the white expanse. "
This is going to hurt" I told myself silently, and hoped that I wasn’t the only one who would hug the
rails that night.
Slowly I skated, pushed off with speed, took to the
icy lanes of the oval, and dodged
figure skaters,
hockey players, and
sliding people on chairs. Each step was easier than the last, each
lap a simpler experience, to the point I had no large difficulty keeping up with her. Slowly the skills came out, and I found myself at ease on the
ice.
You could tell she was ecstatic that I came, and although she could skate better than me, she stayed with me most of the night. She has a
boyfriend, and he was just as excited to have me there as she was. I felt like the adopted son, an
upperclassman pair with their
freshman child, teaching him the ways of the world. If I do as her
boyfriend would have me, I would join his frat and he would BE my
big brother. She is and will always be my friend.
Last night I wasn’t trying to impress anyone, as my coming impressed them enough. He wants me at as many
rush events as he can muster, and I feel that if I want to join the
fraternity it is basically my decision. But she has nothing at stake, nothing to gain, no honor won. Just for a friendship.
She was the reason I went.