Teardrops of Winter

“Snow!” her screamed echoed from the hallway up to the stairs. “Are you done yet?” Fate raised her voice, making me panicked for a moment, and so I rush so we won’t miss the show. It’s our last Saturday for summer vacation and everyone in our batch are coming to celebrate the final moment before we face our college life and say hello to adulthood. “How do I look?” I kept pulling down the skirt a bit. Fate lend me her skirt and it’s already above my knee level and it also makes me a bit uncomfortable. “You look fine, don’t overly think about it!” she continues roaming around, looking where she put her earrings. “Where’s Win?” I asked while I’m in the mirror curling my lashes. “Present as always!” Flaire showed up with Win. Flaire is wearing her midnight see-through crop top with her ivory wrap pants. She’s always the one who can bring any outfit into fashion with elegant aura. It’s like all outfit she touches are made for her. While Win wears her lemon high waist pants and a knitted greed cardigan. Always looks sweet and daring. “I got our tickets, is Val coming too?” Win showed the five Wheeler Mall tickets she got. “I already bought one for him?” “He said he’s tired. He got home this dawn, and his body doesn’t have the energy to come.” Fate carried her bag and took her dorm keys. “Poor Val, being in the volleyball club must be exhausting!” Win set her make up and let me take my turn again in the vanity mirror. “Let’s go, we might not get space and might also miss the show!” an excited rushing tone from Flaire. We left the dorm and we already got a taxi from Grab booked by Win. I have this self-eagerness to have a quality time with my friends, which is why I’m coming with this last night for enjoying our summer vacation. Although I am not familiar at using rollerblades, and knowing that I am one of the population of people who can’t stand in shoes with wheels. Still, I don’t want to be a killjoy! Loud music greeted us outside the mall, and the ambiance is dearly positive. Looks like everybody is having fun, spending the last nights of high school. People we knew are already inside the disco, dancing with their rollers. Flaire and Win excitedly rush through the disco after they finished wearing their roller shoes. Fate stayed and secure mine. “What if I hurt my ankle?” “You’re overly reacting!” she smirked, but still giving me an assurance. I am starting to think what are the chances to injure myself from trying to learn roller blades. It feels like the first time of trying to take off the two support wheels of my bicycle when I was six, also a reason why I hated riding bicycle. Because I can’t. “Hold on to this…” Fate stood tall and helped me carry my weight as we both held on the silver metal barrier. “Try standing first,” I tried to stand up as she guides me while I also hold into the barrier. I kept my balance from the shoes and my knees can’t stop shaking. For almost half an hour of trying to move from small spaces, Fate told me to not release my hand away from the steel. “Just glide---” Before even Fate orders me to come to her space, I slipped and hurt my knees and hands first. Trying again was my only choice, and so I also kept on falling as I hesitate and lose my balance. Then Flaire and Win came, they both held my arms right beside me. “We’ll go slowly,” Win raised her voice. The music is too loud and upbeat and I won’t hear her if she doesn’t raise her sound. “Now dance with us!” Flaire was too loud and is too excited. “Wait!” It was too late as I screamed for my life. She quickly grabbed me away from Win, making me lose my momentum and exert my balance to her. So, we both fell to the floor of roller rink. “Dummy!” I reached at my back for I had hurt my butt again. Win and Fate laughed at both of us, while the crowd seemed to care nothing for it is normal here to fall. Flaire hold my hand, Fate hold my other hand and Win held Flaire’s. We made a circle and continue spinning. It was full of laughter the whole time. “It’s on me this time,” I gave my card to Fate before she even orders our meal. “You already paid the tickets.” I argued with Win. It’s no fair to let her pay twice, so I did. While waiting for our order, we took photos to post it into our stories and i********: feeds. The neon lights of the mall and the mirror ball made our photos look perfect. After that, our orders came. We ordered burgers and fries, banana split and milkshakes. As we enjoy our food, the show also started, and so we watched the performances and be entertained as we eat. “I felt bad for Val,” Win sighed laying on my shoulder as we watch the dancers with their rollers performs in the rink. Val had two weeks in volleyball summer camp, and he’s being trained to be this year’s manager. “He can do it, for now, let’s plan how are we going to celebrate his position this school year.” Fate tries to cheer-up Win “Wait, I heard a rumor that one of his team is Knight!” Flaire urges a whisper that was still too loud. “Really?” Win suddenly became interested. “Are you certain about that?” While Fate’s tone is kind of worried. “Who are we pertaining to again?” I was confused on the guy we are talking about. “Yup, I heard that Knight is back being wing spiker, that’s why he’s part of the summer camp.” Flaire confidently shared. All the things, issues and controversies of the campus is known by Flaire. Thanks to her, we are always kind of update. “Your sources are crazy,” Fate added a smirked. After the performance, we decided to head back to the rink. Win came back excitedly, she’s really enjoying her time roller skating, knowing that she’s so good at it, especially and dancing. “I’ll be there soon, I’ll just finish my milkshake.” I stir my drink with the use of my straw. Finishing my milkshake took too long, and so after drinking it, I went to the restroom to wash my hands. I was about to leave but when I heard sobbing noises. I looked myself in the mirror and stop my breathing to make sure if I really heard the cries. Then the girl continues to cry again. Slowly, I went to examine every cubicle and tried to look where the sound is coming. “Are you okay?” I whispered as I reached the last door, while I put my head to overhear and make sure if it’s the right door. I heard a whimper and when I knocked “Do you need-” “Leave!” the girl shouted with pure annoyance and kicked the door. I screamed with pain as the door hit my face from the hard kicked she did. I hold my bruised face and compressed it softly. It was painful, and so I decided to left the restroom and go with my friends, but before I even do so, “Oh my gosh, are you okay?” the girl came out and she was shocked on what happened. “I’m so sorry!” she wiped her tears before taking a look on my face. “It’s bruised…” I can feel a panic at her voice but she tries hard to hide it. “I really didn’t mean to hurt you, I thought you were someone---” she stopped and took off something from her pocket. “Here, put this,” it was a white handkerchief. I was hesitant first, but I wanted ease the pain a bit and cover it. “I’m really sorry,” she said sincerely while her voice was a bit shaky. “It’s fine, I’m just worried if something bad happened at here.” I gave her a glance. Her eyes were red from showing how she cried and her mascara is all messed up. “I should go now,” “Wait, maybe we should treat face?” she offered back her hands. “No, it’s fine. I’ll just go and do it with my friends. I hope you’re okay too.” I left her with a smile and continue my way to the girls. As I touched the part of my face that the door hit, it aches. I walked near to the barrier and tried to look for them, but they were too far to even hear my call. So, I decided to go into the rink. After putting the roller shoes, I grasp on the steel and make my way to Fate. “Fate!” I screamed at the top of my lungs trying to call her attention together with the girls . When I finally caught her view, she mimicked a word through her lips, together with a hand gesture asking me “Why?” She opened her arms wide signaling me to come near to her. And so I did. I released a heavy breath and inhaled doubled before releasing my hands away from the barrier. I was near to her and close enough to reach her when a person suddenly bumped into me. I hit my head to someone’s chest, making me feel an ache even painful. This made me fell on the ground losing my balance and hurting my hands. I screamed for pain, I look at him and he look back with his furious eyes, and said... “Your fault.” His voice was so cold. I look up but barely saw his face for the light is hitting my eyes directly. “Don’t be so dramatic.” his voice felt distant already as he continued skating away from me. I lose all my patience and the anger swallowed me up. I quickly glance at something, but saw nothing, only my shoes. And so I took it off and stood up with my right foot holding my whole body. I strongly put a force with my hand and throw it to him. “Your fault my a*s!” I hit his back hardly that stopped him from leaving. The active crowd looked at us silently and they started whispering at us. Still clueless for what happened, I saw a shining thing on the floor right next to me, a bracelet. “Snow! Are you okay?” Fate held me tight to not lose my balance. I was fluttered when he started looking back at me. He was about to come at me but some boys stopped him. “Let’s leave,” Flaire carried my left shoulder and I quickly grabbed the bracelet. Everything happened so quick, that I didn’t have much time to let things sink in. All I know is that I don’t want to meet that arrogant boy.