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A pudgy man dragging a nervous little girl by the hand had just raised a hand to keep Fallon from colliding when Liliana swooped in to save the day. The hands on her waist were strong for Lily's size, and when they spun, Fallon leaned close. Normally, she didn't like unexpected contact, but since Liliana was more or less saving her from injury, Fallon was only grateful, not uncomfortable. Cold hands gripped for dear life, but when her eyes lifted from the certain doom of the ice below, she was staring straight at Liliana, noses nearly brushing.

For Fallon, it was romantic in a way she hadn't felt it a long time. Of course, it was also an accident. It was just an accident, but it didn't stop Fallon from smiling, or her stomach from bubbling nervously. For all her purported confidence, the teenager was still utterly terrified of being rejected for her choice of partner. She loved girls, always had. She didn't see an issue with it. Not everyone agreed with her.

It was a momentary embrace, a happy surprise, but Fallon knew it was just that: momentary, surprise, unintentional. It didn't make it any less nice. "Okay, now you are saving my life. I owe you. I should repay you." A good turn deserved another. Fallon believed that. "God, I'm sorry. I'm such a disaster today... I'm usually quite in control of my situation." She laughed, awkward and nervous, but she did as Liliana said.

The pair drifted right over to the rink exit. "I think Alanna is happy to see us out of her way," Fallon said, quirking an eyebrow.

As they moved toward the rink exit, Fallon still clung tight to Liliana. That terrifying elementary school girl was still moving like a scavenging shark across the ice. It was hard not to wish that she tripped -- young kid or not. "Ugh, you don't have to lie. I'm a disaster on blades. Without you, I would be missing at least one limb." The tip of her blades caught the edge of the rink, and Fallon lurched forward, clinging desperately to the wall. "Or two. Probably two." She took Lily's help gladly and managed to make it to un-frozen ground without another spill.

Off of the ice, Fallon still moved awkwardly. Her falling was simply replaced with an awkward waddle. If Andeon was there, he would probably tell her she had a duck a**, or looked like she had dropped a load in her pants. Why did he keep showing up in her head? Usually that honor was reserved for the girls who caught her attention, especially Serenade. Andeon was the first boy to have that honor. It made her a little sad. It wasn't that she didn't like to think about him; it was that those thoughts were the closest she had come to seeing him in almost a month.

Fallon dropped to the bench beside Liliana with an oomph! and began to unlace her skates. That much she could handle on her own. "Hm, rink food," she said, pursing her lips and yanking off the left boot. "I am hungry. But I sort of have a strict no rink food policy." Fallon had quite a few strict life policies, actually. Hopefully it wouldn't push Lily away. It was a risk she would have to take. There was no way would she eat at the rink. She could get the same quality meal by licking the grout in the bathroom, probably.

Fallon looked back to the little girl gliding smugly over the ice. "I wonder if I am above picking a fight with a seven-year-old," she said, feigning seriousness. "Ah, perhaps another day." She quirked an eyebrow and freed her right foot from the boot, putting it up on the bench between them.

The rink was getting busier. Some kind of class seemed to be preparing to take to the ice. A crowd of rosy-cheeked kids gripped the hands of a handful of guides dressed in matching blue vests. If Liliana wasn't here, Fallon might have stuck around to steal tips from them. "I need to return my skates," she said. Fallon slipped back into a pair of heels -- much better. "But there is a restaurant around the corner from here. It's called The Greenery -- have you been there?" Fallon scoured Destiny City for good restaurants like criminals cased gas stations. If Liliana wanted something healthy, then she had a few places in mind.

Fallon got to her feet, slinging the dangling skates over her arm. She didn't know if being "nice enough" to warrant further attention was a great compliment, but she smiled anyway and nodded. The return counter was across the way, and Fallon headed over to it to drop off her skates.

It was an unexpected surprise to form a casual friendship at the ice rink. Sure, Liliana could still prove to be not half as pleasant as she seemed, but Fallon was more than willing to give her the chance. Dr. Price's words rang in her head: Do the things that make you happy, even if you are afraid that they might bring up bouts of anxiety. Be brave. Follow your heart, not the demands of your head. That is what makes you uptight -- that nagging voice in your head that tells you that you can't handle something, or that you aren't strong enough. It had brought her to the ice rink, and now it was pushing her toward Liliana.

And to think Fallon thought Dr. Price was a useless hack when they first met.

The man working at the rental counter took back the skates and returned Fallon's ID without so much as a glance at her. She headed back toward Liliana and they walked to the exit together. "I think you'll like it. It has food with clean, crisp flavors. I love it during the summer when I'm craving salads." Fallon led the way, holding the door open for Liliana, and the pair disappeared down the sidewalk, talking and laughing all the way.