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 Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 9:46 pm
who: anyone and everyone who wants to skate!
where: Winter Wonderland, a pop-up indoor ice rink near Millennium Square
when: mid-afternoon, just after new years
why: because skating is a winter tradition!
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 9:48 pm
"Even in California, ice skating can be part of your winter tradition! Come to Winter Wonderland!"
What kind of skating rink gave out coupons for free admission? There were a lot of answers to that question. The owners were a young couple with romantic ideas. That sort of thing often brought further business. It was still a moneymaking opportunity, since skate rental wasn't included. Thalia didn't care about those details. To her, the correct answer was 'my kind of skating rink,' and she didn't probe further than that.
She even had her own skates, so admission was completely free. They had once been lovely white figure skates, but prior to her purchasing them at one of the thrift shops she frequented, had turned gray from use, with scuffs on the toes and heels that she tried to cover with hearts drawn on in red Sharpie. The original white laces had broken, so she had chosen pink ones in their place. The result made them look like they belonged to a four-year-old, albeit a four-year-old with very large feet, but that didn't matter to Thalia. They were hers, not that she used them that often, but when opportunities like this came along she knew that they had been worth the ten dollars she'd spent on them.
The rest of her skating outfit had been carefully planned as well. In addition to the skates she wore a red corduroy jumper over a white turtleneck, white tights, and a pink scarf with flowers sewn to it, along with matching hat and gloves. She tightened the laces on her skates one more time for good measure before standing up and, wobbling as she walked, heading to the wall of lockers with her shoes and coat in hand. "Excuse me," she said as she walked, trying to avoid stepping on discarded clothing or poorly-placed fingers. "Sorry, coming through!"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 2:13 pm
"Kinda crowded, isn't it?" Gemma compulsively straightened her windbreaker and looked to the cheerful seven-year-old at her side. The presence of so many people was something that normally wasn't a problem, but there were a few pertinent reasons to keep her on alert.
"No big deal," Liesel replied happily, her tiny pink skates slung over her shoulders by the laces. "Come on, let's go, let's go, let's go!" She latched onto her older sister's hand and practically dragged her through the small crowd congregated at the skating rink lockers, and Gemma's heart jumped into her throat for a moment when her sister's tiny fingers brushed the ring on her right hand. The subject of the ring (and its true identity) in question have been the cause of a very important change in the teenage girl's life, and while she was waiting to see the true essence of this wish manifest itself, she did find she was feeling a little more at ease around others. No more ducking her head nervously or stuttering replies all the time - was this what it felt like to be comfortable among others? It was almost a blessing to realize that her only concerns were making sure both the ring on her hand and her sister stayed in close enough proximity.
The little girl plopped herself onto a bench and raised a purple stockinged leg into the air to pull off her boots, the skates tumbling from her shoulder to the floor below. Gemma had stationed herself at a locker to tuck her own boots away and barely had time to issue a warning to be careful when another girl weaved her way through, just narrowly avoiding the little girl's falling skates. Liesel winced as they went and the boot in her hand fell to the floor.
"Aaah, sorry, be careful," Gemma warned the girl passing with a wave of her hand. "Those aren't fun to trip over." There was a strange warmth that tugged at the bottom of her heart as the words flowed so easily. This newfound ease was wonderful.
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Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:54 am
As a new ice skating rink opened in town, offering free admission, Autumn finally had an excuse to leave the house. Winter made her lazy, with it being too cold for frequent nature walks, and the warmth of her bed more and more enticing... She was getting sick of being inside in her pajamas all day. Mommy and Daddy said it was okay for her to even go by herself, since she turned twelve on Samhain!
She payed the rental fee for the skates, lacing up the plain gray ice skates onto her black and white stockinged feet. She thought of how many other girls she'd seen at the rink today and her heart pounded. Today, she could make new friends. Or maybe the opposite would happen, and someone would recognize her and make fun of her again. She looked up, peeking at the girls already in the rink. She didn't see anyone she knew from school. A breath of relief escaped, and she stood up, and went gliding on the ice.
"You can do this," Autumn whispered to herself, and smiled. She was going to have fun.
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