The party

“This is so romantic,” Melissa said, grabbing Luke’s arm and leaning close to him as they walked through the darkness.

Luke had parked on Fear Street, and now they were making their way along the winding path through the woods toward the lake, their ice skates draped over their shoulders.

Torches had been set up all along the lakefront. As they approached the lake, they saw the orange torchlight flickering in the spaces between the dark trees, giving the woods a soft, magical glow.

“Such a clear night. It’s perfect!” Melissa declared.

“It’s kind of pretty,” Luke admitted as the frozen lake came into view.

“You’re so poetic,” Melissa teased, squeezing his arm through his jacket.

They could hear the music now, from a portable sound system on the shore. And they could see several couples skating in a wide circle over the ice.

“How many of you are there in that coat?” Luke asked, laughing. He pulled at the side of Melissa’s wool overcoat, stretching it wide.

Melissa laughed. “You don’t like my coat? It’s my dad’s, actually.” She lowered her head to examine it. “Maybe it is a little big. But I figured I might need the extra padding.”

“Maybe later I’ll climb in there with you!” Luke teased, letting go of the enormous coat and leading the way along the path to the lake.

Voices called to them as they drew nearer. People were clustered at a long refreshment table. Others were seated on the ground, struggling to fasten their skates. The woods echoed with laughter and voices shouting over the blare of the music.

“I warned you. I’m not a great skater,” Melissa said, as Luke helped her tighten her laces. She glanced up at the skaters circling the lake, recognizing most of them. They all seemed so graceful, so at ease.

“Look at Cory Brooks,” Luke said, pointing. She followed Luke’s gaze across the ice to see Cory showing off as usual, skating backward on one leg, in the opposite direction from everyone else, his hands high above his head.

“What a showoff,” Luke muttered. Then he burst out laughing as Cory collided with David Metcalf, and the two of them toppled to the ice, nearly sliding all the way to the refreshment table on their backsides.

Luke stopped laughing when he caught the serious expression on Melissa’s face. “Hey, what’s wrong? You can’t possibly be as bad a skater as Cory!”

“I—I wasn’t thinking about that,” Melissa said solemnly. She reached up for Luke to pull her to her feet. “I was thinking about my locker. That disgusting broken heart. The threatening valentines.”

“Hey, I thought we were going to party tonight,” Luke scolded.

Melissa sighed. “I know. But maybe it was a mistake. Maybe we shouldn’t have come.”

Gripping both of her gloved hands, he tugged her onto the lake. “I’m right here,” he said softly, reassuring her with a smile. “Come on. Forget that nonsense. It’s so awesome here tonight.” He gestured to the flickering torches casting their soft light along the shore. “Let’s just skate and have a good time.”

“Okay,” Melissa agreed, smiling back at him.

They skated side by side for a short while, picking their way through the crowd of skaters. Melissa moved unsteadily, her arms out awkwardly at her sides.

Like a toddler just starting to walk, she thought, embarrassed.

Luke moved across the ice with confident, graceful strides.

He looks so much more at ease on ice than when he’s walking, Melissa thought, studying him as she tried to keep up.

“Stay away from over there!” someone called to them, pointing to the empty area to the right.

“What’s the problem?” Luke called.

“The ice is too thin. It’s already cracking!” came the reply.

Luke turned, making a wide circle. He reached for Melissa, but her left skate hit something, and she tumbled forward.

“Ow!”

She stretched out her hands to break her fall and landed hard on her right elbow. Pain shot up her arm. “Ow. Oh, man!”

“You okay?” Luke circled her, backing around her, reaching down to pull her back on her feet.

“I warned you,” she said, frowning. Her side still throbbed, but she allowed him to pull her up. “Not exactly graceful, am I? My skate caught on something.”

“You’re a graceful faller,” he said, teasing. “You stumble like a pro. Really.”

“Liar,” she muttered.

They started again, gliding side by side to the music. They skated in a wide oval over the frozen lake, their breath steaming up above them, the torches on shore providing the only light, casting long, shifting shadows over the ice.

“Hey, wait up!” Melissa called.

Luke, skating easily, had picked up speed and had moved far ahead. Concentrating on keeping her balance, Melissa kept losing him in the crowd.

“Wait up!” Then she fell again. Her skates slid right out from under her, and she landed hard on her back.

“Hey, Luke.”

He appeared from out of the shadows and glided easily up to her. “How’d you get down there?” he teased, bending to help her up once again.

“I’m going to be black and blue,” she said. “It’s my ankles, I think. They’re not strong enough.”

“Follow me,” Luke said, skating away from the crowd.

She started to follow, moving slowly, one skate then the other, having lost all confidence. “Hey, where are you going?” she called.

“I’m going to give you a lesson,” he called back.

He was leading her away from the crowd, away from the flickering torchlight, away from the music.

“Why are we going over here for the lesson?” she called, picking up speed.

“It’s a private lesson!” he declared.

He skated into the darkness. She followed the skud skud skud of his skates.

It was so dark away from the lights. Away from the party.

Away from everyone.

She heard a cracking sound to her left.

“Hey, Luke!” she called, fear beginning to rise in her chest. “Luke, the ice! It’s cracking!”

Then she remembered the warning to stay away from this area.

“Luke, we shouldn’t be here!” she called, feeling her throat tighten and her heart begin to pound.

So dark. So silent.

Another crack just behind her.

Luke abruptly appeared out of the darkness, skating toward her, his features set, his eyes locked menacingly on hers.

Why has he led me here? Melissa wondered, suddenly consumed with fear.

Why did he take me to this dangerous spot, away from everyone else?

She spun around. Nearly fell. Started to skate back toward the party.

But he swept up behind her and grabbed her shoulders.

He twirled her around to face him.

Behind his glasses, his eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Luke, what are you doing?” Melissa cried.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20