In my own little corner
In my own little chair
I can be whatever
I want to be
~ Cinderella
Chapter 2
"Nice to meet you, Erik," I said to the voice I finally had a name for. Hearing no reply, I mumbled out a goodbye. I opned the door and saw Santino standing there.
"Who was that," he asked curiously.
"Just a friend who called. I'm sorry but I have to go . Bye ! " I said making my way to the exit.
I rushed out the building to meet Meg. Knowing her, she probably called the police by now and reported a missing person. I ran down the blocks bumping into tourists and New Yorkers who gave me dirty blocks before reaching the familiar red awning. My blonde friend was pacing outside with her big duffel bag.
" Meg," I called out.
She turned and gave a obvious sigh of relief. "There you are Christine! You were gone for two hours, what happened ?"
Two hours? I spent two hours with that voice, I mean Erik ! He never said I couldn't tell anyone about our lessons, but the whole premise of telling someone felt ominous.
"' Santino and Laura had a going away party, I am sorry I forgot to tell you about it , " I said , my voice dripping in fake apologies.
Meg eyed me carefully, trying to find any rifts in my act, but I used my skills as an actress to remain in character. I was the one giving a sigh of relief, when my peppy blonde friend just smiled.
" That's okay Chrissy, " ugh she knew I hated it when she called me that name, " but we missed the ballet class! Let's go ice skating instead."
Was she crazy? Bryant Park would be packed at this time, the rink filled to the brim with skaters. We would have to wait on line for hours! I voiced my opinions.
"Meg the rink will be packed ! You know I am horrible at ice skating anyway ," I said.
"Oh, c'mon Christine, please," my friend begged. Helpless to her sad tone I relented and told her that we had to stop at the apartment first. We both had huge duffel bags filled with hair care and dance things and I couldn't lug it around the city. Meg agreed and we walked to our small apartment, unknowing of the events that would soon occur.
As I had guessed Bryant Park was packed. Children were rushing around bundled up in heavy coats as their mothers paid for hot chocolate or soup. Mothers tied up children's skates and couples ice skated holding hands. It was all mundane and still beautiful the events overflowing with love. Meg, true to her word, got us ahead of the line. She had a card that got her to another shorter line that only had about five or six people ahead
of us. It wasn't fun ice skating with all these people, it was much better in the morning when people were scattered around the rink and not clumped up together. The line went fast and I paid for rental skates and admittance to the rink. Meeting Meg at a bench I tied up my skates and stood up, wobbling. She stood and walked to the rink with a effortless grace that made everybody stare. I followed her unsteadily and stumbled once or twice. Man were these things hard to walk in! I got on the slick ice and held onto the side of the wall, ice didn't help my coordination problems. Meg twirled and glided in the middle of the rink while I chopped my way through the ice one skate and then the other. I finally got the hang of it and started picking up speed. I was so concentrated on moving faster that I didn't know a man about my age skating towards me. We both collided into each other and fell onto the ice. I quickly picked up my hands so it wouldn't get chopped off by the bottom of a skate and tried to stand. The man, better at skating than me, stood up easily and went to help me up. I looked into the familiar blue eyes and gasped.
"Raoul ! "