Hello! ^^

So, here comes the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 3

A few days after that special sports lesson, on my way home, I noticed a poster, which announced that, from the next weekend on, the ice-skating tract would be opened.

The next day during lunch, we all sat around a table in the canteen, when Julie suddenly asked: "Hey guys, I wondered if you would want to do something this Friday or Saturday. It has been some time since we last hang out together." "Yeah, my parents told us to take a day off and we thought that we could spend the day all together." Runo added with an expecting look on her face. "Awesome! You know I'm always in for some fun! " Dan shouted already getting excited about the idea. "Me too! I really could use a little time off to relax from all this studying. I'm in for it." Marucho replied happily. "So, what do you say?" Runo and Dan asked Shun and me in perfect unison. "I guess I can skip ninja practice once." Shun answered with a slight grin, before I could say: "Why not. I'm always free anyway.". "Okay! Does anyone have a proposal? Something other than bakugan, Dan, something we don't do day in, day out." Julie asked, causing Dan to close his already opened mouth and fall silent again. Complete silence followed, when everyone started to think of an idea, "I've got a proposal... ehm, yesterday, I saw that poster about skating. The piste is opening on Friday." I explained. Another pause, then "Skating... I think that's a good one. Years have passed since I last stood on the ice. How about you?" Runo said befriending the idea more and more. "But, I can't skate at all." Dan whined. "Don't worry, Dan! You're not the only one, who can't, but if you ask me, it really could be what we searched for, since it's something we've never done before." Marucho tried to convince him. "Plus, you can still learn it, can't you? Or are you too afraid to risk it? That wouldn't be like you at all." added Shun. "So it's decided then. Saturday, we will go skating!" announced Julie satisfied, after Dan spat out an angry "Fine", scowling at Shun.

Well, the rest of the week I was in a pretty good mood, looking forward to Saturday, until the day was finally there. I packed my skates in a back and left a note on the kitchen table just in case my father came home earlier than I expected, before I left the house to meet the others.

I was so excited about this since I had hardly ever been out with friends before and until now, it hadn't even mattered to me. However, this time it was different! And in the end, I was the first to arrive, whole ten minutes to soon, so I made myself ready to wait. I closed my eyes for a second and when I opened them again, Shun was standing right next to me. "Waah! Shun! Man, you scared me... You're ninja skills are pretty impressive, I didn't even heard you coming." I screamed surprised. "Well, sorry to scare you, Sienna, but I'm glad my ninja practice is paying of so well." Shun apologized with a gentle smile. Three minutes later, Marucho arrived as well, shortly before Runo and Julie and finally, Dan showed up exactly on time.

Later in a changing room, we put on our skates, when Shun asked looking on my white ones: "Tell me if I'm wrong, but could it be that you aren't an amateur in skating as well?". "Yeah, you're right. I've done figure skating during four years each winter. How about you all?" I asked in the round. "I sometimes came here with my parents when I was little, but the last time was years ago." Runo said picking up her second shoe. "The same counts for me. My mother wanted to show it to me, because she loved it when she was our age." Marucho explained on his turn. "I once tried it out when I was nine or something, but since none of my parents know how to skate either, I gave up after umpteen times I've fallen down in two rounds.", Dan admitted with a sigh. "Well, I came here twice since I moved into Runo's house, but I can barely brake and I too had no teacher to learn from. So, I gave up." Julie replied sadly. We all looked at Shun expecting him to tell us about his skating experience and since he was good in everything he did, he would be pretty amazing as well.

However, he didn't answer the question, but said: "If everybody is ready, we should get going." He headed towards the door and we followed him, too excited to pay much attention to the fact that Shun had avoided the question. On the other side of the door awaited us a large ice piste, but even though it had only opened yesterday, it was already quite crowded.

"Well, this isn't perfect for beginners, but it could be a lot worse too. We'll have to live with it for now and wait for lunchtime." I told them, advancing to the entrance. "Ladies first." replied Shun.

when he simply confessed: "Well, on my turn, this is my very first time."

I was the first to take a step on the ice surface and when Runo was about to step on it as well, I quickly warned them all: "Be careful with the first step! It's quite easy to slip there." and reached Runo my hand. She gladly took it with a thanking nod. I helped Julie too, but Marucho didn't need it and Dan was too stubborn to accept it. Finally, Shun got unto it too searching for hold on the wall. "So far, so good. Let's just try for the moment. The first rounds are the most difficult ones anyway. If you survive them, you'll be fine. It's all about habit." I explained. Runo and Julie gave each other a nod and slowly started sliding away and I joined them.

"The girls seem to be pretty happy, but how the hell are they doing that?" Dan asked a bit amazed after he nearly stumbled already. "Well, skating IS a popular sport among girls. Come on, you can do it!" Marucho replied sliding a few meters forward. However, as Dan tried again, he moved a few inches and then tripped again, because of a groove in the ice. The same time, Shun tried his luck as well, but someone nearly ran into him and while avoiding a total collision, hit his foot out under him. Shun immediately fell back, while sliding forward as well and how luck wanted it to be, right into his tripping friend. All Marucho could see, was Dan falling right unto Shun's stomach and seconds later, they got him as well.

A collective "Ouch!" was heard and as Runo, Julie and I turned around, we spotted all of the boys lying on top of each other. It gave quite the funny picture and as expected Runo and Julie burst out laughing. I couldn't choke it completely either, so whipping away a tear from the corner of my eye as I had settled down, I headed back to the ravel. From near, it looked even funnier, Shun was at the bottom, lying on his back and covering his face with his arms out of reflex from his training, Dan had fallen criss-cross on his friends stomach and Marucho was sitting on top of them.

"Well, how are you doing, Dan?" Runo grinned sarcastically, when she joined us too. To brake before, I had crossed my right food behind my left like a reversed 'T' and had slowly caught up with them, while Runo now simply 'crashed' into the bannister and Julie half braked with her foot and then held on to Runo. "Thanks for the help Runo!" Dan shouted pouting. "You three are unbelievable! This is priceless!" snickered Julie as well. "Yeah, you two laugh while you still can." Dan growled. "Sorry, Sorry! But you just look too funny!" Runo apologized, while Julie and I pulled Marucho up unto his feet again. "It isn't so funny from down here. Well, At least Marucho had a soft fall." Dan remarked. "Well, I surely hadn't and it's hard to breath down here, so hurry up and get off of me, Dan!" Shun choked under him. "Oh, sorry, pall!" Dan mumbled and tried to crawl back onto his feet with my help. "Lucky me, I guess! But I only fell because of you two in the first place." Marucho smiled grateful, not wanting to be in Shun's position right now. "What happened anyway?" Julie asked confused. "Dan tripped and they ran me over. What about you Shun ?" Marucho explained before looking down again. "Some other skater nearly crashed into me and ran into my foot, causing me to slip. The truth is this is my first time, so I couldn't react and skating's actually harder than it looks." Shun confessed frowning. The others stared at him like if he had three heads. "Wow, that's a first one." Dan commented causing Shun to blush a bit from embarrassment.

"There's a first time for everything. Don't worry, I'll teach you." I offered as I glided in front of him holding out my two hands for him. "Thanks!" he gladly accepted and grabbed my hand. In the meantime placed one of my feet at a right angle to his one. "Hold on a minute." I warned him, then pulled him up with a powerful jerk. His foot glided forwards into mine, blocking the way and preventing him to gliding farther. When Shun stood on his own feet again and everyone was alright, we continued our round, but this time together.

After Dan nearly fell again, Runo laughed at him, but finally offered her help: "Come on, I'll show you." She glided over to him with a huge and satisfied smile, probably because she could show off, then she took his hand and pulled him forward with her. "Aw, look at them! How sweet! Hey Marucho, let's go turn a few rounds." Julie asked her little friend and with a nod, they took off as well.

"So, now we're all alone after all. Well, let's get to work. Any remarks?" I smiled at Shun, who looked a bit confused: "What?" "Your problems." I made myself clear. "Well, I don't know. It looks so easy, but I simply don't manage to move on the ice without losing my balance right away." he replied, frowning at the other skaters around us. "I know what you mean. I had the same problem when I started, but that's the tricky part about ice, no grip! If you learn how to get along with it, it isn't so hard. You have to glide over it, making steps won't do you any good, understand?" I explained. He nodded, then tried again, advancing a few meters. However, stumbled because of the uneven surface, exactly like Dan before. I caught up with him, catching his arm and stabilize him. "O.K. Another secret is to slightly bend your knees and shift your weight to the front of your foot. Like that it's a lot easier to keep your balance." I added and this time he nodded, he didn't seem so convinced and more hesitating. However, as he tried, he was fine. So, I proposed to turn a few rounds for training.

After three rounds, Shun got the hang of it, therefore I now wanted to show him the different methods he could use to brake. "Learn to brake? Wait for us!" Julie called joining us. "It would be a lot easier to avoid accidents, if we knew how to brake." Marucho said, when suddenly, something seemed to catch Julie's attention behind me. Curious, I turned around to discover Runo and Dan skating side-by-side, laughing and smiling. "Oh. Look at them, aren't they cute! They make a great couple, don't you think?" sighed Julie happily. "You're right. I still don't understand why they're not together already. But didn't Runo want to learn how to brake too?" answered Marucho for all of us. "Should we really interrupt their peaceful and sweet togetherness?" I asked more to myself, in low voice. Surprisingly, I got an answer after all: "Probably not, but you know them." whispered Shun from beside me as Julie and Marucho already shouted: "Dan! Runo! Sienna wants to teach us how to brake, are you joining us?". The answer to that came instantly in unison: "Sure! Wait a sec!" Runo just wanted to take a step forwards, when she hardly collided with another girl.

"Aow!". "Runo!" exclaimed Dan catching her, but then he lost his balance on the slippery ice-surface and they fell after all. The other, blond girl let herself being help up by a boy and as soon us she stood again she screamed: "What are you doing? Look where you're going!" "WHAT? Repeat that, I think I didn't hear you right!" Runo screamed in return, while getting on her feet again. "I said 'Look where you're going', you bitch!" "Are you KIDDING! YOU bumped into ME!" "I certainly did NOT!" "My ass!" then an angry silent followed, where you could practically see lightning shooting out of their eyes and the atmosphere around them crackled and sizzled. "Well, let's fight this one out in a duel! See how snotty you are after I mobbed the floor with you! The one who is best at skating wins!" The blond girl proposed.

"Okay! Challenge accepted!" I said calmly but staring at her in a threatening way as I joined Runo's side. I couldn't stand people who always put the blame on others and I hate even more those people who think that just, because they're better in something, they have more rights then the others. Meanwhile everyone looked really surprised that I actually dared to join the fight on free will. "Well, who are YOU?" shrieked the blond arrogantly, looking me up and down. "In case you really can't guess it, I'm a friend of the girl you just knocked over and then challenged for a duel. I'm in for it." I answered her question, letting her feel how stupid she was. Her snotty expression turned angry and the boy on her side did a threatening step forwards. "You stay out of this!" said Shun angrily and stepped to my side, causing the other boy to step back again. "You just said 'the one who's best at skating wins', right? So, if you think, you're so brilliant, then show me what you've got." I challenged the girl in return. "Very well! But that was a big mistake!" she growled taking out her phone and giving it to her boyfriend, then sliding forwards into a free corner of the piste.

"We'll only use this free part and each perform a short dance session." She proposed. "You make the rules." I nodded approvingly, then crossed my arms in front of my chest. I would show her! No one calls my friend a 'bitch'!

Then, she gave her friend a sign to start the music and taking her position. It was a classical play for figure skating and I instantly recognised it as a song from my lessons. I've danced to it so many times before. It was one of the first dances you learned, so she was probably in her first or second year. Unfortunately for her, I remembered every step and was already a lot better than her. Well, I had to admit that she wasn't bad at skating, actually she was pretty good, but her character was terrible. She could be as good as she wanted, I would still be a lot better! She slid backwards and forwards, doing turns and circles and moving her arms and legs with the music, then finished with a turn going over to a constantly pirouette till she finally got to stop.

She came back with a satisfied look on her face, surely thinking something like 'she could never beat my excellent performance!' or 'I bet, that she's already regretting to have got into a fight with me and she's struggling to keep her poker face up!'. "You're turn!" She said simply. "As you wish. Runo don't worry, just trust me." I consoled Runo, who looked a bit worried after the girl's dance, and slid to the place where the blond had stood minutes before. I took a deep breath to clear my mind: "I'm ready, go on." I nodded to her boyfriend to start the music.

The music began and I started my dance. In fact I was planning on repeating exact the same steps she did, just doing everything that I could in an advanced level. For example, I sometimes lifted my leg in the air or beside my ear, I also did a few small jumps with turns and more spins. Plus, in place of doing only the beginning, I would do the whole dance. Oh, how bad I would want to see her face when they continue the dance in their next lesson. For the rest, I let myself being guided by the music, letting my arms elegantly flow with the rhythm and making use of my agility. At the end, after a higher jump, I let myself turn into a circle with outstretched arms and one leg lifted in a parallel line to my arms. Then as the music grew faster and faster, I pulled in my arms, causing me to get faster as well, I continued with taking my lifted foot with my hands and pulling everything behind my back in the air. Slowly loosing my spinning power again, I finished it with a small slide forwards and fully stopped with a last powerful 'Tam Tam' of the music in a standing position, one foot pointed down behind, one arm thrown in the air and the other one on the hips.

As I let my gaze flow around, I noticed a bit to my surprise that nearly the whole piste had been following our little dancing competition. They all started clapping, before slowly turning back to their own skating. I was a little embarrassed that actually so many people had looked at me without me noticing it, but probably was the best way to make that blonde apologize.

"So, do you admit your defeat? I think, it's clear enough." I said coming back to them again. The expressions on their faces were simply gorgeous, they were totally dumbfounded and their mouths were slightly open in awe. Shun was the first one to get back to normal: "If you ask me there is no opposition possible." "You're right. Sienna was just amazing! She's in a whole other league than any of us! She is clearly the winner!" added Julie with sparkles in her eyes. Finally, the girl managed to say something: "H… How?" "Fourth year. So advanced level." I answered simply, then added: "Well, you aren't bad, but I have definitely got more practice than you and I'm definitely not letting myself be beaten by someone like you! I HATE people who think that just because they're better at something, they can do whatever they want. It should be clear that the better ones should consider the others and not the other way around! Runo doesn't even know how to BRAKE, this is the first time since years that she skates. How SHOULD she avoid you. However, you could have easily prevented this accident, if you would have paid a little more attention to the others around you and if that isn't enough you're BLAMING her instead of asking if she's alright or apologizing to her!" I nearly shouted from anger as I stepped in front of the blond girl, who suddenly looked really intimidated. "Think about it, I'm quite sure if you change your attitude you could get a lot better at skating. Skating isn't only about practice, but also about heart. Let this be a lesson to you! Let's go guys!" I said calming myself again, then turning away, not waiting for an answer and letting the girl and her boyfriend behind without looking back.

"Thanks, Sienna! That was amazing!" Runo said smiling as soon as we got out of the sight of those two. "You don't have to thank me, really! And what's more important, are you hurt? That was a hard crash after all." I asked worried. "I'm fine. Since Dan caught me, I didn't fall too hard but thanks for asking." Runo blushed, while she mumbled the middle part in a lower voice, so that it was quite difficult to understand, but I'm positive that's what she said. I chuckled slightly, then Julie claimed: "Sienna, you have to show me some of those tricks! Please!" and with that the incident was nearly forgotten again. We stayed another few hours and after lunch, I first taught them how to brake and afterwards how to turn in circles and also a little bit sliding backwards. We finally decided to leave in the late afternoon, because we were quite tired.

Unfortunately, it had started to rain outside, "Oh man! Too bad!" Dan complained, pulling his jacket over his and Runo's head. "We should hurry home fast! This looks suspiciously like a starting thunderstorm!" Julie winced covering her head with her arms. "Yeah, you're right! So, I'll see you all on Monday!" I said, waving good-bye to them with one arm and with the other protecting my eyes as I ran off. The last thing I could see, before turning around a corner, was them, waving back and then parting ways as well.

Well, as soon as I lost sight of the others, I stopped running, I lowered my arm and lifted my head up to the sky, letting the raindrops fall on my face. I kind of like the rain. It's pretty odd and hard to explain why, but it reminds me of my mother and even though it recalls me her terrible death and brings back the pain of her loss, it also gives me a slight feeling of being understood. It's like she's there, in the rain, comforting me like she had always done before, when she had still been by my side. "How ironic!" I couldn't help to think, smirking sadly: "It gives me the feeling of not being alone and that everything is going to be okay, but at the same time, I don't want anybody to see this miserable side of me. This side of me that nobody knows except for me, not even my father… Or especially not my father.". I opened my eyes again as I turned my face straight and slowly walked along the road.

When I finally arrived at home, I was soaking wet from the, now, pouring rain and I opened the door to find the house left alone. Father wasn't back, what did I even expect? Suddenly, images of the other's parents shot in my head and caught me off guard. I couldn't help, but imagining my new friends getting home, their waiting parents relieved to see them back home again and wandering off to prepare them a warm bath tub. A lightning pulled me back into reality as it enlightened the empty living room and suddenly, I somehow didn't want to get home already after all. Not yet… So, I turned on my heels and left, jogging right out into the storm, which, I had already discovered, had a really refreshing and liberating effect. It helped me to straighten my thoughts and get lost of those lonely and nibbling feelings.

Well, that's it. I think I might as well confess now that I have a little addiction to drama, but you will probably notice for yourself. Next chapter will be up soon. Please review! XD