Late update, I know... and most of you might hate me after this chapter... but I'm HOPING to have another update by the end of the week, so yay! I think this story is almost at a close - I haven't quite decided yet, but I have another poll-thingy in my profile that might determine how it all ends... *hints for you to go check it out NOW*

Disclaimer on profile.


"Ice skating?" Kari asked incredulously. A disturbing smile planted itself on Ken's face as he nodded, elegantly sweeping past her to fetch his own pair of skates. "But…" Kari protested, "I haven't been skating in years! I'll be absolutely horrible at it!"

Yolei giggled at Kari's ridiculous remark and replied, "You'll do fine, Kari. Besides, you'll have TK there to help you out, right?"

Kari scoffed angrily, still having not forgiven the young man for his rudeness and uncalled-for statements. "If he's going to be there, then forget it. I'm not coming."

"But you have to!" Yolei whined. "It's not a double date unless there are four people, you know. I can't believe you haven't forgiven him yet. He feels terrible about what he said and you feel guilty about what you said too, so I don't see what's holding you back from apologising."

"Pride. Anger. Hormones." Ken offered graciously, tying up his laces.

Before Kari could strangle Ken for his unneeded observations, TK walked in—skates already on—trying to balance himself on the edge of the blades. Kari scoffed at his pathetic attempts and he glared at her menacingly, as if daring her to say something about it. She brushed past him, onto the ice and he huffed, irritated by his girlfriend's childish behaviour.

"She'll get over it eventually," Yolei assured him, following her best friend onto the ice rink.

Ken clapped him on the back and they made their way out as well. The rink was nearly full with laughing children and parents skating around joyfully. A group of beginners were holding on to the edge of the boards for dear life, fear covering their faces. TK noted sourly that that would probably be him in about five minutes' time.

Kari and Yolei were already making their way across the iced floor, chatting and giggling contentedly while Ken waited for TK to approach their destination. The ice shone under the florescent lighting and TK gulped nervously. He hadn't ever skated in his life. This was a totally new experience, and it was rather frightening. The way the skates kept wobbling - no matter how hard he tried to keep them straight and the way his ankles were locked in there firmly. Not to mention how he had barely any circulation in his feet now that the laces were wrenched tight. All in all, if he had a choice after this, skating would not be one of his top things to do for fun.

Stepping out for the first time onto the rink, TK clung helplessly to the sides, Ken chuckling beside him and doing figure eights while gliding along with ease.

"I'm pathetic," TK mumbled miserably. "I should just go home now and be a loser for the rest of my life."

Ken chortled and shook his head. "If that's what you want, then by all means, be a loser for the rest of your life… but if you want to join the big kids, then suck it up and let's go catch up with our ladies."

TK's hand was snatched abruptly by Ken's as he dragged his resisting friend over to where Kari and Yolei were skating. The inexperienced boy trembled even more as they came near—there was nothing to hold on to in the middle of the rink, and Ken was going too fast for TK to keep up. He tipped over backwards, but leaned forward quickly to counteract the movement, only to fall flat on his face the second he did. Kari snorted with laughter while Yolei and Ken lifted him back up, asking if he was alright.

"Yeah, I'm fine." TK muttered, brushing himself off. He refused to look at Kari, who was still sniggering with a hand covering her mouth in a vague attempt to be discreet.

"Does anyone want something to eat?" Yolei asked hesitantly. "I can go get some nachos or whatever."

Ken smiled at her and told her to go on ahead—they'd catch up in a minute.

He sighed, turning to his patients, "I know you guys are arguing and that neither of you will apologise until the other has, but this has got to stop. We're here to have fun, not to snipe at each other and laugh at each other… if you can't be civil, then we'll leave." He felt like a mother, scolding her children when they misbehaved.

Kari looked away innocently, as if none of this was her fault, while TK huffed irately to show his disapproval for their entire excursion. The two of them could not seem to get along, but Ken was almost done caring about that. They weren't willing to even try to co-operate and he felt like he was talking to a wall. They didn't listen to what he said and they were so obtuse, it was ridiculous.

A young kid skated by them, waving his arms about wildly to try and not fall down. One of his flailing limbs came and smacked TK in the face, adding to his deflated ego and injured visage.

"Ow!" he exclaimed fiercely. The kid yelled out an apology while still trying in vain to remain upright.

Kari snickered maliciously and TK turned on her, annoyed by her unrelenting teasing.

"What is so funny?" he demanded crossly.

"Nothing…" she replied vaguely.

TK scowled and took a step forward, intending on getting the truth out of his girlfriend. Unfortunately, he still was not accustomed to the feel of the ice, and tripped over his own feet, taking Kari down with him. She let out a cry of shock and pushed him off of her body, asking what the hell that was all about.

"I'm sorry, okay? It was an accident!"

No one had gotten hurt, thankfully, but they continued to bicker with each other endlessly. Kari gave TK a small shove, which he returned, yelling at her for doing it to him. She grew furious and advanced towards him, but he was all set for her. His fist bunched up at his side and his face turned near-murderous. Ken decided it was time to intervene just as Kari shouted at her boyfriend, and TK lunged forward.

Later on, no one could quite decide on how it happened exactly, but hours after the incident, there was still blood spattered across the icy rink.


*hides somewhere far away*

... don't hurt me...