Day 25: Children

"You want me to what?"

James' smile grew, the sparkle in his eyes glittering brighter by a thousand fold. "Join the hockey team. It's going to be super fun and we're all going for the try outs tomorrow. You're the only one missing."

Hortense grimaced. "I don't know..." He shut his locker and leaned back against it. "I don't think I'm built for that kind of... aggressiveness."

"Nobody has died playing hockey," James snorted, fixing his hair and checking with the mirror inside his locker before closing it as well. He smirked at Hortense. "And besides, middle school girls totally dig the jock types."

Looking down at his sweater vest and loafers, Hortense sighed in defeat. "Don't start comparing me to you, Mr.-I-Lost-All-Baby-Fat-Now-Girls-Are-Lining-Up-To -Date-Me." He didn't mean to sound so... mean, but one look at James' crestfallen expression made the alarms go off in his head. "James, I didn't mean it like that."

"I'm just trying to help you out," James said, pulling back on half a pout.

"I know, and you're a really great friend for that." Hortense bumped their shoulders, offering a smile in apology. "If I say I'll think about it, will that make you feel better?"

"Fine," James conceded. "But I am so setting Kendall on you at lunch. See if you can resist my awesome plan then."

"Hey, if you're happy with the math club then good for you..."

"Kendall!" James slapped a hand to the table top, glaring at the blond sitting across from him.

Mouth stuffed with a chili dog, Kendall responded with a muffled, "What?"

James seethed, hands moving agitatedly. "You were supposed to tell Hortense to join us. Not stick to his nerd-a-palooza bunch of–"

"I'm right here, James," Hortense deadpanned.

James stopped mid-rant, blinked, and composed himself. "I knew that."

"Why are you so persistent about this, anyway?" Hortense narrowed his eyes at James.

"Ooh! Ooh! Me! I know why!" Carlos bounced up and down on his seat, a corn dog in each hand.

Kendall raised a brow at the boy beside him. "You do?"

"No you don't, Carlos." James smile tightened.

"But you said while we were playing video games the other day that–"

"O-KAY!" James interrupted, standing up and walking around to Carlos. "I'm thinking now's a good time to start planning that science project, don't you? Oh, yeah, I agree. See you guys later!"

Watching James drag Carlos out of the cafeteria, Hortense opened and closed his mouth trying and failing to find the right words. When the two were finally out of sight, he turned to find Kendall calmly sipping on his soda. "Was that not suspicious to you? In any way? At all?"

"That's just James being James." Kendall popped the last of his lunch into his mouth and chewed. "You haven't met his mom yet; he's used to getting what he wants."

"I guess that makes sense."

"James, are you avoiding me?" Hortense's confused expression morphed into a sorry one when James turned around, revealing that he was talking to a girl. "Oh, um, sorry, I didn't see you there... Rica?"

"Rebecca," the girl popped a bubblegum at Hortense, turning her eyes back to James she smiled. "I'll catch you later."

"Cool, see ya." James turned his back to Rebecca who walked away with a sway in her hips. He put up a cheery smile. "Hey, you. Guess who's got a movie date this weekend?"

"Evidence points to you," Hortense said, trying to remain civil. "Look, James, I figure I should say sorry for not showing up at try outs yesterday. Johnny started puking in the middle of the math club meeting and I had to take him to the nurse. I kept the poor guy company until his dad picked him up."

"Hortense, please" James leveled a friendly smile at the shorter boy. "I shouldn't have tried to force you into something you obviously had no interest in. We all have different hobbies and I have to respect that. So... no harm done?"

Squinting up at James, Hortense tilted his head a bit in thought. "That speech sounded a lot like Kendall."

"I don't know what cue cards you're talking about." James looked off and started whistling.

Hortense chuckled. "Fine. But tell me, was it true about Carlos taking on those eight graders?"

"Oh totally." James nodded. "Guess who's gonna be on the starting line in the juniors league."

Sometimes Hortense would bring his homework to the rink, finishing up the easy ones while looking up every now and then to watch Kendall, James, and Carlos practice with the middle school ice hockey team.

It's something of a compromise and it gave them an even bigger excuse to hang out afterwards. Mrs. Knight would pick the boys up after practice and they'd claim the den where Hortense would then do his job of helping his friends with their homework.

One Friday afternoon, Kendall's mom wasn't there to pick them up. She got caught between groceries and traffic so the boys were pretty much stranded. Luckily, Kendall was cool with the staff and they were allowed to skate a little while waiting for Mrs. Knight.

Carlos knocked on his helmet before swooping onto the ice.

"Hortense, come on." James had his skates tied together and slung over one shoulder.

"What?" Hortense hugged his bag tighter to his chest. "Uh, no thank you."

"But – it's – so – much –fun!" Carlos shouted from the rink, racing Kendall from one end to the other.

"We can borrow some skates for you," Kendall stopped by the window right in front of Hortense.

"It's just us here." James walked up to the smart boy, pulling the backpack out of his arms. "Come on."

"But it's cold in there... and slippery." Hortense eyed the hockey rink. "I don't think my mom would be too happy if I get into an accident."

"You talk like you haven't skated your whole life." James' chuckles died when Hortense didn't correct him. Jaw dropping, he threw his hands out dramatically making the shorter boy cringe. "YOU HAVEN'T TOUCHED THE ICE? NOT EVEN ONCE?"

"Wait, what?" Inside the rink, Carlos slammed into a wall.

"James, this is ridiculous!" Hortense protested, flushed cheeks visible above the thick scarf wrapped around his neck and half his face. "Kendall – tell him it's ridiculous!"

"Sorry, bud, but I'm team James on this one." Kendall stood behind the bench Hortense was seated, hands on the reluctant boy's shoulders.

"Seriously, guys, I'm not going to lose anything by not knowing how to skate," Hortense grumbled as James continued to tie an old pair of Carlos' skates on his feet.

"For a guy who loves learning so much, you're oddly reluctant to learn this," James commented as he finished with the laces.

Hortense's face paled. "What if I break a bone? Or two? Or three?"

"There are five year olds skating on that pond," James pointed out as he stood up, offering both hands to Hortense. "You're way smarter than a five year old, you'll figure it out."

"Think of it as a physics lesson." Kendall helped Hortense off his seat.

"Sixth graders don't have physics lessons," Hortense squealed, gripping James' hands like his life depended on it – which it probably did.

"I won't let go of you," James promised, squeezing Hortense's hands. His smile was genuine and the crisp morning light made him look nothing short of angelic.

Hearing those words, Hortense couldn't help but trust his friend a little more. The shaking in his legs lessened and he took his first tentative step forward.

"Good, take it nice and slow," Kendall coached, leaning forward on the bench.

"One step at a time." James backtracked gradually, attuned to every tremor that passed from Hortense's hands to his. It was a slow progression but he eventually got the shorter boy on the edge of the frozen pond. "Walking's easy, right?"

"It's... bearable." A cloud of air formed in front of Hortense's face at his exhale.

James smiled encouragingly. "We'll start the skating with little glides. Keep your eyes on me, don't look down."

"You're making this sound like I'm crossing a tightrope." Hortense grumbled, letting out another thin breath.

"Slide your left foot forward," James instructed, moving back to counterbalance the step. "Now, your right. Okay, good."

Hortense kept his eyes on James, faith growing with every small glide. From the sidelines, he heard Kendall tell him he's doing great. He was beginning to smile, finally hearing the children's laughter and taking notice of every one else having fun with this skating business.

Then Carlos skated past them with the speed of a kid hyped up on sugar, shouting "TRUST FALL!"

Jumping out of his skin, Hortense lost balance and teetered away from James. What coordination he managed to learn was forgotten in the second that his life flashed before his eyes.

"I got you! I got you!" James attempted to keep his stance but a tug on his scarf pulled him backwards. Slipping on the ice James' fist instinct was to pull Logan to his chest.

The fall happened quicker and hurt a lot less than what Hortense expected. Opening his eyes, he found himself on top of James whose arms were around his shoulders. "James?" Hortense whispered.

Looking up at Hortense, James' brows arched in worry. "You okay?"

Hortense nodded. "You?"

"I'm going to kill Carlos," James answered with a straight face.

A scream dragged their attention to the bank where Carlos was buried under snowballs, Kendall's look of triumphant vengeance looming over him.

"Still going to kill him," James stated, smiling when it drew a laugh from the boy on top of him.

When his laughter subsided, Hortense felt his cheeks heat up at realizing their position. "What the heck. James, I'm squishing you." He quickly rolled off the brunet to remedy the situation.

"You're not that heavy," James smirked, to which Hortense replied with a punch to the shoulder, face beet red.

A/n: this is a kind-of sequel to chapter 5 because everybody loves the name Hortense and i'll take any excuse to use it