The next afternoon Meredith got out of bed at twelve thirty, she had never been one to get up before lunch when it was necessary. She put her Sheryl Crow CD in the small radio that sat on the back of the toilet and stepped into the hot stream of water in the shower. When she got out she toweled dried her uncontrollable hair and pushed it back with a head band. Her jeans were frayed at the bottom were she had cut off a fairy design that had circled the ankle and the long sleeve gray tee-shirt she was wearing actually belonged to Jared. No other girl at Eden Hall would've been caught dead in that outfit, but it was one of Meredith's favorites.
She walked to the front hall closet and dug out her mother's old figure skates, that hadn't seen the light of day since Mr. Rice. Donna Rice had, had Olympic dream years ago, before marriage, children and eventually divorce put a stop to it. It was sad, Donna really had that gold metal in her grasp, then she had to give all up, to settle down. But she wouldn't give up her life for anything.
The ability to skate however wasn't genetically passed. And if it was Merry certainly hadn't received it. Her ice skating talents ended with being able to get from blue line to blue line. Tough it did take her twenty minutes to do that. It wasn't really a skill she possessed.
A half hour later she was tugging the door to the campus rink open. Fulton had invited her to play around with his friends that day. While she really wasn't sure she wanted to become all buddy-buddy with the Ducks, she knew she couldn't keep making Fulton split his time between her and them. There was over an hour until the JV would be showing up and she'd made sure she could get their early enough to get some practice under her belt.
On the ice stood a tall boy with sandy hair and his back to her. He was wearing a pair of hockey skates so knew they shined like a penny and a Minnesota Wild jersey that read 'Riley 14' on the back.
"Uh, excuse me?" Meredith called stepping gingerly onto the smooth frozen surface
The boy turned around and fixed his deep chocolate brown gaze on her, nearly causing her to fall when her knee began to shake.
"Yeah?" He raised his brows and gave her a tiny small smile
"Could I, umm, use some of the ice?"
"Sure. Bryon Riley by the way." The boy extended his hand
"I know." Merry managed while shaking it
"You are…?" Bryon laughed
"Oh right Meredith, Meredith Rice." She mentally kicked herself for that blunder
"Nice to meet you."
"Same here."
"Well knock yourself out, I'm done here. I'll see you around." As Bryon was headed toward the exit from the ice, he heard a yelp and a crash. He whipped around and found Meredith spread eagle in the middle of the ice.
"Ouch. Okay that's not what I had in mind." She stated standing up and dusting the frost of her butt
"Not much of a skater are you?" Bryon laughed gliding over toward her
"No." Merry frowned looking at her feet
"Come on I'll help you." Bryon's arms came around her waist and she almost fainted
"Okay." Was all she could get out. She could barely manage that. She couldn't understand it, there was an incredibly good looking boy standing with his arms around her.
When the Ducks arrived Merry and Bryon were still circling the ice, holding each other tightly.
"Hey Fulton, looks like Meredith has different ideas of who to hang out with then you." Portman pointed to the couple
A knot formed in the pit of Fulton's stomach at those words, there was something not right about that situation. Bryon Riley didn't socialize with people like Meredith Rice. So why suddenly did Riley become a daily part of Meredith's life? That just was unsettling.
She walked to the front hall closet and dug out her mother's old figure skates, that hadn't seen the light of day since Mr. Rice. Donna Rice had, had Olympic dream years ago, before marriage, children and eventually divorce put a stop to it. It was sad, Donna really had that gold metal in her grasp, then she had to give all up, to settle down. But she wouldn't give up her life for anything.
The ability to skate however wasn't genetically passed. And if it was Merry certainly hadn't received it. Her ice skating talents ended with being able to get from blue line to blue line. Tough it did take her twenty minutes to do that. It wasn't really a skill she possessed.
A half hour later she was tugging the door to the campus rink open. Fulton had invited her to play around with his friends that day. While she really wasn't sure she wanted to become all buddy-buddy with the Ducks, she knew she couldn't keep making Fulton split his time between her and them. There was over an hour until the JV would be showing up and she'd made sure she could get their early enough to get some practice under her belt.
On the ice stood a tall boy with sandy hair and his back to her. He was wearing a pair of hockey skates so knew they shined like a penny and a Minnesota Wild jersey that read 'Riley 14' on the back.
"Uh, excuse me?" Meredith called stepping gingerly onto the smooth frozen surface
The boy turned around and fixed his deep chocolate brown gaze on her, nearly causing her to fall when her knee began to shake.
"Yeah?" He raised his brows and gave her a tiny small smile
"Could I, umm, use some of the ice?"
"Sure. Bryon Riley by the way." The boy extended his hand
"I know." Merry managed while shaking it
"You are…?" Bryon laughed
"Oh right Meredith, Meredith Rice." She mentally kicked herself for that blunder
"Nice to meet you."
"Same here."
"Well knock yourself out, I'm done here. I'll see you around." As Bryon was headed toward the exit from the ice, he heard a yelp and a crash. He whipped around and found Meredith spread eagle in the middle of the ice.
"Ouch. Okay that's not what I had in mind." She stated standing up and dusting the frost of her butt
"Not much of a skater are you?" Bryon laughed gliding over toward her
"No." Merry frowned looking at her feet
"Come on I'll help you." Bryon's arms came around her waist and she almost fainted
"Okay." Was all she could get out. She could barely manage that. She couldn't understand it, there was an incredibly good looking boy standing with his arms around her.
When the Ducks arrived Merry and Bryon were still circling the ice, holding each other tightly.
"Hey Fulton, looks like Meredith has different ideas of who to hang out with then you." Portman pointed to the couple
A knot formed in the pit of Fulton's stomach at those words, there was something not right about that situation. Bryon Riley didn't socialize with people like Meredith Rice. So why suddenly did Riley become a daily part of Meredith's life? That just was unsettling.