Callie and Mom wanted to go ice skating. Mom had been begging me to take a friend. And truthfully, I didn't want to third wheel. So, I invited Isa. Hopefully it wouldn't be awkward- she and Callie had never met. Isa was pretty outgoing, though, I wasn't that worried.

Here

I texted when Callie pulled into Isa's driveway. Callie was driving, Mom in the front seat. Isa and I would be in the back.

Within seconds Isa appeared from her front door, and her mom waved to my mom, then she got in the car.

"Hi Ms. Robbins! Hi... Ma'am." Isa looked at my mom, then at Callie.

I laughed, and she gave me a look.

"Hi, Isa!" Mom turned and smiled at her.

Callie turned to flash Isa a smile, "You can call me Callie. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too." Isa buckled in next to me.

"How're your parents?" Mom asked Isa.

"They're good! My dad just got a new job, but he really likes it!" Isa answered as Callie started to drive.

"That's wonderful. How about your brothers?" Isa had two brothers- one older, one younger.

Isa laughed, "Annoying."

Mom laughed, too.

"I'm kidding, they're good too."

"Oh I get you, sometimes brothers can be annoying." Mom said.

I knew that Mom had a brother. But, he had died. I had never met him.

Isa talked about how the basketball season was going, interesting everyone in the car. She talked about all the games her team won, and proposed that I stay after school to watch her home game coming up.

Of course I was going.

"Who's ready to ice skate?!" Callie asked as we pulled up to the place.

"I'm so excited, I love ice skating!" Isa replied. I don't know why I was worried. Isa was too outgoing for things to be awkward.

We walked in and bought our skates. Isa was beyond eager to start skating, so we rushed off without Mom and Callie.

"Crap I forgot how hard it was to balance" Isa laughed as we stepped on the rink. She immediately grabbed onto the side, and I followed the action, also struggling to balance.

"Ok, ok. I think I got it." I said as we slowly started moving.

"Help" Isa held her hand out to me, laughing.

"Don't drag me down with you!" I teased, holding onto her hand. "Come on, you spent all week bragging about how good you are."

"I need a minute to warm up!" She exclaimed, squeezing my hand as if her life depended on it.

I shook my head in amusement, pulling us away from the wall. My balance was surprisingly good. I was pretty shocked.

"Livs! You're going fast!"

"Sorry, I forgot. You need to warm up" I joked, slowing down.

She stuck her tongue out, both of us smiling. I glanced back for a second, seeing Mom and Callie both struggling to keep their balance. I laughed to myself, then looked back in front of me.

Isa's grip on my hand loosened as she 'warmed up'- as she would put it.

"You're right. Callie seems cool." Isa said.

I nodded a little.

"Your mom hasn't talked about moving anymore?"

"You're loud." I made a face. Mom and Callie could have been right behind us for all I knew.

Isa looked around. "They haven't even made it two inches from the gate. We're fine. Answer, please!"

"Uh, no. She hasn't."

Isa nodded, "Ok. I'm ready. Wanna race?" Isa had a playful look on her face.

I slipped my hand out of hers, "You're on."

"Ready?"

I nodded.

"3, 2, 1" We counted in unison, and then off we went.

Literally together. I'd like to say I was a little in front of her, but I'm not too sure.

"Where are we stopping?!" I yelled, keeping my focus on skating. I did not want to fall.

"Over past the gate?!" Isa yelled back.

I didn't respond, there was no need. We were almost there. Isa and I skated past a bunch of little kids. May or may not have scared them. Whoops.

Isa hit the wall a split second before I did.

"I won! Told you I was good!" She said, out of breath.

I shook my head, breathing heavily. "That wasn't even a second's difference!"

"I still won" She smiled.

"Fine. I'll let you have this one. Only because I know I'll win now!" I pushed myself off the wall, starting to skate.

"You got a head start!" Isa laughed, skating almost right behind me.

I rushed around the whole rink again. Isa right behind me. But, as promised I made it back first.

"Who won now?" I breathed out.

Isa sighed, "Fine. Even." She said, equally out of breath.

We both just stood by the wall, catching our breath. It was a lot more of a workout than you would think it would be. I looked around, spotting Mom and Callie. They were struggling. Big time.

Isa must've also seen them. "Let's go over there!" And then she zipped off.

"Wait wait!" I called out, following a little behind her.

We came up behind Mom and Callie, and Isa stuck her tongue out at me. "I won." She said quietly.

"That was not a race!" I exclaimed.

"You two are good at this!" Mom said, both hands on the wall.

"Mom, you used to skate with me all the time!" I said.

"Yeah, when I was younger."

I rolled my eyes, "You're not old. C'mon!" I tugged on her left sleeve.

"Liv!" She squealed as I pulled her away from the wall. She fumbled, but I knew she was fine.

"You too, Callie." Isa said, doing the same to Callie.

Isa and I looked at each other, laughing.

"It's easy, guys." I said, and Isa nodded.

"We'll go behind you!" Isa offered, and we did. They both skated incredibly slow.

"Shit!" Callie stumbled, and then covered her mouth, "Sorry!!" She glanced at Isa and I.

Isa giggled, I shrugged.

"See, you guys are fine!" Isa exclaimed after one agonizingly slow lap.

"Besides being really slow." I teased.

Mom and Callie both laughed.

"You two go ahead, we've got it." Mom said. "Have fun! Don't get hurt!"

"We're good Mom!"

"1, 2, 3!" Isa said, and the two of us were off on another race. We both are insanely competitive, if you couldn't tell.

Isa was cool about Mom and Callie. Thankfully.