Chapter 3: Kids' Lessons Start

Two weeks after he broke his arm, Zora had been cleared to go back on the ice, as long as he was extremely careful. Thankfully, he had been skating since he was six. His mother had been a figure skater and his dad had been a hockey player, so Zora was practically raised on the ice.

Wednesday morning at 10am, he entered the Clover Kingdom Stadium, mentally preparing himself from dealing with snot-nosed brats. He was not looking forward to watching the kids fall on their faces for the next few months. The class started at 11am and ended at noon, but Zora had wanted to get out on the ice himself for some warm-up exercises.

He entered the Men's Locker Room to get to his locker where he stashed the class roster and any information about the kids (allergies, etc). Zora placed his duffel with his cleaned comfortable training clothes on the bench. He opened his locker and began getting himself organized.

He heard the door to the locker room open. While many figure skaters and hockey players took Wednesdays off, there were some who rented ice-time on this day. He looked around the corner and spotted a familiar head of reddish-blond hair at his own locker.

Zora grimaced. He knew that he was supposed to be working with someone else but he didn't realize that it was gonna be Kirsch Vermillion.

Kirsch Vermillion was annoying. He wasn't a bad guy, but he just annoyed Zora to no end. Via Zora's friendship with Noelle, he knew Mimosa and Kirsch, Noelle's cousins. Kirsch was just so…well, he knew that he was pretty and he wanted everyone to know it. Zora only ever admitted to himself and never out loud that Kirsch was attractive in an aesthetically pleasing sort of way. It was best not to feed Kirsch's ego about his beauty.

A skilled figure skater and a member of the extended Royal family, Kirsch had the tendency to look down on people, which was something that grated on Zora's nerves too.

God grant me patience, thought Zora.

Zora quickly dressed himself, grabbed his skates and his folder for the class and tried to escape the locker room without Kirsch noticing.

"Zora, how's your arm? I hope you know that I will not be doing all the work with the kids," said Kirsch, haughtily.

"My arm's fine," said Zora, not even bothering to address the second statement. "I'll see you on the ice."

Forty minutes later, Zora and Kirsch were standing in front of a dozen children, all ranging from ages 7-12. Parents and guardians dropped them off and fled the Stadium for Starbucks across the street. Zora didn't recognize any of the brats, which was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because he'd never get anything done if Asta's foster brother Nash or Gauche's sister Marie were there. A curse because children, who didn't know him were frightened of Zora, who looked like a devil off a heavy-metal album cover. Today, in anticipation of this, he wore a simple cloth mask over his mouth and nose, instead of his normal leather one that showed off his sharpened teeth.

It didn't help that Kirsch looked like he'd rather not be near sticky, dirty children and Zora couldn't blame him.

Kirsch glanced at Zora and then, at the terrified children. "Before we even get on the ice, children, we will review safety procedures and maintain your ice skates."

The ice skating classes all had pre-made curriculums, written by Miss Acier and Julius, so Zora and Kirsch were just gonna go off their plans.

Zora nodded in agreement. "The ice can hurt if you're not careful." He gestured to his broken arm in a cast and sling.

However, the children didn't like it and bedlam began.

"That's boring," whined one of the kids. "My Daddy said that I'd be learning hockey!"

"Uhh, I don't want to be here," whined another squeaky child.

Another child burst into tears, two began shoving each other for no reason, and the rest edged away from the group and looked ready to bolt. They were about to have a mutiny on their hands already!

Zora and Kirsch looked at each other, not really knowing what to do. Leave it to Julius and Miss Acier to put the least qualified people to handle children in charge of actual children.

"Well, this is going well," said Zora, as the children became rowdier.

"Humph," said Kirsch, putting his hand on his hip. "Take your face mask off and scare them into submission."

"No," said Zora. "What should we do?"

"I'll take the crier, you take the pair fighting," stated Kirsch.

"Deal."

Twenty minutes later, Zora, Kirsch and the dozen children were all thoroughly done with this whole lesson. Zora and Kirsch managed to calm the children down, but no one wanted to do anything, so today, they gave up teaching the kids. They all sat at the Stadium café, run by Samantha Kravitz and Elvira Aguirre (both friends of Vanessa). The two women made the best hot cocoa and what better way to bribe children was with chocolate. Kirsch bought everyone a round of hot cocoas.

Zora can already imagine the nagging he was gonna get from Julius when word got back to the guy about today. He sighed irritably.

"My aunt is gonna murder me," Kirsch sighed, exasperated.

"If we survive the parents," said Zora.

Kirsch frowned. "Wonderful."

Zora looked at the folder with the safety worksheets and had an idea. "Hey, kids. We'll buy you hot cocoa next week if you don't tell your parents how horrible this lesson was and next week will actually do these safety worksheets, yeah?"

The children stared at Zora.

Kirsch stared at Zora.

One of the kids cheered, "Yeah, it's a deal, Mr. Zora!"

"I'm in," chorused the rest.

Zora smirked.

"So, I take it. I'll be paying for it," said Kirsch, wryly.

"You are from a rich, royal family, I think you can take the hit," said Zora, glibly.

"Fine, I guess if it gets us out of trouble," said Kirsch, sighing. "And I do suppose that this can be considered bonding with the children."

"If bribery is bonding, then yeah," Zora replied.

After that horrific day, Zora gratefully arrived home to his apartment. He unlocked his door and realized immediately that it hadn't been locked. Zora sighed, bracing himself, as he entered his apartment.

"Welcome home, Zora," cheered Zara Ideale, his dad. Zara was still taller than him, but his father recently started getting gray hair.

"Sweetie, I've made ya supper. And I made ya meals that ya can freeze," said Amalia Ideale, his mother. His mother looked as beautiful and wonderful as ever.

Nothing ever stopped his parents when they set their minds to something. He truly admired him.

Even if they were clingy sometimes.

Zora shook his head. "You know, I moved out on my own to, you know, be on my own." His protests of them inviting themselves over all the time were ignored by his dad and mom, Zora received a big hug from his father. He loved his parents and appreciated them and everything they did for him, especially when he was such an asshole delinquent as a teenager. But he didn't want them to travel all the way across town to take care of him. "The key is for emergencies."

"And we know our boy when he can't play hockey," said his dad, cheerfully taking Zora's duffel bag. "Come and sit, tell us about the first lesson."

Zora's apartment wasn't big, but it was enough for one person who usually spent his time playing hockey. His place had a homey feel to it or "well lived-in" according to his friends. His kitchen was small, but his mother already had his counters and table full of Tupperware containers.

"It was awful," said Zora. "First, I've gotta do this thing with Kirsch, you remember Mimosa's brother, right? And then, the children were all little shits!"

His parents burst out laughing.

"It is Julius' own fault for letting you attempt teaching children," said his mom, laughing.

(It was a pleasant evening. Maybe, maybe, he didn't mind his parents around as much as he let on. It was always nice to have a meal with someone else).

~to be continued

Notes:

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The Clover Kingdom Hockey League (CKHL)
Hockey Teams (Men's): (All Teams Managed by Julius Novachrono)
(3 Forwards, 2 Defensemen, 1 Goaltender)
Golden Dawn-
William – Starting Goalie/Captain
Langris – Starting Forward
Yuno – Starting Forward
Alecdora – Starting Defense
Klaus – Starting Defense
David –Starting Forward
Siren – Backup Defense
Hamon – Backup Defense

Black Bulls-
Yami – Starting Goalie/Captain
Zora – Starting Forward
Asta – Starting Forward
Luck – Starting Forward
Magna – Backup Forward
Henry – Starting Defense
Gauche – Starting Defense
Finral – Backup Defense, Backup Forward
Gordon – Backup Defense, Backup Forward

Silver Eagles-
Nozel – Starting Goalie/Captain
Solid – Starting Forward
Rob – Starting Forward
Nils – Starting Forward
Curtis – Starting Defense
Kyle – Starting Defense
Simon – Backup Defense
Medio – Backup Defense
Roland – Backup Forward
Brad – Backup Forward
Protobe – Backup Forward

Crimson Lions-
Fuegoleon – Starting Goalie/Captain
Randall – Starting Forward
Ben – Starting Forward
Gareth – Starting Forward
Rokken – Starting Defense
Ruben – Starting Defense
Forte – Backup Defense
Leopold – Backup Forward, Backup Goalie

Purple Orcas-
Kaiser – Starting Goalie
Adrian – Starting Forward
Gaston – Starting Defense
Winston – Starting Defense
Digit – Starting Forward
Zara – Starting Forward
Rades – Backup Forward
Gueldre – Backup Forward

Azure Deer-
Rill – Starting Forward/Captain
Cesc – Starting Forward
Francis – Starting Forward
Eric – Starting Goalie
Marx – Starting Defense
Cob – Starting Defense

Ice Hockey (Women's): (Both Teams Managed by Theresa Rapual)
(3 Forwards, 2 Defensemen, 1 Goaltender)
Blue Rose-
Charlotte – Starting Forward/Captain
Puli – Starting Defense
Sol – Starting Forward
Borja – Starting Forward
Wainsley – Starting Goalie
Risacca – Starting Defense

Black Bulls-
Mereoleona – Starting Defense/Captain
Charmy – Starting Forward
Noelle – Starting Forward
Vanessa – Starting Forward
Grey – Starting Goalie
Secre – Starting Defense

Ice Skater Singles: (Managed by Acier Silva)
(Women's)
Letoile
Nebra
Dorothy
Fragil
Finesse
Mariella
Lolopeckha
Undine
Slyph

(Men's)
Jack
En
Willie
Nix
Sekke
Rick
Dmitri
Xerx

Ice Skater Duo:
Mimosa
Kirsch

Fana
Mars

Fanzell
Dominante