Author's Note: Hi guys this is another somewhat long chapter sorry.
Chapter 3: Learning To Fly
"Jack! Jack! Wake up!"
She was already dressed and had two pair of skates over her shoulders that she and Jack received as Christmas presents from Santa Claus. He had promised her to take her skating today and teach her how to fly.
"Come on Jack! Wake up!"
But he didn't budge. He turned over onto his stomach and buried his face into his pillow refusing to get up. He had already been awake on the second "Jack", but wasn't in the mood to leave the warmth of the comfy cot.
Pippa made a face at him and silently placed the skates on to the floor. She smiled wickedly to herself as she tiptoed to her side of the cot. When he didn't her anymore Jack relaxed and started to drift back to sleep. He hadn't felt nor noticed the weight shifting on the bed.
"Jack! Wake up!"
His eyes shot open when he realized what Pippa was about to do.
"No! Wait Pippa! Don-!" Jack said as he quickly turned over onto his back. But it was to late. She had already jumped. The wind was knocked out of him as she landed hard on to his stomach. He gasped for breath after a moment or two and looked up to find his sister sitting on his stomach.
"Come on Jack why aren't you awake yet?"
He gave up on falling back to sleep again and surrendered to her.
"Because you need to get off of me," Jack weakly whispered.
"Come again?"
"Because you need to get off." He raised his voice a little more, but was still in pain from the impact.
"Oh... Sorry."
She crawled off of him and put the skates over her shoulder again. When she turned around he was still laying down.
"Come on Jack! You promised."
Pippa took his hand and started to tug.
"All right, all right. Just let me get changed and we can go," Jack promised as he sat up.
"Ok, but hurry," Pippa said as she quickly left to give her brother privacy.
As she left the skates' blades clicked and clanked against one another. Jack shook his head and chuckled to himself at her eagerness as he watched her leave.
It didn't take him long to change. He quickly tied the strings on his cloak his mother had made him for Christmas and put on his boots as Pippa rushed into the room.
"Ready?"
"Just hold on," Jack teased.
But Pippa gabbed his hand and started to pull.
"Can I at least have something to eat?" He laughed as she dragged him all the way to the door.
She quickly ran to the cabinet and cut a piece of bread. She ran back to Jack passing their mother and gave it to him.
"Where are you two going?"
"To the lake!" Pippa replied excitedly. "Jack's taking me skating."
Their mother smiled at her young daughter's energy and readiness.
"Have you eaten breakfast?"
"Yes!" Replied Pippa as she opened the door.
Her mother looked at Jack, who was chewing on a piece of bread. He gave her a reassuring grin and swallowed.
"Yeah."
Pulling impatiently Jack's hand he started to walk outside.
"Be careful and take good care of each other," their mother said as she watched her children walk down the path to center of the settlement.
"We will," Jack promised looking back. "We will."
He turned forward and took his skates from Pippa who enthusiastically ran a head.
They walked through town and took the path into the forest and lake.
"Slow down, slow down Pippa. The lake isn't going anywhere," Jack said when she started to get to far a head of him.
"But I don't want the lake to melt. And then there would be thin ice."
"The ice won't melt. Its the middle of winter."
Pippa let go of a sigh of relief.
"Ok, but still."
She took Jack's hand and started to run. It wasn't long before the siblings reached the lake. The ground was covered with white and sparkled in the new morning light.
He put on his skates and helped his sister with her own. As he tied her skates Pippa started to feel butterflies in her stomach.
"Jack?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm scared," Pippa confessed.
He gave her a grin.
"What happened to all that excitement?"
"Butterflies scared it away."
He chuckled.
"Don't be. Everything will be all right. We're going to have fun."
She gave a nervous nod.
"Hey, I'll be right with you. And if you fall I'll fall."
Pippa gave a giggle.
"You're going to be fine," encouraged Jack as he looked into her eyes and saw fear fading away.
"I'll go first."
He started to skate carefully tapping the front of his blade on parts of the ice he thought might be thin.
"See. Everything is all right," Jack exclaimed as he stopped in front of her. "Here take my hand."
He stretched out his hand as Pippa took it and took a step onto the ice. Her legs wobbled and shook as she tried to stand. She kept a tight grip on Jack's hand. She looked up at him once or twice and he praised her and encouraged her.
Pippa took small steps, but with each step she got better. She fell only once which Jack skated as fast as he could and fell into a snow bank receiving loud giggles from Pippa.
At one point he let her hand go.
"Try to walk to me," Jack said as he stopped a few feet away from her.
"It'll be all right. Everything will be fine. You just have to believe."
She took one step then another and another and pushed and started to glide.
"That's it. That's it. Pippa you're skating!"
Pippa smiled as she tried to glide again. She skated in circles around Jack as he chuckled proudly at her.
"You can't catch me!" Challenged Jack as he skated away.
Pippa giggled as she went after him.
"Jack you're going to fast."
"Haha you can do it. You can catch me," He encouraged as he slowed down.
As she started to come close he skated away. He circled around her coming up from behind picking her up in his arms around her waist, letting her feet drag on the ice.
"Ahaha Jack slow down!" Pippa squealed in excitement.
He laughed with her and went faster. Her hair whipped behind her as she felt the wind blast past her. The world felt like a blur as they glided.
"Haha this is so much fun!" Cried Pippa.
Their laughs and giggles echoed through out the forest. Making the birds fly and animals hide. But they didn't care they were having too much fun. They slowed down finding themselves both out of breath. Their panting breathes coming out in puffs of clouds.
He looked up at the sky and realized it was noon.
"We better get going soon before we miss dinner."
Pippa's face saddened a little. She was having too much fun to go back home now.
"We'll come back and skate again before spring comes," Jack promised. "Here take my hand."
A wide grin crossed her lips as she took her brother's hand. He squeezed it tight and began to skate.
"Whatever happens don't let go!" Jack called as he started to pick up speed.
Pippa giggled and squealed in joy as she glided across the ice. As he gained more speed his eyes locked on a big snow bank. She felt her hand starting to slip from his.
"Jack! My hand is slipping!"
"Just hold on a little bit more!"
Getting as much speed as possible, he took a sharp curve and let her hand slip.
"NO WAIT JJJJJJJAAAAAACCCCKKKKK!" Pippa screamed as she went flying across the ice.
Unable to stop she landed face first in the snow bank.
"Yahoooo! Woooohoooo!" Cheered Jack, but when she didn't get up right away, worry striked his heart as he skated to her side. "Pippa? Pippa!"
She was covered in snow when she stood up and started to laugh. Jack let out a breath of relief as he started to laugh with her.
As they sat on the shore he helped Pippa untie her skates. She put on her boots and placed her skates over her shoulder. Jack untied his own skates and put on his boot as he swung his skates over his shoulder.
He stood up, but as he started to walk toward the path he felt something hit the back of his head. As Jack placed a hand on the back of his head he felt snow in his hair and as he turned around another hit his face.
"Hey!"
He heard a giggle as he wiped off the snow. Pippa laughed as she ran up the path towards the settlement, closely followed by Jack who threw snowballs at her, but missed.
"I'm gonna catch you!" He called after her.
She squealed and laughed as she ran faster up the path.
