He thought she was going to grab the small violin right next to her or something and was shocked when she reached for the huge little violin-looking thing in the corner. He raised his eyebrows and set his bags down on the floor. Maya sat and placed the cello between her legs. She didn't even hesitate, she plunged into the melody.

Cam watched her fingers caress the strings and her bow move back and forth quickly in her delicate hand. She had a slight smile on her face when she began which slid into a look of complete concentration. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, her teeth quickly captured her bottom lip and her eyes focused on nothing but what she was doing. Seeing someone so deep in concentration... he almost thought he was intruding in something that he wasn't supposed to see.

She finished and drew a long sigh, blowing her hair out of her face. Cam swallowed.

"I didn't know you could play cello."

"What the-"

Maya jumped out of her skin, turning in the direction of the voice she just heard. Oh. It was him. The one who said they'd never be friends because she and Tristan did something so completely stupid. Was he here to yell at her again? She was so over this. She turned back to her cello and swallowed, letting her heart slow down.

Cam sighed once she turned away from him, he could see the flash of hurt in her eyes and that just made him feel like a big jerk in the world of Maya. She was just trying to help her friend and he had completely pushed her away. Note to self, pushing away cute niner girls didn't solve anything. He sighed and stepped forward, finally inside the room. Maya's eyes jerked to his shoes, still looking down and she swallowed.

"Um... your friend Tori said you'd be here." He gestured to the room "I thought you might have left since practice is late tonight so..."

"Katie and Marisol are my ride home." Maya explained. Cam's head shot up when she spoke. "Marisol's stuck in SC while Katie's off helping Jake Martin with his going green thing."

"Oh." he stated and that was all he could say. Did him talking to her mean she was forgiven? Was he mad? She'd be still mad if she was him.

Maya looked down at her bow, glancing at her cello in the corner. He cleared his throat. "So, how long have you been playing that cello?"

She smirked a bit, looking at him quickly. "Since it was too big for me. Like when I was 8?"

He smiled back at her and swallowed. She looked down at her feet and shuffled them back and forth. It was quiet, silent, and it wasn't uncomfortable... it's just that he would prefer it not to be silent. And in order to have that, he knew what he had to do. He just... he didn't know how to go about actually doing it.

"Maya?"

"...Yes?"

"I'm really sorry."

"For what?"

"For being a jerk. You were just trying to help your friend Tristan and I just, I didn't mean to say we'd never be friends because what do I know and not-"

"Why are you apologizing for being at mad at me for when I did something wrong?"

"Because I hurt you."

"Well, I shouldn't have agreed to do it in the first place. I knew it would blow up in his face. Our faces."

"I was still being harsh."

"Stop doing that!"

"What?"

"Apologizing for nothing!"

He chuckled at her and she looked back up to him. "Do you forgive me?" she asked quietly, looking straight at him for the first time this whole conversation. He bit his lip.

"Only if you forgive me." She gave him a look and quickly sighed.

"Apology accepted."

"Hold on. I really want to start over and get to know you, Maya. Who is Maya Matlin?" she rolled her eyes and smiled at him, a slight pink color shading itself on her cheeks. "It was my main interest in the first place"

"So Katie might kill you if she sees us talking like this. She does not like the Ice Hounds... or jocks period." Maya laughed, thinking of her sister-turned-mistress-of-the-night's face if she saw her and Campbell Saunders sitting on the couch in the band room together. They had been there, talking for a good hour or so. Maya had learned so many things about him already. She learned that he had a dairy problem and only discovered that after he entered an ice-cream eating contest, he had two sisters and an older brother, and he missed them more than anything.

"You're not like all those other hockey guys, are you?" Maya asked after a second. Cam shrugged, smiling slightly at her comment, not sure if he should be taking it as a compliment, but he will anyway.

"You're not like the Maya I talked to on Facerange." he said and Maya bit her lip, looking down. "But that's okay. I like this Maya better."

Maya brightened as she chuckled. "Good. This Maya likes you too."

"Has that Maya ever skated?"

"She used to rollerskate a lot when I was like six. Then I fell and had to get ten stitches on my leg. I have a scar. Swear." Maya smiled. "And if you mean ice skating, I've never tried that. Not after the Rollerskating Incident. I figured that I'm horrible at skating period, point, and blank." Maya explained.

Cam couldn't help the smile on his face. "Come on!"

"I don't skate."

"I know. Just come on. What shoe size are you?"

"I'm not putting them on."

"I'll do it for you."

"I won't tell you my size."

"I'll guess."

"...8."

Cam placed the shoes he got from the spares on the floor next to her. She stared at them slightly before sighing, placing them on her feet. He bent forward, swatting her fingers away and laced them tightly for her as she bit on her thumb nervously.

"I don't skate. And I don't like hockey. Did I tell you I don't skate. I don't-gah!"

"Maya, it's okay. I got you."

She gripped his hand tightly, like he was a lifeline. Her heart was beating ten times faster than it normally did. She never thought she'd see the day where she would be on any type of skates again.

"My scar is like throbbing. It knows that this is a bad idea."

"Let me help, okay?"

He grabbed her waist gingerly, not allowing her to fall. He glided, and she tried to follow him. She started to wobble and immediately clenched onto him, anything that she could grasp. He laughed, holding her up. She gave him an unamused look before her face dissolved into giggles.

"Now just push forward okay. Try to follow me. All you need to do is find your balance and..." he almost let go of Maya's waist who screeched in protest before he placed his hand back on her hip. "I'm kidding, I won't let go."

"Good. Because if you do, I could kill you."

"Oh really?" He let go of her hand and she squealed, grabbing onto his shirt, clutching his chest, purely out of survival and not proximity. Cam shook his head and held her hand again, tighter. Maya squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face in his chest as he turned their bodies, reaching the curve. Looking down at her, he smiled.

Peeking out, she sighed in relief before she realized that he had already let her go... mostly. Her hands were still connected with his. She whimpered but Cam nodded, assuring her that she was doing fine. She nodded back, looking down at her feet before loud and obnoxious beeping threw her off track. Literally. It startled her so bad that she lost balance and without warning. she fell. She expected to hit the ice hard but all she landed on was cold and surprisingly, it was not so bad.

Cam fell on top of her and Maya squeaked at his weight. He quickly tried to push some of it off of her, but then he heard a giggle. A tiny giggle exploded into a flurry of chuckling, leading him to laugh with her.

"I told you I don't skate." she heaved out between laughs and that's when it all... sort of... stopped. And the air was still... there was no noise... it was quiet. Maya wasn't giggling anymore. She looked up at him. and it may have been an illusion but he thought he saw her eyes linger to his lips for a moment. Or maybe those were his eyes lingering. He couldn't tell. All he knew is that if he was going to have one chance, he hopes it was this one. It would make him feel better about taking it.

He kissed her gently, the pressure on her first kiss, never been kissed lips was feather-light. Then he kissed her again, this time it was harder, like he couldn't help it. Maya's heart raced so fast that it seemed impossible not to be going into cardiac arrest at the moment.

The door opened. At first, they didn't register it until they heard the hoots and hollers of unforgettable jock voices. Oh, his practice must be starting. They quickly released each other's lips and gave each other a dazed look before Cam turned to face his team while Maya unsuccessfully tried to hide her face.

"What are you doing, Rook! No puck bunnies on the field."

"Cam, get off of her already. We have practice!"

"Cam? Is that Chicken Cutlet?"

"Owen! Rookie's macking on your girlfriend!"

omg thank you so much for the wonderful prompt fancygirl13. it was really one of the best I've gotten. Pulled me out of my funk!