Violet - Skating on Thin Ice (3)

Violet - Skating on Thin Ice

Lookin’ back now it makes me laugh
We were growin’ our hair
We were cuttin' class
Knew it all already there was nothin’ to learn
We were strikin' matches just to watch 'em burn...

Man I don't know
Where the time goes
But it sure goes fast...
Had no excuses for the things that we'd done
We were brave, we were crazy, we were mostly
Young, young                                      

                                                                   -          Kenny Chesney (Young)

 I parked in front of Daniel’s house, a brown brick split-level in a modest subdivision.  It certainly beat the standard military housing by any stretch of my imagination.  At least there was some variety in the colors and styles of the houses here.  For the most part, the only distinctions between houses on a military base were the house numbers and the kind of cars in the driveways.  I checked my lipstick in the mirror and fluffed my hair a little.  Well, this was as good as it was going to get.

I stepped out of the car, locked the door and headed up the cement driveway.  There was an older gray pickup, circa 1940s sitting in the driveway next to Daniel’s blue VW Rabbit. I knew I had seen this truck in the parking lot at school.  I briefly wondered if it belonged to Daniel, but I couldn’t remember ever seeing him drive anything but the Rabbit.  I headed up the switchback stairs and rang the doorbell. 

Daniel opened the door and grinned at me.  “Hey! You’re right on time.  Come on in.  We can leave as soon as I find my keys.  Give me a minute.”  He paused and pointed upwards.  “By the way, Violet, this is my best friend, Erin.”  He turned and retreated down the stairs towards his room.

I stepped in and closed the door behind me.  Erin stood on the landing at the top of the stairs, holding his cowboy boots in his hand. 

“Hi!” I offered a smile.  “Nice to meet you.” 

“Hi.  Nice to meet you.”  His flat tone did not imply any hint of friendliness.  Erin sat down on the top step and pulled up one pant leg.  He adjusted his sock, grabbed one boot, and stuffed his foot in it.  Then he pulled his jeans back down over it.  “We’re in class together, right?”  He repeated the process with his other boot. 

“Yes, Mr. Zimmerman’s class.  Daniel’s talked a lot about you.”  I was trying to be friendly, but Erin seemed like he was in a bad mood.

“I can’t say the same.  Danny really hasn’t mentioned you.”  He paused.  “Oh, I know.  You’re the one who sits in the front and writes in a notebook nonstop.”

“Guilty as charged.  If I get an idea I have to write it down right away or else it may disappear.”

“I’m more of a music man myself.”  Erin rose and came down the steps.  He grabbed his read and white letterman’s jacket off of the coatrack by the front door.  

I fiddled with the zipper on my purse.  “You play guitar, right?  I’ve really enjoyed some of your pieces.  I wish I could write music like that.”

Erin smiled, defrosting slightly.  “Thanks.  I’m really learning a lot about the music business in Mr. Z’s class.  I’m thinking about heading to Nashville after graduation.”

Daniel emerged from downstairs, waving his keys.  “They were on top of a stack of towels in the bathroom.  Go figure!”  He stared at me.  “You look really nice.  Are you ready to go?”  He reached for the door and pulled it open.

“You never did tell me where we are going.”  I said.  “It’s hard for a girl to decide what to wear that way.”

Daniel laughed.  “Your jeans and sweater is fine.  Erin told me they just opened up the ice rink downtown for the holidays.  How does that sound?”

I am not incredibly athletic, but I didn’t want to say no.  “I’ve never been ice skating before.  Sounds like fun.  Erin, are you coming with us?”

Erin snagged his worn Atlanta Braves ball cap off of the couch and tugged it firmly onto his head.  “I have a strict policy against being the third wheel.  I should get home or my dad will wonder where I’ve been all this time.”

Daniel picked up his jacket.  “You heard the man.  Let’s get going.”  He opened the door for me and we all headed down to our cars.  Erin’s boots clomped as he strode over to his pickup, and Daniel unlocked the Rabbit. 

I paused next to the passenger door, waiting for Daniel to come over and open my door.  Then I had an idea.  “Hey Erin!  I insist you come with us.  Then I’ll have two handsome guys to help peel me off of the ice when I fall.  Is that okay with you, Daniel?”

“I’ve got no problem with it.  Come on, man!  You heard the lady; get in the car.”  Daniel held my door open, waiting for me. 

Erin paused with his hand on the door to his truck.  “Okay, okay.  You twisted my arm.  I’m just going to say for the record that I protested.”

Daniel chuckled.  He waved his arm at me, ushering me into my seat.  “Okay.  It is so noted for the record.  Now get in the backseat before I have to kick your ass.” 

At the rink, we rented skates and wobbled onto the ice.  If you had combined the talents from all three of us, there still wouldn’t have been even a halfway decent skater.  We laughed and carried on, sticking pretty close to that security rope around the perimeter.  I really wish we had gone roller skating instead.  Then I would have been able to shine just a little bit.

After a while, we took a break and got some hot cocoa at the snack shack.  We sat around the table and talk turned to school and the people we knew.  I enjoyed the conversation, and I was glad that I had invited Erin to come with us.  After his initial coldness, he had thawed out and we were getting along splendidly.  I was sorry when we had to leave and head home.

Back at Danny’s house, we all fell out of the car, exhausted from our athletic efforts.

“This was fun.” Erin said.  “I’m glad you insisted that I come with you two, Violet.”

“Agreed.  We’ll have to do something again soon.” I fished in my purse for my keys.  “I better get going.  My dad is not too happy when I cut it this close to curfew on a school night.”  I smiled at Daniel.  “Call me later.” 

“Okay, I will.  See you in school tomorrow.” 

I knew there wasn’t any chance that Daniel would try to kiss me in front of Erin so I turned and walked back to my car.  I smiled to myself as I climbed into my dad’s Corsica and turned the key.  This looked promising, and I felt optimistic about something for the first time in a long time.