“Sorry,” I said, walking up to him and watching as he hobbled over to the bench and sank down with defeat. “Have you been training this hard all day?” He shrugged. “I’ve got another match tomorrow, and my skills are slipping. I’d still be practicing if I didn’t just break my stick.” I was silent f
Nina Enzo and I spun on the ice and laughed together until we became so dizzy that we spun out of control and fell down. This only made us laugh harder, and as I regained my composure, I pushed myself up onto my palms and couldn’t help but smile down at Enzo. He smiled back up at me as well. For a
A small gasp escaped my lips as I watched. They stayed like that for some time, just silently showing their solidarity with Enzo at the center of the line. They stared quietly at the protesters until the protesters finally got escorted out by security. The rest of the crowd cheered once they were a
Nina Out of nowhere, Enzo kissed me. He kissed me hard and fast, and it was over as quickly as it began. I continued to crouch in front of him, blinking dazedly as I processed what just happened. His hands, which he’d cupped on either side of my cheeks, dropped down to his side. He stood suddenly
The feeling of anxiety in my stomach returned. I picked up my pace as my building came into view and glanced over my shoulder, still feeling as though I was being watched. “What for?” I asked. “Well, I’ve been thinking of visiting your aunt overseas. You have next week off of school, right? Would y
Nina I cocked my head. My mother smiled up at me and pushed the plate containing my sandwich into my hands. “Eat up, honey,” she said. “Are you alright? You look like you’ve lost a lot of weight.” “U-Um… I’ve just been stressed.” I picked my sandwich up off my plate and took a bite, chewing for a
Nina My door swung open. Enzo’s eyes went wide as he looked at something behind me, and when I turned, my own eyes widened too. My mother was standing in the doorway, her nostrils flaring angrily and her eyes full of fiery fury, and she was holding a baseball bat. Before I could stop her, she rushe
Nina “Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll go with you.” My mom let out a relieved sigh. Without a word, she rushed over to me and pulled me into a tight hug. I felt myself tense under her touch for a moment before I relaxed and wrapped my arms around her. For a long time, we held each other, crying, and eve