Amber's pov:

Nervously, I take a deep breath and approach Damien and his group of friends, who were chatting and laughing in a small circle.

I can do this.

Don't be awkward!

...

Not like you can control it anyway.

Soon, I begin to hear the chatter start to disappear once they notice me nearing their group, causing them all to go dead silent.

See, I didn't even have to say anything and my presence alone was awkward enough.

But the silence was soon broken by Damien's soft voice.

"Oh guys, I would like you to meet my friend Amber." A toothy grin appears on his charming face, as everyone looks at me and with wide, friendly smiles.

"Right, Amber, you are the one that got me and Damien out of suspension off the team right?" Luke, the captain of the boxing team, asks as I shyly nod my head.

He grins at my action and continues, "Thank you for that, you really helped us out and we wouldn't even have been here if it wasn't for you, we are all really grateful for that."

Everyone nods their heads at his words, as I can't help but feel my cheeks start to redden at the sudden appreciation.

"Really it was nothing, I just thought that you guys didn't deserve to get punished for something you didn't do." I give them a friendly smile, in which they return.

"You know, I never realized you were the Coach's daughter, even though I have seen you here countless times." Julie says.

I nod my head at her words, "Yeah, my Dad is always so busy when he is coaching and running practices, so I don't think I would have made that connection either."

"After I found out it all made sense. I could never get it to click how you got coach to let them stay on the team, because I've come to learn that your dad is super strict when it comes to rules, it seems so clear now." Gianna speaks up.

"But again, thank you for what you said, even though you had to lie and risk getting in trouble, what you did was really amazing." Luke's girlfriend, Ella, says as I thank her for her kind words.

Even after hearing what all of them said, I still couldn't believe I was talking to... well them!

Well let me put it to you this way.

Basically everyone in the school knows them, if you didn't, you lived under one big rock.

I mean, two of them are topped in the school's most well-known sport, boxing.

But their friendship was just something to always admire, it was just different.

A good different.

A lot of popular clicks in our school are just a group of rude people who only let people in if they feel they meet their expectations, hence, if you weren't a thin, skinny cheerleader or a big, muscular football player, you were just... there.

Even though the group initially started from a group of boys who just liked to pull pranks on teachers and cause a some trouble here and there, they were a group that everyone just wished they were a part of.

"I don't mean to step in, but I promised Amber we would hangout as a way for me to thank her for everything."

For some reason, this takes everyone by surprise as they look at Damien wide eyed.

Which left me puzzled.

They looked... proud?

Like you know that look that parents get when their baby starts taking their first steps?

That's it.

...

Ahhh what am I even thinking? I might be going insane.

"Awwww-....... I MEAN YEAH. We don't mind. Not at all. I'm definitely not freaking out. I-... I mean who would? Is it hot in here?" Julie starts to fan herself while looking around nervously.

I was confused by her actions, but everyone else almost had an "I'm used to it" look on their face.

I look over at Damien to see his cheeks tinted just the tiniest bit of pink as he places his hand on my back like you would when you direct someone somewhere.

Yeah I think Julie was right.

It is hot in here.

Luke shakes his head at Julie as he looks at us, "Don't mind her, she's in an emotional state right now because she misses her boyfriend-..."

"I'M PERFECTLY FINE-..." he covers her mouth as she gives him a glare.

"You two kids have fun, Amber you deserve it." He smiles, but it suddenly winces as Julie bites down on his hand.

"OWWW!!! Ella she bit me!!"

"You deserved it." She smirks as she fist bumps Julie, who gives Luke an evil grin.

"But you are supposed to be on my side~...." he whines, as everyone laughs at him.

"Sorry Babe but fries before guys."

"Fries?"

"As in we are going to McDonalds. As in for that comment you are not invited." Julie smirks.

"What!!! Ella!!" He again whines to his girlfriend, who only rolls her eyes but laughs at his behavior.

They all soon start to playfully bicker with one another which was honestly quite amusing.

But the sound is suddenly blocked off by a whisper.

Damien's words and breath tickle my ear as I try not to blush at the closeness between us, "You want to leave now?"

I nod my head at his words, and with his hand still on my back, he directs me towards the exit with him closely behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Need help?" Damien laughs at me, as he seems me struggling to get my ice skates on.

"If you don't mind." I blush as he kneels down in front of me and helps me to put them on, before standing up and grabbing both of my hands to pull me up off the bench.

"Are you excited?" He eagerly grins at me, rubbing his hands together to warm them up from the coldness of the skating rink.

"Actually, a little nervous, I haven't done this in years." I tell him honestly.

The last time I've been here was with my mom, but I slid the thought to the back of my brain to enjoy this day out together with him.

"It's okay! I'll be here right next to you, so if you feel like you are going to fall, just grab a hold of my arm and I'll steady you." He ruffles his soft hair while giving me a boyish grin.

I try not to melt at his words, "Are you sure? I would feel so bad if my clumsiness caused you to fall-..."

"Please don't worry about that, I wouldn't mind at all if you caused me to fall, I think it would actually be pretty funny."

His words give me assurance, and with that, he took a hold of hand and slowly pulled me onto the ice.

"Don't let go!" I stress as I already start to feel myself losing my balance.

"I won't, I won't! You got it, just don't think about it to much, just let yourself adjust to the feeling before I let you go."

"Let me go? I don't think so bud." He laughs at my words as he pulls me along the ice.

"Woah, I'm pretty good at this."

"That's because you are just letting me pull you, you aren't moving your feet at all!" He playfully gives me an accusing look as I go along with his words and fake gasp.

"Who? Me? Never." I grin, but it soon turns upside down from his next words.

"Oh okay, so you would be okay if I let you go?"

"No don't let go!!" I squeeze onto his hand as he chuckles at my immediate response to his words.

"But you will never learn unless I let you go." He tries to reason, but it only causes me to shake my head.

"Is learning really that necessary?" I try to reason back, whereas he just laughs again.

"You know, if you were someone else, I probably would have let you go by now, letting you learn how to skate the hard way."

"Ohh does that mean I am special?" I tease him.

"Uh-... I-...I-..." He cutely stutters, while slightly looking down at the ice in embarrassment.

"-...Because-... I don't know, it's just like I side before, you've done so much for me, and I can put my trust in someone like you."

He stops moving his skates making us stop in the middle of the rink as he slowly looks back up at me, causing us to make direct eye contact.

"I feel the same way-.... even if I am terrified of you letting go of me at any moment." I try to joke.

There was a long pause.

"Amber?"

"Yes?"

"Sorry." His serious face suddenly turns into an evil grin as he lets go of my hand, causing me to have to stand up on my own.

"DAMIEN!!!" I screech, but it ends up turning into a laugh as I try to desperately balance myself, even if that means me waving my arms all around to keep steady.

"See you're doing it!!!"

"Yeah I'm-..." but before I was about to stand up completely straight, some other skater comes out of nowhere and skates behind me, closer than I anticipated, causing me to let my guard down and start to lose my balance.

Damien quickly reaches out for my hand, but he did it too fast.

With such sudden force, his hand actually pushes mine back, making me loose my balance even more.

Out of instinct, I grab his hand, and next thing I know, we both end up falling over onto the cold ice.

"I'm sorry!!" We say at the same time, looking at one another.

There was a small silence.

Until suddenly, after making eye contact for not even a full five seconds, we both start laughing loudly, still on the ground.

We were getting stares from everyone skating around us, but I was laughing too hard to care.

"What just-.... happened." I say between breathes, trying to control my laughing, but it was no use, because every time we looked at one another, we would just end up laughing even more.

"I don't-... even know." His words were hardly unable to understand, just like mine, from the laughter.

After a while, and we both start to calm down, I go to try and stand up, but because of my clumsiness and lack of coordination, I end up falling down, earning another round of laughter from Damien.

"Need help... again?" He stands up easily and takes a hold of my hands, swiftly pulling me up so we were face to face with one another.

"Thanks but... can you not let go this time?" I ask, giving him playful puppy dog eyes as he snorts and nods his head.

"Okay, but only because you are too clumsy to be left on your own."

"What!! I'm not-..."

He raises his eyebrow as I sigh, "Okay yeah, I'm pretty clumsy."

He grins at my words, and like before, he pulls me around the rink.

...

My hand still in his.

Hey guys!!!

How are you liking this book so far?

Sorry about my posting schedule, it's pretty bad. I feel like I'm always busy now.

Good luck to anyone going back to school! I'll be crying with you.

~juls