As our bus pulled into the parking lot at the Frosty Lake Ice Rink, it was full of noise. This trip was our seventh-grade field outing and everybody was eagerly looking forward to it. I sat beside Emma, my best friend, holding her skates tightly in her lap. This was my first try at ice skating but I was really looking forward to it and a bit scared to tell you, “I’m freezing!” Neither of us had ever been ice skating before, but we were both excited and a little nervous.
“Do you think we’ll be able to skate well?”
“Totally,” I said. Emma could see a smile dancing on my lips. “How hard can it be? You just move your feet.” When we got inside the rink, the cold air hit us right away. The ice looked so smooth and shiny under the bright lights, and pop music played through the speakers. Some kids were already on the ice, slipping and sliding like they had no idea what they were doing. Others were holding onto the wall like their lives were at stake.
Emma and I put on our skates and cautiously walked to the rink. The moment I stepped onto the ice, I lost my balance and fell very hard on my back.
“Are you ok?” Emma asked while trying to hold in her laughter.
“Gosh! I am totally fine,” I said while brushing the ice off my sweat pants. “My plan worked out perfectly.”
She snickered and offered me a hand to get up but not before slipping herself. We both ended up grabbing onto the edges of the wall like little kids. At first, it made us a little annoyed, but soon we laughed until our stomachs hurt at how crazy we looked.
After some time, we gathered up some courage. Emma had to let go of the wall and with that, she started moving around the rink in slow motion. “Check me out!” she announced, wings spread like a bird in flight.
Still clinging to the railing, I figured I would try it also. So I did and after some minor shakiness, I started to skate. For a couple of seconds, I was able to skate but then I lost my balance and fell on my face.
Emma was nearing me, filled with laughter. “Oh no, you looked so cool before you fell down.”
“Thanks,” I said, chuckling alongside her.
Despite having the time of our lives, we were both quite tired by the time we were called back for lunch. While seated at the picnic tables close to the snack bar, we sipped on hot chocolate and devoured our sandwiches. The rink filled with the aroma of popcorn and sugar. The sound of skates scraping the ice emanated from the background.
“This is the best field trip ever,” Emma exclaimed, raising her cup of hot chocolate, pretending like she was giving a toast.
“Totally,” I said, much in agreement, while clinking my cup against hers.
Most of us spent the bus ride back to school in silence, exhausted from all of the laughing and skating. This was a day I knew we’d remember for a long time. A day filled with laughter, spills, and just pure fun.
