31 Days of December

December 6th

I groaned as Layla, Alice, Ronnie, and I walked through the crowded space. Not only was there a crap ton of people, stupid open to the public events, but Sleigh Ride was currently playing over the speakers. There are very few Christmas songs I refuse to listen to. Sleigh Ride and any Christmas song with Michael Buble. Any other holiday music was fine.

"Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing, ring ting tingle-ing too. Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you," The song sang. I felt like my ears were bleeding from having to listen to it. "Outside, the snow is falling, and friends are calling, "Yoo Hoo." Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you."

"If I hear this song one more time during the holiday season, I'm going to bash my skull in," I whined as we got in line for the free chili.

Alice smiled at me, amused at my suffering, before saying, "I don't get why you hate this song so much."

"Four years of high school music classes where you started rehearsing in OCTOBER, followed by it being on every holiday station and movie. Sleigh Ride doesn't go away ever. Constantly stuck in your head with its own permanent spot."

"Our cheeks are nice and rosy, and comfy cozy are we. We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be. Let's take the road before us and sing a chorus or two. Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you," Alice sang along.

I looked her dead in the eyes and said, "I don't like you."

"You love me," She said in response.

"Behave you two," Ronnie said. Both she and Layla were not surprised by our antics because it had come to be some sort of normal. Alice and I always try to be annoying to each other. "We are out in public. Pretend you like each other."

"No," Alice and I said in unison. Ronnie shook her head at us before we continued through the line.

"Dude, did you put enough sprinkles on there?" Alice asked me as I continued to pour more sprinkles onto the snowman cookie I was decorating. Right after the chili, there was a table full of sugar cookies to be decorated. And, of course, I got distracted by decorating instead of eating my chili right when we sat down.

"I like sprinkles," I shrugged before taking the first bite of my chili. "At least my cookie doesn't look like a rubber duck."

Alice argued, "It's not a rubber duck. It is a Christmas Dove."

"Whatever you say," I sang before taking another bite of my chili.

"Why did we bring these two along?" Ronnie asked like an exhausted mom who can't handle her kids anymore.

"Because we are being polite," Layla answered. She didn't seem as over Alice and I's banter as Ronnie was. "Plus, they are good entertainment."

"Hey!" Alice and I exclaimed at the same time.

Once the four of us were done eating and decorating, we decided to walk around Winterfest to see all the activities. We checked out the Art Mart, which was filled with design students' projects they were willing to sell. It was cool to see what other students had accomplished, but none of it was my style.

Other places we stopped to check out were the craft area, seeing how long the line was for carriage rides, and checking to see if the school's bookstore had any good deals. But to no one's shock, it was still all overpriced gear that students and families still get sucked in to buy some. School bookstores are the biggest scams, yet we all still fall for them.

Once it started getting close to the time for ice skating, Layla drove us out to the ice rink. The parking lot was extremely empty, and there was no line outside even though the line was out the door last year. However, when we got our ticket for free skating, we still had to wait an hour for our turn, but at least we got in.

Suddenly I started hitting my head lightly against Alice's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Alice asked.

I groaned, "You can't hear it?"

"Hear what?"

"Giddy-yap giddy-yap giddy-yap, let's go. Let's look at the snow. We're riding in a wonderland of snow," The music sang over the loudspeaker. Once the group heard it, the three of them laughed. "Giddy-yap giddy-yap giddy-ya, it's grand. Just holding your hand. We're gliding along with the song of a wintry fairy land."

"I think the universe hates me or something," I grumbled as my ears were tortured.

It was finally our turn, and we all got our skates from the rental. The four of us found an empty spot, or as empty as one can get with a bunch of students going ice skating. We took off our shoes and put on our skates as the workers Zamboni the ice. Once the ice was clean, our group was allowed to go on.

Once the four of us were on the ice, the three of them took off while I could barely keep my balance. I grabbed the wall and slowly skated along it before Layla realized I wasn't with the rest of them.

Hailey, come on," Layla encouraged. Ronnie was skating with Alice, and they were like ten feet in front of us, watching me struggle.

"You can go skate with them," I said. I didn't want them to feel like they had to skate at my pace. I wanted them to have fun. "I'll be fine as long as I don't leave the wall."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, go have fun," I said. I would have pushed her, but I didn't want to let go of the wall. Layla skated off to Ronnie and Alice.

After about ten minutes, I made one lap around the ice rink. I was honestly impressed that I didn't fall. However, that didn't last long because I managed to crash into a couple when I attempted to go faster. This caused me to fall on top of the guy. He fell onto the ice while his date just stumbled a little bit.

"I'm so sorry. I am such a klutz," I said as I hid my face.

"It's okay. I have been hit a lot harder than that before," The guy said. Wait, I knew that voice. No, it couldn't. I looked at the guy who was now standing. Of course, it had to be Ethan. "Wait, Hailey?"

"Is the universe playing some kind of cruel joke on me?"

"I don't know, but I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I could say the same thing."

He smiled, "Do you want to skate a lap together since we are here?"

I looked at the girl who was currently glaring at me before saying, "Should you be asking that while you are currently on a date? Plus, ice skating isn't my thing. I'm only here because my friends wanted to. Speaking of which, I should go find them." I skated away from him.

"Hailey, wait," He shouted, but I was already out of the rink, on my way to where my roommates were taking a break. Luckily, where I crashed into Ethan, and his date was right next to the door to get on and off the ice.

"Hailey, are you okay? Who was that?" Alice asked

I sighed, "I'm fine. That was Ethan."

"Wait? Ethan? As in Cute Boy Ethan?" I just nodded in response to Alice's questions.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Layla asked.

"I just want to go back to the apartment," I said.

Ronnie smiled, "Of course. I can't feel my toes, so I'm ready to go whenever." The other two agreed.

As we returned our skates and headed to the door, I felt Ethan's eyes on me. However, I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of looking back at him. All I wanted to do was go back to where it was safe.

I honestly despise Sleigh Ride for the exact reason Hailey claims. I was in band and orchestra and they would put the two together for the holiday concert to play a fun song (the two years I was a part of it we did Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Wizards in Winters which was turned into a mini rock concert with lights and fog and the second year was a mash-up of songs from different Christmas movies) and Sleigh Ride. I learned the second violin part and the trombone part of Sleigh Ride and for the concert both years I just ended up playing the trombone for Sleigh Ride because it had the fun jazzy part while the second violin part I just played the same two notes the whole time.