Catherine Clark - Icing on the Lake

Stop. Stop! I commanded my skates.

My friends and I went over to Noodles & Co

I love waking up on snowy morningseven if its to

Gretchen and I hit the Ridgedale Mall runningand, in her

Early the next morning, I was in the kitchen emptying

The first thing I saw when I woke up the

More snow, I thought as I was standing by the

My glasses fogged over completely as I walked into the

I glanced at the caller ID though and saw that

Didnt we meet him the last time we were here?

Sean called while you were gone, Gretchen announced when I

Excuse me, I said as I climbed into the small,

Okay, I did it! I told Jones when she answered

Conor had my double latte ready even before I claimed

Dont fall, Conor warned as I stepped out of the

So, lets see how all those pictures we took turned

You what?

Id forgotten to ask Sean how we would get over

Why did it have to snow tonight? I was thinking

I tiptoed into the house, holding my stiletto-heeled shoes, and

When I got up Thursday morning and looked outside to

You made it!

S top. Stop! I commanded my skates.

Look out! I cried, seconds before I nearly smashed into a group of boys. Instead, I opted just to fall onto the snowbank, my legs crumpling beneath me, landing on my hip and lurching backward. Very smooth, Kirsten , I thought. Could I go home now? Id had about as much embarrassment as I could take for one morning.

Come on, girls, one of the boys said as he skated over toward us.

Sure, where are we going? my friend Jones (whose real name is Bridget, but no one calls her that) said under her breath to me as she helped me up from the ice. I think I could follow him just about anywhere.

I fought back a laugh. Jones was right: Official Rink Guy, whoever he was, was extremely cute, but he also looked like steam might come out of his ears at any moment.

Then again, we were all sort of steamy, which sounds sexy, but wasnt, because it was only due to the fact that it was 12 degrees outsideand everyone steams in that cold. Dogs breath can be seen from a mile away, especially when theyre sled dogs running across the frozen tundra

Okay, so this wasnt Alaska, and this wasnt the Iditarodit was just Minneapolis, Minnesota, on your average late-December day.

And it was a gorgeously sunny day, which meant it was extra cold. We were at the park near my sisters house, which happens to have a huge cleared skating area, as well as a couple of enclosed rinks. The lake had some scattered ice fishing houses, which looked strange to methe last time I was here, Id hung out on the beach and built sandcastles with my nephew Brett.

The rink guy still stood there glaring at us with disapproval. He had a whistle on a chain around his neck, and he was wearing a red sports-team type jacket with the name Sean stitched on the front, sort of like a varsity letter jacket. SeanI liked that name. He had blond hair, brown eyes, and was seriously tall. But then everyone looks taller on skates. Anyway, he didnt look cold in the twelve-degree, wind-chill-of-five weather. He wasnt even wearing a hat or gloves.

Be a little more careful, okay? Thats all I ask, he said.

Careful? We are being extremely careful, Jones replied as she brushed snow off my back. (The good skaters never have snow on their backs.) Have we killed anyone yet?

No, but there are lots of little kids skating hereI dont want anyone to get hurt, he said.

But if the adults get hurt, thats okay? Jones said.

He smiled, and his whole face went from semi-tough-looking to very-gorgeous. Youre funny. But no. That wouldnt be too cool, either. Just take it easy. Dont do anything crazy, okay?

He shook his head and skated off to rejoin his friends, or should I say, co-skating-rink rule enforcers. They were circling the skating area as a group, as if they were the rink police of south Minneapolis, on the lookout for skating crimes. I kept my eyes trained on Sean for a lap. Watching someone that comfortable on his skates really impressed me. He was skating so fast, completely in control, and he looked good doing it, too. He had to be an awesome hockey player.

My friend Emma was a good skater, too, but me? Not so much. I was more into soccer and softball. When we went skating and played Crack the Whip, like today, I just held on for dear life and hoped for the best.

Hes very good-looking, but he needs to lighten up, Jones complained as she, too, watched the guys skating around. Hasnt he ever seen people play Crack the Whip?

Maybe its not a big thing here, I suggested. Maybe there are different rink rules or something.

Yeah, well, Crack the Whip does sound a littleiffy. Doesnt it? Jones asked.

Iffy how? I asked.

A little sadistic. Thats all Im saying.

I punched Jones lightly on the arm. Youre the only one who would think that.

Thank you. She took a deep bow, which made her wobble a little on her skates. Whoa. Thats harder than it looks. End of the Non-Stars on Ice show.

Look at Emma, I said. Speaking of stars on ice.

She was doing a spin, and the guys that we were watching had stopped skating to watch her .

Shes taken! Jones pretended to yell across the ice, her hand cupped around her mouth. Then she sighed. It must be difficult to be gorgeous and talented.

Let me tell you about it, I said.

Ha! She laughed.

We call our friend Emma Emma Dilemma because everything eventually becomes a giant problem with hereven the tiniest, most inconsequential things, like what to order for lunch or what shoes to wear. Shes beautiful and sweet and has a tendency to be undecided, which is a bad combination because she always has some boyfriend or other pining for her while she goes out with another guy because she thinks she should give him a chance, too.

She constantly comes to her friends for advice. It can drive you nuts at times, but she makes up for it by being really nice and thoughtful. She never forgets important days for you, shes always bringing little gifts, and donating her slightly-used clothes and shoes (and boys) to charitymeaning me and Jones, because Crystal, who completes our group of four, has a serious boyfriend.

Crystal, meanwhile, was tilting her face to the sun, hoping to feel some warmth. Crystal had a gigantic winter coat that always made me think of Kenny on South Parkits orange, with a big cone-like hood around her head that looks like an old diving helmet, only it has fur around the edges. Crystal and her family moved here from Colorado last year and she still hasnt adjusted to the low temps and the occasional four-day lack of sunshine.

My sister, Gretchen, was sitting on the bench beside the ice with her leg sticking straight out, looking as frozen as a fishstick.

I didnt know why she had come along with us to the lake, actually. I guess either she was still hanging on to the concept of being my big-sister chaperone, or she was sick of staying inside the house with a gigantic brace on her leg, or else she was hoping to meet a nice single guy who loved kids, which is what shes usually hoping to do.

Sometimes I really worry about my sister. Whenever I hear stories about girls buying wedding gowns and rings for themselves when theyre not even dating someone, it kind of makes me think she might do something like that. She can be a little out there at times. Besides, she was so obsessed with the concept of marriage that she got married at twenty-oneand was divorced by twenty-three.