What A Dream Wants

"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!" Steven chanted.

Mayo joined in. "Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey!"

"C'mon Zero, you should sing too." Steven encouraged.

"We're on the middle of the sidewalk…" Zero dryly replied.

"C'mon don't be shy!" Steven protested.

Zero sighed. "All right."

He cleared his throat and started to sing:

"Jingle bells, jingle bells, Jingle all the way!

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

Dashing through the snow, In a one-horse open sleigh,

Over the fields we go, Laughing all the way,

Bells on bobtail ring, Making spirits bright,

What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight,

Jingle bells, j-j-jingle bells, Jingle all the way!

O' what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh~"

The whole block burst into clapping.

Steven found this extremely hilarious. Mayo clapped.

Zero's cheeks turned a soft pink. Maybe it was the winter cold. He glared at Steven and then pulled his coat hood over his head.

"C'mon, let's go." He grumbled, much to the disappointment of the crowd surrounding them.

. . .

"Where are we going?" Mayo asked.

"So after some meticulous calculations and detailed reviewing of popular Christmas pastimes, along with properly incorporating them into our schedule, I've decided that we should go ice skating at the outdoor park. It's perfect for a morning destination because, in the afternoon, it gets too crowded. The skating rink is decently close to the cafe, so we should be there… right about now."

In front of them was a frozen lake in the middle of the city. Swirling around like the snowflakes in the air, every movement in front of them was a dance. Some struggled to balance themselves, while others floated around on the ice.

"Um… small problem. I didn't bring skates." Zero stated bluntly.

"I didn't either, but the skate rentals are really cheap here," Steven told Zero. He pointed to the shops nearby. "You can rent or buy shoes over there."

"I'll go buy skates for us, then," Zero told Steven. "What's your size?"

"9"

"What about you, Mayo?"

"5.5"

"Okay."

Zero walked off to the shop.

Disclaimer: US shoe sizes are being used. Ice skates are approximately 1/1.5 sizes smaller than US shoe size. For the sake of convenience, none of this will matter in the story. (Like my life.)

A moment later, Mayo blurted out, "Hey, Steven?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Feel free," Steven replied casually.

She looked down for a few seconds, before raising her head and asking hurriedly:

"Have you guys met before?"

"I don't think so…" He answered. "At least, I don't remember."

"Ah, sorry for asking." Mayo apologized. "I mean, you guys seem like really good friends. To be honest, it's been really hard for me to make friends. From my childhood up to now, everything's been the same. No one remembers who I am. I just exist. I even disappear from this chapter from time to time. Sometimes, I get so jealous. I wish I had your cheerfulness and Zero's charisma."

"Ha, charisma," Steven mumbled.

"Hmm?" A voice asked.

He nervously looked to the side and laughed. "Uh… hi Zero, how are you?"

"Well. I think that you're the charismatic one though, and Mayo, you're cheerful." He smiled.

"That's like the first compliment you ever gave to me!" Steven and Mayo shouted in unison.

"Oh, shut up!" Zero looked away, but his ears were tinged with red. Maybe it was just cold. "I bought three ice skating shows for you guys." He replied softly. He gave the top one to Mayo, the second to Steven, and the last, he held in his hands.

. . .

"Um…" Mayo mumbled as she fell on the ice… again… for the umpteenth time. "I should have mentioned this before, but I never learned to skate."

"Ah," Steven reassured, "Don't worry, you'll get it in no time."

"You said that last time."

"Hm… I'll show you." He reached out his hand.

"No, I think advice is better." Zero softly cautioned. "Mayo, it's like walking on water. You try not to fall and remember to go with the flow. Balance is crucial, and force isn't the answer. You can't always turn the tides, but you can learn to not let it overtake you. Slowly come to a stop, and let the ice be the one to guide you."

"Oh okay," Mayo said, as she tried to keep a calm mind. She started going with the flow. Like the trees who stood tall in the winter woods, she managed to keep her balance. Instead of resisting the wind, she allowed it to move her, and she started taking her first strides. Like the snowflakes swirling and falling from the sky, she whirled and danced on the ice. Twirling and curving around and around, she felt free. She wanted to go higher and higher, and so she did, and she lept, and she twirled and spun around until her hair came undone in the air.

Friends.

Like snow, it was beautiful.

It melts.