“Break it and I break your face,” Licia warned, tossing him the skate.
He grinned like it was the best deal he’d ever made. “You’ve gotta catch me first.”
”Please, I’m faster than you,” she said, rolling her eyes.
He crouched down and scraped the blade of the ice skate against the spot he’d struck with the axe, the sound a horrible, high-pitched screech.
Licia crossed her arms. ”My mother says if the ice groans, it means it’s too thin.”
“My father says if you’re scared of everything, you should stay home,” Aran shot back.
Will looked at me and smiled.
“You skate?” he asked.
I nodded. “Sort of. Licia taught me. I’m still awful.”
“You don’t look awful,” he said. “I mean, you’re not even flailing.”
“I was earlier, you just missed it.”
”Oh shoot.”
“Do you even like fishing?” I added.
He shrugged. “Nope, but it’s something to do. Better than helping my mum mend socks all day.”
“I actually like mending socks.” I said with a smirk.
He scoffed. “I like coming here. The lake, it’s… quiet.”
“It’s not quiet with you boys around,” I said.
That made him laugh. “Fair.”
Aran scraped harder with the blade, and Licia leaned in, scowling. “You’re doing it wrong.”
“I’m not!” he snapped. “You don’t even know how ice works.”
“Yes, I do,” Licia said. “You hit it too much in one spot, it cracks. That’s how.”
“It’s fine,” Aran said flatly. “My father does this every year.”
She sighed, then handed him one of her skates. “This is really dumb.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Aran muttered.
I looked at Will. “What if itistoo thin?”
“It’s probably not,” he said and shrugged.
"Ugh, this is taking forever," Aran shouted, dropping the blade and reaching for the axe. I saw him grip the handle, the way he shifted his stance, and I knew exactly what he was about to do.
“Wait—” I said, stepping forward.
But he didn’t.
He swung, and the icecracked.
