Falling for You, Literally

Five days flew by, and I was buzzing with excitement.

Outfit? Ready.

Energy? High.

But just my luck—my parents and brothers insisted on tagging along. Thankfully, they weren’t attending the actual party, just dropping me off.

When I arrived at the mall, I headed to our meeting spot early... and there he was. Johan. And Chi—the birthday girl—was with him. I handed her the gift I brought, and she smiled, “Thanks!” It felt good seeing her happy.

One by one, our classmates arrived and we all headed into the restaurant. As we settled in, one of Johan’s friends looked at me and said, “Hey Stephanie, can we switch seats? I want to talk to the person next to you.” I agreed, not realizing I’d end up right beside Johan. Honestly? I wasn’t complaining.

“Chi said we’re going skating after this,” he smiled.

“Really? That sounds fun!” I replied, leaving out one tiny detail—I didn’t know how to skate.

After the meal, we lined up at the rink. While waiting, I spotted my best friend skating with her sister inside. It was such a surprise to see her—especially on the weekend! I was about to say hi but stopped myself.

She had a crush on Johan for five years. I wasn’t ready to bring this up yet.

Chi called me over to talk, and I finished tying my skates. But just then, my parents appeared and took a seat nearby to watch. Great. Now we had to act extra normal.

While skating, I slipped and fell—classic me. A stranger helped me up and even gave a few tips. I thanked him, still blushing from the fall.

Soon, I was skating with my best friend. It was nice—normal—until I fell again. This time, I was further away from the group. Just as I struggled to get up, a hand reached out toward me. I looked up. It was Johan.

“Thank you,” I said, slightly out of breath.

“It’s alright,” he replied, helping me up.

Noticing my sleeves were soaked, I asked him to help me get to the bench. I instinctively grabbed onto his sleeve for balance. When we reached the edge, he helped me sit down safely.

“Of course. Anything for you,” he said softly.

Chills. Literal goosebumps.

My parents caught sight of us, and my mom immediately noticed my wet clothes. My dad, however, went straight into protective mode. “Who was that boy?” he asked, already suspicious.

“A classmate,” I said quickly. He wasn’t pleased, but thankfully dropped it.

Back on the rink, most of our classmates had already gone home. I skated a bit more, alone—until Johan glided over.

“I have to go home now. I’ll text you, okay?”

“Okay. Stay safe,” I said.

Later that night, my phone buzzed.

~ In Chat ~

Johan: Hey, how are you, Stephanie?

Stephanie: I’m good! You?

Johan: Not about me! You fell so many times! Are you okay?

Stephanie: Haha, yeah, only five falls! Nothing broken. But thanks for checking on me

Johan: Just making sure. Oh! When we skated to the bench, my mom recorded us.

Stephanie: Wait—WHAT?! That’s so embarrassing!