Walk This Way by Tony Correia

Author:Tony Correia
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: James Lorimer and Company Ltd., Publishers
Published: 2020-06-18T00:00:00+00:00

14

Strange Bromance

Ivan and I are gliding around the ice rink at Robson Square. I forgot how much I love ice skating. It’s so easy to get lost in the moment as the world whips past you. I like the sound of my blades against the ice and the sound of children laughing as their parents pull them along the rink.

“You’re a good skater, Josh,” Ivan says.

“When I told my dad I didn’t want to play hockey anymore, I asked him if I could try figure skating,” I tell him. “He said it was too expensive. But I think it was too gay for him.”

“I love figure skating,” Ivan says. “It requires so much strength and concentration.”

“And those asses and thighs are nothing to

sneeze at.”

“I never noticed,” Ivan says, giving me a

friendly nudge.

“I think you like figure skating because of the sparkly outfits,” I tease.

“That’s not true,” Ivan says.

“Admit it. Figure skating brings out your

feminine side.”

“I like figure skating for its artistry.”

“Liar,” I say mischievously.

“Stop it, Joshua!” Ivan says.

He sounds like my father when I act too gay around him. I’m taken aback by how irritated he is. I let go of Ivan’s hand to give him his space. I’m trying not to act like a princess. The fact that I’m censoring my emotions so I’m not ‘acting like a girl’ only reinforces our differences. It was a joke. If I can’t tease Ivan about being feminine, how is he going to respond when I tell him I do drag?

Ivan shakes it off. He holds out his hand for me to take. I consider it for a moment. Then I reach out. Someone skates between us just as our fingers are about to touch. We are swarmed by three guys in hockey jerseys. My heart races. Are we being bashed? I notice our attackers crawling all over Ivan like they just won a hockey game. I calm down a little. They’re pretty aggressive, though.

“How are you, my man?” the biggest of the

three says.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming skating? You could have joined us,” says another.

This should be interesting.

“Hey, guys, have you met Ed’s brother Joshua?” Ivan says. “Josh, this is Jason, Ted and Mike from the Dream Factory.”

“Hey, buddy,” Mike says.

I wave meekly. If there was a lake nearby, I would go jump in it.

“Is Ed here?” Jason asks.

This is awkward. I watch as Ivan looks for the right answer. I drive the tip of my blade in the ice and stop on the spot. I cross my arms in front of my sweater and give Ivan the what-for with my glare.

“We’re on a date,” Ivan says, like he was possessed by a demon.

“Whoa!” the three of them say in unison. They start to shove Ivan and mess up his hair like he’s a stud and I’m a bikini-clad babe in a beer ad. Ivan starts blushing at the attention.

Any normal person would have wished us a good night when they learned we were on a date. Not these guys.

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