Maddie tied up her skates and stepped tentatively onto the lake. There was a pond on the Estate that froze over every winter, but she'd only skated on it once or twice. Hopefully she wouldn't fall over and make an idiot of herself in front of all these people. That would just be awful - especially on her first day back at school!

Holding her arms out wide on either side of her body to keep her balance, she slid one foot in front of the other. And then the other foot. And then the next one. She was doing it! Granted, she was slow, but she was doing it! She looked around for anyone she knew, wondering if they could perhaps skate together...