Interacting with: @Summer Lancaster Mentioning: N/A Date: 01/31/26

Word Count: 272

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The Olympics were rapidly approaching and Dylan still didn't know what sport he intended to participate in. Upon viewing the signups, he froze. Figure skating. That was a partner event or a solo event. Dylan blushed slightly at the realization of what sport he had chosen and how he had decided to compete. Now he had to find Summer. Things had been different between the two of them as of late. It was as if there was an unspoken tension between them. Dylan worried about that every day. He couldn't bear to lose his friendship with Summer. She was the first person that Dylan had ever actually met at Ilvermony and the only person he felt actually understood him. Though at the moment it felt as if neither understood the other. The constant feeling he had whenever he was around her -the butterflies in your stomach feeling- had only gotten worse over time. What was happening to him? Was he losing Summer as a friend? Was he losing his own mind? Before he could realize what his feelings meant, he saw her. His best friend Summer. Her blonde hair glowed in the morning light and Dylan stopped in his tracks. Her gray-blue eyes shined brightly. She was beautiful, but Dylan quickly cleared his throat at the realization he was staring at her. She was his best friend. Why was he acting like he didn't know her when he had known her ever since their first class at Ilvermony the year before? "Hey, Summer! Can we talk?" Dylan asked her. His hands fidgeted restlessly. This was it. There was no going back now.

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It was Winter now, cool and peaceful, the opposite of Summer's name sake. The Saturday air moved its way through her hair as she walked throughout the campus of Ilvermorny, lost in her thoughts. The peace and quiet of the air, despite it being school, made it very good to think. And Summer had something that needed to be thought about.

The Olympics at Koldovstoretz was soon and Summer had given it little to no thought at all. But now she was frantic, what sport would she do? Figure skating caught her eye almost instantly, none of the others really spoke to her. But doing it by herself seemed scary. Her first thought was to do it with Dylan, but ever since the dance in October at Hogwarts, something had felt different with them. Something in her seemed to click a different way. Dylan was her only friends, maybe this was just something that happened between two friends? Ever since the dance, Summer couldn't stop herself from thinking about it. If she asked Dylan to do ice skating, would he even want to do it? Or would it make things even weirder between them? Summer was overthinking and she knew it, they where best friends, nothing was going to happen... right?

Then, she heard a voice. Dylan's voice. Summer's face lit up and her heart did some weird thing. What was going on? "Oh hey Dylan! Of course we can talk. What about?"

@Dylan Astor
Word Count: 243

Interacting with: @Summer Lancaster Mentioning: N/A Date: 01/31/26

Word Count: 217

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Dylan fidgeted constantly. Why was he so nervous? This was a simple question. It wasn't as if he was asking Summer to go on a date with him. That would be awkward and way too weird if he did ask his best friend to go on a date with him eventually, right? Or would it be just like all the times they had spent together in the past? Dylan's head was spinning enough that it took him a moment to realize Summer was expectantly waiting for what he had to say. Well, ask. He had to ask the question that had been bothering him ever since he had first seen the news about the Olympics. It was obvious. "Well, you're going to the Olympics, right? Have you chosen a sport yet?" Dylan rushed out. He was glad to get that part over with, but there was still the big question. The one he was the most worried about. Before Summer could respond, Dylan did it. He asked the question he was dreading to ask. "Do you want to be my partner for the figure skating event in the Olympics?" Dylan's face was probably scarlet at this point. He turned his head towards the ground and slightly away from Summer. He couldn't let her see his complete embarrassment.

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She watching Dylan, waiting for him to respond. Summer's heart raced in a weird way as she looked at his face, waiting for him to speak, so she brought her eyes down to his hands which seemed to be figeting. A lot. Summer didn't recall him actually fidgeting this much. Or at all for that matter. Maybe she just didn't notice. But Dylan was her best friend, she would have noticed. Maybe he was as nervous as her.

Summer didn't understand why she felt nervous, they had talked many times since the dance and even wrote letters to each other during winter break. But why did she feel nervous now when she had felt fine then?? "Yeah, I-" She started to answer Dylan again, but he wasn't done talking, so she listened while he spoke.

He asked her to be his partner, for the figure Skating event. A part or her screamed, but she kept a straight face. "I was thinking of doing figure skating too!" She gave him a sweet smile, "Of course! I would love to." That dance had made her heart feel weird in the first place, so maybe this dance- one ice- would be perfect to snap her heart, and brain, back in place so she could look at her best friend again with out feeling weird.

@Dylan Astor
Word Count: 221

Interacting with: @Summer Lancaster Mentioning: N/A Date: 01/31/26

Word Count: 332

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Dylan nearly hugged her out of excitement when she said yes. He had never expected to be doing this. Let alone with his best friend who happened to be female. If someone would have told him the day he left Wales that his life wasn't going to end and that things would get better, he wouldn't have believed them. That was Dylan before he had met Summer. That Dylan had stayed away from people because it hurt him too much to be reminded that he didn't belong. With her, it felt like he belonged. Instead, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. The hardest part was over. He had done it and she had said yes. "Wow. I guess two great minds really do think alike. I'm glad you were looking into this as well. I-Well, I wouldn't have wanted to do this if it wasn't you skating by my side." Dylan turned away. A strawberry blush creeping up his cheeks. Where did those words come from? He had never said anything like that before. What was happening to him? His heart began to race. This was just Summer. She was his best friend, so why did it feel like something was off? Different? New? "Sorry." Dylan muttered. His comment probably had embarrassed her as well. He just hoped she would still skate with him. He would have to work harder to hold his tongue just like his mother had taught him. He saw now how many problems that came when he didn't. To hide his embarrassment, he had to get away. If he didn't, Dylan was afraid he would say something else that would ruin everything. That would be horrible. How would he be able to live with himself? "Well, we better get to class. Don't want to be late, you know?" He said forcibly. His voice a pitch higher than normal. That alone probably gave him away to Summer. He just hoped she wouldn't mind.

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Summer watched him, her heart beating so loud she was sure he could here it and Tell how nervous she was and her brain was telling her not to be nervous, but at the same time... Why was she nervous anyways? Dylan was her best friend, nothing more, did she want him to be more.

Dylan blushed as he was talking which somehow made Summer blush too, and smile. "Me neither."

They seemed to just look at each other. And to Summer it seemed like forever. What. Was. Happening. It was just a forever clip of awkwardness and she wasn't exactly sure what was happening. But when he muttered sorry and it felt like a punch to her gut. He didn't mean what he had said, "It's okay, that's not really us I guess?" She tried to keep the sadness from her tone, so he wouldn't hear her hopelessness.

Then he walked away, saying a simple "Bye I have to get to class." Summer waved bye with a smile, but as soon as he had gone, she wilted like a flower, lowering herself to the grass. She didn't know why it suddenly felt she didn't know what was happening, but sitting on the floor seemed right. Why was she thinking of her friend like this? Her best friend none the less. And she didn't even know what it was, but it was different. Suddenly she jolted up. Something he had said, class! She ad to go!

@Dylan Astor
Word Count: 246