Frostbitten (12 page)

“Give me a chance,
Frost. You might be surprised.”

He sighed deeply before
speaking. “Kate singled me out on my first day at Cedar Falls High. She’d never
talk to me during the day, but after school, she wouldn’t leave me alone. At
first I was flattered, but soon it became creepy. Tonight wasn’t the first time
Kate’s been at my window – it used to be her favorite extracurricular activity
until my parents told her parents that it had to stop. I guess she was
embarrassed as hell, and she just wouldn’t let it go. Trying to make my life
miserable became her new hobby and it continues to this day.”

There was a moment of
silence until, despite her best efforts, Anastasia began to laugh. All of
Kate’s odd behavior, from her constant need to put Frost down to belittling
Anastasia for spending time with him, now made sense. Shakespeare was right
when he wrote, the lady doth protest too much. Anastasia just never expected
that the truth would be
this
scandalous.

“It’s not funny,” Frost
claimed, trying to look stern even though the corners of his mouth twitched
with amusement. “It was a very traumatic time for me.”

“I’m sure it was,”
Anastasia said, her laughter dying down, “but you’ll be even more traumatized
to see the shrine she’s built for you in her bedroom. I’m talking about
life-size portraits and a really weird voodoo love doll.”

“Stop that,” Frost said
playfully, while gently grabbing her hands, “or I’ll never tell you anything
again.”

Frost felt as warm as
ever, but Anastasia no longer cared. All that mattered was the fact that his
face was just inches away from hers. Being so close to him allowed her to look
deeply into his mesmerizing eyes. They were the color of the ocean – beautiful,
endless and full of secrets. Unable to resist any longer, Anastasia placed her
hand behind Frost’s neck and brought his lips toward hers. Their lips hardly
brushed together when he gently pulled away to kiss her forehead instead. His
kiss lingered, soft and loving, but Anastasia still felt her heart sink with
disappointment. She’d thought that he’d wanted this as much as she did. How
could she have been so wrong?

“I want to ask you
something,” Frost muttered, while slowly running his fingers along the side of
Anastasia’s face in a slightly nervous manner. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

Taken aback, Anastasia
stared at Frost. She hadn’t been expecting that at all. It was such a sweet
gesture, but she found herself apprehensive about the idea. Anastasia hated
labeling anything, especially relationships since they always ended in
heartache. On top of that concern, she also knew that everyone would be against
them dating.

“Please say something,”
Frost begged, “because it feels like my heart’s going to explode.”

“I don’t make a good
girlfriend,” Anastasia blurted out, wanting to be completely honest with him.
“Trouble follows me wherever I go, and I have issues – a lot of them.”

Frost lightly touched
Anastasia’s lips with his index finger, as if to stop her from speaking
negatively about herself. “You’re also independent, brave, caring, and needless
to say, the most beautiful girl – woman – I’ve ever seen. You have a lot more
going for you than against you.”

“How can I say no after
that?” Anastasia whispered with a small smile, no longer allowing her fears and
past experiences to dictate her present life. “I’d love to be your girlfriend.”

As they smiled at each
other, Anastasia felt the rush of their forbidden love. It was special but also
dangerous, and if her grandparents ever found out, they would possibly send her
back to Toronto. Nevertheless, it was
so
worth the risk.

“I’m afraid our first
date will have to wait,” Anastasia continued. “I’m so grounded, and I...”

“I get it,” Frost
interrupted. “This can be our little secret for as long as you like.”

“Thank you,” Anastasia
responded sincerely.

“You have my number –
please use it,” Frost said as he began to retreat from her window.

“Actually, I don’t...”
Anastasia started to say. However, her words were cut short as a strong gust of
wind appeared seemingly out of nowhere and whipped her hair in front of her
face. When the wind died down and she could see clearly again, Frost was gone.
Anastasia leaned out the window in search of him, but she still couldn’t find
him.

Shivering, Anastasia
closed the window. Her bedroom was now very chilly, so she hurried to bed,
anxious to get under the warm duvet. As she went, a small note which lay on the
floor caught her attention. After picking it up, she quickly realized that it
was Frost’s phone number.

What the hell?
Anastasia thought in confusion, while staring at the familiar handwriting. She
had no idea how Frost could have put that note in her bedroom. However, if his
intentions were to be sexy and mysterious, it was definitely working. Anastasia
was charmed by Frost, and she was left wanting more – a lot more.

* * *

Part
Five: Troublemaker

Anastasia entered Cedar
Falls Hospital the following afternoon, experiencing an array of emotions. She
felt guilty for being so happy about her new relationship status with Frost,
even though her concern for Chloe overshadowed everything else. She was also
worried about running into Mr. Fairbanks. The last thing she wanted was another
fight, or worse than that, to be told she wasn’t allowed to see Chloe.

Uncertain of where to
find her friend, Anastasia went to the administrative desk in the emergency
ward. “I’m looking for a patient who was admitted last night,” she said, after
reaching the front of a very long line. “Her name is Chloe Fairbanks.”

“Let me check,” the
young medical assistant replied, before turning to her computer. “She’s in the
ICU, room number thirteen. That ward is right beside us. You can’t miss it.”

“Thank you,” Anastasia
said. She was slightly taken aback to hear that Chloe was in intensive care.
Yesterday, the nurse had said Chloe was going to be fine, so what was she doing
in a ward like that?

Trying to forget about
how much she disliked hospitals, Anastasia hurried to the ICU, following the
increasing numbers on the doors until she reached room thirteen. She knocked
lightly upon the door, but even after several moments, there was no response.
Unwavering in her pursuit to see Chloe, Anastasia entered anyway.

The private room, which
was painted a sterile shade of white, was small, windowless and very
minimalistic. It looked like a place to die rather than to get better, and when
Anastasia’s eyes fell upon Chloe, who was sleeping in bed, she felt her heart
break. Chloe was attached to a scary-looking machine that monitored her vitals,
and she had the largest bandage Anastasia had ever seen wrapped around her
injured arm. Just as disconcerting was how shockingly pale and weak she
appeared.

Sitting in the chair
beside Chloe’s bed, Anastasia gently reached for her hand, noting how it felt a
little cold. She knew it was good for Chloe to get a lot of rest, but she
looked so distant and almost lifeless that it scared Anastasia. Unable to stand
seeing her like this, she yearned for the times when Chloe was happy and
healthy.

“Do you remember when
we snuck out to go camping?” Anastasia asked softly, even though she knew that
Chloe couldn’t hear her. “We were only seven, and it was my last day of summer
vacation, so we wanted to spend as much time together as possible.”

Anastasia smiled as the
memories came to the forefront of her mind, as vivid as though they’d happened
yesterday. “You brought your old play tent, and when dusk fell, we trekked into
the woods. It seemed like we’d been walking forever when we came upon that
pretty little clearing with the most amazing view of the stars. By that point,
I was hungry and not having taken my own food, you didn’t hesitate to give me
half of your sandwich.”

For a moment, she
stopped talking, thinking about how typical it was for Chloe to behave so
selflessly. She then continued, “We must’ve been out there for hours, just
chatting and giggling like the silly girls we were. That was also the night we
exchanged friendship bracelets – I still have mine, you know.”

Anastasia paused once
again, this time suddenly turning somber. “It was all fun and games, but then
we started to get cold and scared. Little did we know, your parents and my
grandparents had organized a search party, and when my grandpa found us, he was
so angry. You tried to take the blame, probably thinking it would make him stop
yelling at me. That was the first and only time I’d seen my grandpa mad – until
now, of course.”

The room became silent
again as Anastasia watched Chloe sleep, her gentle breathing making her chest
rise and fall in perfect rhythm. More than likely, it was a sedative or
painkiller which was offering her the temporary relief. Anastasia knew that
Chloe was the last person who deserved to be in this situation, and it all
seemed like the cruelest of ironies.

The sound of the door
opening startled Anastasia out of her thoughts, and when she turned around, she
saw Chloe’s doctor enter the room.

“I didn’t know Ms.
Fairbanks had a visitor,” he said in a friendly tone.

“How is she?” Anastasia
asked abruptly, completely forgetting her manners.

“I’m afraid I can’t
release any details about her condition to non-family members,” he replied,
beginning to flip through a folder which probably contained the information she
was seeking. “Mr. Fairbanks is on his way here. You’re welcome to stay and ask
him.”

“Um, it’s okay,”
Anastasia muttered, knowing that she wouldn’t get any information from him.
“Thanks, anyway.”

As Anastasia left the
room and walked through the ICU ward, she realized that she’d have to wait
until Chloe was awake to get answers. Unfortunately, that moment seemed like it
would never come.

Passing by the
emergency ward on her way to exit, Anastasia heard a commotion, like someone
was yelling incoherently, while another person tried to calm him down. Within
seconds, she saw an occupied gurney being rushed toward the ER by a
worried-looking paramedic. As they crossed her path, she was able to get a
clear view of the injured man, and immediately, she felt nauseous. She knew
that man as Pete – a one-time drunkard who’d since turned his life around and
now worked closely with her grandfather at Rural Mart. Pete had obviously just
suffered a traumatic accident because half of his face was covered in a
blood-stained bandage, and he wouldn’t stop talking, although the only words
she could decipher were
out-of-nowhere
and
those eyes
.

As Pete and the
paramedic disappeared into the ER, Anastasia’s mind raced with thoughts about
what could’ve happened to him. From Pete’s camouflaged-patterned outfit to his
eerie words, she guessed that he’d been hunting in the woods. If that was the
case, then maybe he’d been attacked by an animal, just like Chloe. Shivering,
Anastasia began to suspect that something very strange was occurring in Cedar
Falls Woods.

* * *

It was an unusually
cold Monday morning as Anastasia thanked her grandmother for the ride and then
entered Cedar Falls High. Without Chloe, Anastasia felt alone and also a little
self-conscious. She couldn’t even hang out with Frost because it would create
more gossip, resulting in her grandparents discovering the truth about their
relationship. No matter what she did, she’d still end up by herself.

Hurrying through the
hallway on route to her locker, Anastasia felt that she was being watched. It
was a sense that she was very familiar with, but this time it seemed different.
From the glares and snarky whispers, Anastasia suddenly realized that, for some
reason, these students hated her.

When Anastasia arrived
at her locker, she was shocked to find Kate, Jill and another girl she didn’t
recognize standing there with their arms crossed and sour expressions upon
their faces. Marissa also stood beside them, appearing sufficiently awkward and
keeping her head down as if she couldn’t bear to look at Anastasia. From the
corner of her eye, Anastasia saw Frost standing nearby, looking on edge and
ready to step in at any given moment. Knowing that he had her back, she walked
toward the girls.

“Can you please move?”
Anastasia asked the girls, making sure that she concealed her slight
nervousness.

“I don’t think so,”
Kate snapped unexpectedly.

“Who do you think you
are?” Jill added in an equally harsh tone. “You walk into
our
school and
act like you own the place. Well, listen up,
sweetie
, it doesn’t work
like that. You really crossed the line when you almost killed Chloe.”

“When I
what
?”
Anastasia practically shrieked. “Chloe’s my best friend. I’d never do anything
to hurt her!”

Kate snorted. “Get
real, Anastasia. Everyone knows that Chloe’s
my
best friend. Your odd
obsession with her really has to stop.”

“Kate and Marissa saw
what you did,” the other girl spoke up. “You...”

“Oh, wait, I’ve heard
this one,” Anastasia interrupted in a sarcastic tone. “I lured Chloe into the
deep, dark woods, while Kate and Marissa looked on, totally unable to stop me.
Such a story rings so true, huh?” She then added in a stone-cold tone, “You’re
the ones who need help. Now get the hell out of my way.”

In the background,
Anastasia heard Frost stifle a laugh. As Kate’s sneer deepened, it was clear
that Frost’s support of Anastasia greatly angered her. Kate took a step forward
right as the bell rang, signaling that class would soon start. The students,
who had gathered to watch, along with Jill and the unidentified girl,
reluctantly began to leave. However, Anastasia and Kate stood their ground,
with Frost and Marissa, respectively, standing by them.

“Is it hard?” Anastasia
asked bitterly.

“What?” Kate demanded,
obviously pretending not to care.

“Keeping track of your
lies. I’m likely not your first victim.” Anastasia then turned to Marissa. “You
know, I really liked you. I guess my judgment was pretty damn wrong.”

Marissa remained
silent, but her cheeks reddened and she was visibly ashamed. Instantly,
Anastasia wondered why Marissa was so loyal to Kate. She’d never seen Kate
display any real kindness or affection – other than for herself – and Marissa
usually received the majority of her nastiness. Anastasia realized that Kate
either had some serious dirt on her, or she just had no self-esteem. Both of
these reasons seemed pretty bleak.

Marching to her locker,
Anastasia pushed past Kate. She’d had enough of her bullshit, and she
definitely wasn’t going to put up with it any longer. Unfortunately, it
appeared that Kate wouldn’t back down that easily.

“You’ll never win,”
Kate hissed, starting to circle Anastasia as if they were wild animals. She
then brought her face close to Anastasia’s and whispered in a threatening tone,
“This is
my
school and
my
town. You don’t have a chance.”

“You may think that you
own Cedar Falls, but it’s merely a delusion,” Anastasia hissed right back.
“Rumor has it you’re just a sad little peeping tom who can’t get a man.”

Kate’s face turned the
deepest shade of red Anastasia had ever seen. Her breathing became shallow, and
she almost looked like she was going to have a heart attack. Quickly, Anastasia
regretted her words. This wasn’t the way to deal with someone like Kate, and
even worse than that, she’d betrayed Frost’s trust. Anastasia knew that she’d
taken things way too far.

“What’s she talking
about?” Marissa asked Kate.

“Nothing,” Kate
snapped. “She’s the daughter of a whore. Don’t believe a word she says.”

Or maybe Anastasia
hadn’t taken things far enough.

Smack!

Anastasia hardly knew
what she’d done until it was too late. In anger and retaliation, she’d slapped
Kate right across the face. It had felt so good and totally justifiable. After
all, she had no right to make such a horrible comment about Anastasia and her
mother.

Slowly, Kate took her
hand away from her flushed cheek. As her shocked expression lessened, her fury
was crystal clear. Marissa tried to comfort her, but she wasn’t the least bit
interested. In her eyes, Anastasia could see that she was only after revenge.

“You little bitch!”
Kate shrieked as she lunged toward Anastasia and shoved her against the
lockers.

Pain shot throughout
Anastasia’s body, followed by an uncomfortable tingling sensation. Her elbows
and back were particularly sore since they had been the first parts to make
contact with the lockers. Cringing, Anastasia attempted to strike back at Kate,
but Frost stopped her mid-attack by wrapping his arms around her waist and
pulling her away. He had arrived at her side so quickly that she could do
nothing to resist.

“Stop it right now!” a
male voice suddenly shouted.

Anastasia, Frost, Kate,
and Marissa stood still, watching with wide eyes as Principal Keith marched
toward them. Knowing that fighting on school property would be considered a
serious offense, Anastasia felt her heart sink. At least Kate had been caught,
too. That meant she wouldn’t be going down without Kate right by her side.

“What is the meaning of
this?” Principal Keith demanded with a very stern expression.

“There was a slight
misunderstanding,” Frost said, finally letting go of Anastasia and then
stepping forward, “but it’s been resolved.”

“Is that so?” Principal
Keith replied, obviously not believing a word Frost had said. “Well, I
certainly don’t consider fighting in the hallway any sort of resolution. In
fact, it’s the complete opposite. Anastasia, my office – now.”

“What...what about
Kate?” Anastasia hardly choked out, overcome with disbelief. “She provoked me.
She pushed me.” Anastasia knew that she sounded desperate and childish, but
this was just so unfair!

“I saw
you
attempting to assault Kate,” Principal Keith spoke to Anastasia in a strict
tone. “Although I will be questioning everyone involved, disciplining you,
Anastasia, is my top priority.” He then turned to Frost, Kate and Marissa,
still looking very serious. “You may go to class.”