Frostbitten (6 page)

Anastasia hurried in
the direction she’d come, praying that she would be able to find her way back.
If she didn’t arrive home soon, her grandparents would start to worry. They had
always been overprotective, insisting to know where she was at all times. Her
grandparents were the exact opposite of her mother; she never seemed to care
where Anastasia was or who she was with.

Amidst the silence of
the woods, Anastasia suddenly heard the faint sound of approaching footsteps.
She spun around, feeling equally anxious and relieved as she waited for someone
to appear from over the undulating road. Slowly, Gorgeous was revealed, walking
straight toward her. His presence in her time of need and amongst such
beautiful scenery made her momentarily question if she was merely dreaming.

“Are you lost?” he
asked, stopping right in front of her.

“I...” Anastasia tried
to respond, while staring so intently upon him that everything else seemed to
become a blur. “I’m so lost,” she finally admitted, forcing her gaze from him
and onto her surroundings. “Can you give me directions to Evergreen Road?”

“You’re far from home,”
he noted. “Let me take you there.”

“Thanks, I’d really
appreciate that,” Anastasia said, before he began leading her forward. She
smiled at him, even though he was looking straight ahead with a serious
expression upon his face.

“You shouldn’t be out
here,” he warned, “especially alone.”

“You were alone, too,”
Anastasia pointed out.

He smirked at her
comment and then cast her a quick, interested glance. “I guess you’re right.”

“I’m not trying to
pry,” Anastasia began hesitantly, after a slight pause in their conversation,
“but why
are
you out here?”

“It’s where I live.”

“I didn’t see a house.”

“You’re inquisitive,”
he stated in a friendly manner, despite the flicker of fear in his eyes. “I
promise you there’s a house back there.”

“I’ll take your word
for it then,” Anastasia replied in a slightly flirtatious tone.

“That’s entirely up to
you.”

Anastasia’s heart
fluttered as he smiled at her, their eyes lingering on each other for several
moments. She felt the overwhelming urge to kiss him, but when he broke his
gaze, she realized that she was being way too hasty.

“My name’s Anastasia,
by the way,” she said, wondering why he hadn’t introduced himself first.

He looked away, almost
as if he no longer wanted to be there. “I’m Frost,” he responded.

Anastasia had to hide
her surprise. How could this be the boy who Kate had insulted so mercilessly?
Frost was extremely handsome, and he looked like he could be the captain of any
sports team. According to all the high school clichés she’d ever heard, that
would put him at the top of every girl’s boyfriend wish list.

“Frost is an unusual
name, but I like it,” Anastasia said, trying desperately to forget everything
that Kate had said about him. “What does it mean?”

“The state of
freezing.”

“That’s not what I’m
asking,” Anastasia said with an amused smirk, all the while thinking that’s
exactly how she would’ve answered if she were him.

Suddenly, Frost stopped
dead in his tracks and stood still and tense. It was as if he’d heard
something, even though the woods were as quiet as ever.

“Frost, what’s wrong?”
Anastasia asked, studying his concerned expression.

“Shhh...” he whispered,
while staring into the woods in an intense manner. “We’re in danger.”

Startled by Frost’s
words, Anastasia scanned the surrounding area but saw nothing out of the
ordinary. “Why?” she demanded. “What’s out there?”

When Frost didn’t
reply, Anastasia stepped forward. Quickly, he put his arm in front of her,
stopping her from going any further. Frost then nudged Anastasia behind him and
kept a tight grip on her arm.

“A cougar is watching
us,” Frost said in a low tone. “We have to show him we’re not afraid.”

Anastasia’s heart
pounded so hard that it felt like it would rip from her chest. She never knew
there were cougars in Cedar Falls, far less had she ever seen one. However, what
she did know was that cougars could be very dangerous, and that she and Frost
had nothing with which to defend themselves.

“Where is he?”
Anastasia asked, her voice hardly a whisper.

“Don’t make eye
contact,” Frost said hastily, despite the fact that his own gaze hadn’t shifted
from the woods for several moments. In a swift motion, he raised his arms above
his head in a gesture that mimicked a violent protest. “Hey!” he called, his
voice growing louder as he continued. “Go away! Get out of here!”

The woods seemed to
come alive as the cougar started to run. Anastasia only saw a flash of brown
fur in between the trees, and even that was enough to make her shiver. The
cougar had been close but was now fleeing from them, and as he went, branches
shook and twigs snapped in half. After the cougar had disappeared into the
wilderness, everything was still and quiet once again.

Frost maintained his
grip on Anastasia’s arm as he hurried her forward. His pace was so fast that
she had to run just to keep up. Since the cougar had left them unharmed and was
probably a mile away by now, Anastasia wondered why Frost still looked so
alarmed.

“I think we can slow
down,” Anastasia said several minutes later, finally resisting Frost’s pull.

Frost released
Anastasia’s arm and reduced his speed slightly. “We have to keep moving,” he
advised. “Cougar’s stalk their prey, and he could return at any moment.”

“How did you know the
cougar was there?” Anastasia asked one of the many questions which were
circulating in her mind.

“If you spend enough
time in the woods, you’ll get to know its rhythm, especially when something is
wrong.”

“What do you mean?”
Anastasia inquired. She was tired, still a bit shaken-up and definitely not in
the mood for cryptic language.

“Stay close to me and you’ll
be safe,” Frost promised.

Nothing else was said
as they trekked onward. Twenty minutes later, Anastasia began recognizing her surroundings.
As her grandparents’ house finally came into view, she realized just how lost
she’d really been. If Frost hadn’t found her, she didn’t want to think about
what could’ve happened, especially with that cougar roaming the woods. He’d
saved her, and they both knew it.

“This was the place I
was looking for,” Anastasia joked as she stopped outside the Lockhart residence.

Frost smirked, but his
expression soon changed when he looked upon her house. He appeared
uncomfortable as his eyes settled on the living room window. “I should go,” he
said abruptly, before turning around to leave.

“You can come in,”
Anastasia said, causing Frost to pause momentarily. “You should rest a little,
and I can get you something to eat.”

In the background, a
door swung open and then someone shouted out to Anastasia. She turned around to
see her grandfather hurrying toward them.

“Thanks, but that’s not
a good idea,” Frost replied as he rushed to leave. “I’ll see you around.”

“Don’t you want a ride
home?” Anastasia called after him. It would be dark soon, and she knew that he
shouldn’t be walking alone. Unfortunately, Frost was already too far away to
hear her.

“Anastasia, what’s
going on?” Mr. Lockhart demanded, once he’d reached her side. He sounded angry,
but his expression was clearly one of relief. “What were you doing with that
boy?”

“He walked me home,”
Anastasia began to say.

“Frost is nothing but
trouble,” he interrupted. “How many times do I have to tell you to stay away
from him?”

“Maybe if you told me
why, it would sink in better,” Anastasia responded in frustration.

Mr. Lockhart sighed.
“You’re a smart girl, Anastasia. You know that Mr. Stone is his father. As for
his mother, no decent woman would marry a man like that. We do
not
associate with those types of people.”

Anastasia questioned
the accuracy of her grandfather’s criticism. He was obviously threatened and
angered by Mr. Stone’s successful business, so maybe his judgment was clouded.
Either way, she felt very defensive of Frost.

“Well, I guess Frost
has beaten the odds,” Anastasia said, almost glaring at her grandfather. “I was
lost, but he brought me home. He sounds like a real jerk, huh?”

Mr. Lockhart narrowed
his eyes at Anastasia. “I’m picking you up every day after school,” he said, as
if it was a cruel punishment.

Anastasia didn’t have a
chance to respond as her grandfather marched into the house. She was about to
follow him when she noticed her grandmother watching from the living room
window. Upon being spotted, her grandmother hurried away. However, it was too
late; she now understood why Frost had left so quickly. He knew that her
grandparents not only disliked his father but his whole family, too. Suddenly,
Anastasia’s life seemed a lot more complicated.

Later that night,
Anastasia ran a hot bath for herself. It had been a very long day filled with
many unexpected events, and she was in dire need of some relaxation. Not all of
her day had been hard, though. She smiled while thinking about Frost. He was
different from the other boys she’d known, probably because she couldn’t read
him. Frost was a mystery – one that she was eager to unravel.

Anastasia was about to
step into the water when she remembered that her Dead Sea bath salts were still
in her bedroom. It was her only indulgence and well worth every penny. Wrapping
a white towel around herself, she headed to her bedroom. That’s when she heard
her grandparents talking quietly in the kitchen. Upon hearing her name,
Anastasia crept closer and listened.

“It was foolish of me
to let Anastasia walk home from school,” Mr. Lockhart said. “She hasn’t been in
Cedar Falls for four years – it’s no wonder she got lost!” With a deep sigh he
added, “Anything could’ve happened to her, Rose. What the hell was I thinking?”

Sympathetically, Mrs.
Lockhart placed her hand on top of Mr. Lockhart’s. “You were allowing Anastasia
to make her own choices. It’s important that she feels in control of her life.”

“No,” he replied
sharply. “What’s important is keeping her safe. We need to set strict
boundaries and make sure she stays within them.”

“Of course there should
be rules,” she agreed, “but she also needs some freedom.” Taking a deep breath,
she added, “You shouldn’t have told her to stay away from Frost. It will only
encourage her to rebel.”

“You gave Kendall
freedom and she ruined her life,” Mr. Lockhart pointed out angrily. “I won’t
let the same thing happen to Anastasia.”

“Please be gentle with
her, Fredrick. You know Anastasia is troubled.”

Too hurt to listen any
longer, Anastasia hurried back to the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her
and then started to cry, not caring if her grandparents heard. If anyone could
see the goodness inside of her, she thought it would’ve been them.
Unfortunately, all they saw was a girl with issues, and now she was their
burden. Knowing what her grandparents really thought about her made Anastasia
feel like a freak who was alone in this world.

* * *

Part
Three: Cruel Intentions

The clock hadn’t struck
seven yet, but Anastasia stood outside her house, waiting in the cold, dreary
early morning weather. She was desperate to avoid her grandparents, and as they
slept, she’d written them a brief note stating where she was going and with
whom. Anastasia hadn’t spoken to her grandparents since overhearing their frank
discussion about her, and she wanted to keep it that way for as long as
possible. It had become second nature for Anastasia not to talk about what was
really bothering her – even though that only caused more trouble.

Finally, the ride
Anastasia had been waiting for appeared in the distance. Seconds later, a
stylish light blue car stopped outside her house. As the driver rolled down the
window, loud music could be heard coming from inside.

“Get in, bitch!” Chloe
called out jokingly.

As Anastasia entered
the car, she immediately noticed the sleek, spotless interior which featured
leather upholstery and branding just about everywhere. The car was obviously
new and expensive, and this caused Anastasia to wonder what type of lifestyle
Chloe now led. Although her father owned a dental practice in town, he’d always
been somewhat frugal. Anastasia hadn’t seen him in years, though, and by the
looks of Chloe’s car, he’d definitely changed his money-saving ways.

“Do you like it?” Chloe
asked, while running her fingers over the silver swirl pattern on the steering
wheel cover. “My parents bought it for my sweet sixteenth. I thought I was
going to faint when they unveiled it at my party.”

“The car’s amazing,
Chloe,” Anastasia replied, while thinking about her own sixteenth birthday.
She’d spent it alone and crying, wanting to just disappear. Looking back, she
couldn’t even remember what had upset her so much. “I wish I could’ve been at
your party,” she added with a small smile, trying to erase the disturbing
memory.

“I wish you were there,
too,” Chloe said in an almost sad tone as she drove away from the Lockhart
residence. “You probably didn’t know this,” she continued after a moment’s
pause, “but I used to consider you my best friend. We had so much fun together,
and I felt like I could tell you anything. I missed that. I missed you.”

“Children grow up,”
Anastasia pointed out, attempting to control the emotions that were surfacing
because of her friend’s words.

“True, but you
completely disappeared.”

There was no point in
denying it; Anastasia had cut Chloe out of her life, and she’d done so without
providing a reason. In fact, Anastasia was surprised that she was being so
friendly. All those missed calls and unanswered letters must have really hurt
Chloe at the time.

“My intentions were
never cruel,” Anastasia said softly and sincerely.

“I kind of knew that,
but it’s nice to hear you say it.” Chloe took her eyes off the road for a
second to smile at Anastasia. “So, can you guess where I’m taking you for
breakfast?”

“Dale’s Diner,”
Anastasia replied, without missing a beat. Having eaten there countless times,
it’d always been one of her and Chloe’s favorite places.

“Since you’ll be
spending your lunches with Mr. O’Sexy now, I thought we might as well have
breakfast together.”

“Mr. who?” Anastasia
asked with a laugh.

“Come on, Anastasia,”
Chloe began in a teasing manner, “don’t pretend you haven’t noticed Mr.
O’Donoghue’s smoldering good looks. I seriously considered joining the literacy
group just so I could stare at him.”

“Now that’s creepy.”

“It’s only creepy if I
follow through on it,” Chloe said with a playful shrug as she parked her car
outside Dale’s Diner.

A bell chimed as
Anastasia and Chloe entered the diner, and immediately, she noted that
everything was exactly how she’d remembered. With wood furnishings, forest
green walls and numerous photographs of nature scenes and animals, it was still
charmingly rustic and very inviting.

“Our old table is
empty,” Chloe pointed out, while leading Anastasia through the busy diner.
“Let’s get it before someone else does.”

As Anastasia sat down,
nostalgia settled in. The waitress who took their order wore the familiar black
and green uniform, and Dale was still running around, trying to complete a
dozen tasks at once. It was like no time had passed at all.

Anastasia was about to
comment on this when she overheard part of a strange conversation between two
men who sat a few tables away. She instantly recognized them as Leo and Mike –
brothers who ran their own handyman business in town. They also happened to be
friends with her grandfather.

“At first I thought
people were making a big deal out of nothing,” Leo spoke loudly. “I mean, pets
go missing all the time and a couple of dead deer isn’t anything to worry
about. But then I saw it with my own eyes – a large buck brutally savaged by
goodness knows what. Something’s not right in these woods, and I’m going to
find out what’s going on.”

“I bet the police
already know what it is,” Mike said angrily, in between bites of his hash
brown. “They’re always sneaking around and hiding things – all on
our
tax
dollars. It’s a conspiracy, I’m telling you.”

Although Anastasia
rolled her eyes at Mike’s paranoia, she couldn’t help but feel a little
concerned by Leo’s words, especially after what she and Frost had encountered
in the woods. “Should I be worried?” she asked Chloe with a slightly forced
laugh, knowing that her friend had heard the conversation, too.

Chloe shrugged, as if
she was indifferent. “Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about some wild
animal, but since I never go into the woods, I’m not worried. Besides, the
adults here are always gossiping about something. I really don’t give it much
attention anymore.”

Before Anastasia could
say anything else on the matter, the waitress brought them their food. Although
she knew that she should tell Chloe about what had happened yesterday after
school, she was too embarrassed to admit that she’d gotten lost. She also
didn’t want to divulge the subsequent events which included her grandfather’s
reaction to finding her with Frost.

“Thanks,” Anastasia and
Chloe said simultaneously to the waitress, before reaching for their cutlery
and starting to eat.

“Don’t tell Kate what
I’m having for breakfast,” Chloe said, stabbing a large sausage with her fork.
“She so wouldn’t approve.”

“Who cares?” Anastasia
replied with a snort. “Last time I checked, you were your own person.”

Chloe sighed. “I know
you and Kate didn’t exactly hit it off, but being her friend is worth the
effort. You get invited to the coolest parties, and being around her makes you
feel special.”

“I get it,” Anastasia
said as she poured maple syrup over her blueberry pancakes. “Seriously, I do.”
She didn’t bother to voice her observation that Chloe only appeared interested
in what Kate could do for her.

“Then you’ll come to
Kate’s sleepover on Saturday night?” Chloe asked with a smile. “It would be the
perfect opportunity for you to get to know her better. Marissa will be there,
too.”

“I guess I can make
it,” Anastasia said hesitantly. She didn’t want to spend any more time with
Kate, but Chloe was trying so hard to be helpful that saying no to her seemed
impossible.

Excitedly, Chloe talked
about all the fun they would have – not only at Kate’s sleepover but for the
rest of the school year as well. Although Anastasia tried to pay attention, it
was difficult to think about anything else other than the fact that Frost had
just walked into Dale’s Diner. Was it possible that he was getting hotter each
time she saw him?

As if Frost could sense
that someone was watching him, he turned sideways and looked at Anastasia,
smiling but appearing hesitant to approach her. She gave him a reassuring nod,
causing him to step forward. Unfortunately, he must have been too busy staring
at her to notice that he’d stepped right in front of a waitress.

The waitress, who was
in a hurry to serve customers, didn’t have enough time to stop. As she collided
into Frost, the tray of food she was carrying crashed to the floor. Silence
filled the diner as everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at Frost,
the waitress and especially the broken dishes and splattered food which now
littered the previously spotless diner.

Anastasia felt her face
redden for Frost as he hurried to help the waitress. Hoping to lend a hand as
well, she stood up, only to be stopped by Chloe.

“Don’t get involved,”
she advised. “He’s trouble.”

Seeing that the staff
was now taking care of the mess, Anastasia sat back down. She watched as Frost
apologized profusely and offered to pay for the food and dishes. After Dale
generously told him to forget it ever happened, Frost hurried to leave.
Anastasia wanted to follow him, but she thought doing so may further embarrass
him.

“Well, that was
awkward,” Chloe muttered.

“You said he was
trouble,” Anastasia spoke quickly. “Why?”

“You first,” Chloe
bargained, while looking very serious. “Why were you so eager to help him?”

“Because he helped me,”
Anastasia said softly, hoping that Chloe wouldn’t make any further inquiries.

Chloe was obviously
taken aback. “Didn’t you hear what Kate said about Frost yesterday? He’s a
complete outcast.” She shivered slightly before continuing. “Frost was found
deep in the woods as a baby. It was the middle of winter, and when Mr. Stone
came upon him, Frost was almost frozen to death. That’s how he got his name.”

“That isn’t funny,”
Anastasia said, not believing the story.

“I’m not joking. There
was this big investigation, but the police couldn’t find Frost’s biological
parents. After that, Mr. and Mrs. Stone adopted him.”

“If this
is
true,” Anastasia began, still very skeptical, “why didn’t I know Mr. Stone had
a wife and son?”

“They didn’t come into
town much – how strange is that? I even heard that Frost was homeschooled
before attending Cedar Falls High, probably because his parents were afraid
he’d be bullied.”

“Poor Frost,” Anastasia
muttered, while trying to process all the information she’d just received.

“Frost’s origins make him
a freak,” Chloe said softly, as if she truly believed in what she was saying.
“Imagine how crazy his real parents must’ve been to abandon their baby in the
woods. Compared to them, even Mr. Stone looks normal.” Chloe reached across the
table to gently squeeze Anastasia’s hand. “You can’t hang out with Frost. It’ll
only make you an outcast, too.”

Anastasia felt anger
swelling inside of her. How dare Chloe say these things about Frost and then
try to dictate her life. It was petty, cruel and, unfortunately, true. If
Anastasia was to fit in, she couldn’t associate with Frost. Trying desperately
to ignore the fact that she was a complete hypocrite, she cast Chloe a fake
smile. “So, what time should I be at Kate’s house on Saturday night?”

“I’ll pick you up around
six,” Chloe answered, before signaling the waitress and asking for their check.
She then quickly retrieved her expensive-looking wallet. “Breakfast is on me,”
she said firmly.

“Thanks,” Anastasia
responded with a sincere smile, remembering how Chloe had always been generous.
She was a good friend and, despite their vast differences, one that Anastasia
wanted to keep.

Fifteen minutes later,
Anastasia and Chloe entered the halls of Cedar Falls High. At first, everything
appeared to be normal, but Anastasia soon got the feeling that she was being
watched. All around her, students whispered. However, when she looked at them,
they stopped talking and turned away. Although she couldn’t hear what they were
saying, she knew that it was about her.

“I know you’re the new
girl, but this is ridiculous,” Chloe said, obviously sensing the strange
atmosphere. “What’s going on?”

“I have no clue,”
Anastasia responded, feeling more self-conscious than ever.

“Let me walk you to
class,” Chloe offered, with a concerned expression on her face. “I’m going that
way, too.”

Anastasia nodded
gratefully. “Let me grab my chemistry textbook first,” she said, before turning
a corner and almost bumping into a small group of students who were gathered
around her locker. “Excuse me,” she muttered in annoyance.

With Chloe by her side,
Anastasia stopped in front of her locker. That’s when she noticed the dark blue
rose which was carefully placed through the loop of her combination lock. Tied
to the rose with a thin black ribbon was a handwritten note which read,
Welcome
to Cedar Falls
.

“It’s
so
wrong,”
a girl spoke loudly, while glaring at Anastasia.

“Can I help you with
something?” Anastasia snapped as she stepped toward her.

The girl cast Anastasia
another unfriendly glance before walking away. The other students began to
leave, too, whispering as they went.