Frostbitten (8 page)

Frost turned around and
smiled. “I hope you don’t mind me dropping by, but I saw your grandmother
taking you home.” He blushed slightly. “I wanted to make sure you were
alright.”

“I’ll live,” Anastasia
promised.

In silence, Anastasia
and Frost looked at each other. She noted how everything about him seemed
unique, and it all stemmed from those light blue eyes which gazed so kindly
upon her. No one had ever looked at her like that before.

“I also came to
apologize,” Frost said, now looking at the ground as if he was deeply ashamed.
“I was the one who gave you the rose.”

“What you did was nice
– thank you,” Anastasia replied, trying to act normal even though she was
delighted to confirm her suspicion of who had given her the rose.

“I was going to tell
you this in a note and put it in your locker,” Frost explained awkwardly, “but
I realized that would only cause more trouble.”

“Never,” Anastasia said
with a small smile. “You can put notes in my locker anytime.” Trusting her
instincts, she opened the door wider. “Do you want to come in?”

Frost looked
conflicted. “I’d love to, but I know your grandfather doesn’t like me.”

“His feud with your
father isn’t our problem.” To ease the slight tension, Anastasia added in a
teasing manner, “You better come in or the cougar might get you.”

“I’m not afraid of the
cougar,” Frost said quickly.

“Admitting you’re
scared doesn’t emasculate you – it makes you human.”

“Okay, I was scared,
but only because the cougar was there and so were you.”

This time, it was
Anastasia’s turn to blush. “I guess I’ll have to join you outside then,” she
said, while grabbing one of her grandmother’s coats which hung nearby and then
closing the door behind her.

They began walking
along Evergreen Road, admiring the scenery. Although the day had started with a
gray sky, the clouds now rolled by, allowing the sun to appear every so often.
Cedar Falls truly was a beautiful place, and as Anastasia took a deep breath of
the fresh, chilly air, she temporarily forgot that danger lurked in the woods.

“I love it here,” Frost
stated. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

“It has some good things
to offer,” Anastasia said, casting Frost an interested side glance.

Pleased, Frost smirked.
“I hear Toronto has a lot to offer, too. Why did you come to Cedar Falls?”

“You really don’t know?
I assumed my sordid trysts with Mr. O’Donoghue weren’t the only rumor now
circulating about me. Give them a little scandal, and people like to keep on
digging.”

“I don’t trust gossip,”
Frost said gently, as if to ease Anastasia’s growing agitation. “That’s why I’m
asking you.”

“Sorry,” Anastasia said
through a sigh. “To be honest, it was my mother’s decision to send me here.”

“Tell her I say thank
you.”

Blushing yet again,
Anastasia turned her face away. “So, you never told me the real meaning of your
name,” she said casually, hoping that he would open up to her. She cringed
afterwards, realizing that she may have sounded insensitive.

“Unfortunately, those
rumors
are
true,” Frost answered, his expression suddenly changing to
one of anger.

“I can’t imagine,”
Anastasia said sympathetically.

“Well, I can. I have
these memories of lying in the woods, cold, crying and filled with fear and
confusion.”

“That...that’s
impossible,” Anastasia interjected in shock. “You were just a baby.”

“Then explain how I
remember it.” When Anastasia couldn’t offer a response, he continued. “The
Stones have given me so much, and I’m extremely grateful for them, but a part
of me still wants to find my biological parents.”

“It’s natural to want
to know where you came from,” Anastasia said gently.

“No,” Frost sneered,
his jaw clenching with an anger he was obviously trying to control. “When I
find them, I’m going to look straight into their eyes and say exactly how I
feel. I hate them, and they should damn well know it.”

With wide eyes,
Anastasia stood back and looked at Frost. He’d turned into a spiteful, vengeful
person, and although he had every right to be mad, it just made him ugly.
Anastasia didn’t like what she saw, especially since it differed so vastly from
his usual demeanor.

“I need to get back to
school,” Frost said abruptly, while heading in the direction they had come.

“Of course,” Anastasia
said softly, sad that he had to leave. The truth was she liked being around
Frost, even when he acted a little bipolar.

After walking Anastasia
back to her house, Frost faced her and said apologetically, “I shouldn’t have
unloaded that on you.”

Gently, Anastasia
touched Frost’s arm while looking into his eyes. “I’m glad you feel like you
can talk to me,” she whispered as she leaned her body closer to him.

Frost smiled at
Anastasia and then wrapped her in his arms. Although she’d hoped for a kiss,
she settled into his arms, feeling warm and safe. She let out a content sigh,
noting how he had a unique scent to him; almost like a mixture of the woods and
rich spices. Finally, Frost released his grasp on Anastasia, causing a wave of
sadness to come over her.

“I’ll see you soon,”
Frost promised, before heading back to his SUV.

From her porch,
Anastasia gave Frost a small wave and then watched as he disappeared down the
road. As she stood there, her mind circulated with thoughts. Anastasia had seen
how Frost’s anger affected him; it mirrored her own behavior, especially toward
her mother. Suddenly, she realized that unlike Frost’s parents, her mother had
never truly abandoned her. It may have felt that way upon learning she would be
going to Cedar Falls alone, but perhaps her mother only made that decision to
help Anastasia. In hindsight, she could see that she’d done nothing to make the
situation any easier for her mother or even herself.

Swallowing her pride,
Anastasia retrieved her cell phone and began to compose a text message.
Although she wasn’t ready to disclose everything that had happened in the last
forty-eight hours, she believed that her mother deserved more than just one
word replies.

Mom, I know we haven’t
talked much since I arrived in Cedar Falls, but I’m still getting used to being
here. Grandma and Grandpa are doing fine. Grandma’s been asking about you.
How’s everything in Toronto?

Anastasia re-read the
message, noting how it was bland and almost formal. However, it was civil and
showed that she’d made an effort – that had to count for something. Taking a
deep breath, she sent the message, and within a minute, she received a
response. Although her mother’s message was also unexciting and mostly filled
with details about her workday, at least they were talking, and that’s
something Anastasia hadn’t been able to say for the longest time.

* * *

Part Four: The Sweetest Temptation

With her head held
high, Anastasia ignored the stares and whispers as she walked down the hallway
of Cedar Falls High the next day. In her mind, she kept repeating her
grandmother’s words – the truth will come out – and that gave her strength.
Also a great comfort was Chloe, who had driven her to school and was still by
her side, acting as if it was no big deal to be associating with her. Just like
when they were young, Chloe was once again proving herself to be a loyal,
trustworthy person, and Anastasia couldn’t be happier about having her as a
friend.

“How are you holding
up?” Chloe asked Anastasia quietly, obviously not wanting to embarrass her.

“Ask me again after
English,” Anastasia replied through a sigh, cursing the fact that it was her
first class of the day.

Chloe cast Anastasia a
sympathetic look. “Think of it this way – seeing Mr. O’Donoghue now means you
don’t have to worry about it all day.”

“I know you’re right.
Thanks for being so...”

Before Anastasia could
finish her sentence, a tall, skinny and somewhat nerdy-looking boy slung his
arm around her shoulder and whispered loudly into her ear, “I hear you’re
always ready for a good time – does that apply to students, too, or are you
only interested in teachers?”

Anastasia was so taken
aback by the boy’s sudden appearance and derogative words that she just stared
at him with wide eyes. Luckily, Chloe was quick to react.

“I’m surprised
you
of
all people listen to rumors, Sean. I remember some pretty nasty ones about you.
Something about paying your cousin to go with you to last year’s school dance.
And what about the one of you spying on girls in the change room?” Chloe
stepped closer to Sean, whose face was now bright red. “The difference between
you and Anastasia is that the rumors about her
aren’t
true.”

“I...I was only joking
with her,” Sean stuttered, causing the gawking bystanders to laugh at him.

“You’re so not funny,”
Chloe said, shaking her head in disgust.

Finally finding her
voice, Anastasia angrily pushed Sean away from her and hissed, “Go to hell.”

“Sean’s a total
wannabe,” Chloe told Anastasia as they continued down the hallway at a slightly
quicker pace. “Don’t pay any attention to him.”

“It’s not just him,
though,” Anastasia said, coming to a stop a few feet from her English
classroom. “It’s what
everyone
is thinking.”

“Not the important
people,” Chloe promised. “Listen, I have to get to class. I know you have the
literacy group at lunch, so I guess I won’t see you until after school – or
maybe at the assembly during last period. Either way, text me any time if you
need to talk, okay?”

“Thank you,” Anastasia
said, before giving Chloe a quick hug and then watching her walk away.

With a deep breath,
Anastasia entered the classroom and took her usual seat. The stares and
whispers were even worse in the class, and when Mr. O’Donoghue arrived, she had
to muster all her confidence to look him in the eye. She was positive that he’d
heard the rumors, and more than likely, he’d already been questioned about it
by the principal.

“Good morning,” Mr.
O’Donoghue greeted them like it was an ordinary day. “I’d like to begin this
class with a discussion rather than a lecture.” Retrieving a piece of chalk, he
wrote in big letters,
Lies and deceit
. As if his statement wasn’t bold
enough, he underlined his words, causing the chalk to scrape noisily over the
blackboard.

Why is he doing this?
Anastasia thought, resisting the urge to slide down in her seat. She highly
doubted this was the lesson he’d originally prepared for today’s class.

“Lies and deceit,” Mr.
O’Donoghue said, pausing briefly before continuing, “is one of the many themes
Milton uses in Paradise Lost. Yet, I would argue it is the most important
because of its effects on the characters and plot. Do you agree with me, and if
not, why?”

As usual, no one raised
their hand, and although Anastasia had several thoughts to share, she didn’t
feel comfortable speaking up. She knew that it was much easier to merely fade
into the crowd of silent students.

“You all must agree
with me then – terrific!” Mr. O’Donoghue said in a good-natured tone, even
though Anastasia suspected that it was somewhat forced. “Satan perfectly
epitomizes this theme because he is constantly deceiving others, especially by
the use of disguises. He’s also the one who tells the most lies. However, it’s
not until Satan combines these two elements that he causes the most damage. Can
anyone give me an example?”

This time, a girl
raised her hand. “When Satan disguises himself as a snake and lies to Eve so
she’ll eat the forbidden fruit.”

“Excellent answer,” Mr.
O’Donoghue praised the girl. “What this teaches us is that anonymity and lies
are a dangerous combination, and this lesson is as prevalent today as it is in
Milton’s epic. Examples, anyone?”

Knowing exactly what
Mr. O’Donoghue was trying to prove and gaining strength from his courage to
take a stand, Anastasia raised her hand, finally ready to speak her mind. “The
Internet is a prime example of a disguise. Anyone can hide behind their
computer or phone, using it as a means for spreading lies that have absolutely
no foundation. What they don’t realize is that their vicious deceit has
consequences, and while they may be anonymous for now, the truth
will
be
revealed.”

The class became deadly
silent, and this time, it was a smile that Anastasia had to hide.

“That’s exactly what I
was thinking,” Mr. O’Donoghue commented, casting Anastasia a reassuring smile.
Turning to the rest of the class, he continued, “Although Satan is clearly at
fault for being the originator of the lie, the other characters are also
responsible when they decide to believe him. Like Eve, we all have the choice
whether or not to believe what we’re being told, so remember to always choose
wisely.” He paused and then added with a smirk, “I guess this was a lecture
after all.”

By the time English
class had come to an end, Anastasia was in better spirits, making it easier for
her to handle the next couple of classes and even the literacy group meeting.
Still, she was glad when it was time for the assembly because it meant that she
might see Chloe, and a friendly face was always welcome, especially in an
environment like this. Anastasia also thought about the possibility of running
into Frost and that made her heart flutter. If only she hadn’t promised Chloe
that she’d stay away from him – it had been such a childish thing to do and
obviously something that she wouldn’t be able to uphold.

Wanting to put her
books away so she wouldn’t have to carry them to the assembly, Anastasia headed
toward her locker. After reaching it, she opened the door and found a folded
note which fell onto the floor. Picking it up, she immediately recognized the
handwriting as belonging to Frost.

Anastasia,

I’m still thinking
about the conversation we had yesterday. I’ve never been able to open up so
easily to anyone before, and it’s the first time I felt like I could be honest
without fear of being judged. I hope I can return this favor to you since being
the new girl in town – especially in a place like Cedar Falls – must be hard.
I’m not a fool, and I know the things people say about me, but I have a feeling
you’ve already looked past that. If I’m right, meet me in the woods behind the
school while everyone is at the assembly. I’ll be waiting.

Frost

A shiver of excitement
ran throughout Anastasia’s body. She knew that it wasn’t a good idea to miss
the assembly or venture into the woods, but she didn’t care. Waiting until the
hallway was empty, she grabbed her coat and then hurried through the back door.

The early afternoon sun
was high in the sky, shining brightly and making the snow-covered trees and
ground sparkle as if it was a winter wonderland. Amongst the beautiful scenery,
Anastasia noted a pair of footprints leading deep into the woods. She followed
them and soon came upon Frost, whose back was turned to her as he stared into
the distance.

As if sensing her presence,
he turned around, smiled and said, “You came.”

“There was no need for
you to doubt that,” Anastasia replied, smiling back at him. “So, what are we
doing out here?”

“Why tell when I can
show?” Frost said, guiding her forward.

After a few minutes of walking,
they came to a bend in the woods. Anastasia heard ducks quacking nearby, and
when they turned around the corner, she saw a small frozen pond filled with
colorful mallards. When the ducks saw them, they began to quack louder.

Frost led Anastasia to
a flat rock that made the perfect seat for two. Since the sun was shining upon
it, he only had to swipe away a light dusting of snow before gesturing for her
to sit down. As they both did so, the ducks waddled excitedly toward them.

“They’re so pretty,” Anastasia
commented, especially noting the brilliant hues of green on some of their
feathers, “but why do they stay? It’s not like there’s anything here for them.”

“That’s where you’re
wrong,” Frost said, retrieving a small bag from his coat pocket. “They fly here
almost every day, knowing they’ll be fed. That sounds like a sweet deal to me.”
He opened the bag, offering the contents to her.

Anastasia took a
handful of the bread crumb, peanut and bird seed mix, and then gently tossed it
toward the eager ducks. She’d been starting to wonder what that bulge in
Frost’s pocket was, and she would’ve never guessed it was duck feed. She almost
snickered at the thought.

“I’ve never skipped
school to do something like this,” Anastasia said, taking more of the mix and sprinkling
it a couple of feet in front of her. “Now I truly know what a badass you are.”

“I promise you’re not
missing anything important. They have these assemblies every month, and it’s
basically an excuse for the principal and teachers to tell each other what a
wonderful job they’re doing – in front of an audience, of course.”

“Of course. Otherwise,
what’s the point?”

Frost smirked before
quickly turning serious. “Sometimes I can’t stand being in school. People think
they know you, but they don’t.”

Soothingly, Anastasia
placed her hand on Frost’s knee. “You never have to pretend around me. I
understand what you’re going through at school, probably better than anyone
else.”

“I have secrets,
Anastasia.”

“We all do. So, why
don’t you start by telling me one of yours?”

Appearing hesitant,
Frost looked at the ground, as if he was contemplating something very serious.
However, when he lifted his head a moment later, his disposition had changed
and he now wore a smile, although Anastasia sensed that it wasn’t completely
sincere.

“Well, it’s not exactly
scandalous,” Frost began slowly, “but one of my biggest passions is music. I’ve
been playing the guitar since I was ten, and I even write my own lyrics – not
that they’re any good.”

“I’d love to hear
them,” Anastasia pried gently.

“I have been working on
something new.” Looking somewhat shy but still keeping his gaze on Anastasia,
Frost began to sing in a low, husky voice:

As if by chance

It only took one glance

Girl with green eyes,
let’s not say our goodbyes

I know life’s rough

But I feel you’re tough

Wish you could see, how
good you look to me

Then all your tears

And even all those
fears

Will disappear, forever
far from here

Silence fell over the
woods once Frost had finished singing, and his cheeks flushed a pale shade of
red. “I know it’s not perfect, and I swear I play the guitar better than I
write.”

“It’s beautiful,”
Anastasia whispered, deeply touched by the sentiment of Frost’s lyrics.

“The inspiration just
sort of hit me,” Frost whispered back.

Swept up in the moment,
Anastasia’s pulse quickened, and ever so slowly, she leaned in closer.

“The assembly will be
over soon,” Frost pointed out, standing up abruptly. In one swift move, he
poured the rest of the mix onto the pond for the ducks.

“Um, sure,” Anastasia
replied, feeling a little rejected and confused.

As they began to walk
back to the school, Anastasia thought about the mixed signals Frost was giving
her. He was interested in her – the song certainly proved that much – but there
seemed to be something holding him back. Not wanting to consider the hurtful
possibility that she liked him more than he liked her, she concluded that he
didn’t have much experience with girls or was even just shy.