As Cold As Ice // Charlie Gillespie

Chapter 1

"Mia?" I finish my pirouette before I skate over to Sarah. "Of course I'd find you here" she says shaking her head, her lips curled into a smile. I return her smile. She's right. If someone is looking for me they better look at the ice rink first. "What is it?" Sarah shakes her head once again. "They're here. Come on."

Is it that late already? It feels like I've been on the ice for only a couple of minutes but apparently it was more than an hour. I was fortunate enough to be able to go to a school that has their own rink. Ever since I put on my skates for the first time and stepped onto the ice I felt like that's where I belong.

My mother always supported my passion but she never pressured me. I could have stopped at any time but I never wanted to. If I could I would spend every minute of every day here. "Earth to Mia?" Sarah looks at me expectantly. "Oh right." Today the exchange students from our partner high school in Canada are coming.

Every year the senior skaters get to participate in an exchange experience. First, students come to our school for two weeks. We get paired up prior so that one exchange student stays with one student from our school. In two months we'll get to go to their school and will stay at the house of the student we got paired up with. I've been looking forward to this ever since I started school here. Every year it looks so fun when the exchange students come.

"Oh Mia, good that you're here. I have to talk to you." Principal Peters pulls me a little aside. "There has been a little mix-up." I tilt my head in confusion. Principal Peters seems noticeably uncomfortable. "So... instead of a girl you got a male exchange student." Excuse me? What did he just say?

"Are you ok with that?" I don't know. Am I? "Did you talk to my parents?" Principal Peters nods slightly. "They said it's ok as long as you feel comfortable with it." I mean, I guess it's not a big deal. We have a guest room so it's not like I'd have to share my room with the guy. "Yeah, sure." I can tell Principal Peters is more than relieved. It also wouldn't be fair on the guy. He'd have nowhere to stay and it's certainly not his fault they mixed it up.

"Alright then..." Principal Peters' usual professional smile appears as he gestures somewhere over to the bus with the exchange students. There's one guy standing there, looking a little lost. Principal Peters and I walk over to him. "Mia meet Charlie." He looks at the guy, Charlie, as he says "Charlie meet Mia."

Charlie doesn't seem confused in the slightest so I guess he must have already been warned that he's staying with a girl. A shy smile on his lips he sticks out his hand. "Nice to meet you." I reach for his hand, a warm smile on my lips. "Nice to meet you too."

"Are you sure you're ok with this?" I shoot a short look at Charlie before I return to focus my eyes back to the street, my lips curved into a smile. "Yes. For the hundredth time." I think in the past 30 minutes I assured him countless times that I really don't mind the little mix-up. He seems genuinely nice so I can't really complain. Not to mention how good he looks but that's just a bonus.

"I assume you play hockey?" In the corner of my eye I see him nod. That's probably the only thing I'm slightly disappointed about. I was looking forward to spending two weeks with another figure skater like me. Even though my parents are completely supportive they don't really understand it and they aren't really the right company to talk about it. It would have been nice to live with someone who shares the same passion.

"You're a figure skater." It's not a question, it's a statement. "You don't think I could do hockey?" I'm only teasing but it also kind of bugs me that he just assumes I'm a figure skater. But then again, I just assumed he plays hockey because he's a guy only seconds ago, didn't I? "No that's not what I meant. It's just, I can see it in the way you walk." Huh, in the way I walk?

I guess he interprets my silence correctly because he adds "The girls at my school that do skating just walk differently... more elegant I guess." Oh, he thinks the way I'm walking is elegant? He paid attention to the way I walk? Suddenly the car feels really small and I can tell my cheeks are blushing. Luckily we pull into my driveway only seconds later.

"Thanks for letting me stay with you Mr. and Mrs. Carter." My mum smiles at Charlie warmly as she says "Oh please, call me Amanda." My dad pats Charlie's shoulder friendly. "I'm Justin." A friendly, yet still a little shy, smile builds on Charlie's lips as he just nods. "Let me show you your room." I pull him along, away from my parents. "Thanks" he whispers as we walk down the hallway.

I guess it must be a little weird to come to strangers house and live with them for two weeks. I can only imagine. My parents are lovely people but sometimes they can be a bit overwhelming at first. I remember that I always felt a little uncomfortable around my friends parents when I first met them. It's just that I never really knew how to address them. I was always very careful around them, wanting to make sure they like me. I just had a feeling Charlie felt the same way. The least I could do is give him a little more time. I think he deserves a bit of time to get settled in.