Frozen

Chapter 1: New Blood

(Holiday)

I shiver as a chill breeze goes straight through my thin jacket and stiffens the denim around my legs. I look up to see a clouded gray sky, not uncommon, the uncommon part was that stark white flakes were dusted sparingly throughout it. I blow a puff of hot air and watch it dissipate into the grey, cloud spanned sky. I shift my feet and the snow crunches beneath my boots, creating melted brown puddles.

Lovely. At least we might have a white Christmas.

The bus pulls up and I see the clotted dirt-and-slush icicles that have somehow already formed around the wheels on it's underside. The doors swing open and I board the yellow scratched-paint vehicle, being the last one I almost slip on the wet floor where all the vertical rivets have been packed full of slush from the pickups. I look towards the middle of the bus to see a milk chocolate colored hand sticking up from behind a duct-taped seat and an acne-faced middle school boy.

"Hey!" Shaylee squeals as I swing into the seat with her, my weighted down burnt-sienna color backpack landing with a thud. Shay sits up and pushes her frizzy dark brown hair behind her ears, always looking like it's crimped even though I know she never does. She takes a deep breath and starts pelting me with words like ammo, I feel like I should be hiding behind a bunker to hear this, she's sure to drop a few bombs.

"Ok, big news. New kid today. Mr. Hoffman told us last period yesterday and I found out she's in all my classes. I know, like the only thing to happen all year. I mean, it will totally throw off the whole winter formal plan. What if she's hot!?" I stifle a laugh at that exclamation, and so does the nearby eavesdropping bus driver. Shay rolls her eyes and continues, "Sorry I haven't told you yet, but like I said, last period, and I couldn't tell you on the bus because I know you don't ride afternoon because of swim. I wanted to text you but Jon-" Her words ended up blurring so fast that I couldn't keep track and just zone out (sorry).

It's only a second before the tires squeak to a halt a ways from the front entrance. I look out to see a long, treacherous path of ice, mud, slush, and crowded bodies to the entrance. I groan, cursing Gale and her morning Dunkin' Donuts habits, we're always the last bus, and in addition she's so far above the speed limit I'm surprised we haven't been pulled over yet. How did she ever get her license? I should know, I finally got my permit. I aim to get out of my seat and make it out before the human river to get out the doors, but a flash of strawberry blonde blocks my way and kids crowd the tiny hall, barring my way. Rachel.

She glides by, whispering a barely audible, clearly mocking "excuse me" as she brushes past, trailing one of her obnoxious followers, I-think-her-names-Ella. Ugh. Rachel. Her floral skirt floats way above the dress code and her brand-name top dips way below it. No wonder the guys are always vying for her attention. Someone should really knock her off her high horse, or at least put a snake in front of it so it bucks her off. I wish it was really as easy as the metaphor made it sound.

..............................

I plop down next to Katherine first period, Shay is usually late and can't always grab a seat next to us. Kat leans over to tell me something but when her mouth opens no sound comes out. Everyone's eyes are on the new girl as she sways into the room, bringing a cool breeze with her.

She has pale blonde hair, perfectly straight that glides on the breeze, pale skin too. Looking at her I get a chill, goosebumps raise on my arms. I guess it was probably just the cold breeze but I'd like to think it was her. All of the guys in the room are staring at her, an icy beauty, the perfect prize. Suddenly she turned her head, and her pale blue eyes glinted with something animal, feral, and, like everything else about her, cold. Just then I knee that the guys were in for it, clearly she was the huntress, and they the hunted.

I shivered and turn to Kay, her hazel eyes trained on the new girl. Clearly she'd been as captivated as I was, and apparently everyone else in the room. Finally Kat broke the spell and looked over at me, starting to fiddle with her spiky dirty-blonde ponytail, looking unusually self-conscious. I lean over and tell her that her hair looks great and she perks up, but I can tell that the nagging she's-prettier-than-me feeling is still there.

Boldly the new girl walks to the front of the room in her designer-label heels and pivots on one foot to face the class. I take notice of this, a dancer? She parts her cranberry lips and introduces herself confidently,

"Hey, I'm new," she doesn't say this apologetically like some kids, "and my name's Sloan. Sloan Rivera."

..............................

I get to lunch late, Ms. Valentino held me in class late to tell me about our first swim meet on Friday, along with a few other swimmers. Along with English, Ms. V's my swim coach too. I walk into the cafeteria and Sloan's right in front of me. I wonder why she's late. As I walk behind her past the "jocks's" table, a few guys whistle and hoot. Immature. I think the guy that was hollering was Aaron, sports-natural, popular jerk, and current boyfriend of Rachel. I bet she'll be pissed.

I know the cat call whistles weren't for me, but I secretly wish one of them was. Alex. He wouldn't whistle, though, I know it. I've known him since we were kids and I still see him sometimes at parties our parents or their friends have. I think he's not just another meatheaded jock, he's different. Kat disagrees, and usually she's right about these kind of things, but I can't help but ignore her advice. I'm in crush. Shay supports mr, but she'd support me crushing on any guy, she's completely boy-crazy. Her mom laughs at this and says its just a phase. I say definitely not.

Shaking my head to clear it, I walk past Alex's table to where Shaylee and Kat are sitting. As soon as I slam my lunch down on the table, Shay bursts out gossiping like I'd just given permission to talk. I don't know, though, she's probably been holding it in a day. I'm still listening to Shay and Kat who've begun to argue, but I steal a glance over at the "popular" table. No surprise, Sloan, the new girl, is there, but funnily it's Rachel who's groveling for attention from the new ice queen. It's like Sloan is too good for anyone in this school in her designer labels, a step up from the usual "popular" dress code of all brand name Victoria Secret and Hollister.

Tearing my eyes away, I focus back on Shay and Katherine, trying to involve myself mid-conversation. Their boiling argument has cooled down and Kat gives me an eyebrow-raised look that I try to ignore. We move on and tease Shay on her latest boyfriend (obsession) and lunch is over like the fasted period it is. I just can't shake off the chills I got when I caught a glance accidentally from Sloan on the way out of the cafeteria. Her crystal blue animal-eyes cut into me, and I knew that with her around, things would be different. At the time I just didn't know how different it would be.