Frozen

Chapter 2: Ice Queen

(Holiday)

It's her second day and Sloan already has the entire school in the palm of her hand. She didn't even have to fight for it, she just appeared and they gave it to her. She has become Rachel's favorite person as now she is Sloan's little pet follower who would probably throw herself off a bridge if Sloan did. Honestly, it's almost (ok, it is) funny to see criticizing, backstabbing, cruel rumor-spreading Rachel like this, but unfortunately Sloan has replaced her. No, Sloan commands all her pretty-in-pink followers to do all the dirty work, she is just their cold ruler.

In the hall I dodge a sobbing girl, I recognize her as one of the populars, Ella. I frown, remembering last year when I walked into the bathroom to find her puking into the toilet, whatever it takes to be skinny. She seemed like she could've been nice, now she's sprinting puffy-eyed for the bathroom. Maybe she ate a piece of cake. Or more likely, it was Sloan.

I continue on to my class, glad for once to not be one of the populars. Ugh. I slam my books down in science for no apparent reason and spend class looking at the tiny fake plant habitat dioramas. Outside it's probably snowing, unlike these fake plants, the real ones out there are leafless. The false greenery waves in a breeze as I direct a stream of air at it. The tiny pink bulbs could almost be real if I squint my eyes...

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I am desperate to be out of school and into the water. When the bell finally rings I escape to the pool for practice, pulling on my black full piece in a flash of skin and waterproof material. I push up my eyelash-brushing red bangs and long layered red hair into a swim cap. My heart is pumping blood throughout my body that's laced with agitation. I dive into the water instead of my usual gradual descent, enjoying the feel of the water breaking to let me through, the chlorinated, still blanket parting over my skin. The cool releases me as I drift below, caressed by the tiny eruption of bubbles that my jump caused. I pop up above the surface and breathe deeply, and realize I don't even know why I was so irritated.

Soon I'm swimming laps and the usual burst of elation pumps through my veins, the other girls cheering me on as I win every practice race. I know I'm the best on the team but blush modestly at compliments or just dive back in the water to avoid giving a response. Petty, but I'm fairly shy.

Neither Shay or Katherine is on the team with me, but the girls who are are friendly and we get along well. I am midway through a 200 meter when Ms. Valentino calls me out of the water. I pull myself over the concrete edge in one fluid, practiced motion, but when I get to my feet my face pales. Just what I came to escape today has followed me.

"Holiday, since you're our team captain and it's still so early in the year, I'd like you to welcome to the team, Sloan." My mouth is dry and I don't know what to say, but instead find myself trapped in Sloan's icy blue gaze that is colder than the water.

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"Drop dead when we walk through the doors! You can't beat the dino-saurs!" This chant is repeated and followed by peppy screams, the whole thing accompanied by the sounds of rapidly shaking pom-poms. Along with a few other chants that sound suspiciously like they were written by elementary schoolers, the green-and-purple clad cheerleaders went through an energetic routine.

The football field lights were nearly blinding, leaving spots in my vision. It was only 5:00 or so, the sun was still sinking in the sky, not yet to begin bleeding colors into the clouds. It was just a practice, but Shay'd begged me to come, her latest boyfriend, Micheal, had made varsity this year. So now we were both shivering on the cold metal bleachers, cheering like idiots whenever anything happened because neither of us had any clue about understanding football.

I pulled my brown knit scarf tighter around my neck, trying in vain to keep the biting cold out. My hair is frozen near-solid with ice from swim practice, white frost dusting bright orange. There were weak puddles of snow everywhere, I say puddles because it was more of a liquid than a solid at this point. I look up at the sky where brittle red and orange leaves threaten to smother us, dangling precariously from the maple branches above us. There are little puffs of cottonball-couds dotting the blue autumn sky, a drastic change from the grey of Monday.

Shay nudges me with a blue mitten and says,

"Do you think the game's almost over? My lovely butt here will be frozen off if we don't get off these damn bleechers soon." I give her an incredulous look,

"I don't understand this any more than you do, so suck it up. I hope Micheal is worth it." (No surprise) Shay giggles like the schoolgirl she is,

"He is." with that she flips her dark hair and waves a mittened hand at Micheal on the field.

I smile and look out over the vast fields, red and brown and green and orange, all in blocks of perfect color. Fall is almost over and the frost is creeping up around the edges, a soft flake of snow lands on my nose and numbs it, dissolving into a drop of water that runs down to my lips. A loud horn sounds and the practice game is over, Shay and I finally sit up off our lone spots on the bleechers, she runs over to Micheal and they hug, I stand near them quietly. Silence is one of the things I do best. I quietly fiddle with my hands and look down at the frosted grass littered with the white paint that defines the field. I shyly wait outside the line for Shay, deciding not to cross it. Some lines you just shouldn't cross.