On Thin Ice

13

A soft knock on my door sent me shooting out of my bed, fearing I had overslept. It turned out I had, but not by much so I would still be able to make it to school on time. Dad walked in a few moments later, poking his head through the doorway.

"Gotta get ready for school," he told me with a tight smile.

I just nodded and rifled through my dresser for some clothes. Dad had left and shut my door so I would be able to get ready. I noticed a bruise on my leg from where I had been hit with the puck, but I wasn't in pain.

After doing my morning routine, I rushed downstairs to grab something to eat on the way to school. Josh, Mindy, Dad, and Ava all sat in the kitchen as I looked through the cabinets for something to eat.

"Are you ready?" Josh asked me, standing up from his seat at the kitchen table.

Hearing him speak to me immediately soured my mood so I ignored him and continued to look for something for breakfast. I settled on a banana and a granola bar and headed out the door without saying anything to Josh, him following behind me. I heard him sigh as we got into the car. Ensuring he wouldn't talk to me, I put my headphones in my ears and turned on my music.

Once we were at school, the two of us wordlessly parted. No one approached me until I got into my English class just before Ryan, Jude, Ian, and Fox. Ryan stopped at my desk and tapped on it so I would remove my headphones.

"Sit with us," Ryan commanded lightly, motioning his head toward the back of the room where the others were sat.

I looked to the door, thinking of Nadia and Lexa, but quickly decided I would go sit with the guys. It wasn't like Nadia and Lexa paid much attention to me in this class. Following Ryan, I headed to the back of the room and sat beside Jude and in front of Ian.

When our teacher allowed us to begin working on our homework together at the end of class, Ryan, Jude and I turned our desks around to face Ian and Fox so the five of us could work together. I worked on my notes for the reading while the others talked. I wasn't really in the mood to hold a conversation with them.

"You in, Ellis?" Ryan asked, causing me to look up from my notes.

"What?"

"The guys are coming to mine for the Bruins game tonight after practice, you in?" he asked me again.

I shook my head. "No thanks."

My anger at Josh was unintentionally carrying over to the other guys and the last thing I wanted to do was hang out with them tonight, mostly because Josh would be there.

"What?" Fox questioned. "You're not watching the game tonight?"

"No, I am," I answered, closing my book with a sigh and twisting the bracelet on my wrist between my fingers. "By myself, in my room. Alone."

I was met with strange looks from the guys as if they couldn't fathom the idea of me wanting to be alone for the night.

"Are you pissed at us or something?" Fox asked me with an unreadable expression.

I just shook my head and sat back in my seat. None of the guys said anything about it after that and for that, I was grateful.

Part of me felt bad for blowing them off, but I was still mad at Josh that I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself if I had to spend the night with him. My relationship with Josh continued to be strained and his loyalty to my father only made it worse. It was like we were on opposing sides, being forced together but the harder we were pushed, the more we repelled each other.

My mood didn't pick up by the time lunch rolled around. I sat between Lexa and Nadia, who were arguing over me. Across from me, Trevor sent me an apologetic smile while the two girls spat curses at each other.