Frostbitten

by Heather Beck

  After arriving home from the hospital, Anastasia’s grandfather had lectured her non-stop about how careless and dangerous it was to be in the woods, especially at night and with a wild animal on the loose. She didn’t have a chance to explain or defend herself, far less update them on Chloe’s condition. In fact, she’d probably still be getting yelled at right now if it wasn’t for her grandmother’s insistence that he calm down and they all go to bed.

  Sighing, Anastasia got up, preparing to spend another sleepless night in bed. If she was going to torture herself by dwelling on the terrifying cougar attack and the odd conversation between the medical assistants, she might as well be comfortable.

  Anastasia had just slipped into her silk pajamas when she heard a light thud against her window. Frowning with concern, she wrapped her black robe around herself and then proceeded to the window. When she pulled the curtains aside and peered out, she saw Frost about to toss another snowball at her window. Immediately, he smiled in that sheepish manner which never ceased to soften her heart.

  Quickly, Anastasia opened her screen-less window, shivering as the cool air blew inside. “You found me,” she said quietly, not sure if she was whispering so her grandparents wouldn’t hear, or merely because the situation was so romantic that it almost seemed unreal.

  “You found me, so it’s only natural that I’d find you,” Frost whispered back, while stepping forward and then leaning against the windowsill.

  “Technically, Kate was the one who found you,” she pointed out teasingly.

  “Let’s ignore that unpleasant fact because you were the one I was trying to impress. You seriously don’t think I always sit topless in front of my fireplace, flexing my muscles, do you?” He laughed softly. “Since you went to such trouble to spy on me, I thought I might as well put on a show.”

  “How did you know we were there?” Anastasia pried.

  “Call it a gift, or an extra sense, or whatever you like.”

  Frost was obviously playing with Anastasia, and she knew that he wouldn’t be giving her real answers anytime soon. However, that hardly mattered because other thoughts which were much more pressing currently occupied her mind.

  Bringing herself closer to Frost, Anastasia spoke in her most seductive tone, “You do know this is considered stalking, right?”

  “Then ask me to leave,” Frost replied, not missing a beat.

  Anastasia cast Frost a flirtatious half-smile. He was so gorgeous and manly that she felt her knees going weak. Everything about him enticed her, and she definitely couldn’t resist her feelings for him. She bit her lip until it hurt, in an attempt to control her mind from wandering to thoughts of what might happen if he came inside. Anastasia wanted Frost, and have him she must.

  “Hypocrite,” he teased a second later, interrupting her growing fantasies. “I actually came by to see how you were doing.”

  “Like I said earlier, I’m fine,” Anastasia replied, disappointed that he wasn’t responding to her flirting. “Aren’t you cold out there?”

  “No. I like it this way,” Frost stated.

  “Weirdo,” Anastasia continued to tease.

  “So they say.”

  “Not me,” Anastasia said, quickly turning serious. “I do want to ask you something, though. What’s up with you and Kate? Sorry to say, but it seems like she has some sort of vendetta against you.”

  “Oh, she does, all because that little bitch didn’t get her way for once.” Frost instantly appeared to regret his words. “You wouldn’t believe me, so what does it matter?”

  “Give me a chance, Frost. You might be surprised.”

  He sighed deeply before speaking. “Kate singled me out on my first day at Cedar Falls High. She’d never talk to me during the day, but after school, she wouldn’t leave me alone. At first I was flattered, but soon it became creepy. Tonight wasn’t the first time Kate’s been at my window – it used to be her favorite extracurricular activity until my parents told her parents that it had to stop. I guess she was embarrassed as hell, and she just wouldn’t let it go. Trying to make my life miserable became her new hobby and it continues to this day.”

  There was a moment of silence until, despite her best efforts, Anastasia began to laugh. All of Kate’s odd behavior, from her constant need to put Frost down to belittling Anastasia for spending time with him, now made sense. Shakespeare was right when he wrote, the lady doth protest too much. Anastasia just never expected that the truth would be this scandalous.

  “It’s not funny,” Frost claimed, trying to look stern even though the corners of his mouth twitched with amusement. “It was a very traumatic time for me.”

  “I’m sure it was,” Anastasia said, her laughter dying down, “but you’ll be even more traumatized to see the shrine she’s built for you in her bedroom. I’m talking about life-size portraits and a really weird voodoo love doll.”

  “Stop that,” Frost said playfully, while gently grabbing her hands, “or I’ll never tell you anything again.”

  Frost felt as warm as ever, but Anastasia no longer cared. All that mattered was the fact that his face was just inches away from hers. Being so close to him allowed her to look deeply into his mesmerizing eyes. They were the color of the ocean – beautiful, endless and full of secrets. Unable to resist any longer, Anastasia placed her hand behind Frost’s neck and brought his lips toward hers. Their lips hardly brushed together when he gently pulled away to kiss her forehead instead. His kiss lingered, soft and loving, but Anastasia still felt her heart sink with disappointment. She’d thought that he’d wanted this as much as she did. How could she have been so wrong?

  “I want to ask you something,” Frost muttered, while slowly running his fingers along the side of Anastasia’s face in a slightly nervous manner. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

  Taken aback, Anastasia stared at Frost. She hadn’t been expecting that at all. It was such a sweet gesture, but she found herself apprehensive about the idea. Anastasia hated labeling anything, especially relationships since they always ended in heartache. On top of that concern, she also knew that everyone would be against them dating.

  “Please say something,” Frost begged, “because it feels like my heart’s going to explode.”

  “I don’t make a good girlfriend,” Anastasia blurted out, wanting to be completely honest with him. “Trouble follows me wherever I go, and I have issues – a lot of them.”

  Frost lightly touched Anastasia’s lips with his index finger, as if to stop her from speaking negatively about herself. “You’re also independent, brave, caring, and needless to say, the most beautiful girl – woman – I’ve ever seen. You have a lot more going for you than against you.”

  “How can I say no after that?” Anastasia whispered with a small smile, no longer allowing her fears and past experiences to dictate her present life. “I’d love to be your girlfriend.”

  As they smiled at each other, Anastasia felt the rush of their forbidden love. It was special but also dangerous, and if her grandparents ever found out, they would possibly send her back to Toronto. Nevertheless, it was so worth the risk.

  “I’m afraid our first date will have to wait,” Anastasia continued. “I’m so grounded, and I...”

  “I get it,” Frost interrupted. “This can be our little secret for as long as you like.”

  “Thank you,” Anastasia responded sincerely.

  “You have my number – please use it,” Frost said as he began to retreat from her window.

  “Actually, I don’t...” Anastasia started to say. However, her words were cut short as a strong gust of wind appeared seemingly out of nowhere and whipped her hair in front of her face. When the wind died down and she could see clearly again, Frost was gone. Anastasia leaned out the window in search of him, but she still couldn’t find him.

  Shivering, Anastasia closed the window. Her bedroom was now very chilly, so she hurried to bed, anxious to get under the warm duvet. As she went, a small note which lay on the floor
caught her attention. After picking it up, she quickly realized that it was Frost’s phone number.

  What the hell? Anastasia thought in confusion, while staring at the familiar handwriting. She had no idea how Frost could have put that note in her bedroom. However, if his intentions were to be sexy and mysterious, it was definitely working. Anastasia was charmed by Frost, and she was left wanting more – a lot more.

  * * *

  Part Five: Troublemaker

  Anastasia entered Cedar Falls Hospital the following afternoon, experiencing an array of emotions. She felt guilty for being so happy about her new relationship status with Frost, even though her concern for Chloe overshadowed everything else. She was also worried about running into Mr. Fairbanks. The last thing she wanted was another fight, or worse than that, to be told she wasn’t allowed to see Chloe.

  Uncertain of where to find her friend, Anastasia went to the administrative desk in the emergency ward. “I’m looking for a patient who was admitted last night,” she said, after reaching the front of a very long line. “Her name is Chloe Fairbanks.”

  “Let me check,” the young medical assistant replied, before turning to her computer. “She’s in the ICU, room number thirteen. That ward is right beside us. You can’t miss it.”

  “Thank you,” Anastasia said. She was slightly taken aback to hear that Chloe was in intensive care. Yesterday, the nurse had said Chloe was going to be fine, so what was she doing in a ward like that?

  Trying to forget about how much she disliked hospitals, Anastasia hurried to the ICU, following the increasing numbers on the doors until she reached room thirteen. She knocked lightly upon the door, but even after several moments, there was no response. Unwavering in her pursuit to see Chloe, Anastasia entered anyway.

  The private room, which was painted a sterile shade of white, was small, windowless and very minimalistic. It looked like a place to die rather than to get better, and when Anastasia’s eyes fell upon Chloe, who was sleeping in bed, she felt her heart break. Chloe was attached to a scary-looking machine that monitored her vitals, and she had the largest bandage Anastasia had ever seen wrapped around her injured arm. Just as disconcerting was how shockingly pale and weak she appeared.

  Sitting in the chair beside Chloe’s bed, Anastasia gently reached for her hand, noting how it felt a little cold. She knew it was good for Chloe to get a lot of rest, but she looked so distant and almost lifeless that it scared Anastasia. Unable to stand seeing her like this, she yearned for the times when Chloe was happy and healthy.

  “Do you remember when we snuck out to go camping?” Anastasia asked softly, even though she knew that Chloe couldn’t hear her. “We were only seven, and it was my last day of summer vacation, so we wanted to spend as much time together as possible.”

  Anastasia smiled as the memories came to the forefront of her mind, as vivid as though they’d happened yesterday. “You brought your old play tent, and when dusk fell, we trekked into the woods. It seemed like we’d been walking forever when we came upon that pretty little clearing with the most amazing view of the stars. By that point, I was hungry and not having taken my own food, you didn’t hesitate to give me half of your sandwich.”

  For a moment, she stopped talking, thinking about how typical it was for Chloe to behave so selflessly. She then continued, “We must’ve been out there for hours, just chatting and giggling like the silly girls we were. That was also the night we exchanged friendship bracelets – I still have mine, you know.”

  Anastasia paused once again, this time suddenly turning somber. “It was all fun and games, but then we started to get cold and scared. Little did we know, your parents and my grandparents had organized a search party, and when my grandpa found us, he was so angry. You tried to take the blame, probably thinking it would make him stop yelling at me. That was the first and only time I’d seen my grandpa mad – until now, of course.”

  The room became silent again as Anastasia watched Chloe sleep, her gentle breathing making her chest rise and fall in perfect rhythm. More than likely, it was a sedative or painkiller which was offering her the temporary relief. Anastasia knew that Chloe was the last person who deserved to be in this situation, and it all seemed like the cruelest of ironies.

  The sound of the door opening startled Anastasia out of her thoughts, and when she turned around, she saw Chloe’s doctor enter the room.

  “I didn’t know Ms. Fairbanks had a visitor,” he said in a friendly tone.

  “How is she?” Anastasia asked abruptly, completely forgetting her manners.

  “I’m afraid I can’t release any details about her condition to non-family members,” he replied, beginning to flip through a folder which probably contained the information she was seeking. “Mr. Fairbanks is on his way here. You’re welcome to stay and ask him.”

  “Um, it’s okay,” Anastasia muttered, knowing that she wouldn’t get any information from him. “Thanks, anyway.”

  As Anastasia left the room and walked through the ICU ward, she realized that she’d have to wait until Chloe was awake to get answers. Unfortunately, that moment seemed like it would never come.

  Passing by the emergency ward on her way to exit, Anastasia heard a commotion, like someone was yelling incoherently, while another person tried to calm him down. Within seconds, she saw an occupied gurney being rushed toward the ER by a worried-looking paramedic. As they crossed her path, she was able to get a clear view of the injured man, and immediately, she felt nauseous. She knew that man as Pete – a one-time drunkard who’d since turned his life around and now worked closely with her grandfather at Rural Mart. Pete had obviously just suffered a traumatic accident because half of his face was covered in a blood-stained bandage, and he wouldn’t stop talking, although the only words she could decipher were out-of-nowhere and those eyes.

  As Pete and the paramedic disappeared into the ER, Anastasia’s mind raced with thoughts about what could’ve happened to him. From Pete’s camouflaged-patterned outfit to his eerie words, she guessed that he’d been hunting in the woods. If that was the case, then maybe he’d been attacked by an animal, just like Chloe. Shivering, Anastasia began to suspect that something very strange was occurring in Cedar Falls Woods.

  * * *

  It was an unusually cold Monday morning as Anastasia thanked her grandmother for the ride and then entered Cedar Falls High. Without Chloe, Anastasia felt alone and also a little self-conscious. She couldn’t even hang out with Frost because it would create more gossip, resulting in her grandparents discovering the truth about their relationship. No matter what she did, she’d still end up by herself.

  Hurrying through the hallway on route to her locker, Anastasia felt that she was being watched. It was a sense that she was very familiar with, but this time it seemed different. From the glares and snarky whispers, Anastasia suddenly realized that, for some reason, these students hated her.

  When Anastasia arrived at her locker, she was shocked to find Kate, Jill and another girl she didn’t recognize standing there with their arms crossed and sour expressions upon their faces. Marissa also stood beside them, appearing sufficiently awkward and keeping her head down as if she couldn’t bear to look at Anastasia. From the corner of her eye, Anastasia saw Frost standing nearby, looking on edge and ready to step in at any given moment. Knowing that he had her back, she walked toward the girls.

  “Can you please move?” Anastasia asked the girls, making sure that she concealed her slight nervousness.

  “I don’t think so,” Kate snapped unexpectedly.

  “Who do you think you are?” Jill added in an equally harsh tone. “You walk into our school and act like you own the place. Well, listen up, sweetie, it doesn’t work like that. You really crossed the line when you almost killed Chloe.”

  “When I what?” Anastasia practically shrieked. “Chloe’s my best friend. I’d never do anything to hurt her!”

  Kate snorted. “Get real, Anastasia. Everyone knows that Chloe’s my best friend.
Your odd obsession with her really has to stop.”

  “Kate and Marissa saw what you did,” the other girl spoke up. “You...”

  “Oh, wait, I’ve heard this one,” Anastasia interrupted in a sarcastic tone. “I lured Chloe into the deep, dark woods, while Kate and Marissa looked on, totally unable to stop me. Such a story rings so true, huh?” She then added in a stone-cold tone, “You’re the ones who need help. Now get the hell out of my way.”

  In the background, Anastasia heard Frost stifle a laugh. As Kate’s sneer deepened, it was clear that Frost’s support of Anastasia greatly angered her. Kate took a step forward right as the bell rang, signaling that class would soon start. The students, who had gathered to watch, along with Jill and the unidentified girl, reluctantly began to leave. However, Anastasia and Kate stood their ground, with Frost and Marissa, respectively, standing by them.

  “Is it hard?” Anastasia asked bitterly.

  “What?” Kate demanded, obviously pretending not to care.

  “Keeping track of your lies. I’m likely not your first victim.” Anastasia then turned to Marissa. “You know, I really liked you. I guess my judgment was pretty damn wrong.”

  Marissa remained silent, but her cheeks reddened and she was visibly ashamed. Instantly, Anastasia wondered why Marissa was so loyal to Kate. She’d never seen Kate display any real kindness or affection – other than for herself – and Marissa usually received the majority of her nastiness. Anastasia realized that Kate either had some serious dirt on her, or she just had no self-esteem. Both of these reasons seemed pretty bleak.