EXT- SCHOOL GARDEN
CONTINUATION. . .
"Promise me you won't tell Dhylan!" I begged, giving Oriel my most desperate puppy eyes.
She sighed like she was making the most painful decision of her life. "Okay, okay, I won't. But for the record—" she grabbed my hands again, puffing her cheeks like a kid, "I'm the one really against Ice. That clown would totally cheer you up instead!"
"I know."
Her eyes widened like I just betrayed her entire bloodline. "Wait—what do you mean you know?!"
"No need to panic!" I said quickly, pressing my fingers together like I was holding the tiniest grain of rice. "It's just a crush! A small, dippy, crushyy~"
Oriel crossed her arms, her "I'm judging you" aura shining brighter than the sun. This was definitely her protective side talking, not the soft one. I loved both, but sometimes she looked one glare away from signing a petition against Ice.
"Why do you hate him so much anyway?" I leaned toward her, bumping my shoulder against hers. "He's not that bad!"
Her eyes snapped to me like I said the most forbidden thing ever. "Not bad? You can only say that because you have a crush on him now!" she accused, stabbing the air with every syllable.
"Before—you were all 'Ice this, Ice that!' You called him an Iceberg! And the way he treats everyone, its tooooooo…" She took a deep breath, "…cold!"
I was about to fight back, but she didn't give me a chance.
"So strict, like he's perfect. Sure, his grades are perfect, but who knows what skeletons are in that snowy closet?"
I blinked at her dramatics. I've heard the Anti-Ice rant plenty of times, but this one deserved a medal.
"Plus!" she continued, "did you know he kicked out people again?" She stared like a reporter ready for a thesis defense.
My brain paused. Oh no. That incident.
"Around before semester break," Oriel said, sitting up straighter. "Like five people! Maybe six? Anyway, a lot! Randomly! I don't even know how he decides these things."
Then she suddenly stood up, looked around like a spy, and leaned close to my ear.
"They also said…" Oriel whispered dramatically, "he has a gun."
I gasped quietly, eyes wide. "It's not his fault! Those people broke the rules!" I argued. Then mumbled, "Probably…"
Do I tell her I was there? Nope. She'll have a heart attack.
"Still!" Oriel said, holding up a finger. "What kind of rule-breaking makes him kick rich people out? One of them was loaded!" She leaned back on the bench, shaking her head. "Like, really rich! How did he even pull that off?
Then she squinted suspiciously. "Do you think Ice is into… illegal stuff?"
For a moment, I imagined Ice in a leather jacket, shades on, riding a black motorbike like some movie villain, the handsome villain type. I snorted.
"No way! Ice and his family are totally normal people." My short hair brushed my cheek as I shook my head.
"You met his family?" Oriel asked, suddenly alert.
"Just his mom," I said quickly. "She's super kind—like the total opposite of him."
"Still," Oriel muttered, unconvinced, "how do you know Ice isn't mixed up in shady things?"
I pouted. "He's not! Believe me, Ice was just doing his job. Actually... it shouldn't even be his job," I muttered the last part under my breath, remembering that conversation in my bedroom—the one where he made himself sound like the villain for no reason. Almost cost me my lunch too!
The sun felt hotter on my skin, pressing against my shoulders as if it agreed I was in trouble. I could forgive those people if I wanted to, sure. Maybe I even did. But I couldn't stop Ice or tell him he was wrong.
Because, first—there's no way I can win against Ice.
And second... he's not really wrong anyway.
I stood up, brushing off the wrinkles on my skirt. Oriel's eyes followed me, confused but waiting, like she knew I was about to say something serious.
Maybe it's time. She's still my friend. She deserves to know—not just to defend Ice, but because keeping it feels unfair.
I reached up and touched the ends of my hair. I used to hate this length, but maybe… it's not so bad after all.
"Let's meet later. I'll tell you something," I said, pulling a small, bitter smile.
Next chapter:
A quiet hallway, a nervous classmate, and one name that makes Fire's heart twist.
Fire thought she was helping a shy classmate with a love problem.
But how do you survive the Ice Lord's glare when you've just been sacrificed to him?