Page 10 of Jesse and the Ice Princess
Hadley shouldered her way through the crowd, creating a path for Charlotte. Once they were safe inside, they sat behind their normal lab table at the front of the room. Around them, students filtered in, talking continuously.
Charlotte was not a talker. She preferred to listen. It was probably a result of being brought up in such a quiet house.
"Ladies." Roman appeared before them, rapping his knuckles against their table. He flashed them a grin as if he expected them to fall at his feet.
Hadley blushed as if she wanted to. "What's up, Rome?" She leaned forward resting her chin in her hand. "You have a good break?"
His grin widened. "It was delicious."
Delicious? What did that even mean? Charlotte scowled. "That makes no sense."
Hadley kicked her under the table. "She means it sounds fun."
He laughed. "Yeah, sure." Then he moved on to talk to a couple of girls at the next table who might actually swoon over him.
"What is your problem?" Hadley hissed.
"Roman Sullivan is a jerk."
"What did he say that was jerk-like?" She shook her head. "Those boys..." She nodded to where Roman had joined Jesse. "Come on, even you have to admit they're totally cute."
"I don't have to admit anything. I don't even know why they're at the top of this school. Their team sucks."
"You take that back." Hadley chewed on her lip, a clear sign even she didn't believe her next words, words the entire school pretended were true. "They're awesome."
"No, they're not. They haven't won a single game. Not even my dad can help their incompetence. This school shouldn't be obsessed with a loser team who can't give their fans anything to cheer about."
"Loser team, huh?" Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut, hoping she was imagining the voice.
"Hadley, tell me Jesse isn't standing in front of us."
"Sorry, babe." Hadley laughed. "Might want to open your eyes."
Charlotte lifted her face to regard Jesse Carrigan. "Do you make a habit of listening to private conversations?"
His lips twitched, but he didn't smile. "Do you make a habit of trashing your dad's hockey team?"
"Did I say anything that wasn't true?" She refused to be just another one of the girls in this school who did whatever "the king" said.
"Why don't you like me, Morrison?" He sounded genuinely curious, like it was a preposterous notion for someone not to worship the ground he walked on.
"Well, Carrigan, you've never given me a reason to." She narrowed her eyes. "Maybe try winning a game. Then you might at least have my respect."
"We can't all be robots in tulle, Ice Princess."
Charlotte opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out.
Instead, Hadley leaned forward. "My girl could skate circles around your little hockey players. Move along to people who actually want to talk to you." Charlotte had never appreciated Hadley more than in that moment. She was one of those girls who wanted to talk to Jesse and Charlotte knew it. She had a weird obsession with the popular crowd. And for the most part, they liked her. She could have been one of them, but she never wanted to abandon Charlotte.
Jesse pursed his lips, surveying her for a moment longer as if searching for cracks in her fragile china facade.
"Jess," Roman called. "Leave the girl alone. She's too good for this school, right Charlotte?"
Charlotte's cheeks reddened, and she ducked her head, avoiding her classmates’ stares.
Jesse sat at the table behind her with Roman, and Charlotte wondered if she imagined his whispered words. "That was mean, dude."
Roman waited a moment before responding. "And what she said wasn't?"
