Page 9 of Jesse and the Ice Princess
Hadley, on the other hand, wore a pair of sweatpants with the school name down her long leg. A zip up sweatshirt hung open over a Tampa Bay Lightning t-shirt. The girl loved hockey almost as much as Charlotte's dad. Her blond hair sat in a messy bun on the top of her head.
She wasn't the right kind of girl, according to Grace Morrison. Maybe that was what drew Charlotte to her when they were in middle school. She was so different from Charlotte's prim and proper life.
The ironic thing was, Hadley lived in a better part of Gulf City, the McMansion-dotted Wentworth neighborhood. She just didn’t flaunt her family’s wealth, or care about it at all.
Hadley looped her arm with Charlotte's. "So, my little Charlie, how was winter break? And if you tell me you spent the entire time training, I'm going to stab my eyes out."
One corner of Charlotte's mouth curved up. Her best friend was always dramatic. "Well, wouldn't want you going blind. I just won't tell you."
She pushed through the front door, dragging Charlotte into the wide entryway of the school already teeming with students. "Anyone ever tell you you're hopeless?"
"I prefer driven."
"Boring."
"Determined."
Hadley leveled her with a stare. "Charlotte Morrison, if you don't have fun with me soon, I think I'm going to cry."
"No, you're not."
"Fine, but I will drag you kicking and screaming to the rink."
Charlotte laughed. "I'm already there all the time, anyway."
"Oh no, no-no. We aren't going to work on your twirly dos and spinoramas."
"They have names, but go on making fun."
Hadley gasped and turned to Charlotte. "I would never. You know it's wicked cool what you do, right?"
She shrugged. To her, it was just life.
Hadley gripped her upper arms. "You, dear Charlie, are amazing." She was the only person other than Charlotte's dad who called her Charlie. "But, all work and no play—"
"Don't finish that. I'm not dull."
Hadley flashed a grin. "Sure thing, Ice Princess." She'd always found the nickname Charlotte's classmates had given her to be hilarious. Charlotte didn't mind when Hadley said it, but a few days ago when it left the lips of Jesse Carrigan, it stung.
Charlotte pushed her arms away. "So, you said you wanted to go to the rink with me?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Sure?"
"You didn't sound too confident, but I'll take it. On Friday, tell your mom you're staying at my house. Oh, and bring your dad's keys to the rink." She flashed a final grin before bouncing toward her locker.
Hadley Gibson was going to get her into a lot of trouble. And somehow, Charlotte didn't care. Her friend was right. She didn't want to graduate in a few months and realize she'd never had an ounce of fun.
Someone bumped into Charlotte but didn't even look her way as they kept walking. She lifted her chin and walked down the hall as if none of these kids bothered her, as if she didn't care one bit for them or what they thought of her.
They wanted an ice princess, and she was good at giving it to them.
Slipping her books under her arm, she spun the dial on her locker. Only clear backpacks were allowed in the halls of Gulf City High, so most students chose not to carry them at all. She shoved her books inside the locker, only keeping her Chem book with her.
Hadley appeared, ready to walk to their first class. It was the only one they had together.
In the science wing, Jesse Carrigan and Roman Sullivan stood outside the door to the lab, people crowded around them. Girls, boys, no one seemed to be able to get enough of the braindead twins.
