Page 34 of Jesse and the Ice Princess
Jesse smiled, not telling him it was already taken care of. "Let me handle Charlie."
He leveled him with a stare. "Her name is Charlotte. Only I call her Charlie, and it's going to stay that way."
Jesse only winked as he turned toward the door with Damien close on his heels. Roman left the door partially open when he left, but Charlotte now stood on the other side of it.
Had she heard everything they said?
He sure hoped not, but by the tightness in her eyes and the frown on her face, he knew he wasn't that lucky.
10
Charlotte
"Ican't believe you get to hang out with Jesse Carrigan." Hadley leaned against the locker next to Charlotte's, her head tilted against the cool metal and a wistful smile on her face.
Charlotte shoved her books inside and pulled out her jacket. She couldn't believe it either, but for different reasons. If she had her way, she'd head home and go for a solo run as she normally did.
But he came to my practice,she thought.
She shook her head. Why did he come to her practice?
"With all due respect, sir, she has a mind of her own."
"She's a robot."
It wasn't nice to eavesdrop, but she'd gone to her dad's office to get the bottle of water she'd left in there. Okay, that was an excuse she used for her mom. She really wanted to find out what was happening with the three—count them, three—hockey players who'd shown up to watch her skate.
What was this world coming to?
"Did you hear me?" Hadley poked her. "Earth to Charlotte."
She closed her locker. "I'm not going to hang out with Jesse. The entire team will be there." She shrugged on her jacket.
"But, Charlie." She grabbed Charlotte's shoulders. "It's Jesse Carrigan." She said his name as if it should mean something. And it would to most girls.
Maybe it even did a little to Charlotte.
"And the team." She shrugged off her friend. "It's not like he actually invited me to hang. He needs me."
Hadley's smile widened, and Charlotte knew what she was thinking the moment the words left her mouth.
She swatted Hadley's shoulder. "As askatingconsultant. Get your mind out of the gutter, Hads." She started walking.
"But life is so much more fun in the gutter."
"He's desperate to win the game against Venice in two weeks. That's all. At this point, he'll do anything to avoid a season with zero wins. It's not like we live in the same stratosphere."
She's a robot.
No matter what else he said, she couldn't unhear those words. The sad thing was, she'd thought it of herself long before he did. But look at her now—off to hockey practice rather than an exhausting run and a tasteless dinner.
"You know what." Hadley sighed. "I'm about to fall on my sword here, so pay attention."
"Uh oh." Charlotte couldn't hide her smile. Her best friend was entertaining at least.
She grabbed Charlotte's arm and forced her to stop in the alcove by the door to the parking lot. Students crowded around them, all trying to escape after another long day.
"Charlie," she started. "Char Char... my little Charizard."
