Ice Skates & Guitar Strings

Chapter 12- A Thousand Stars

 “Pete!” his voice called out as we walked back into the house. Some guy with really dark hair and pale skin came towards us.
            “Andy!” he greeted, but then locked eyes with me.
            “Who’s this?”
            “Meet the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.” He said looking to me to give my name.
            “Lisa.” I lied.
            “Pretty name for such a pretty girl.” Pete winked.
            “Thanks.” I smiled. “Actually I should find my friends. I need to know how I’m getting home.”
            “What’s the rush? It’s barely midnight.” Andy pointed out. “Why don’t you hang out with us and have a few drinks?”
            “I don’t want to impose; or keep you from your friends.”
            “It’s just the two of us Lisa.”
            “Oh, well okay.” I nodded. “I need a drink.”
            “Let’s all get one.” Pete suggested leading me to the kitchen. I started making a vodka cranberry as soon as I saw the bottle of clear fluid.
            “Wait, let’s do some shots!” Andy suggested.
            “With what?” 
            “Pornstars! I just found a whole pitcher full.” Pete exclaimed. I blushed at the name.
            “Pornstars?”
            “Vulgar name, but they taste delicious. Almost like Sour Puss, just not as sour.”
            “Sour Puss?” I questioned. The two guys looked at me like I had two heads.
            “Bring on the Sour Pussies!” Pete shouted. “You’re trying these two drinks. They’re the best for parties.” As I sipped my cranberry, the two guys obtained a pitcher of purplish fluid and two bottles filled with some vibrant green liquid from the fridge.
            “Get three shot glasses from the sink.” Andy called to Pete as we tried to find an empty space to do shots.
            “We should do them outside, there’s no room in here.” I suggested.
            “Aren’t there picnic tables or something?” Pete pointed out.
            “Yeah let’s go.”
            I opened the door to the backyard again so we could drink the rest of the night away.
***************
            “It’s too soon for my girls to leave.” Mother said as she hugged us outside.
            “We would love to stay, but we have classes.” Anna answered.
            “Still, I wish you two didn’t grow up so fast.”
            “I know mom. We didn’t want to grow up either.” I said the truth. She gave us one final squeeze before letting us go.
            “Take care you two.” She smiled.
            “We will, and tell dad we say goodbye.” I said. He had an emergency conference call to tend to… in California. He said goodbye to us, but it still got me mad that he didn’t even think about taking mom with him.
            “Take these.” Mother said handing us a cookie tin. “And try not to finish them before you get back on campus.”
            “Tough when you have this one as your passenger.” I smirked gesturing to Anna.
            “I’ll save you two.” She laughed.
            “Of the smallest ones.” I rolled my eyes. Mother laughed at our bantering and gave us both a kiss on the cheek.
            “Love you Mom.” We both said to her before turning away. Mother grabbed my wrist to tell me something.
            “Remember what I said. Be happy.”
            I nodded and made my way to the car.
            “Ready to go back to Chicago?” Anna asked as she buckled in.
            “Ready, but I’m not excited.”
            “Not excited to see Jack?”
            “Except for that.” I blurted before I could stop myself and pulled out of the driveway.
*************
            “I’m actually looking forward to classes again.” I admitted as I walked out of the bus with Hiccup.
            “Are you crazy? Or did Anna slip something in your coffee this morning?”
            “Actually, I get to get away from my father and his obsession with his company.” I said. “He barely saw us this break, and left my mom while he went to California for a conference.”
            “Okay, what’s up with him? My dad’s not even that obsessed with his own company.”
            “I don’t know. And I really wish I could say I don’t care, but-“
            “He’s dragging you with him.”
            “Yeah.” I sighed. Hiccup grabbed the sleeve of my jacket to stop us from walking.
            “Elsa, you should know… Never mind.” Hiccup stopped himself.
            “No, say it Hiccup.”
            He sighed.
            “Okay, but don’t take this too hard, and remember that it’s not happening.”
            “Okay…What’s not happening?”
            “When we were at dinner I overheard our parents talking. They were having a normal conversation until-“
            “Until…?”
            “Your dad tried to arrange a marriage between you and me or you and Julian.”
            My breath just hitched in my throat out of pure shock. I wasn’t surprised that he would try to arrange something for me, I was more surprised that it would be so goddamn soon.
            “That bastard.” I grumbled.
            “I’m sorry Elsa.”
            “Why now?... And why isn’t it happening?”
            “What?”
            “How come the arrangement isn’t happening?”
            “My dad and Julian’s dad shut him down. They know about Astrid and Q, and they have known about them for a few years. My dad even has a real bond with Astrid considering they like more masculine things; Same with Julian’s dad and Q.”
            “Wow, if only I had a dad like that.” I sighed.
            I don’t think dad would approve of Jack like that at all. I can only imagine him strangling Jack if he saw me with him… or maybe the other way around.
            “He really should change his mind set. Yeah you’re the heir of one of the biggest companies in the world, but you have a life.”
            “Trust me Hiccup, I know, Anna knows, my mother knows, every single person in America knows, but you really think that will change his mind?”
            “… True.” It was useless to fight or talk about it now since the conversation would lead to nowhere.
            “Look, let’s drop it.” I sighed. “I’ll see you later.”
            I ran into the building before Hiccup could protest or say anything. Whenever I talk about that subject, things always go bad. Last time I had that conversation with one of my friends, I went to a party…
**********
Journal Entry #12
            My dreams are getting worse. I don’t get it; I thought with this new start in University, new friends and all, I’d expect my life to start to turn around. However it’s been the exact opposite. My dreams at night have gotten extremely vivid and last so much longer. It’s almost as if I will never be able to move on from my past even though that’s all I strive to do.
            So please tell me Professor, tell me how I can move on from my dark past so I can get on with the life that I really want. Even though you aren’t allowed to answer these types of questions, I’m pleading that you do.
************
            I didn’t even realize I was crying until some of my tears began to fall into my notebook. As if on cue, my phone started to ring. I flipped it over to see his face on the screen.
            “Crap.” I hissed as I furiously wiped away my tears and tried to calm my voice.
            “Hello?” I answered.
            “Hey Elsa.” Jack greeted.
            “What’s up?” my shaky voice replied.
            “Noth- wait are you crying?”
            “It’s nothing. I was just getting really emotional.”
            “Are you okay? What happened?”
            “Is Badass Jack worrying about me?”
            “That’s a good one.”
            “Well before it was Badass Jackass, so…”
            “That was your name for me?”
            “Yes it was, but I think you’ve gone soft.” I smirked. In the phone I was able to hear lots of background noise, almost as if he was…
            “Are you driving right now?”
            “Yeah, I’m coming to see you.”
            “What? Why?”
            “Because of your emotional state and I want to see you.”
            “Jack I’m fine.” I groaned.  
            “Too late, I’m pulling into your parking lot now.” He laughed.
            “Jack!”
            “Elsa.” He mocked. “Get dressed, I’m taking you out.”
            “It’s 9PM on a Thursday night.”
            “Exactly. I’m on the elevator now. If you’re not ready by the time I get there then I’m dragging you out, even if you’re in your fluffy snowflake pyjamas.”
            I was actually wearing those pyjamas at that exact moment.
            “Fine, you’re really annoying you know.”
            “I know.” He hung up. I put my phone down and quickly stripped off my comfy cloths to wear leggings and a baggy sweater… still comfortable, but not as embarrassing to be seen in.
            Just as I grabbed my phone from my desk, there was a knock on the door.
            “Who’s that?!” Anna asked from the kitchen.
            “I’ll be back in a while.” I said walking to the door.
            “You know it’s cool if you don’t come back tonight.” She winked. I tensed up realizing what I just heard and tried to calm myself before I opened the door.
            “Ready to go?” Jack smirked.
            “If it’s somewhere without any extreme weather then yes I am.”
            “Good.” He said taking my wrist. “Let’s go.”
****************
            “Is there a reason you blindfolded me at 9PM on a Thursday right before I got in your car?” I asked.
            “Yes.”
            “Are you taking me some place to murder me?”
            “If I were, then you’ll find out when I pull over.” He smirked.
            “Right.”
            “And besides, why would I want to murder a girl I actually like hanging out with?”
            “Debt, she knows something she wouldn’t, revenge-“
            “None apply here.”
            “Or you could be a psychopath and planned the whole thing.”
            “Oh totally, I killed a guy last week, and then his girlfriend because she saw me do it.” He teased.
            “Mighty unwise of you to take me to the same spot.”
            “Who said I was taking you there?” he said as I felt his car slow down and halt to a stop.
            “We’re here already?”
            “We’re not that far from the city.” He said getting out of the car. He ran to my side so he could open the door and guide me out.
            “Can I take off the blindfold?”
            “Nope, just take my hand and I’ll guide you.” He said as he began leading me forward. Under my shoes I could feel the surface of gravel and the air around us was fresher than normal.
            “Are we in a forest?” I asked.
            “Just wait.” We walked for a bit longer, then I was no longer stepping on gravel.
            “Okay.” He sighed untying the blindfold. “Here we are.”
            As the cloth fell from my eyes, I was standing on a rock overlooking a sky full of stars and a lake with trees all around. The water acted like a mirror, creating an infinite sky.
            “Where are we?” I gasped and the beautiful sight.
            “Jackson Park.” He replied as he brought us to sit down.
            “Of course you’d pick this park of all parks.”
            “Actually, I spend a lot of time here; especially at night.”
            “Why?”
            “Because the park’s closed and there’s nobody here.”
            Oh dear god, I’m breaking the rules… again.
            “How’d you even get in here without getting caught?” I questioned.
            “Same way we went to the Bean, connections.” He chuckled as he sat down on a rock by the edge of the water. I took the seat beside him and leaned on his side.
            “The only thing missing is-“ I started, but stopped as he pulled out a small speaker from his pocket. He began to play one of the albums we enjoyed talking about; Ed Sheeran.
            ‘When your legs don’t work like they used to before…’
            “You thought of everything, haven’t you?”
            “Well, kind of.” He said leaning his head onto mine. We remained silent, but with one hand in the other for a long time. It was nice, comfortable, beautiful even; I felt really good to be with him like this. When the song ended, that’s when Jack spoke up.
            “So are you going to tell me, or do I have to ask?”
            “Ask me what?”
            “Why you were crying on the phone.”
            “I wasn’t crying.” I lied.
            “Elsa, your eyes are still red and puffy. Plus you suck at lying.” I looked down to hide my face, but Jack squeezed my hand.
            “You still don’t trust me.” He sighed.
            “Jack-“
            “It’s okay. With what I’m labeled with I’m not surprised.”
            “I was going to say I wouldn’t have come with you if I didn’t trust you.”
            “Actually you came with me so you wouldn’t make a scene in front of Anna… And I want to be here with you. Jack squeezed my hand and stood up.
            “I just wanted to ask you something, and I want you to be as honest as possible.” He said facing me.
            “Okay… should I be concerned?”
            “Maybe.” He pursed his lips.
            My blood immediately ran cold and butterflies in my stomach went into a frenzy. Either he was playing a sick joke to hesitate to create suspense, or this question was really serious. Jack took a breath before asking.
            “What are we doing?”
            That wasn’t expected.
            “What do you mean?” I asked.
            “Why are we doing this?”
            “We’re hanging out… because we’ve gotten relatively closer.”
            “But why are you here with me? Don’t you know who I am?”
            “You’re Jack Frost-“
            “The guy who killed someone.” That’s when it hit me as to what he was really asking.
            “You think I see you how other people see you.” I waited for his answer, but his silence confirmed it.
            “Why don’t you?” he questioned. “I don’t scare you for some odd reason, no matter what people say about me I still see you trying to find ways to be with me, even skipping things with your own friends. So my question to you is why?”
            I think it was my confusion and offense that made me give such an angry response; angry but truthful.
            “Do you not want me to be with you?” I countered.
            “Answer the question.” He snapped.
“Fine. Did it ever occur to you that I may actually want to be with you? That I actually care about you? Does it occur to you that maybe I don’t give a shit about what people say because the past is in the past? Why can’t you see that I actually like you, genuinely love the way you are!”
            “Love?”
            My stomach dropped down to the ground. Did I really just say that?
            “I don’t mean…” I trailed because deep inside I knew that was a lie and I’ve been lying for a long time.
            Jack said nothing; instead he took my hand and pulled me to my feet. He led me to the edge of the water. In this beautiful moment he held me close, but did not say a word.
            “What’s wrong?” I asked. He raised his hand to meet my cheek and brush some hair away.
            “Nothing.” He murmured. “Say it again.”
            “Say what again?”
            “You already know the answer to that.” He looked deep into my eyes. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears and my blood pressure slowly begin to rise, but the words he was looking for rose up my throat and escaped from my lips.
            “I love you.” I said with utmost sincerity.
            Jack leaned in and closed the gap between our lips. Even though he didn’t say it back, I could feel his response in the kiss and that was okay. Like Ed Sheeran said
‘Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your hand on my beating heart
I’m thinking out loud.
Darling we found love right where we are…’

Well... That's a record for not posting. Sorry guys, it won't happen again. I had a tiny rough patch, and it's all good now so i can post much sooner. And it took me really long to figure out how to write this part.... so yeah. Tell me what you think of this chapter.... because i have OTS planned for the next chapter. Luv you all!!! Happy Reading ;)