A Frozen Heart {ON HOLD}

Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

I finished the last algebra equation of my maths homework and glanced up to look at Brea. She was sitting silently, hugging her knees and staring into space. It was scary because she was crying without any emotion, like she was in a horror movie.

"You ok?" I asked quietly. She just nodded.

"Ok," I said, then took out my art pad to complete the hand drawing I hadn't finished in class.

A few minutes later, she said,"you know, Elsa, I think am overreacting."

"Brea, of course you're no-"

"Because if someone practically forgot about you for six years, it means they don't care about you. I'm caring about someone who didn't care about me. It doesn't make sense," she said slowly, really scaring me. I am sure these weren't healthy thoughts!

"No, it doesn't mean that, it just means you have more of a heart than-"

"No, no, it doesn't mean that," she interrupted. "It means I'm being stupid. He's gone, he'll never want me back."

"Brea-" I tried to begin.

"No, Elsa. He's in the past. The past is in the past. He disowned me. Got rid of me. It's finished."

She jumped off the side of the bed she had been sitting, causing my pencils to roll around me.

"Now let's go and do something!" she said with a strange smile. Then she forced me to put my homework away, and we went downstairs.

"Do you wanna bake something?" I asked Brea as we headed to one of the kitchens we heard chatter and laughter coming from.

"Want-to," Mum said, passing us just that second. "Don't forget your 't's!" Brea laughed and I just rolled my eyes. Mum's really fussy about manners and speech and all that stuff.

Holly and Charlotte were talking together when we walked in. Holly was sitting on the long wide (and very shiny) counter, drying off the dished Charlotte was washing and passing her. When we both came in they stopped.

"Hey girls," Charlotte said. "Need anything?" Then her eyes wandered over to Brea, and she added sympathetically,"oh, and I'm really sorry." Holly nodded and added a "me too". Brea just shrugged, making Holly and Charlotte exchange worried glances. Holly blinked at the door and I understood she wanted to talk to me later.

"We wanna bake something," I said, changing the subject. Charlotte smiled.

"Ok, what do you wanna bake?"

"'T's girls!" Mum called from outside. She peeped in with a colourful feather duster. We have quite a few servants but she always helps them out and likes to do some housework herself.

I have no idea why.

"Again, it's 'want-to'," she said.

"Sorry, Mrs B," Charlotte said. Mum went back to work again.

"Chococolate chip cookies?" I asked Brea. "Or super crazy ice cream sundaes?"

"Chococolate chip cookies?" Brea repeated, looking confused.

"Chocolate chip cookies with extra and also different types of chocolate," Charlotte and I said together. She added,"they're amazing."

"Delicious," Holly confirmed. "Or why don't you make both, and put some cookies in the sundaes?"

"Good idea!" I said, grinning at her. "I could use some tasty energy right now! Are we training afterwards?"

"Yes," she replied. "Mrs Camber has a new list of warmups and gear for you to try." I tried not to grimace too obviously. Sometimes I feel like I'm a test subject. Especially when I'm put behind one of Mrs Camber's screens. Recently I've been lying on a hospital-like bed, with a blue laser constantly scanning over me. The anaesthetic makes sure I don't feel any pain, but often I see puffs of shimmery blue powder, which look strangely identical to my ice blasts, rolling off my chest and into a vent on the ceiling. I'm not sure whether it's because I'm dreaming, or because of the anaesthetic.

Fifteen minutes later Brea and I were taking turns to knead the cookie dough.

"Mmm, this going to be soooo good," Brea said, sprinkling a little more flour onto the board. Then she pushed the dough to me, and I began to make it as pliant as possible, when Brea picked a big white chocolate chunk out of the bag and nibbled on it.

"Hey!" I said, swatting away her hand. "Those are for the cookies!" She shrugged and pulled another chunk out, just as Holly came over to us.

"Want any help?" she asked, also taking a chocolate chunk from the bag. She was about to reach for another one when I snapped,"freeze!"

There was a slight whoosh! and suddenly thick ice had clasped her hands still together.

There was a shocked silence as we all stared at the chunk of ice swallowing her fists. The surface began to ripple as it melted.

"Elsa, honey," Holly said quietly. "What was that?"