Melting Hearts | ✓

i c i c l e s║vii

"Mr. Wades and the teachers are snowed in at the store and.." She breathed, "We're going to be stuck here all night."

I exhaled and quickly ate my words. She had totally had a reason to scream. I didn't want to be here alone, I could only trust two people here to help me in the event of an emergency and plus, who was going to feed us?

"Calm down guys." Oliver said, noticing everyone's twitching nerves, "It'll be fine. Everyone take out any food you brought with you."

I felt a twinge better; at least someone was trying to fix this.

"But we weren't allowed to bring any food--" Tyler started.

"--I know you have beef jerky in your bag." Oliver intercepted, "I think we can all smell it."

Tyler shook his head, but gave in and grabbed the packages from the pocket of his sports-bag. He dumped them in the middle of the floor, where we soon sat in a circle around. The only other food was some Fuzzy Peaches Macy had left over from god knows when, a half-eaten granola bar Abigail had from lunch and an unopened box of crackers Oliver brought just in case.

We all stared at the food. There wasn't much, but probably enough to do us until they got back. I wondered as I bit into a stick of jerky why they were stuck down there. I rose to my feet and strolled over to the window. I pulled back the white curtain, letting my hand that held the half-eaten stick of beef jerky fall to my side. I gasped aloud causing everyone to join me at the window.

"Oh my god." Macy breathed slowly. We all looked out, bewildered.

The ground was cover in a thick blanket of snow and the air whooshed violently through the trees, making them bend like Popsicle sticks. The thick snowflakes that were carried by the wind were like big hunks of ice, slamming against the window.

"I've never seen a blizzard like this in my entire life." Oliver supplied, but we all shushed him. Talking about it seemed to only make matters worse.

"If we just stand here at the window, it'll just make us all feel worse. We should go back and sit down." Abigail said, "I brought my speaker so we can listen to music or something."

She had a point and I guess everyone else agreed with me, because they all sat down around the food pile again. Abigail ran to her bag and took out a speaker. Before anyone could request something or ask to plug their phone in, Tyler shoved his in and began playing some stupid rap music.

I laughed a little and looked around the circle. Oliver was on my right and Macy sat on my left, both staring off aimlessly. Tyler and Quinn sat across from his, Abigail sitting closer to us, a big gap in between her and them.  It was almost like she was included, but entirely ignored at the same time.

"I have an idea." Macy piped up, after moments of silence. The song had long ended and another never played. I yawned and sat up, wondering what time it was.

"Nobody cares." Quinn groaned, putting her pedicured hands over her eyes. Macy stiffly ignored her and said what was on her mind anyway; it was something I admired about her. Even when people wanted me to talk, I never could.

"We should play Truth or Dare." Macy said, I noticed Quinn sitting up a little straighter. She looked at Tyler and they both nodded in agreement.

"Finally something good North." Tyler echoed, as though Quinn had told him to say it.

I watched Quinn's eyes scan us all, as if choosing who to kill first.

"Oliver," She whispered and I felt a tickle crawl up my spine as the word blew out of her lips, "Truth or Dare?"

Oliver seemed to be woken from a dream as he sat up and blinked rapidly. I watched him turn his attention to Quinn and for a second I thought I saw him looking at her in that way. It was the way all guys looked at her, as if she was a Queen.

"Truth." His voice snapped me out of my depressing thoughts. I looked over at Quinn again, who was biting her lip and staring at him. Gross.

"Who's your crush?" She asked, her eyes traveling to me for a split second. My face flamed up and I looked down at my feet. I cursed my boring grey socks, as if they were the reason guys didn't look at me like I was part of the hierarchy.

"I don't--"

"--everyone has a crush." Quinn interjected, leaning in closer to the circle. I shot daggers at her for leaning over the tiny bit of food we had left. "Listen, nobody's going to tell anyone." She looked at all of us, we all nodded in agreement.

"She's just a girl in one of my classes." Oliver sighed, knowing Quinn wouldn't give up until he said something.

I noticed Abigail itching her arm nervously and we all seemed to wait for Quinn to respond.

"Is she here."

Oliver held up his hand. "Hey, that wasn't part of the question."

Quinn rolled her eyes, but she knew he had a point and she didn't bug him anymore. Oliver looked around, just as Quinn had.

"Uhm, Macy, Truth or Dare?" He asked. Macy looked up, clearly surprised he'd asked her.

"Dare." The word came out sharp from her mouth. I remembered playing Truth or Dare with her at summer camp and as far as I can recall, she picked a clean record of Truths.

"I dare you to smell the bottom of Tyler's gym bag." Oliver snickered. Tyler shook his head quickly.

"The smell could kill her; I don't want anyone getting hurt." Tyler explained, shooting a spacy look at Macy. She looked back timidly, looking away almost immediately.

"It's a dare." Abigail said, "She has to do it."

Macy sighed and got up, making her way over to Tyler's blue bag.

"Fine."

We all watched as Macy inspected the partially unzipped bag. She pulled the zipper the rest of the way and began taking out the contents to get to the bottom.

First came some shirts, a pair of gym pants, body spray and then...

Our throaty gasps filled the cabin.

Ballet slippers?

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