FROST- Jotun Chronicles #1

Surprise Visit

The clock on the dash said we'd been driving for three hours. It was hot in the van, and I tried to wiggle out of my sweater and ended up having to ask Charlotte to pull one sleeve off. It was too cramped to move around properly. After three hours of bumpy terrain and Loki singing "The Wheels on the Bus" I was about ready to throw myself under said wheels. Finally I reached forward and wacked his head rest, stopping him mid chorus.

He turned and gave me an outrageously fake puppy dog look, "You hurt me."

"You hurt my ears," I retorted. Loki might be adorable, but he couldn't sing to save his life.

He laughed, "Very well, I shall refrain from joyful singing, you big curmudgeon."

"Great," I folded my arms over my chest and leaned back, peering out the window. We were driving through Grande Prairie now, passing through industrial buildings, parking lots full of campers and trucks. I pressed my forehead against the cool glass, listening to Loki talk to Erik. He was telling him all about Muspellheim, about the great feasts they had and listing off all the food.

Erik laughed, "You're making my stomach rumble."

"I'm hungry," Becca piped up, "are we going to stop for food soon? It's lunch time."

"Probably a good idea," Erik reached into the cup holder beside him and pulled out a small black walky. He pressed the button and spoke into the top speaker, "Hey everyone, there's a fast food place just up ahead. It's lunch time, so follow me into the lot on the right."

I craned my neck, pressing my face against the window, trying to spot the fast food place he was talking about. There was a big neon sign up ahead that spelled out "Wendy's".

"I want a frostie!" Charlotte announced.

Instantly that was all I wanted. A cool chocolate milkshake, "Oh my gosh, yes." I leaned forward and hooked my fingers around Loki's chair, shaking it in my enthusiasm, "chocolate milkshake!"

"Woah," Loki turned around to look at me, which made our lips just inches apart. I drew back, my face glowing. Had anyone seen that? Luckily no one commented. Apparently they were all too excited by the prospect of food.

"I'm going to get a big, juicy burger!" Stacy bounced on the seat, and the rusty springs protested beneath her, "so yum!"

"French fries," Margaret had an almost dreamy expression on her face, "I can't wait."

Erik pulled the van into the Wendy's parking lot, swinging into the nearest parking stall. Thank god we were going inside; I badly needed to stretch my legs. I yanked the sliding door back and we spilled out of the van. I nearly collapsed on the sidewalk as I was pushed out. My legs were so stiff when my feet hit the ground.

We stood in the parking lot for a few minutes, milling around the van as we waited for the long line of cars to pull in. The last one to park was the ice cream truck, which was playing tinny rendition of Mary Had a Little Lamb. We all moved in a pack towards Wendy's, and I couldn't help feeling sorry for the people that were working behind the counter today. We were going to take them by storm.

Sure enough, the employees at the cash registers looked shocked when we trooped in. I glanced back, trying to see what they were seeing. A huge group of extremely tall, extremely blonde people.

We moved into line behind the other customers, who were also darting amazed looks at us. I heard the words, "Norwegian super models" whispered, and tried to keep from laughing. Sure, a group of Norwegian underwear models was coming into Wendy's to load up on carbs. Why not?