Frozen In Love

Chapter 13

I just want to say that when I saw that this story had reached 100 reads already, absolutely amazed and completely shocked didn't even begin to describe the feeling! This week has not been the best so this has kind of kept me going, as cliche as it sounds. You guys are awesome- please keep reading, voting and commenting if you like what you read!!! <3 L xx

13

(JACK)

20 questions. With a girl I barely knew who could be one of two things: exactly what she seemed to be, or a secret enemy who wanted me dead. Not the best of games to make you feel normal. As I waited for my phone to buzz in my hands, I counted the seconds as they passed by.

Was this harmless? Or should I back out before things got out of control ?

Alice: I’ll go first.

Me: Go on then.

More agonising seconds. 2 minutes actually, if you wanted to be precise. I began to wonder if she was keeping me waiting on purpose.

Three minutes.

Still no reply.

The hands on the clock dragged themselves heavily under the weight of my glare. If I was to stare any harder, I would freeze the damned clock and shatter it, breaking the second hand so it could haunt me no longer.

Me: Ask me something already!!!

Alice: Wait a minute, I’m thinking!

Me: At this rate, I willfall asleep…

Alice: OK, fine. Where do you go to school?

Me: All that waiting for that? And I don’t go to school ;)

Alice: How come? Are you home-schooled?

Me: You just asked two more questions. Not fair because it’s my

                     turn.

Alice: Fine then. Be like that. :(

Right, now it was time to get some information and try out my (mostly non-existent) detective skills.

Me: Who do you hate the most at the moment?

There was a long pause after I sent that message. I knew I would make her think with this one, but I needed to test her if I was ever going to get proof of her innocence…or her guilt.

Alice: Danny, a guy at school.

Me: Why?

Alice: Sorry, that’s another question!

          How was I ever going to get anywhere like this?

Whoever invented the rules for 20 questions obviously wanted you to end up far more confused about your partner than you were when you started, not to mention frustrated to the point of no return!

Me: -.-

Alice: So are you home-schooled?

Me: No.

Alice: You have to give better answers than that!

Me: Fine. No, I am not home-schooled.

Two can play at this game, little miss vague answers and slow replies…

I laughed to myself as I read her answer.

Alice: You’re impossible!

Me: Yep, that’s what they tell me! ;) So, who is this Danny?          

Alice: He used to be one of my best friends until he ditched me to go hang

            out with the popular crowd and his new slut girlfriend.

Whoa. That comment bought back memories of the anger issues I knew she had and I chuckled to myself. Danny had to be the one in the wiped-out heart on the window. The one she must obviously have one hell of a crush on. This gave me opportunity to annoy her to no end, but I would have to be careful if I wanted information.

Me: Whoa, jealous much? x

Alice: Excuse me?????

Me: You know exactly what I mean.

Alice: Next question- what is your greatest fear?

This was dodgy. But hey, I told her everything else.

Me: Nice topic change there. ;) And FYI, it’s Fire.

Alice: Interesting.

Me: Yours?

Alice: That gang that keep killing people nearby. I’m scared that they’ll

           come for me.

Finally! Something that I could work with! Did this prove her innocence, or was it a ploy? Either way, it couldn’t just be a simple coincidence. Could it?

Me: Why would they come for you?

Alice: Jack, your turn is over. Play properly!

This was infuriating!

Glancing at the top of my phone screen, I saw that it was exactly one minute to midnight. Grateful that I hadn’t missed it, I quickly typed out a birthday message for her. Then I realised that after the deep conversation we had just been having, a simple few words over text seemed lame and ineffective. She deserved something better for her sweet sixteen.

Without giving myself time to think I hit the call button next to her blank contact icon. Shakily, I held it to my ear and waited for her to pick up. Maybe some part of me decided that if she was one of the Mask I would be able to detect it simply from her voice.

The phone rang once, twice, three times.

            ‘J- Jack? Is that you?’

            Seriously, why did I do this? What would it prove?

Alice had the sexiest voice I had ever heard. I was speechless, wondering, frustrated with myself all at the same time.

            ‘Jack? Are you there?’ she asked again.

A shiver ran down my spine. Honestly, the girl wasn’t even in the room and she was having an effect on me. What I wanted more than anything was to be back at her window right then, speaking to her face to face. The urge to go there now was suddenly overwhelming.

Forcing myself to stay where I was, I didn’t reply for a while, just took in the sound of her voice, listened to her breathing. It was a little faster than usual-I obviously made her nervous. Good, because after the way I had reacted when she first spoke, I was glad I wasn’t the only one.

Her voice was just so typically Alice, and it sounded so much better coming clearly through the phone than it had done when I was outside the window and her words had been muffled almost entirely by the glass.

            ‘Jack, I’m gonna hang up in a minute if you don’t answer me.’ She whispered, sounding frustrated.

            Alice, my angry girl.  

I took in a deep breath and watched as the time on my phone flicked to 00:00am. The seconds finally relented, giving me what I wanted; it was midnight at last.

‘Happy Birthday, dear Alice.’ I whispered, before abruptly ending the call and flopping back down on my bed, her voice, so new to me, permanently etched into my thoughts and into my dreams.