The Icebreaker's Impasse

Chapter 1: Late

Luci Forrester

“I’m late, I’m late…” I mutter as I race through the corridors to get to class. Professor Elkins is not always forgiving, and if she makes me stand in front of the class to explain my tardiness, I won’t be able to stand it.

I keep muttering to myself, and I hear the jingle start in my head. The white rabbit in the animated Alice in Wonderland. “I’m late, and I’m late for a very important date. No time to say hello goodbye, I’m late, I’m late, I’m…” I can see the entire movie playing before my eyes.

“AHHH!” I let out an involuntary scream as I crash into a huge hard wall. I glance up and want to die. It’s not a wall I ran into, rather a concrete human body.

My eyes are probably the size of saucers as I stare up into the face of one of the four kings of Kenton. The Reed “brothers” who rule the ice here at Kenton University and then the town along with their parents. I happened to run into the most ruthless one, Easton. He’s the hockey center and the most wanted bachelor probably among all the universities in this state. Which is code for entitled playboy in my book. The puck bunnies line up for him after every practice and game. He’s also the coldest and cruelest of the four.

Great, just what I needed.

My left pointer finger immediately begins scraping its nail along my thumb as I wait for him to explode. He’s not known for his pleasantness, and I pray he doesn’t remember me from the other two encounters we’ve had in the last two years. My thoughts roll around in my head as I shake it a little to focus. That damn white rabbit analogy distracted me.

“I’m…sorry. I was chasing a rabbit.” I say with agitation, and he narrows his eyes at me. They are the most interesting color, like a silver with a hint of the palest ice blue throughout. That nonsense slipped out and I wince realizing he’ll think I’m clumsy and nuts. I concentrate hard to focus and get my thoughts in line. Come on brain!

“Luci!” I hear my best friend cry out from down the hall.

I peer around the massive hockey player and see Syd waving madly at me. The giant in front of me shifts to block my view shifting my attention back to him. Like I could forget he was here. They call him the Icebreaker because he basically mows down anything in his path to get to the goal.

An angry frown appears on Easton’s face as I chance a look back up. “Is that your ‘rabbit’ you were chasing?”

Oh god, his voice. I forgot how it affects you. It’s like the deepest, most gravelly sound I’ve ever heard. Not even in those online videos about the books I read do they sound like that. I can almost hear my eardrum tingling as it rolls through my head.

“Ummm, no. I…”

“Easton!!! Jackson!!!” A loud happy wail followed by a trill of laughter peals from behind me.

I dare not turn to look, but see Jackson Reed’s blue eyes move from my face to the hall behind me. They narrow more and I wonder if he minds the attention. I had a class with him last year. He ignored me and every other girl in there. He’s almost as tall as his twin brother which is probably like jolly green giant height. I mean seriously, I could get a neck cramp staring up at these guys. Probably six-six or six-seven. They both have short ash blonde hair and while Easton’s is ruffled and messy, Jackson’s is styled smoother.

Easton tilts his head slightly as his eyes don’t waver. “Shouldn’t you be running after your rabbit… Luci?”

And now I know what an eargasm feels like when he says my name. What the hell is wrong with me today? This guy wants to kill me, I’m sure while I’m trying not to drool over his voice. And I shouldn’t, knowing he finds me as reprehensible as the rest of his team.

I nod quickly and begin to step around him, but not before whispering. “Sorry.” Hopefully that doesn't revisit me later with some form of revenge.

I walk fast, darting around the corner and peeking in the thin strip of glass to see Professor Elkins talking. Syd catches my attention and I see her hold up three fingers. I nod and wait to see her reach down before she throws something at the windows on the opposite wall.

Professor Elkins turns to investigate the intrusion, and I slip in the door creeping to the first seat available. Syd gives me a thumbs up with a sneaky grin. Luckily, none of the football or hockey teams are in here or they would draw attention to our subterfuge to make me squirm.

I pull out my notebook silently and begin taking notes of what he’s written on the board. This is one of my least favorite classes, but it’s mandatory for graduation. I do better with numbers than I do dry boring history. They just suit my scattered brain better.

When I was ten, my teacher noticed I was always spaced out except during math class. She called my foster mom Janet and had a conference. After that, Janet took me to see a specialist. Mrs. Jenkins had suggested I was struggling with my focus so much and needed help. I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD, a milder form of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Rather than have the hyperactive component, I was withdrawn and would daydream most of the day. Extemely unorganized and my brain rambles around with the weirdest pattern of thoughts. A lot like living in Wonderland with Alice sometimes.

Janet was the nicest foster mom I had. I lived with her the longest too, for almost ten years. She took me to see a play therapist and other forms of interactive therapy where I learned some tricks to help me manage my situation.

I met Sydney Olmos at an art therapy class when I was twelve. She was there waiting on her older brother, Banning, who has his own focus issues. She walked right over and introduced herself to me. Turns out we went to the same school and in the same grade, but I had never noticed her. She asked me three questions; my favorite color, favorite food and whether or not I thought Tommy Baldon in our class was cute. After she heard my answers, she declared we would be best friends from then on. And we were. I was surprised. She learned tricks to make sure I stayed focused around her and would defend me when I needed it. It helped that most didn’t pay that much attention to me when she was around. Still don’t to this day. It’s never bothered me.

Syd always tells me I’m beautiful, but I’m not too concerned about my looks. One more thing I don't have time to worry about. I am what I am and if they only want to judge me on my looks, then so be it. Which is five seven with very little to brag about for my figure. My light brown hair and brown eyes are nothing special or unique. I have a small smattering of freckles across my nose and upper cheeks. No where else on my pale skin.

Sydney's the typical American dream girl with blonde curly hair and dark blue eyes. Only an inch taller than me with a perfect figure and a year-round golden tan. All eyes are usually on her, which helps me a lot. Gives me time and space to organize my thoughts sometimes.

Class ends and Syd comes to wait for me.

“That was close.” She says with a big smile, and I laugh.

“Thanks, Syd. I hit an icy impasse.” She tugs my arm and puts her finger to her lips until we hit the hallway.

“Did he do anything to you?” She whispers worriedly.

“No, I think one of the puck bunnies showed up, so he was more concerned with that. Let me go with a little taunt, and that’s it.” I shrug, and we move cautiously around the corner. Thankfully, it's mostly empty.

"So he didn't remember you from last year?" She asks as we head toward her car.

"Didn't seem to." I say as I climb in.

Last year, I'd been in the middle of heading to a table in the student center with my lunch. Naturally, I'd been lost in my head trying to organize my assignments for the day. Wasn't paying attention which was completely my fault.

Jim, one of the football players had tripped me. I went flying as did my tray of food. While the fries and nuggets weren't a problem, the open yogurt cup was. Strawberry yogurt flew out and pelted none other than the quarterback of the football team, Julian. He'd snarled and gotten up shouting obscenities at me. In revenge, he grabbed his water bottle and dumped it on me. My shirt was completely soaked, and of course, it was mostly white, so it became transparent. I'd hunched into myself as they all laughed. It mostly cleared out after that. I sat there until the football team left.

A pair of extremely large feet had come to stand right in front of me. When I dared to look up, I stared into those narrowed angry eyes I admired earlier today. That was the first time I heard his voice. He had blotches of strawberry yogurt on his jeans, and I gasped.

"I... I didn't..." Before I could finish, he had growled. Full on growled like some kind of angry wolf.

"You f*****g did! Here, it's already ruined by you anyway. You should cover yourself!" He said angrily as I stared at the floor both humiliated and furious. I glanced up to see him reach behind his neck with one hand and pull the black hoodie he wore off in one swift, easy movement. He dumped it on my head and strode off. I'd tugged it on, grateful for it while wanting to burn it. All day long, I tried to ignore the scent of it.

Sydney teased me about it, but stopped when I told her the whole story.

"Burn it when you get home. But it's useful for now, babe."

Syd's voice then echoes as she calls me softly. "Luci… Luci… tune back in, babe."

I shake my head. "Sorry, Syd. Are we going to pick up Barrett? I can watch him while you go to the lab tonight."

"I appreciate it. We're going to make it, Luci. Last year of school."

I stem the hopeful joy and answer practically. “Only 155 school days left until graduation. Now to survive the final year of hell.”