Saving My Broken Ice Princess

Chapter Eleven

“You’d better go”, Báine stood in front of her locker, “he’ll get angry again if he sees you with me.” Báine saw glimpses of others in the hall as the words left her mouth. Báine froze then touched her ears, “wait that sounds a bit.”

“Alright”, Rohan nodded. 

“Thank God he's dense.”

She turned to open her locker when Rohan spoke again. “Oh”, he held his hand out, “your phone.”

That stopped her in her tracks. “What if someone sees us?” Báine glanced around conspicuously, “we could get in trouble.”

His lip arched slightly, “it’s fine.” Báine stared at his outstretched hand for a moment. She yanked her locker not realizing how easily it opened then rummaged through her book bag and handed him the device. “Now you have my number”, he dropped the phone back in her book bag.

“You know”, Báine blinked at the new contact, “usually you ask before adding yourself to someone’s contacts.”

“Really? Kali just added herself to my phone.”

Báine immediately gave up on explaining. She pulled the items from her locker, piling her arms while she kept her eyes glued to him. “Anyway go”, she shooed him. It seemed his decision missed the train to his legs, he continued to stand by her. “Rohan”, she pushed her locker shut.

“That's all I wanted”, a smile curled on his lips. Rohan turned away without another word. 

“Later then?” she watched his figure disappear. “Wanted what?” Anyway, she needed to hurry and meet Yule. Báine juggled her luggage as she power walked the halls. “Ouch!” her yelp and stationary crashing to the floor echoed off the walls. “Paper cut?” Báine hissed. She put her fingers in her mouth, yet the red flowed heavily. 

Despite the handicap, she quickly tried to gather her items. Her hand hovered over her text then fell back to her side. Scattered on the floor were razors tacked to pages of her Cultural Studies text. Báine sighed and picked them off as careful as she could without damaging the pages. No longer in a hurry she packed her things and headed to the infirmary, not forgetting to send a text to Yule. 

Báine kept her gushing fingers in her mouth. “Things were going so well. What happened?” The teen quietly drowned in her thoughts.

Lunch ended and she hurried to the class, hoping to get there before others. To her surprise, her classmates were a rather punctual bunch. 

“Over here”, Kalis motioned to Báine. The ruddy teen heaved a sigh of relief and plopped herself beside Kalis. At that moment the ginger's nose twitched. Báine was startled when her hand was snatched from her side. “Did ye git hurt?” The ginger inspected the bandaids on Báine’s fingers, “Whit happened?”

“I fell.”

“Clean palms fur someone wha fell”, Kalis met her eyes.

“Give your compliments to the nurse”, Báine snatched back her hand.

Two claps resounded to settle the class. “Welcome to Cultural studies, I am Teacher Owen.” He adjusted his glasses, “You can think of Cultural Studies as an introduction to the past and how it shaped the present we know.” Kalis snorted and Báine nudged her in the ribs. “Let’s open with traditions. Who can give me an example of a tradition?”

He pointed to one of the raised hands. “Folklore”, the classmate shared.

“That is a good example,” the teacher nodded, satisfied. “Folklore, an example of verbal traditions. A story of an event, state or person who is often meant to be a teaching lesson or used to explain the then unexplainable. Therefore, all folklore is rooted in some truth.”

He moved to the board and started drawing a branched out map. “Since it’s passed down by word of mouth, stories tend to differ in certain ways, but the lesson or the person remains a constant.”

Teacher Owen then wrote winter in the middle of the map. “A state, for example, is ‘winter’.” He started moving among the students, “If we think of the season of giving we may think of the obese red mascot.”

“Satan?” Kalis asked with an arched brow. That earned her quiet chuckles.

“Kris Kringle,” teacher Owen corrected, amused. “Santa Claus usually comes to mind.”

“All I heard wis red”, the ginger smiled cheekily.

He continued his wandering and not long his eyes fell on Báine. She dipped her head and stared resolutely at her pen. Teacher Owen merely moved on going back to the board to write what he had previously explained. While writing ‘Santa’, he continued his lesson. “However, if we think of blizzards and ice, someone else comes to mind. For example, Jack Frost.”

Báine looked at her teacher again. “Jack?”

“What?”

Báine sprang from her seat, almost tripping over her legs in the process. The clatter of her pen didn’t reach her ears. She stared at Jack, who watched her with mirrored intensity. This wasn’t the white world yet she could see him.

“Is there a problem Ms. Edurne?” Teacher Owen asked.

Jack looked at the teacher over his shoulder. Báine blinked but could only open her mouth, then close it again. “N- no”, she quickly moved to retrieve the forgotten pen and sit. When she looked up, Jack was nowhere to be seen. Báine could only blink at the empty space.

“Good?” Kalis arched a brow. Báine shrugged weakly

The teacher nodded and faced the class again. “In the advent of films taking more creative liberty with folklores the message behind the events and characters are ever changing.”

The rest of his droning was suppressed in Báine’s mind. She rubbed the sides of the pen with incredulity. The incident was pushed back into her mind as Teacher Owen explained other aspects of Cultural Studies. The shrill of the bell saved Kalis from further mind-numbing droning.

“Finally!” she cheered when they filtered into the halls.

Báine bumped shoulder with her friend, “It wasn’t all bad.”

“Guess not.” They got to their homeroom but there was an audience. “What in the devil’s balls is this?” Báine tried not to choke on her laughter, she really did. But she failed, royally. “In the name of the Wee Man what’s wrong wi' ye?” Kalis patted her friend's back.

“I’m fine”, she wheezed between coughs.

“Oh there you are”, the girls looked up. Students parted like the red sea as Kanis and Rohan approached them. “Whit took ye guys sae long?” Kanis complained.

“What’re ye guys daein' here?” Kalis tilted her head.

“I came for Báine”, Rohan expressed clearly.

“Well ye can't tak' her. She's mah friend.”

“What is this grade school?” Báine watched Kalis pout and Rohan blink a few times.

“That's not what I meant.” He dipped into his bag and took out a small box, then handed it to Báine.

“What's this?” Báine looked back to him.

“It's an apology for the tennis ball incident”, he spoke for her ears only. “One more thing”, Rohan stepped in close and bent to Báine's ear. “I know it’s a selfish request, but I would like to see your eyes again. If it’s okay with you”, Rohan articulated slowly, “if it’s just us, wouldn’t it be fine to forgo them?” 

He pulled away, his lips pulled into the small, familiar smile. Báine couldn’t move her lips. His words felt heavier than she expected them to. The spark of anticipation in his dark eyes was utterly extinguished, expressionlessness reigned in his features again.

“Was I too much?” he asked. Báine wordless dipped her head, Rohan pressed his lips together. “I said something wrong again, didn’t I?” His lips twitched, “sorry.”

“No”, her lashes trembled as Báine took in the anklet. He never quite noticed how long her lashes were. Then those mesmerizing blues snapped to him over the rim of her spectacles. “I’m okay with that.”

“Thank you for letting me see your beautiful.” Both Báine and Kalis froze. “What is it?” trepidation squeezed his chest.

“Good on you, mate!” Kanis doubled over, clutching his stomach. Rohan watched blankly. Kalis grabbed his friend’s shoulder, “good tae ken ye hae it in you!”

“Yes?” Rohan wheezed as Kanis playfully knocked his chest.

“What’s with him?” Báine untied the white, silk ribbon “How can he say that so casually?” Báine noticed the wide-eyed stares and immediately wanted to run far away and change her name. Or bury herself. That worked too.

Despite Kanis jostling his brain around his skull, Báine’s silence worried him because he couldn’t see her expression. Rohan’s slightly furrowed brows were telling enough. Báine’s head snapped up at the snake's hiss. It was momentary, but it felt as if air could travel to her lungs. Rohan’s nose flared and lips pulled back in a tight snarl. Maybe it was the angle, but his teeth reminded her of a knife.

“That hurt”, he huffed. Rohan leaned away from Kanis.

Báine blinked, coming back to herself. “Uh, Báine”, she met the voice. Kalis’ smile was tight. Seeing her confusion, the ginger pried Báine’s hand off her upper arm.

Báine looked at her hands, then at Rohan, who was still being harassed by Kanis. “Just like last time”, she sighed in her heart. If it wasn’t for Kanis being her anchor, Báine would’ve run away. She never knew humans could experience such a primal fear. Is this what rabbits and deer experience? Her fingers shakily clutched the hem of Kalis’ vest. She glanced at Rohan again, but the feeling wasn’t present.

The Nicevens, what an unsettling bunch.

Rohan finally shook off Kanis. He tapped the gift box in Báine’s hand. “Anyway, open it.” 

Báine finally lifted the cover. On a silver Bobble Chain sat a snowflake pendant. It was no larger than a nickel and a beautiful gunmetal blue, encrusted in gems. Its unusual pattern was similar to the one on her pom pom. 

Báine ran her finger over the pendant reverently. “Thank you”, her smile was as dazzling as her eyes.

Rohan felt something he hadn't in many years. He tilted his head, “you're welcome.”

What followed after was dead silence. Rohan’s lifeless exterior became dazzling. Blaine froze, caught a like deer in headlights under everyone’s gaze.

“Chan fhaca mi a-riamh gàire mar sin”, Kalis breathed in disbelief. 

Báine snapped her head to Kalis, “What?”

“Uh”, Kalis blinked. “It's mah foremaist time seeing him smile like that”, Kalis whispered back. Her accent clouded her words to a nearly incomprehensible state. 

“Afternoon attendance will begin soon.” He leaned back into Báine a final time, “I'll text you later.”

Yep! Her knees are about to give out! Rohan and Kanis retreated to their classes. Báine was rooted in place until their form teacher arrived, she hurriedly hid her gift in her bag.

Hours later at their dorm, Báine mindlessly tapped at her notebook. “Kalis?”

“Hmm?” The ginger rolled onto her stomach.

“Do you think my eyes are pretty?”

“O' coorse ah tellt ye that th' foremaist day we met.” Báine hummed. Kalis propped herself up on her elbows and faced Báine. A grin stretched her lips. “Why do ye ask? Thinking o' a certain someone?” she wiggled her brows.

“It’s not like that”, she twisted away. Báine rubbed her heated ears and tried to ignore Kalis’ laughter. The warmth in her heart, felt as if it could last forever.

In the weeks to follow Báine would learn that a hacked locker was the least of her concerns.