“Uh, is it always called the Snow Ball?” I asked.

“As far as I know. Anyway, it’s over in St. Paul, in a huge house on Summit. Like, a mansion. So. It would be really cool if you’d go with me.”

“Sure,” I said. “I’d love to! But, uh, I was about to ask you something. So how about…well, I’ll make you a deal.”

“Oh, yeah?” Sean asked. “What kind of deal?”

“I’ll go to the Snow Ball with you, if you’ll come away for Groundhog Day weekend with me.”

“Come away for the weekend? Where?” He seemed really nervous all of a sudden.

“Look, relax, it’s no big deal. I’m not talking about you coming to meet my parents or anything.” I laughed. “It’s a ski weekend with my friends—a bunch of us are renting a big cabin up north.”

“Oh. Well, that sounds cool. Yeah. I think I could probably go. I’ll have to make sure I don’t have a game or anything. I might have a game.”

How many times was he going to say that? “Of course, right. I didn’t think of that. Well, you can at least come for part of the weekend. It’s a long weekend because there’s a school holiday and…” And it’s the least you could do for me, considering I went sliding down a hill as a tartedup Snow White for you! I thought.

“So, you will come, right?” I pressed Sean.

“Definitely. As long as I don’t have to be here for hockey.”

Suddenly Conor was standing in front of us, blocking our view of the fire, blocking the entire fireplace, blocking the sun even. “Let’s get going,” he said. “I have to get to work.”

And even though Sean and I protested for about three minutes, it was useless, and ten minutes later we were heading back to the Cities together, jammed into the pickup all over again.

Chapter 13

“Okay, I did it!” I told Jones when she answered the phone later that night. “I officially have a date for Groundhog Getaway. At least I think I do.”

“Yes! That’s awesome,” she said. “Who with?”

“Sean, who do you think?” I said. I described the strange chain of events that had led to the invitations on both sides.

“Snow White, huh? You know what? If I were you, Snow, I’d have a back-up plan,” Jones said.

“What?” I asked. “Why would you say that?”

“The guy sounds a little flaky to me. He just asked you to this dance that’s, like, in two weeks. I’m just wondering—all that stuff you told me about whether he might have a game or not. What about that brother of his? Didn’t he get cut from the team, and therefore has no game? Which isn’t to say that he doesn’t have game. He’s got game.”

I laughed.

“In fact, if you’re not going to ask him to Groundhog Getaway, then maybe I will,” Jones mused.

“What? No way!” I said.

“Why not?”

“Because. You don’t even know him,” I said.

“So? You know him,” she pointed out. “And even though you don’t like him sometimes, he does make you laugh. I saw you laughing that one time. And what better date could there be for an entire weekend, but someone who can really make it fun—”

“Jones?” I interrupted. “You’re really getting carried away with this,” I said. “You’re not asking Conor.”

“I’m not?”

“No!” I said, my reaction a little stronger than I expected.

“And why not?” Jones said.

“Because!” Wasn’t it obvious? “I’m…I’m bringing Sean. And they don’t get along very well, so it wouldn’t work.”

“Oh. Well, okay. Geez, Kirst. I was only joking. You really flew off the handle there for a second.”

“Sorry,” I said. “I’m—I guess I’m excited about going and it’s just coming out wrong.”

“Okay. So Conor’s out. No problem. Who else have you met down there? Anyone who looks like Topher?”

We both started to laugh, and I had time to think about why I’d just reacted that way. I liked Conor, sort of; so why couldn’t he go with Jones? Wouldn’t they make a good couple, sort of?

What was my sort-of problem?

It was almost like I was more interested in taking Conor to the cabin with me, than Sean. But that didn’t make any sense. Sean was the one I had chemistry with; the one I’d kissed; the one who’d pursued me ever since I got to town, and vice versa.

I didn’t want to go out with Conor instead of Sean. I just didn’t want anyone else to go out with Conor, either.

I couldn’t wait to see Sean. That’s what I was thinking as I marched to the rink at the lake a few days later. Bear was pulling me at top speed, and I didn’t care—I wanted to sprint down there. I was half-running, half-walking.

I’d called Sean’s house, and his mother told me he’d be at the lake after school.

When I got there, the ice was nearly empty. Hardly anyone else was crazy enough to be out on a day like this. It was like negative thirteen degrees and windy.

I went into the warm-up room and shivered by the heating vent for a few minutes. A few moms with young kids were inside, trying to warm up by sipping hot chocolate from Thermoses.

When Conor opened the door to the building, we both totally flinched. He obviously hadn’t been expecting to see me, and vice versa. I hadn’t seen him since the day of the Snow White escapade, when we’d had a semi-normal time together, talking.

“Hey. What’s up?” I asked.

“Not much,” he said, hopping up onto the table and dropping his duffel bag onto the floor. He was dressed in full goalie gear, except for the leg pads, which he started to fasten now as he talked to me.

“Nice day out,” I commented. “If you like ice cubes.”

“Oh, yah. Super,” he said, imitating a heavy Minnesotan accent. “Sorry, my grandfather came over for breakfast this morning. He thinks everything is super. Super, ya. You busted out your knee tending goal last night, then. Super.”

“You betcha?” I asked.

He grinned. “Exactly.”

“I hate that stereotype, but sometimes it’s just true, right?” He nodded. “So, did you bust your knee?” I looked at his legs, and he didn’t seem to have any bandages.

“No, my knee’s fine,” Conor said. “It should be in great shape by the time baseball season starts.”

“You play baseball?” I asked. “What position?”

“Catcher,” he said.

“Cool. I’m on the softball team,” I said. “I play first base.”

“No kidding. I wouldn’t have guessed,” he said.

“Why not?”

“’Cause I’m stupid, I guess. I thought maybe Sean would have mentioned it.”

“He, um, never asked either, but I think I told him,” I said. “Sean around, by any chance?” I finally asked, in as casual a tone as I could muster.

“Yeah, he’s out there.”

“Oh, good,” I said, just as I heard Bear bark a few times. “And Bear needs me, so…I’ll see you out there, okay?” Outside, I stopped to rub Bear behind the ears. I unclipped his leash from the bench where I’d tied it, and we started to walk over toward the rink where Sean and some other guys were practicing by taking shots on goal.

Bear lunged forward, pulling me with him. Sean noticed me then, and waved with his hockey stick. He started to skate over toward us, and Bear started to run toward him, dragging me onto the ice.

My feet went out from under me, and I fell backward. I slammed onto the ice, the back of my head hitting it kind of hard.

As I sat up, embarrassed, I thought I saw a few stars floating around my head, the way they do when you stand up too quickly.