“I officially do not understand females.”

“I should think you knew that already.” Aurora didn’t look up as he came in. How did she always beat him home, anyway?

“Thanks ‘Rora. I did. I’m just making it official.”

“Mm. You did make it like three days. Of relationship.” She set down the book she was reading to make finger quotes over the last word.

“Are you all this bi-polar?” Frost flopped onto the couch. “I don’t remember Lea, or even you-“

“Even me what Freddy?”

Frost shuddered at the nickname.

“Just… Holding something like you won’t let go. Then pushing it away hard, before clutching at it again.” Frost didn’t know why he was being vague. Aurora knew he meant Amber and him, so why did he have to talk around it?

“I do have a bit of a love/hate relationship with brownies.”

“I don’t think,” Frost responded drily, “I would make anyone fat.”

“It’s hardly the only reason to feel conflicted, even for us shallow ladies.”

Frost winced.

“Sorry. You’re right.”

But why would she feel conflicted? Just because she gave me a weird tattoo. That forces me to obey her. Okay, stupid question.

“So do you know any reason she might be of two minds about dating you?”

Oops.  That wasn't a line of conversation he could afford to follow.

"Sorry I brought it up."

Aurora went back to her book, "not as sorry as I am."

It took Frost the rest of that week to realize Amber’s back-and-forth always followed one outside condition. Whenever anybody else from school was around, she was this happy, distractingly cuddly girlfriend. Every time she’d pull back like his touch burned, was as soon as they were alone. At first, Frost wanted to be wrong. Over the next week, as the rest of the school came to terms with them being a couple, he couldn’t avoid the reality. Then he wished he hadn’t noticed.

If it’s that deliberate, it’s not based on her feelings. It was hard to tell, as he did get an emotional spike at every switch. Is that from me? Am I so attached already? Ha. Regardless, the fact remained that, near as he could tell, Amber’s relationship with him was an act she put on for school. Why? I doubt she’d give a straight answer if I asked.

For his part, Frost hadn’t thought much about how he’d treat a girlfriend, but as he had one now he was doing his best to be as attentive as he could. Of course, the fact Amber was as quick with positive reinforcement, provided there was a potential audience, made it pretty easy.

It was mid-November before Amber’s constant switching, on top of a total lack of communication outside school really started to get to him. At least no one’s tried to kill me for a month. Never thought that would be a measure of comparison I could use. His frustration finally reached a peak as he opened the door for Amber at the end of another day, onto a rainstorm. Rain was not proper November weather. Frost pointed this out repeatedly as they crossed the lot, which the sky ignored. Making Amber snort was an unintended side effect, one he was not unhappy about. She even did that adorably.

“Really? Arguing with the sky?”

“Can’t you fix it?”

“Oh sure. Just like I can fly, walk on water, see the future, and turn people into frogs. And my souffles never go flat, same reason.”

Frost eyeballed her sardonically. “Okay, maybe that was unfair. But,” he turned back to the sky, “so is this!”

“It’s okay to be honest in front of me,” Amber gave his shoulder a squeeze.

He wondered that he didn’t hear whoever must be within range. The thrill of contact never lessened, however much it was performance.

“Just because of your name,” she continued, “you don’t have to pretend to like snow.”

Frost lowered his voice, “I already share your feelings. No need to project them on me.”

Her hand left his shoulder, as he knew it would. He expected to feel bad, but when you couldn’t tell whose emotion it was; more frustrating was how immediately he missed the contact. As she walked away to her car, the guilt sank in. She was joking and I hurt her. Why did I do that?

It was without attention to surroundings Frost made his own way home. He joked and teased, certainly he’d been a bit too cutting with a sibling more than once. But he could not remember ever deliberately aiming to hurt like that. Until now. He knew what he was doing, the guilt his words would refresh. He said them anyway. Didn’t even hesitate. What is happening to me?