Read Online Whatever After #6: Cold as Ice by Sarah Mlynowski - Free Book Online Page A

out here than it was in the basement. The snow of the front yard glows. My hair feels cold, and I realize I forgot my polar bear headpiece down in the basement. It’s fine. I’ll get it when I go back for Ralph.
    “Now, how do I get back in?” I ask Gerda.
    “Are you really going back in?” Jonah asks.
    “Of course I am,” I say. “I promised Ralph!”
    Gerda eyes the house nervously. “Maybe we should all go in together.”
    “We’ll be too noisy,” I say. “Better for me to do it alone. I’ll go and you guys hide out here. I’ll be right back.”
    “Let me go,” Gerda says.
    “Or me,” Jonah says.
    “No,” I say. “I’m the one who promised him. And I’m very good at sneaking into basements. I have a lot of experience.”
    “So do I,” Jonah says.
    “You make a lot more noise than I do,” I tell him. He’s always crashing into things, and he’s not so good at using his indoor voice. “I’ll go and you hide out here.” I take a deep breath and add, “If I don’t come back in twenty minutes, go ahead to the igloo castle, rescue Kai and Prince, and then come back for me.”
    Jonah crosses his arms. “No way. I’m not leaving you!”
    “We’re staying,” Gerda says firmly. “JARG!”
    I shake my head. “It can’t just be about JARG. We have to be strategic.” I try to sound brave, even though I don’t want to be separated from Jonah. I need to protect him, after all. Even though I trust Gerda, the idea of leaving my little brother makes me feel queasy.
    Gerda and Jonah shake their heads. I sigh, but I’m secretly glad. “Okay. Then wait for me. If I’m not back in twenty minutes, one of you can come in after me. Then we’ll all go together. Okay?”
    Gerda nods. Jonah checks his Spider-Man watch to see the time.
    I give Jonah a quick, tight hug just in case. It takes him a few extra seconds to let go.
    “Be back in a sec!” I say, sounding extra chirpy.
    Gerda and Jonah wave. “Go, JARG, go!” Gerda whisper-yells.
    I make my way back to the house. Now what? I can’t go back through the window, obviously, because then I’ll be stuck inside.
    Do I just go through the front door?
    I might as well try, right?
    I run very quietly to the front door. I turn the knob.
    It doesn’t open.
    Who knew? Robbers lock their front door.
    I don’t know how to break a lock. I am just a ten-year-old girl. Not a robber or an escape artist.
    I guess I have two options. I can find another window to climb through or look for another door.
    A back door? Yes, a back door! We have a back door at our house, and we always forget to lock it.
    I sneak around the side of the house. This time I tiptoe. Not that I’m making a ton of noise in my polar bear booties. At least the moon is bright, and I can see where I’m going.
    And I can also see that there is in fact a back door. Hurrah!
    The problem is that Mother is sitting on the back porch in a rocking chair, drinking something from a large chipped mug. Hot chocolate, probably. Of course SHE gets to drink as much hot chocolate as she wants. I bet she even gets marshmallows. Why is she still up?
    I hide behind a tree.
    I guess I have to just wait it out. Mother’s not going to sleep outside. Eventually, she’ll finish her drink and go inside. And when she does, that’s when I’ll make my move.
    Yes. That’s the plan. She’ll probably slurp it down and be done in a minute or two.
    She takes another sip. A slow one.
    Another one.
    Mother is the slowest drinker of all time.
    What feels like ten minutes later, Mother finally, finally takes the last sip. She stands up and stretches her arms over her head. Her one good eye seems to glance over to where I am. But then she turns and disappears inside.
    Whew.
    I wait two extra minutes just to be safe and then sneak over to the back door. Did she lock it? That’s the million-dollar question.
    I turn, turn, turn the handle. I hold my breath.
    It turns. The door opens!
    Yay!
    Wow, I really have to remind