YA Ice Cream Teasers! [Part 1]

I got an ice cream maker for Christmas and I’ve been totally obsessed by ice cream! I’ve made peppermint and lavender so far and I’m super excited to make some chocolate next:) So, it gave me an idea. I wanted to post some ice cream excerpts from the latest young adult fantasy fiction. I got so many that I need to post them in two parts! So, grab an ice cream cone and enjoy Part 1 of the Ice Cream Teaser posts:)

If she kept the book, she would hurt them again.

But, she needed The Rise of the Dark Curse one more time—tomorrow.

Shayde got up, bowl in hand. “It’s settled then. The deal calls for more ice cream.”

“And more chocolate syrup,” Raven said as she collected her own bowl.

Spike, who had remained eerily quiet and sullen, was already ahead of them. He’d made himself a second bowl of ice cream and was frantically scooping the spoon around the sides of the bowl. All three girls grimaced at the same time.

“Spike, your sprinkles are moving,” Raven said.

Shayde peered harder at the bowl. “Um, they’ve got legs!”

Ivy saw exactly what her friends had noticed and her stomach lurched. “Spike, are those—”

“Yeah,” he said with a sigh. “Gareth bought me a carton of meal worms.” His voice hitched again. “Look at me! I’m a bug addict! I’m drowning my sorrows in food!” Tears glimmered in his eyes. “And… I’m so…emotional!”

He set his bowl of ice cream on the table with a clatter and placed his face in his hands. The mealworms that weren’t stuck in caramel or frozen were escaping down the sides. Ivy swirled a finger at them and the bugs returned to the middle of Spike’s bowl.

Yeech! she thought. We may never use that bowl or spoon again. For that matter, Ivy didn’t feel like finishing her ice cream. She nudged the chocolate sprinkles around in her own dish and pushed the bowl away.

“I thought that was another carton of Chinese food!” Shayde opened the refrigerator and peered inside. “You mean I put a carton of bugs in the fridge?”

Raven glanced at Ivy’s bowl. “You’re not going to finish that?”

“No. Spike’s right,” Ivy said. “I’m eating out of frustration.” Great. First she couldn’t finish the pizza, and now the ice cream. Couldn’t she even eat the wrong things correctly?

Raven returned to the table, taking Ivy’s bowl. “Apparently, Shayde and I are the only ones without relationship issues.”

“I don’t know what to do anymore!” Spike said, his face still in his hands. “Did he give me the box of meal worms as a send off? He’s got a new pet now. Oh, you should have seen her, guys. The way her skin glistened like glass, the way her big black eyes shone like polished beetle shells. And the way Gareth stared at her! I hate her.” Spike belched heartily again. “And I… I love her.”

It’s Bryna’s birthday today!!!! So send her a birthday hello to @brynabutler! Here’s the setup for this ice cream teaser: Keira’s first date with her crush, William Swift. William is the school’s star running back and takes her out after playing in the football game.

They stopped at the only place still open, Dairy Dog, a seasonal hot dog and ice cream stand near the high school. William ordered as Keira staked out a claim on the picnic table inside the stand’s neighboring gazebo. It was sort of romantic, even for a hotdog stand, Keira thought. The top of the gazebo was decorated with twinkling, white lights. Moonlight reflected off the honeysuckle vines which twisted around its support beams. William soon returned with a tray of footlongs and shakes.

Keira grinned as he sat down on the same side of the picnic table, right beside her. “This is not at all what I expected,” she said as she picked up her shake.

“Oh, I thought you said you wanted strawberry.”

“No, not the milkshake, I meant the date.”

“Are we calling this a date?”

She smiled and punched his arm lightly.

“So, what did you expect?” he pushed.

“Well, I’m an awful judge of character. So, I was afraid that you would turn out to be a total jerk. No offense.”

“None taken,” he laughed. “Anything else?”

“No. It’s been pretty perfect.”

William laughed again with that thing he always does with his dimpled grin and shy look to the ground.
“Glad you think so.”

“There is something else, um,” she hesitated, picking at her hotdog.

“What?”

She looked up into his eyes, those gorgeous, perfect eyes. “It’s cool if you already have plans, but if you don’t, I was thinking about going to the Fall Ball and I want you to come with me.”

“Like a date?” he smirked. “I guess I could do that.”

She smiled and he leaned in. Then a shock went through her. You know the feeling. The feeling you get when everything’s perfect then out of the blue you suddenly remember that you’ve forgotten to do something… something very important. She was feeling it right then, a second of shocking recall.

“Oh no, what time is it?”

“Quarter till midnight.”

“I’m sorry, I better get home. Um…midnight curfew.”

“Midnight?” He looked disappointed for a moment, then perked up. “No sweat, Cinderella, I’ll get you home in record time. Can’t have you grounded for the ball.”

They jumped in the truck and were at Keira’s front door in minutes. She began frantically searching her pockets for her house key.

“Wanna go out again before the dance? How about tomorrow?”

“Can’t, I have training,” Keira said in her rush to get in the house.

“Training?”

Keira stopped her search abruptly and looked up. The gentle glow of the porch light sparkled in her big brown eyes which were open wide giving her an innocent and childlike appearance.

“Are you playing volleyball? Maybe I can come to your next game.”

“Oh…uh…oh, found it, here’s my key,” she said dangling the Mickey Mouse key ring in front of his face as proof. It did not distract him from his question.

“Come on. I make a great cheerleader.”

“No, I don’t play volleyball. It’s not like that. It’s, um…” Keira struggled in search of an explanation.

“It’s piano lessons.” She faked a quick smile and fidgeted nervously with her key. “No games, not even a recital, and I’m bad, really bad.”

“Modest. That’s something I didn’t see coming.”

The door swung open with a thud and inside stood an annoyed Nana. “Keira, it is almost midnight. Get inside now! Young man, you can see her at school on Monday. Good night.”

Keira raised one eyebrow.

William extended his hand. “Ma’am, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Will…”

“On Monday…” Nana interrupted. She put an arm around Keira and swept her inside. Keira got a quick “good night” out before Nana shut the door.

“Sweet dreams, Keira,” William’s muffled voice came from behind the front door. Then she heard his footsteps grow quieter, the bang of the pickup door closing, and finally the thunderous revving of his truck’s engine as he zoomed away.

“Wow,” Keira sighed as she glided to the couch.

“Cutting it awfully close, aren’t we?”

“Midnight is still two whole minutes away.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Did you hear him say ‘sweet dreams’? How cute is that?”

Nana couldn’t help but laugh at her goofy, love struck teenager. “Just be mindful of the time. That’s all I ask. After all, tonight might be the night.”

Of course it wasn’t. Not yet.

I shined my plate clean using a hunk of crusty bread. “I’m never leaving Rome,” I said as the waiter took my plate away.

Mickie smiled and coughed a single word into her napkin. “Girlfriend.”

Which kind of took me down a few notches. Mick must’ve felt bad, ‘cause next thing you know she’s offering to buy us all Italian ice cream. But gelato cioccolato didn’t taste anywhere near as good as Sam’s lips crushed against mine. I let Mick finish my ice cream.

A BIG THANKS to Michelle Muto, Bryna Butler and Cidney Swanson for sending their ice cream excerpts! Do you have a favorite young adult ice cream scene? Just comment below with your favorite! My favorite kind of ice cream is Chocolate Mint Chip. Today through 1/12 Click here to download your Kindle copy of WINNEMUCCA, A SMALL-TOWN FAIRY TALE for FREE!