Cold as Ice by Carolyn Keene

ducked to dodge his outstretched arm, but ended up falling against him. She tumbled to the stone floor.
    â€œSorry,” Susan and Rob said at the same instant. As he reached down to help her to her feet, she looked up and recognized him.
    â€œGet your hands off me!” Susan said, pushing him away.
    â€œI’m sorry, I didn’t mean—” Rob began.
    â€œYou heard her, Harper,” a deep voice said.
    Nancy turned to see a guy who was half a foot shorter than Rob, but just as wide and muscular. He was wearing a motorcycle jacket and a long wool muffler in the Emerson colors ofpurple and orange. He grabbed the collar of Rob’s parka and added, “Back off!”
    Rob pushed the guy’s hand away and said, “Get lost, Forsyte. What makes you think you can give me orders?”
    For an answer, the other guy planted his feet solidly on the floor and drew back his arm to throw a punch at Rob’s face!

Chapter

Seven
    G REG, NO!” Susan screamed.
    Rob’s hands tightened into fists, and the look on his face told Nancy that he would welcome a good reason to strike out at anyone. Grabbing his arm, she said, “Rob, don’t.”
    At the same time, Ned and Jerry moved in between Rob and the guy Susan had called Greg. “Hey, cut it out, you guys,” Ned shouted.
    He took Rob by the shoulders and urged him to back up, while Jerry stood right in front of Greg, talking to him in a low, calm voice.
    â€œI want him to stay away from Susan,” Greg said loudly.
    â€œYou get no argument from me on that, fella,” Rob replied.
    â€œThere,” Jerry said. “He’ll stay away from Susan. Okay?”
    Greg’s face was still red, his fists still clenched. “I don’t like the way you said that,” he muttered, glaring at Rob.
    Jerry put a hand on each of Greg’s shoulders. “Nobody wants any trouble,” he said. “So why don’t we all just go our own ways?”
    Greg scowled up at Jerry. “I don’t like—”
    Susan took his arm. “Come on, Greg,” she said. “Let’s just drop it.”
    â€œDrop it?” he said. “That guy almost knocked you down. You want to let him get away with that?”
    â€œIt was an accident,” Susan told him. “He wasn’t paying attention, and I wasn’t looking where I was going. That’s all.”.
    â€œYou deserve an apology,” Greg insisted, glaring around Jerry’s arm at Rob.
    Rob looked tired of the whole argument. “Hey,” he said, “if it’ll make any difference, I’ll apologize. Okay? Susan, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to knock you down.”
    â€œThere,” Jerry said, urging Greg toward the door of the student center. “It’s all settled now.”
    Susan gave Nancy an apologetic look, then followed Greg out the door.
    â€œWell!” Bess exclaimed. “What was that all about?”
    Rob looked embarrassed. “Greg tried out for the number-five oar on the varsity crew last fall. I was the number-three oar in the same boat. Well, when he found out he didn’t make the cut, he said it was my fault, that I’d deliberately thrown him off his stroke.”
    â€œAnd had you?” Nancy asked.
    Rob’s face reddened. “Of course not! He just didn’t have what it takes, and the coach saw it. But Greg would rather blame me than face up to that fact.”
    â€œSome facts are hard to face,” Nancy observed. “But just now he seemed more concerned about Susan than his position on the crew. Why is that?”
    The red in Rob’s cheeks deepened. “Oh, Susan and I used to be a couple, that’s all.”
    â€œThat’s all?” George repeated.
    â€œAll right, it was more than that. We dated for most of a year. We even talked about getting engaged. And then—I don’t know—it just ended. We weren’t having fun