Finding You

Chapter 8

February 2019

"Oh my god, what the actual fuck is this movie?" Delia says. She convinced Kaia to stay one more night since she didn't have to work the next day, so we decided to stay in and find a good movie. And of course, bring Henry. Although I don't think this movie fits under the category of a good movie. Coming across a movie called "Teeth" on Netflix, it sounded interesting. About halfway through the movie, it's interesting all right. But also horribly disturbing.

"Okay, I can't take this movie anymore. Although I am hungry, is that Mini Mart still open just down the street?" Kaia asks.

Delia clicks off the T.V as Henry and I simultaneously get up off the floor of Delia and I's living room. There was an opening in a two-bedroom university apartment just a block from campus, and she and I were lucky enough to get approval for switching from our dorm room from last semester and into the apartment for the spring semester, where we'll hopefully be living for the following two years as well.

"It is indeed still open, I think we're their best business considering how many times we go there," I say. 

Sliding my puffy winter coat on over my light blue cropped sweatshirt and grey sweatpants, I grab my keys and follow everyone out the door.

White snow crunches under my boots and laughter and shouting fill the lawn in front of us. I completely forgot it was supposed to snow. As we step out into the lawn my winter boots sink almost a foot deep as white flakes blanket my eyelashes and hair. The four of us all look at each other and have the same idea. Screw the food, we can get some later. At once we all ran out onto the lawn joining in on the wild mess. Henry immediately packs up multiple balls of snow and throws one at each of us. Delia looks slightly insulted, but with a smile on her face appearing she runs towards Henry and knocks him straight to the ground, but he manages to take her down with him. Kaia and I look at each other and both reach down to ready ourselves with snowballs, as soon as Henry and Delia make their way back onto their feet, chunks of pure white snow hit their bodies and then flake off. Snow flies back and forth over and over until all of our jackets are covered in white dust. I feel the coldness rush through my lungs and cheeks while my breath escapes me into a white translucent fog.

Turning around, I recognize the back of a certain tall, brown-haired boy a few feet away from me. Balling up another handful of snow, and as it's released from my cold hands it meets his upper back, turning into white dust floating back down to the ground. Sebastian turns around slowly, curious to see who was on the other end of that snowball. His searching eyes turn from curiosity to wickedness as soon as they land on me. Matching his smile, I turn and run in the other direction as he follows, snow flying in each direction. My feet can't run through this snow very fast, and his long legs catch up to me quickly, his arms wrap around my body and my feet are no longer touching the ground. Sebastian spins me around several times as we laugh and I let out a soft scream when he loses his balance, sending us into the snow with him underneath me.

I didn't realize how beautiful Sebastian was until really looking at him now. Snowflakes land on his face one after another, his thick and dark eyelashes collecting the ones that attempt to fall into his eyes. Soft pinks cover his cheeks and his nose, while his sweet honey eyes don't falter from mine. Just when everything seemed to stop moving, I grab a handful of snow and plaster it to his face. Sebastian throws me off of him and I land on my back in the snow as he stands up and says "Come on science girl, is all you've got?"

I jump up after him and he takes off, looking over his shoulder at me. Henry comes out of nowhere, scooping me up and over his broad shoulder. He runs in the direction of Sebastian and drops me right back into the snow. No matter what I do I seem to keep ending up on my back in the snow. Too much cold air has seeped into my lungs, claiming the space as its own.

Huffing heavily, foggy air leaves me when I breathe and say, "Okay, okay. I call a truce."

Kaia is all of a sudden in front of me, reaching her hands out to help me up as she says "Hot chocolate time."

The four of us start walking to the edge of the lawn, and I notice Sebastian isn't following along. Henry does too, he turns around and calls out "Hey Sebastian! Come on man, you're coming too."

Sebastian smiles and jogs up to us. We walk down the street to the Mini Mart and each gets a hot chocolate. The piping hot cup instantly warms my bare, numb hands, and I hold the cup just inches from under my face, letting the steam crawl up my skin and onto my cheeks and nose. As we leave the Mini Mart, with no idea what time it is, snow continues to fall. The moon lights up the lawn, with the shimmering snow reflecting the glow. Pausing, my head tilts up towards the moon, the sky speckled with white stars raining snowflakes.

If only I could escape to the beautiful and ethereal feeling it holds forever.