𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 | 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

"so what is pretty boy hiding?"

The warm sensation of blankets tightly wrapped around Rowan consumed her, resulting in a comfortable sigh as she slept. The blinding brightness of the sun glistening off the white snow would soon lift her from the slumber. In Minnesota, winter approached quickly and harshly — barely having a positive temperature within the month of December.

When the green-eyed girl finally surrendered to the gleaming light, her bare skin touched the cool hardwood floor. She rushed to pull on fuzzy socks and a sweatshirt before slumping downstairs into the kitchen.

"Snow day?" Rowan asked her older brother, Drew.

"What does it look like?" He replied, gesturing to the large amount of white powder that collected overnight.

"All you had to say was yes," She muttered at his attitude. 

"I'm going over to Michael's — hang out with Adam or something but don't do anything...well, you know," Drew informed, ignoring her previous statement as he threw his coat on.

"I'm 14," Rowan reminded, just in case he had forgotten.

She let out a heavy breath before climbing the stairs back to her room, quickly brushing her hair and teeth before bundling up to venture out into the winter storm. Once Rowan had stepped foot into the 4° air, she quickly sprinted over to Adam's empty house before any more water damage could be done to the bottom of her sweatpants.

"Adam!" She called out, but received no answer.

Instead of yelling his name again, she ascended the stairs that led to the second-floor hallway. She walked until the third door on her left — Adam's room, where he was, peacefully sleeping.

She slightly smiled before gently sliding into the spot next to him, his body heat immediately warming her already frost-bitten skin.

"From the strawberry shampoo and icy hands, I'm guessing that this is Rowan?" He said, wrapping his arm around her to pull her closer.

"Mhm."

"And school is a no for today?" Adam asked.

"We got 7 inches last night. It's practically a blizzard out there," She told him.

"I can tell by your frozen fingers," He laughed while holding them in his own. "Can you tell me a story?"

"No."

"You're so lame," Adam groaned through a smile.

"Then you tell me something,' She suggested, shifting to be level with his eyes.

"What do you want to know?"

"Hmm... tell me your deepest, darkest secret," Rowan said.

"You already know all my secrets."

"Are you telling me that your deepest, darkest secret is that you used to watch Jem and the Holograms with me when we were 6? And that you genuinely enjoyed it?"

"I was thinking about how I'm terrified of spiders but that works too," He cringed at the reminder of the 1985 cartoon.

"Well, which one is it?"

"Neither."

"Neither?" She repeated. "So what is pretty boy hiding?"

"It's really embarrassing," He sighed.

"And who would I tell? The Ducks? Brendan? Alex? I don't tell them shit anymore, not with Averman's blabbermouth."

"Promise that we never bring it up again?"

"I promise," She agreed.

"Okay... sometimes when I come over to your house, I spray your perfume on myself so my sweatshirt will smell like you later that night," Adam admitted, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red.