Snowflakes Fall and So Did I

~CHAPTER 60~

New Years

~Jack~

"Come ooonnnn," Emma whined as she got in the car, "let me go with you! Elsa loves me, so she won't mind if I tag along."

I buckled my seatbelt in the driver's seat and looked at her through the rearview mirror. "Emma, for the last time no. I don't want my sister thirdwheeling."

Emma smirks. "No, you're afraid you are gonna be the third wheel."

I pretend to be wounded by her words. "How dare you expose me like that."

My sister giggles, while my mom says from the passenger seat: "I'm already going to have a son gone tonight, Emma. I don't want my daughter to not be with me either."

Emma sighs, defeated. "Ugh okay. Is Grandpa North going to make his New Year's cookies?"

"He always does, sweetheart. It's tradition."

"Yes!"

I smiled at her dorkiness as I started the car, eager to get home as fast as possible so I could change and meet up with Elsa. I've been debating all day when I should show up. I don't want to get there too early because I'm heavily intimidated by her uncle, so I'd rather not talk to him, but then another part of me wants to tough it out because I want to be with her. I texted Flynn and Kristoff too to see when they'd be showing up and also if they wanted me to pick them up.

In all honesty, I didn't want to because it would delay me getting to the Coronas' home, but at the same time, I owe them a lot for their girl-advice. I'm nice when I want to be and considering that our girls are related, I figured I could do this one nice thing since we're all going to the same place. Plus, I do like spending time with my male friends, though I'll never admit it.

There's more girls in our group, so we gotta stick together. Me, Hiccup, Flynn, Kristoff, and Bunny. And I guess Maui and Olaf on certain occasions, which evens out the girl and boy ratio to 7:7. I thought Eret was a pal too, but he's been weird ever since his fight with Flynn earlier in the school year. And lord knows Astrid doesn't want anything to do with him since he's Heather's boyfriend now.

Ah drama. Gotta love it.

Anyway, Kristoff ended up promising to take Anna on one last sleigh ride before it's time to put the sleigh up, so he's on his way via reindeer. Flynn, however, was more than happy for me to serve him. Luckily, the orphanage is on the way there.

"Can we stop by McDonalds before we get Jamie from his friend's house?" Emma asks.

"We don't have McDonalds money," I tease, making mom laugh.

"With all the hours I'm working at the hospital, we better have McDonald's money," she says.

I hate that she works so much. Before my dad died, she was a teacher, but after he passed, bills started to pile up and teachers don't get paid enough to survive. So she worked her butt off to become a nurse and is working at the same hospital where her husband passed away from; where Anna was treated six years ago; where Flynn was treated when Rapunzel whacked him in the head with a frying pan; and where Elsa was treated for her attack.

I grip the steering wheel hard at the memory. God, I was in such a panicked state. It was bad. We had just gotten together the night before and then that had happened. It was so surreal. And I remember being so mad. Pissed beyond belief. Worried beyond measure. I think it was then that everyone knew how I felt. They had their suspicions before since I was so hung up on flirting with Elsa and Elsa only , and I know I wasn't exactly subtle with my stares, and maybe my hands, and always being so close to her, but I know for a fact that everyone's suspicion was confirmed when they saw how frantic I was. I didn't want to leave her side as she laid unconscious on the hospital bed, bruised up.

No one had said anything about the realization of my feelings, out of respect I'm sure, cuz obviously there were better things to talk and worry about. Like who the hell had done it. And for it to be Anna's boyfriend?! Now that was something everyone was talking about.

And the asshole is still missing.

I feel like the cops aren't doing anything. I want to ask Hiccup and Astrid to see if they can find anything out, but they both have a complicated relationship with the adult of the home. Maybe that's one of the reasons why they got together. They trauma bonded! How romantic.

No, seriously though, I'm beyond happy for Hiccup. I remember seeing him in middle school when I was in 8th grade and he was in 6th. Everyone knew of the Police Chief's son, but middle school had kept all the grades on separate times and classes, so I never spoke or hung out with him. In High School there is one lunch for all grades and some blended classes. So it wasn't until last year that I officially got acquainted with him.

He was being bullied by his own cousin, so I had to swoop in to save him, and he's been my little buddy ever since. I fear he's going to have a growth spurt and blowup though within the next year or two. If he's hotter than me that's going to be a problem. I'm already fighting for my life against Flynn and Kristoff.

My good looks is why Charming and Roland and Lancelot and Macintosh and whoever else was in Hans's twisted friend group wanted me to join them. Yeah, no thanks. Flynn was asked too, but he didn't like sharing the spotlight.

Classic Flynn. Flynn who has been there with me since day one. The same Flynn who took four years to gain feelings for Rapunzel. I just don't get it. I friended her on her first day on high school as a freshmen and he's known her for as long as I have and has not once shown any interest until this year.

Maybe it's because he finally believed me when I said I didn't have any feelings for her. Everyone has been thinking we've been dating for the last three years until Elsa came along. No matter how many times we've denied the rumor, being shipped us like crazy. And I don't know, I just think shipping real people is kind of weird. I mean, ship it if you want, but don't go crazy and harass them when they date other people.

I also know Flynn was gone a lot during our early years of high school. I remember how tired he'd be and how he'd miss some classes to nap in the library. I was worried for him for a long time, but I never pressed it. I never wanted to be overbearing, but I did let him know that if he ever needed to he could talk to me.

And then there's Kristoff. Kristoff has been there since day one too. But he was more like a backup buddy. He didn't really talk all that much and when he did it was so he could be a smart ass, which honestly made me keep coming back. He's pretty hilarious. The more and more I annoyed him, the more he opened up. And then when we became teammates on the hockey team, that's when he really started to grow comfortable around me. Mainly because he got to push me around on the ice.

Speaking of ice...

"Make sure y'all's seatbelt is on very tight," I say to my mom and sister. "The roads are going to be icy today. And if you behave yourself," I say to Emma, "then maybe mom will reward you with a McFlurry. But only after we get Jamie."

Emma cheers while mom gives me an annoyed look. "I hope you know that that McFlurry money will come out of your allowance."

I grinned and opened my mouth to say something, but stopped when I noticed something that sent me into a horrified state.

The brakes aren't working.

I wasn't given any time to think of what to do. It all happened so fast. There was honking and swerving and spinning and screaming and the sound of metal crashing and pain. So much pain.

And then there was pitch black darkness.