Falling for the Tribrid

24

When I woke up this morning, I noticed that Hope was missing. She must be keeping an eye on Clarke again. I dragged myself out of bed, put on my uniform, and headed downstairs. As soon as I reached the bottom, I saw students rushing outside in a frenzy. Among them was Kaleb.

"Kaleb, what's going on? Where's everyone heading?" I asked, puzzled.

"It's snowing!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement.

I looked at him like he'd just sprouted two heads. "What?"

"It's Christmas! There's a snowball fight outside. You in?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear.

A completely responsible and mature person would decline his offer and probably try to figure out what the heck was happening. But instead, I found myself saying, "Of course I'm in!"

Despite my internal protest, we both dashed outside. Sure enough, snow was falling heavily, blanketing the ground in a thick layer of white. It seemed that no one but me found this sudden snowfall in the middle of the school grounds to be bizarre.

Kaleb wasted no time, immediately packing a snowball and hurling it at a nearby student, who retaliated with a well-aimed throw of her own. I bent down, gathering a handful of the cold, fluffy snow. "Incoming!" Kaleb shouted, breaking me out of my thoughts just in time to dodge a snowball aimed at my head. I quickly formed my own snowball and launched it back at him, hitting him squarely on the shoulder.

"Nice shot!" he laughed, brushing the snow off his jacket.

I was about to throw another snowball at Kaleb when he dodged, and my snowball hit none other than Hope. My heart sank. She was going to kill me. I rushed to her side, trying to look as apologetic as possible.

"I'm so sorry, Hope. In my defense, that should've been Kaleb," I said, wincing.

"Y/N, what the hell is going on?" she demanded, brushing snow off her coat.

"It's Christmas," I replied, trying to sound convincing.

"No, it's October," she shot back, her eyes narrowing.

Before I could say anything more, Kaleb cut in, a wide grin on his face. "Christmas is a state of mind, a feeling in the air. You feeling it?"

Hope crossed her arms, looking more annoyed than festive. "Definitely feeling something," she muttered.

For some inexplicable reason, everyone seemed to think it was Christmas, which meant we were likely dealing with another monster. But the strangest part was, I didn't mind. Christmas was my favorite holiday, and technically, this was my first Christmas with my girlfriend, so I'd take it.

When we went back inside the school, we were greeted by an unexpected sight. The halls were bustling with activity as students decorated every available surface. Garland and twinkling lights were strung along the bannisters, casting a warm, festive glow. A massive Christmas tree stood proudly in the center of the main hall, its branches adorned with colorful ornaments, tinsel, and twinkling fairy lights. At the top, a sparkling star glimmered, catching the light in a mesmerizing display. Underneath the tree, a pile of beautifully wrapped presents added to the festive atmosphere.

The scent of pine mingled with the sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies, and the faint sound of Christmas carols played in the background, creating a cozy, nostalgic ambiance. Students were everywhere, hanging wreaths on doors, setting up nativity scenes, and arranging poinsettias on windowsills. The entire school had been transformed into a winter wonderland, making it hard to believe it was still October.

"They have hot chocolate," I said, eyeing the steaming cups lined up on the table. I was about to head over and grab one when Hope pulled me back.

"Don't even think about it. We need to find out what's going on," she said firmly.