Aurora

7.

Julien looked nothing like Landon.

Sure, they both had the same colour hair, same skin tone, same eyes. But there was something about Julien that was different than Landon. Maybe it was his confidence, the way he walked or his clothes. Something was different. I just couldn't quite pin point what it was.

Julien raked his fingers through his hair, nodding at me in acknowledgment.

Natalie stepped outside. A grin spreads across his lips. "Hey."

She smiled, biting her lip. "Hi."

Connor glanced at the two. "Okay, okay. We get it. You guys like each other. We gonna build a snowman now or what?"

Tomato-red Natalie returned. She attempted to hide it with an eye roll, though it didn't work. "Yeah, okay. Where do we begin?"

"Well, Connor, since you're the smallest, you can build the snowman's head," Landon said.

"Hey!" Connor frowned, "Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'm not strong."

Landon let out a chuckle. "Alright, fine. Since you think you're all that, you can work on the bottom. Natalie and Julien can build the top, and Aurora and I will build the middle. Deal?"

"Deal," Julien said.

"Alright." He smiled.

Landon walked toward me, gathering a handful of snow. He sat down, making a snowball and placing it on the ground, rolling it against the snow. I watched. "You just gonna stand there?"

"Pretty much."

He rolled his eyes. "As you wish."

-----------

We built the snowman until the sun set. I took off a mitten and rolled up the sleeve of my jacket to check the time. It was already 7.

The moon lit up the sky, framed by millions of stars.

"That's an awesome snowman," Connor said, stepping back and observing it.

I nodded in agreement.

It stood tall, rocks shaping its smile, a carrot for a nose, twigs for its arms, and cheap sunglasses Connor had found in aunt Diane's house as its eyes.

"Reminds me of Olaf from frozen," Landon said.

"Just with sunglasses," I added.

I heard a door open and close. I spun around. Aunt Diane stepped outside.

"Connor, Natalie and Rory, it's dinner."

Connor muttered under his breath, "You better not have made cooked broccoli again."