XIII: Let It Snow
December 14, 2013
"Bye guys!" I planted a kiss on my mother's cheek and ruffled Daniel's hair as I passed the couch they were sitting on. "See you later."
"Just get home soon, ok? I hear there's a snow storm coming." Mom said, not looking up from her magazine. "And don't forget to bundle up."
"Ok, mom." I said before running out the door. I looked around the front yard in search of my dark haired friend. Oliver and I agreed to meet at my house before going to the square for the next thing we're planning to do on the list. He said he was already here but he wasn't in sight. I only saw my brother walking up the driveway.
"Where have you been?" I asked in curiosity as I took a seat in the middle of the damp wooden steps leading up the house. My brother was never a morning person. His definition of early in the morning was noon and yet here he was out and about at eleven o'clock in the morning with an unusually pleasant expression on his face.
"Breakfast with a friend." Ethan said nonchalantly as he rested his elbow on the banister.
"And this friend is...?" I trailed off, starting to smirk.
He just shook his head before changing the subject. "Where are you going? Are you seeing this Oliver kid again?"
"How'd you know his name?" I was surprised and amused that he actually checked Oliver out.
"Please," My brother scoffed. "He isn't too hard to find. The Hastings' do only have one son."
"Found out anything bad about him, Sherlock?" I teased.
"Nothing except that he's an amoral blockhead." He said dryly. "Why are you hanging out with someone like him?"
"Look, I heard the same lecture from Carol. He isn't as bad as everyone makes him out to be, alright? Do you not trust my judgement of people and their attitude?" I crossed my arms, slowly getting irritated.
"I do, sis." He said, his features softening. "I just don't want you to get hurt."
"Hey Elle!" I turned to the direction of the voice and saw Oliver about a house away.
"Hey!" I stood up and waved then turned back to him. "Just trust me, Ethan. I got to go."
"It's you I don't trust. It's him." I heard him say when I jogged down to meet Oliver.
"Hi." I grinned. "You ready?"
"Yeah, let's get this over with." He rolled his eyes playfully.
I glanced back at Ethan and called a cheerful good bye but he just stood there with a blank expression. I started walking then, tugging Oliver with me.
"What's up with your brother?" He asked.
"Oh, nothing." I said with an airy wave of my hand. "Let's go get lunch, shall we?"
We got to town square in a reasonable amount of time. It was a quiet morning for the people of Fairview. There were only about five people walking on the streets, mostly teens that were probably on their way to the DVD rental place down the street for a weekend movie marathon. That's what I would be doing on a Saturday anyway.
Oliver opened the door of the cafe and swept his arm in a grand gesture. "Ladies first."
"Thanks." I smiled then walked in. The café was decorated with iron chairs and matching tables, flower vases and canvas prints on the walls. It looked alluring and comfortable with the warmth of the heater.
YOU ARE READING
Learning to Love Christmas
Humor"Hey Elle," Gavin said in a low tone, wiping the counter clean. "I bet a month's worth of dirty dish duty that you can't turn Scrooge into Santa's head elf in three weeks." Noelle Winters loves Christmas. She loves catching snowflakes on her tongue...