Cold as Ice ✓

01

Zena Clarke slipped a pair of white earbuds into her slender ears to keep out the steady drone of the airplane and then carefully plugged the other end into the audio jack of her phone. She used her manicured thumb to scroll through the playlist on the slim, gold device and finally picked out Something Just Like This by Coldplay and the Chainsmokers. As soon as the voice projected into her ears, she sighed deeply and leaned back into the cushioned seat, which emitted a creak soon after.

In the seat next to her, Brian Shirley, Zena's boyfriend, looked out the window at the stunning sight far below. The small airplane was soaring over the snow-capped mountains between Santiago and their destination, Puerto Montt, Chile.

When the plane finally made its bumpy landing on a small runway and finished its brief taxi, Zena fell her ears popping as she reached under the seats for the luggage. Brian hefted out their packs one by one and they put them on immediately, and then together they crowded out of the tiny plane with the other five passengers.

As soon as they stepped off the little staircase leading off the plane, Zena and Brian were engulfed in surprisingly chilly weather compared to their home in Florida. The air pressed itself against Zena's cheeks like flat sheets of ice and turned her nose so red it would have made Fizz Verona's nose look pale after a rant about her ex (yes, I'm making an obscure reference to 2017 Bound by Willow_Pines). Brian, however, seemed less affected by the cold and continued on the asphalted runway to the small airport. He huffed as the wind blew colder and simply wrapped a scarf tightly around his neck.

The warm air of the terminal was a welcome sensation, relieving Zena and Brian from the freezing outdoors. Brian took off his scarf and Zena exhaled deeply, before removing a rumpled ten-dollar bill from her pocket and looking straight at Brian.

"Brian, I see a Starbucks over there and I want - no, need - something hot to drink. Do you want to come with me?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, I'd rather stay here with the luggage. But can you please get me something dark and warm? None of that iced frappucino stuff you always want."

"No, of course not," she chuckled, "It's much too cold for that. One dark brew and one hot chocolate, coming right up."