Paper Thin

• 71: Terabithia •

Melody

Carson and I spent a couple hours skating before I started shivering like crazy. We thought it was best to leave before I lost any extremities to frost bite. Luckily for me, we arrived after dinner, so Harper had put away leftovers for us. Deciding it was okay if I had some salad, I sat down with Carson to eat dinner.

Once we finished dinner, we walked over to the living room and sat on the couch, spreading blankets across our bodies to keep us warm.

"What movie are we watching?" I asked.

"The Polar Express," Carson grinned.

"Did I just hear the words The Polar Express come out of someone's mouth?" I heard from the hallway. Footsteps followed, and Chloe White appeared in her raven-haired glory. "Aw! Look at you two all cuddled up!"

"Hey Chlo," Carson said.

"Hey Cars, hey Melody!" Chloe smiled brightly at me and I waved at her. "Can I join this snuggle-fest?"

"Only if you make popcorn," Carson replied.

"Deal," Chloe sang, dancing off to the kitchen.

***

When the movie was over, Carson and I went up to his room. Carson put his phone on a dock and began looking for music. I sat on his bed; legs crossed and stared out the window, eyes focused on the dimly lit trees. Soft music poured out of the speakers, the bed dipped beside me and I felt Carson's fingers intertwine with mine. I tore my gaze away from the snowy forest and looked at Carson.

"Would you rather go parasailing or white-water rafting?" Carson asked. I gave him a curious look but thought about it anyways.

"Parasailing," I responded. "I like that floating feeling. What's your dream car?"

"Most guys want a Lamborghini or something crazy, but I'd rather a really sleek Mercedes," Carson smiled. "A black one. Oh! Or navy blue."

"Those are nice," I replied, pulling Carson out of his car-related reverie.

"If you could visit anywhere, where would it be?" Carson asked, lying back on the bed.

"Greece. Santorini specifically," I replied. "What's your middle name?"

"I don't have one," Carson said, causing me to raise an eyebrow. "I know. It's because Carson White sounded so beautiful, my parents didn't want to ruin it with another name in the middle." I laughed out loud at that. "What's yours?"

"Victoria. And that doesn't count as your question," I said, crossing my legs on the bed.

"Melody Victoria Reese," Carson repeated, softly. It sounded like magic coming out of his mouth. I smiled in response. "What kind of art do you enjoy most?"

"Ah! That's hard! I love lots of different artists...van Gogh, Cézanne, Monet, Kahlo, Munch. I can't choose,' I said running my hand through my hair. Carson chuckled at me and propped himself up on an arm. "Okay, if you could go to any fictional place, what would it be?"

"Terabithia," Carson replied without even blinking.

"You didn't even think!" I exclaimed laughing.

"Okay, but have you seen that movie?"

"Of course, I've seen it! I'm still emotionally scarred," I replied, making Carson laugh.

"But before the tragedy, there was magic. Bridge to Terabithia had Chloe and I roaming around the forest, climbing trees and pretending we could see trolls and monsters or whatever," Carson explained.