The Cutie is a Boxer

CHAPTER 14

It was snowing. Not with these elegant dancing snowflakes they prefer in movies, but rapidly. The snow was swrivelling around violently, settling back down and creating a terrifying view; a snowstorm, yes we could call it that. And don't get me wrong it was mesmerizing, albeit not in that romantic kind of way people adore.

Covering my mouth and nose with my portly knitted scarf, which Marilyn had bought me in a shade of forest-green in order to match my eyes, I waded through the glimmering mattress of snow, covering everything.

I had decided to talk to Dylan, drive him away, and that was exactly what I was going to do. If the result of being close to each other was a bullet planted just above our heart and broken ribs, we of better stayed in distance. My heart sank at this thought, causing me to growl, pinning my punch down my chest.

That feeling, that damn feeling. Why was it even there? I hated Dylan, he had brought all these upon me; drafted me to the brick of death, more than once, threatened my coverage, forced this shitty feeling in my heart. I was better, much better, before he came into the scene. I had a routine, a program, and he interrupted it.

Yet talking to him was one of the few decisions I had ever taken completely on my own, without people pointing me the right direction, or poisoning my crisis, and I was going to stick with it.

Kicking some snow, gathered in a pile, before me I pouded. Breathing out I watched as my warm breath mixed with the cold morning breeze, creating a small cloud of fume. Snow, for me at least, was an eyesore, it made me sad, dragged up memories that should stay hidden. Yes, snow is an eyesore when you don't have a family, a friend, someone to cuddle before the fireplace, wrapped in a blanket.

"Miss," a plaintive pitchy voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "We had been collecting this snow since the sun came out."

I turned defensively to the small brunette girl with the mermaid plait and purple ear-covers. "I should be more careful, when I'm walking then." I attempted to smile, observing her wide-open, almond-shaped eyes; so innocent and warm and brown.

"You should!" she pouded, folding her arms over her small torso and marching away, her pace just like a general's.

I remained motionless, examining as she approached two blonde boys, almost her age -they must have been twins- whining something at them and gesturing wildly. Sighing I rushed to her place, kneeling down on the snow right next to her.

"What about I fix all these, helping you with the snowman?" I whispered, blinking wildly, trying to interpret what I had just said.

The girl nodded negatively, murmuring a 'yes' in shock.

Oh, I am as socked as you, trust me! "We have to start then!" I laughed, jolting up.

Yet the girl didn't move. "I am Lana," she said, and then pointing her glove-dressed hand to the two boys behind her, added "and they are Marcel and Matt, what's your name?"

"S-Scarlett."

"Nice name!" Lana grinned, showing her toothless mouth. I glanced at her with a sluggish smile on my face, unwrapping my scarf. "Come on. We have to start then!" she beamed the words I've repeated before.

Throwing my head back feeling the sharp cold scratch my skin, I helped them shovel the snow from their front garden, constantly scolded from Lana to hurry and keep my feet on the ground. She ran up and down the garden like a bolt, fixing the flaws of her creation and ordering the rest of us, like a proper lioness.

Leaning against my pink shovel, I glued my gaze on her once again, examining her blatant moves and sparkling eyes. She reminded me so much of Charlotte, her careless attitude, her brilliant smile....

"Scarlett!" she giggled adorably, just when a snowball landed on my head, causing my beanie to slip off my head and my red hair to float down my shoulders. "Who is that one lucky guy to own your heart?"

Fuck?

Raising my eyebrows, I slowly turned to her place "Pardon me?"

Lana rolled her chestnut eyes, handing me my beanie, after removing some snow from it. "You are always occupied, your mind is up in the clouds... there has to be a boy...."

I opened and shut my mouth like a fish for a couple of times, before slumping down on the snow, beside her. "Yeah" I admitted, lying down and crossing my arms behind my head."there is someone, but we shall not be together."

"Like Romeo and Juliet?" she questioned, her flushed face causing me to sigh.

"Yes, you smart-one!" I mumbled, kicking some snow her place. Instantly she jumped up, delivering a snowball in my face. Grunting in amusement, I sat up, returning the hit and spattering her hair with snowflakes.

Her crystal-clear laughter made my heart skirt, as she exclaimed "Snow war!"

In seconds all four of us were covered in snow, panting heavily. I pushed my palms against my thighs, supporting my whole body on my legs in order to catch my breath.

Jerking my head towards Lana, I noticed a dark-dressed man staring at us from the other side of the street. My jaw momentarily dropped and I gasped loudly. Boss' men?

"What's wrong now?" Lana cried, pulling my sleeve urgently. Brushing her hand off, I signalled her to shush, leaning down and clutching the shovel. Tightening my grip around the shovel, I crossed the street, cautiously approaching the familiar figure.

"Hey!" I yelled, lifting my arms up in annoyance. "What do you want here?"

A muffled sound of laughter came from the tall man. "Wrong question." He pointed out, closing the gap between us and shuffling with some fringes at the one edge of my scarf. "Wht don't you go for 'who the Hell are you'?"

Re-increasing the distance between us, I narrowed my eyes, trying to distinguish the stranger's eyes from under his dark pair of sunglasses. "Okay then!" I chuckled nervously "Who the Hell are you?"

"Scarlett..." Lana's voice echoed from behind me, but I cut her off short, my eyes never leaving the bizarre man, who was now bending against a light pillar."Give me one minute here, sweetie, will you?"

"Oh, Red." the man mocked, straightening the collars of his black coat, so as to hide his face. "You would be such an amazing mother."

"Oh, shut up." I snapped, twisting the shovel in my palm and swiftly, directing it towards the stranger, knocking his sunglasses away from his face, freezing in place at the sight of those glimmering azure eyes.

"D-Dylan...?"