Sleigh Bells

Snow Fort

I slept well that night, considering how tired I was from the day's events. After Lucas's little rooftop mishap and several hours of studiously ignoring him, Riley took me back outside, and we finished decorating the outside of the house by ourselves.

So, at eleven, after going into a sort of trance and watercolor painting a heart that had been shot and stabbed and broken, I ripped the canvas in half, threw it out the window into the snow, and slept fitfully until nine o'clock the next morning.

I spent the first half of the day drawing strictly non-romantic-related things, like boring skylines and fruit. After lunch, I was sitting on the edge of the couch, staring off into space. Someone sat next to me and touched my arm. I snapped out of it and looked over my shoulder.

"I thought you might need this," Lucas said, offering me a cup of hot chocolate. It had a ridiculously tall tower of whipped cream on it. I counted the marshmallows, like I always did.

"Seven marshmallows," I said.

He nodded and smiled, "With a spoonful of caramel and a pinch of nutmeg. Exactly how you like it."

"Thanks," I took the cup from him and sipped it. The warmth seemed to make it to my stomach and radiate outward. I sighed and shivered.

"Come outside with me," he said.

I shook my head, "Lucas, I can't. I really can't," I said quietly.

"No, that's not what I mean. We're making a snow fort outside," he said, staring down at his hands.

"Oh," I blushed and avoided his eyes.

"So... come outside?" he asked, searching my eyes for any trace of emotion, which I was careful not to betray.

"Yeah. Okay," I said. I gulped down my hot chocolate, the gentle warmth turning into a choking boil. My eyes watered, but I ignored it. Lucas stood up and offered me his hand to help me up. I set the mug on the end table and pretended not to notice his hand, standing up by myself. He recoiled, his eyebrows furrowed, but he didn't say anything. We walked out the back door, where Zay, Riley, and Farkle were laughing and stacking snow in large drifts.

I ran to join Riley and Farkle, leaving Lucas standing by the door. 

"Come on, Maya, we're making a snow fort!" Riley cried. I laughed and joined them in pushing the snow into misshapen walls. We shaped it into an igloo-looking thing, then we curved the wall around, so we had a few inches of a roof. Zay, Farkle, Riley, and Lucas sat with their backs to the wall, the ceiling over their heads. I laid down in the middle of the little structure, my back on the ground. I ignored the ice water creeping through my sweater and my jeans.

"Sturdy structure," Farkle said, "Nothing could bring it down."

I smirked, "Nothing?" I said.

I grabbed a big chunk of snow and threw it at the top of the wall. The roof and part of the wall collapsed on the four of them, completely covering them with snow. I laughed and jumped up, running a few feet away. 

Zay was the first to break out, his clothes soaked, him shivering. He pointed a finger threateningly at me.

"You did not just do that," he said.

"I did just do that," I teased.

"That's it, you're dead!" he cried. He lunged for me, but I danced out of the way.  Lucas and Riley broke out next, Farkle shortly afterwards. They were all soaked and pink-nosed and shivering, and they were all chasing me around the yard, dutifully trying to kill me.

I laughed and dodged a snowball Zay launched at me. All of a sudden, Riley tackled me from the side. I shouted and tried to squirm away, laughing. Riley took a fistful of snow and rubbed it in my face. I pretended to be hurt and yelled out in 'pain.' Riley gasped and rolled off of me.

"Riley, don't, she's pretending!" Lucas shouted, but the damage was already done. I pounced on Riley and we wrestled about in the snow, throwing snow at each other and laughing so hard we couldn't breathe. 

And as we all ran around and laughed and threw snow each other, everything was all right, even if it was only for a few minutes.