Expectations

Chapter Eleven

The party was in full swing. Once Nevada and their partner had arrived, Taylor had brought out the wine and snacks. Everyone was talking and laughing loudly. Cora and the twins were occupying the living room and singing karaoke on the TV. Taylor had banned her own songs, so they had settled on 90s songs. Karlie watched them from time to time, laughing at their terrible performances.

"It's been snowing for a while now" Mike said at one point and looked out of the window.

Snow was falling in heavy flakes, covering the lawn in the backyard. One could barely see until the beach.

"Yeah, it's weird. It wasn't in the forecast" Taylor said and nodded.

She startled when Mike spun around and looked across the room. "Beverly!"

Beverly came towards them with wide eyes. Taylor looked at her confused.

"I'm sorry Mike. It's just that Taylor said she was disappointed there was no snow on her birthday, so I thought ..."

Mike put his head in his hands. "You of all people should know the rules about this. Seriously?"

Taylor kept looking from one to the other with narrowed eyes as the conversation went on. It dawned on her that there was a silent conversation going on between them that she couldn't listen to. Then, the penny dropped.

"Wait!"

Beverly looked at her with a grin on her face.

"You can conjure up snow?"

"Or rain. Or wind. Anything." Beverly shrugged in playful nonchalance. "Happy birthday!"

"Oh my God."

"Beverly, I'm serious!" Mike stood next to them, rubbing his temples. "It's against the rules."

"Oh come on, Mike. Live a little." Beverly laughed and patted his shoulder.

"Taylor, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"No because I can't hear thoughts."

Beverly snort-laughed. "Telekinesis snowball fight!"

Before she knew what was happening, everyone was putting on their coats and beanies and running outside. Well, everyone except for Mike and Patrick, who remained behind, shaking their heads in amusement. Beverly knew that Mike couldn't be mad at her for long. And if he was, she had enough stories up her sleeve from times when he bended the CA's rules for his own entertainment.

The snow was about two inches by now. Taylor laughed as she watched the twins throw snowballs at each other simply by the force of their thoughts.

She felt a snowball hit the back of her jacket and turned around to face a grinning Karlie.

"This is the best thing ever!"

Taylor grinned back at her and shaped the snow in her hands into a small ball.

"Are you gonna use your skills?" Karlie asked expectantly. She was used to seeing these kinds of shenanigans from her sisters but had never seen Taylor do it. In fact, she wondered if they had ever been in a snowball fight together at all.

Taylor looked down at the snowball in her hands. "I don't know if I can do it?"

Karlie wrapped her arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Yes, you can. You know how to work your skills."

Just then another snowball hit Taylor's arm.

"What's up, nerds!" Kimby approached them with Kariann and Cora in tow.