I sat in the living room, feet tucked under me, chin resting in my palm. I was still in my pajama although it was already noon. My fluffy penguin pants were getting worn out though and I knew I needed a new pair. The Christmas tree was twinkling it's white lights behind me and the sound of Santa Claus was coming from the tv speakers.
"Sam, are you coming or what?"
I looked behind me to the sound of the voice. Colby was standing in front of the couch, a blanket wrapped around his body. He was also in his pajamas, his pants had dinosaurs wearing Santa hats on them. He looked so small in that moment. I laughed softly as he pointed to the tv. The movie was almost over but he was insistent that I join him on the couch. I glanced one more time outside, at the wet pavement before sighing. I guess the snow wasn't coming today.
He smiled giddily when he saw me get up. He plopped down on the couch, laying over the entirety of it. I put my hands on my hips, looking at his giggling body.
"Now where am I gonna sit?" I questioned.
It was the day after Christmas and everything was starting to settle down. Until New Years, that is. My parents slept in and my sister drove to her college friends house. My younger brother, Ben, was still here but he was too busy working on a Lego set he got for Christmas. Though he's almost sixteen now, he still loves his Legos.
Colby lifted his legs and I settled between them. He wrapped the blanket over half my body and flicked his eyes to the movie. I was glad Colby was wearing socks otherwise his feet would have stunk so bad.
The weatherman said a blizzard was coming soon. And I loved the snow, it was the one thing I missed when we moved to California. Because it doesn't snow where we are in the state. I loved the white innocence of it, the fluffy coldness that seeps into your heart, the way it makes the whole town look beautiful.
My eyes focused on the screen but I wasn't really watching the movie. It was just background noise to all the thoughts in my head. Colby had gotten me a new ring for Christmas, it was just a silver band with mine and his initials carved into it. "Because we'll always be together," he had said yesterday morning. Nothing could separate our friendship.
I twirled it around my finger. It was the only ring I put on this morning. Colby had his on but that wasn't unusual. For me, rings weren't a big part of my outfits but something about this ring made me want to wear it forever.
"Do you like it?"
His question brought me out of my thoughts. He was biting his lip, looking at me intensely as I played with the ring.
"I love it Colbs. I told you that yesterday," I answered.
"Okay," he said.
He buried himself back in the blanket, leaving me with barely any. I wasn't cold but I thought I would mess with him a little. He is my best friend after all, I'm allowed to do things like that.
"Hey," I pouted. "Give me some of the blanket too."
He laughed and pulled the blanket farther away from me. I pouted even more and got up on my knees. I towered over him as he squealed. Before I knew it, I was straddling his body as we played tug of war with the blanket.
"Sammy, I'm cold too," he laughed.
"Well so am I," I said. "Sharing is caring."
He was laughing so hard he couldn't even respond to me. I had given up on fighting with him for the blanket that I had resulted to tickling him. His face was turning red as he tried to grab my hands. My fingers worked up his sides. His back arched and his legs squirmed underneath me, he was panting and struggling to breath. Somehow he managed to roll us off the couch. He ended up on top of me, hands pressed firmly beside my head. My hands held his waist, stopping their movements. I held his gaze as he tried to regain his breathing.
