A Year Without Snow

-29-

Friday, 23rd December 2016

The night started just like the other. Dallas' cousin passed by to drop the alcohol bottles, a small guy with dark hair and a small mustache who flirted desperately with all the girls. After that, we waited for people to start to arrive. The first ones to appear were the basketball team, a group of fourteen boys, who, as soon as they arrived bought two bottles of vodka, and with Bryson, Carson, Lucas, and Dallas started recklessly drinking. The reason for that was the game they had tomorrow. With the High School from our neighbor town, who won the High Schools Tournament almost every year and, just as often, were the ones responsible for eliminating the Big Bears. Yes, our mascot was a bear, which didn't stop being funny because the other school's mascot was a dragon. A mighty dragon next to a fat bear.

And so for the last three years, Bryson would come home pissed because they had lost. Especially since he became the team's captain last year, he felt incredibly guilty every time they were defeated. And if Bryson had a big flaw was being a sore loser.

And as I was cleaning our vintage looking counter I heard the boys screaming "Bears! Bears! Bears!" and doing a shot of vodka.

"I still don't understand the logic of drinking before a big game," Sophia commented next to me.

"Well, same." I agreed. "Every year they get nervous as hell and it always leads to drinking themselves unconscious the night before."

"Melanie is going to be so happy when she finds out." Sophie laughed while putting some more bottles on the shelves behind us.

Then a few more people came in, amongst them a girl with short brown hair, who gave a little scream making everyone look at her. We couldn't see her face because had she turn around and was running to Bryson's arm, he hugged her back tightly, laying his head on her neck.

I rolled my eyes. That dude didn't waste any time.

Me and Sophie continued organizing the counter, as Grace and Melanie controlled who got in and Scar experimented on the DJ stand because Dallas was busy drinking with the rest of the boys and the girl that had just arrived. From where I stood it seemed like the girl was talking and the guys were laughing. She put her hand around Bryson's waist and he kissed on my forehead. My heart skipped a beat. Did he have a girlfriend? That wasn't something you did with someone you were just messing around.

I turned around, afraid that anyone would catch me looking. And that was when the girl gave a little squeal and I heard her shout.

"Daisy Ryland! Get your ass over here."

I turned around surprised to hear my name from that side of the room. As I looked at the girl, more attentively, a smile conjured on my lips, I made my way from behind the counter, as I walked to the girl and put my arms around her neck.

"Bianca!"

"Daisy! Oh, my God! I've missed you so much." Bianca said breaking off the hug and putting her hands on my shoulders as she examined me, "Ah, you've cut your hair! Trying to copy my style?"

"You've been my fashion icon for years now," I said smiling.

She had changed since the last time I saw her. Her hair was shorter, fashioned just bellow her ears, she wore a plain pair of jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. Bianca was one of those persons who had changed dramatically throughout the years, passing through different phases, styles, and beliefs. Which all seemed to have polished this beautiful human being.

"My brother told me what you were doing to gain money for the seniors' trip, and I couldn't resist coming!"She said while looking around.

"It was my grandma's storage house. We really turned this place around."