On That Winter's Night.

11-Exciting Changes.

Days passed, then weeks. Things were changing for Lily and Katherine in ways they didn't even know were possible. For starters, Lily found the start of something unexpected, something she never knew she had wanted. 

On a particularly cold Thursday evening, Lily was walking home alone, because Katherine had stayed behind at school to join Bella and Grace for Study Group. The winter sun was just beginning to set slowly, the dim orange glow dancing across the snow covered trees. As she briefly admired this sight, it seemed to Lily that the world was sending out a warm and comforting message saying: Good things are going to keep coming. Don't give up hope.

As she neared the top of the hill, Lily was caught off guard when she saw a boy her age, tall and good looking, with a beanie covering his greyish black hair and he was sitting against his truck, with his head down, eating chips. Lily would have walked past him and continued on towards home, but instead, she let herself look at him. There was some kind of force that was pulling her towards him. What was wrong with her?

 The boy must have sensed someone's eyes on him, because he glanced up. Immediately, his eyes met a girl's pale green ones. "Oh crumbs, sorry, I didn't mean to stare. I was just...wondering if you were alright." The girl said apologetically, her face flushing red.

"No no, that's ok, no big deal." The boy said reassuringly. The girl nodded and tried to hide behind her hair shyly, with a small smile on her face. "Well, I guess, if you're keeping alright, I'd better be getting home." The girl eventually, after a couple minutes of silence ticked by. She turned and began to jog towards home. "Hold on one sec-wait, I didn't get your name!" The boy called after her, but she was gone too quickly. The boy, Luke, leaned back against his truck, his thoughts on the girl he had just met. He had a feeling he'd see her again someday soon.

"You've barely spoken to anyone all evening." Katherine observed as she watched her sister scribble away in one of her notebooks. "Is there something bothering you?"

"Oh nothing really. I just met someone when I was walking up the hill." Lily said briefly, not taking her eyes off what she was doing. Katherine's tone turned playful. "Could that someone be a boy, perhaps?"

Lily didn't have to respond. The silence was answer enough for Katherine, who's eyes grew wide. "Oh good lord! My big sister has met a BOY!" She squealed. "It must be a winter miracle!"

Lily rolled her eyes affectionately. 

"Don't get excited, we barely talked! I barely know him! Although, I do have to admit he was quite tall and good looking."

Oh no, that last sentence just fell out.

Hearing this, Katherine smirked and she nudged Lily, playfully. 

"Do I get to be a bridesmaid at the wedding?" 

Her sister's face turned red and they both collapsed into fits of giggles.

Something good also happened to Katherine too. She earned high marks across the board, which thrilled the rest of her family. They actually went out to celebrate. However, as the family wandered joyously through town, talking and laughing, they failed to notice the mysterious male figure intently watching them in the shadows.