The Stroud Family and I

Chapter: 14

Chapter 14: Well that was awkward...

Sweat was laid on my forehead and I was suddenly feeling overwhelmingly claustrophobic and hot. My eyes suddenly snapped open and darkness greeted my eyes. It must be the middle of the night, judging on how dark it looked, and I craned my neck up just a little to see two outlined bodies of Drake and Chad who were tucked into their beds. My body was curled into Colton's, his arms wrapped around me holding me like it would be the last time he ever could. Colton's face was nuzzled into my neck in a comfortable way, and as much as I actually liked being snuggled up to Colton like this, I had to get up, I was so extremely hot, I needed air.

Trying to be as discrete as possible, I slowly untangled Colton's arms from around me, and slid out of the bed. Placing one foot on the floor beneath me, I took another step but stopped in my tracks when the wood creaked underneath me. After a few seconds, I made a fast bolt for the door, trying to take as big of steps as I could. I yanked the door open and quickly left the room. I rushed down the stairs and to the front door of the cabin where I shoved my boots onto my feet and pulled the door open.

I immediately sighed in relief as a huge gust of wind hit me in the face. I stepped outside, shutting the door quietly behind me. The cold air nipped at my exposed skin on my arms and legs, but it felt inviting. I took in a deep breath of air and breathed in the smell of fresh snow and crisp air. Crossing my arms arms across my chest, I stepped down off of the porch and my boots crunched on fresh snow, sinking about five inches in. Squatting down, I scooped some into my hands and created a snowball. I scooped up another pile and made a second one.

"Cleo, what are you doing?"

My heart jumped in my chest, and I let out a squeal of fright while bolting to my feet and raising my arm above my head in defense. Apparently my only defense was a snowball I was about ready to chuck at the person until I saw that it was just Colton. He was leaning against the pillar of the porch with an amused but slightly worried look on his face. There was puffs of air coming from his mouth and his body was shivering from the cold air.

"Um...I got really hot suddenly in the room, so I came out here."

Colton's eyebrows raised and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You came out here, in the freezing cold snow because you got hot, at three-thirty in the freaking morning?"

I defensively narrowed my eyes down in him, and before I knew it, I had chucked the perfect snowball I had made and it landed perfectly on Colton's face, making the snow crumble down to the ground. Colton's eyes shot daggers at me, and suddenly, he was pushing himself off of the pillar he was leaning against, and rushing down the steps towards me. I squealed and sprinted away from him in fear. He is a lot faster than me, I mean, he was, after all, the quarterback of the high school football team not too long ago. Within five seconds, he had me pushed to the ground and somehow managed to whip up a snowball, in which he decided it would be a splendid idea to smash into my face. My face felt frozen and now I was riled up, real riled up. With all my strength (which wasn't much considering I still felt sick), I shoved Colton off of me and whipped up my own extra snowball.

Colton had one in his hand and so did I. Neither one of us was daring to throw ours yet. Colton smirked and said

"Game on, Shorty."

He threw his arm back and chucked the snowball at me, in which I swiftly ducked out of way. I threw mine and hit him right square in his back making him yell out in profanities. This went on for a couple more minutes until suddenly, the door to the cabin swung open, and Jacklen and Charles stepped out in their robes. I looked behind them to see most of the family lined up, curious to see what all the commotion was going on outside.