Best-Friends with Issues

Chapter 19- First Snow

~Conner~

"C, wait up!"

Behind me, a pleasant voice was giggling like tinkling bells. I turned around just in time to get a face-full of snow chucked in my face.

I glared playfully at 8-year-old Selena, who was guiltily giggling into her mittens, brown eyes warm and happy. She looked adorably cozy in her white puffy snow coat and matching white mittens, her short brown hair peeking out from under a white beanie.

"Now it's on!" The 8-year-old version of myself said back threateningly.

I picked up a handful of snow, giving it a few firm pats to stick it together, before wailing it full force at my best friend.

Girl or not, there was no such thing as mercy in a snowball fight.

She squealed and just barely managed to move out of the way. She turned to me, still laughing as I glared again.

"That's cheating!" I complained childishly.

She crossed her arms over her chest sassily. "Dodging is not cheating!"

Using her indignation as a distraction, I quickly scooped up more snow and rushed towards her.

Before she even had time to react I was pulling off her hat and rubbing the cold snow into her scalp with a sadistic grin.

She shrieked and pushed me away, trying to shake the snow out of her hair. "Conner, you meanie!"

I laughed as I turned tail to escape before she attacked me. Sure enough, I could hear her scrambling through the snow after me.

I glanced back over my shoulder just in time to see her boot catch in the snow, before she windmilled her arms and promptly face planted.

I was still laughing as I jogged back to help her up. She grudgingly allowed me to pull her to her feet, but that didn't mean she couldn't continue glaring.

But just as I opened my mouth to tease her some more, she leaped towards me and tackled me to the ground.

The cold snow instantly soaked right through my hoodie, and within seconds I found myself shivering. Selena was laying on top of me, leaning up on her elbows to smile victoriously down at me.

"Sore loser!" I complained, shifting uncomfortably under her weight.

She rolled her eyes. "That's what jealous people always say."

Grumbling, I hastily shoved her off of me.

She squeaked as she plopped down into the snow beside me. I earned a sharp kick in the shin, but she eventually settled down and curled up next to me.

At that moment, I no longer felt the cold seeping in through my clothes. All I cared about was that Selena was at my side, and she was bright and warm and wonderful.

My cheeks flushed at noticing her close proximity, and when she craned her neck to look up at my face, I stubbornly feigned interest in looking at the sky.

"Hey C?" She quietly broke the silence that had stretched over us.

"Yeah?" I answered back just as quietly, afraid that if I spoke too loud the tranquility would shatter like glass.

"Do you think things will always be like this?"

I finally ducked my chin to look at her, and my heart started racing in my chest. Selena had always been pretty, but after the past year or so, she was in danger of becoming seriously beautiful.