Snowflakes

Plans

     Now she had done it.

    She just had to open that big mouth of hers, didn't she? Now they were all in trouble. Which meant bread crusts for dinner and being locked up in their room all week. Maybe even longer.

     The girls of the orphanage couldn't help but glare at Pepper, even Angel. Feeling awkward due to their stares, Pepper decided to break the uncomfortable silence by doing what she thought was most appropriate at this point. Apologize.

     "I'm so sorry, everyone," she confessed, running her hand through her short, brown hair. "This is all my fault."

     Ginger sighed. "It doesn't matter," she said. "Just as long as you keep your promise and get us all out of here. Not that it makes much of a difference to me, I'm almost 18 anyway." She looked back at all of the other girls with a smile. "But they still need someone to take care of them. Don't let them down, Pepper. And don't forget us."

      Pepper nodded with a determined smile. "You better not forget me, either," she warned. "Or else."

   She offered Ginger her hand. "Deal?" she asked hopefully, tears threatening to build up in her eyes.

     Ginger held a similar expression. She took Pepper's hand and said "Deal."

     One of the girls called out from the crowd. "i hate to interrupt this truly moving scene, but we need a plan. We can't just come up with something on the spot. When is Pepper leaving, how does she leave, what do we do once she's gone, and is there anyone who doesn't wanna eat their bread crusts?!"

     The girls all laughed at her last question and threw everything they didn't want at her face.

     "She's right, though. We gotta think this one through," Ginger admitted.

     "Well, Allan's plane leaves tomorrow. I'm not sure at what time yet, so I think it would be best if I left tonight. You know, so I'm not too late."

     "How do you expect to find him?" Angel asked, worriedly.

     "Well there are phone books. I know his last name."

     "Oh yeah? What is it?" Ginger was testing her.

     "It's Brooks. Allan Brooks."

    "Well unless that brooke is made of root beer, I'm not interested. Then again, regular beer probably wouldn't be bad either."

     Pepper shook her head and rolled her eyes with a smile.

------------- Several hours of not-so-evil scheming, crying, and saying goodbye later-----------     

     It was now around ten o' clock at night by the time they had finished.

    It was snowing. Not too much, not too little; it was just enough. Just like the night where she had first met him. Snow felt so familiar to her by that point. It was a reminder of that night and of him.

     "Now, does everyone know what to do?" Pepper asked, ready to clear up any misunderstandings about their plan.

     All of the girls nodded in unison, determined looks on all of their faces. 

     "Then let's go," Pepper said, smiling determinedly as well, though there was a hint of nervousness in her eyes. Nonetheless, she wasn't going to give up now.

     Every bird has to learn to fly at some point, and this one was about to leave the nest.

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A/N: Nearing the end of my story!! Oh noes!!!D: Get ready for the last two chapters of "Snowflakes"!!

Ciao!

P.S. Sorry for the slow update, I was in vacation in Switzerland and didn't get the chance to write. But because I'll be up at about 4 am due to jet lag, a new chapter should be up relatively soon. :)