13 Reasons Why// Winterwatcher (Discontinued)

{11} Coldness

"Are we going to practice again today?" Winter asked her, sitting on her desk.

"Sure," Moon said, giving Winter a thumbs-up. Then she went back to scribbling her notes before opening her mouth. "Beware, Man of Storm. For I have played the saxophone so much, you will never even dream of competing with my skills."

He laughed mockingly. "Oh, no! Your speech is so powerful, it almost makes me forget I began playing the sax when I was five. How long have you been playing? An year?" He rolled his eyes. "Pfft."

"True," she replied, laughing. "Your house or mine?"

Winter smiled. "Special treat for you, my parents actually allowed it. Now I can finally show you my horse and you can come over!"

"Awesome!" she shouted. The teacher turned to look at her, an eyebrow raised. She slowly sank down on her chair, her face red.

Winter laughed, pointing at her tomato-red cheeks, and she swatted his hand away, giggling.

That afternoon, Moon went along with him on the limousine. It turned out his sibling, Icicle, never rode with him. They all rode in separate cars.

Moon had always wanted a sibling of her own, but if it was always like this between siblings... it made her rethink her wish.

When they got out, a woman was waiting for them. Icicle went into the house without a word, her face emotionless, but Winter carefully said hello, like he was afraid of hurting her if he said it too loud.

Moon greeted her, too, although she never got an answer.

She looked too much like Winter to be a stranger, but with cold and cruel features. Who was this woman?

Winter bowed his head. "Mother," he murmured. His eyes were on his shoes.

"Son." Tundra replied, her voice colder than ice. "So this is...the girl you told me about. She's very..." She raised an eyebrow in displeasure. "Average. Nothing special. Not exactly pretty, either."

Winter didn't reply. Average? Moon felt anger rising inside her. Was Winter always treated like this?

How much did he keep inside, telling no one?

...Was he okay?

"We must go up and study, Mother," Winter whispered. He finally looked up, but flinched as his Mother's eyes met his.

"Very well," Tundra said, turning away from him. Winter's entire body seemed to relax when she disappeared down the stairs.

"Let's go," he said excitedly, nudging Moon with his shoulder like nothing had happened. "This is going to be...nice."

He grabbed her wrist and ran out to the yard, got a carrot, and ran to the barn, his eyes sparkling. Moon tried feeding Bandit a carrot after a couple moments of admiring the white, majestic horse front of her.

But she could never quite forget the flinch Winter did as his mother met his eyes...what was the woman doing to her son?

Then they started to ride him, Winter at the front, Moon at the back, watching as the horse ran through the green grass below.

After riding him for about half an hour, it started raining. Shouting in alarm, they went back to the barn as quick as possible, but they were already dripping wet.

"Ugh," he said as he jumped off. "Now I'm all wet." He rolled his eyes and offered her his hand with a grin.

Moon took his hand, jumping into his arms. "So am I!" She laughed.