Michaelangelo, You Made Me Smile (Book 3)

Snowflakes

Four more staples.... Another set after another. One poster right beside the other. One friend beside the other.

I stepped back and sighed, looking at the two lost persons posters me and Sophie have been working on...

Both were our friends, both were gone mysteriously... And their parents fail to remember them. Or anybody that they had ever hung out with. Except me and Sophie.

It made me wonder. But Naomi and Julie were basically the glue to our friendship. Even though they fought once a month, they always became friends again...

I called Sophie and she picked up, asking, "Got the posters up?"

"Every single one I had..." I sighed, looking at the telephone pole with the two faces of my friends.

"Alright. We're meeting at the hang out still, right?"

"Yep."

"Alright. Meet you there," she said before hanging up. I closed the flip phone and looked at our before walking to the hang out.

As I was in the way, a minuscule white flake passed by my face. It's been almost a year since Naomi left... And a few months for Julie. And, it's almost Christmas....

I sighed and thought about the two gifts I would buy and wrap that I would never be able to give....

As I walked, more snowflakes fell and I watched them, scrunching up my neck to dig my face in my light brown scarf more.

Yes, I was more of a pink person, but mom made this and it was really warm. Warmer than any other scarf. So I kept it. But I was wearing a pink jacket.

But I walked through the snow as snow plows started through the streets. I looked up at the pale blue sky and wondered if Naomi and Julie were nice and warm.... Our if they were going to celebrate Christmas this year and think of giving me or Sophie a gift...

I looked back at the sidewalk and felt watched. I knew who it was. I just continued walking with my hands in my pockets.

Finally, I stopped and turned around, "Alright, Karai. You can stop following me."

The young black teenager stepped out onto a fire escape from the roof and smirked, "You're getting better at sensing ones presence."

"Most of the time," I smiled.

"So where ya headed?" She asked as she somersaulted from escape to the ground.

"To my hideaway..." I muttered. Karai has never seen my gang's hideaway. Or the rest of the FootClan... It was always the four of us' secret place.

"Oh..." Karai said, knowing I'd say no if she asked to see the place. "Well, it's Thursday and it's training night for you foots. So don't be late."

"Of course not. Have you ever seen me late?"

"No. But I'm just telling you to not start," she said as she turned around. I watched he walk out of sight before walking back to the hideaway.

The snow had a thin layer on the sidewalk and making it a bit slippery, but I managed....

I was in the Foot, yes, but I didn't trust them enough to harm Sophie. I wasn't going to lose my last friend that we had... Even thought Sophie and I both started doing what any other New Yorker teen was doing, we tried to stay together... But to hardly any avail.

Losing Naomi was hard. But Julie right after was worse... so I joined the FootClan and Sophie with the Purple Dragons. Even getting tattoos... We both stole stuff... which was a regret for both me and my family, but Naomi and Julie usually did buy our food and supply or group for they had had jobs...

Now it's just Soph and I against New York.... It's difficult....

But I arrived at the hideaway about an hour later and snuck in through the back, wiping my boots off at the door before taking them off.

I looked around and listened, even trying to sense Sophie around. A few creaks upstairs and a shuffle. To bug for a mouse or rat so I climbed the stairs and saw Sophie.

She was starting to unwind lights from there boxes. There was already even a Christmas tree up in the corner where there were no lights.

I smiled as she looked up. She smiled back, "Wanna help?"

"Duh," I said with a grin and came up to help Sophie with the tree and the homemade decorations we had made ourselves from boredom taking over.

It was a quiet rest of the night and we culled on the blankets and pillows, listening to the snowstorm get worse and worse and knowing that would have to stay here for the night. So we covered up with all the blankets and even slept by one another to conserve heat and fell asleep.