First Kiss: The Ghost Bird Series: #10 (The Academy Ghost Bird Series) (7 page)

A clean dusting of white covered the yard and the driveway. It was a wet snow, with big fat flakes that fell heavily against each other. It was just cold enough to keep it building for a while, but I knew once the sun came up over the trees, the snow was done for. My skin prickled with cold but I ignored the feeling. The twin palm trees in Kota’s back yard looked strange with a layer of snow trying to collect at the base. There were a few trails from car tires already in the street, where the snow melted quickly. The neighborhood, for the moment, was still.

Kota and Gabriel fell in line next to me, staring out to the winter scene. I wondered if either of them had seen snow. They were from here, but I didn’t know if they’d been out of the state before. Kota kept his arms tucked into his body. Gabriel shifted up his black sleep pants, the edge of his boxers poking out around his waist.

I didn’t want them to waste a moment. I snagged Gabriel’s hand, marching forward to drag him with me.

“Sang,” Kota said. “Don’t walk barefoot in the snow.”

“It’s not going to be snow much longer,” I said. I marched out, leaving the dry cold of the garage floor, and meeting the wet, freezing bite of snow against my feet. The instant my foot touched the snow on the drive, it melted, leaving my footprints to mess up the pure sheet of white along the driveway. “Come on, Gabriel.”

Gabriel hesitated for only a moment, before he stepped out, letting the snow melt around his feet. “Shit,” he said. He clamped his arms over his bare chest. “It’s cold.”

I marched ahead of him, making a path and heading toward the end of the drive. The snow swirled around my face. I breathed in the icy air. I thought I wouldn’t see snow this year, or within the next few years living in the south. I didn’t know where I was headed, after all. Since the boys came into my life, nothing was predictable anymore.

But knowing it was snowing outside without looking was apparently one thing I could do that they couldn’t, and I was going to revel in this for as long as possible. I may not get another chance, if it truly didn’t snow in the area except maybe once every hundred years, like Gabriel had thought.

I weaved my way across the driveway and back. It was cold, but knowing the house was right there and I could go warm up made it easier to enjoy being barefoot in the snow. I’d done it before up north, in Illinois, at my family’s old home. A few minutes in the snow wouldn’t cause frostbite. I’d return and warm my feet up inside quickly, maybe finding a pair of shoes before doing it again.

When I turned at the end of the drive, North emerged from the garage. His wore his black t-shirt and, his black pajama pants stuffed into boots he had shoved on. He held out a pair of Kota’s green rain boots and a leather coat. When he was close, he dropped the boots at my feet. “Baby,” he said, “don’t walk around barefoot in the cold. You’ll get sick again.”

I mumbled a thank you in response and stuffed my feet into the rain boots. I let North slip the coat over my shoulders. He zipped up the front, then leaned down and planted a kiss on my cheek. His lips warmed my chilled skin.

“Told you it was snowing,” I said, grinning.

“I still think you cheated,” he said. “You saw it somehow.”

I stuck my tongue out at him, marching away to go back toward the garage.

Kota and Gabriel both had boots on now. Gabriel had a jacket on, too. Kota had pulled on his coat. The others emerged in various stages of dress, with shoes stuffed on and jackets in place. They all stepped out, glancing around the yard and neighborhood.

Nathan was out front, making a trail with his boots on the pavement. He went to Kota’s car parked on the far side. He touched the snow there, picking some up and shifting it through his fingers. His red hair was starting to catch some of the flakes, making his hair look frosted.

Silas stretched his arms over his head, twisting his neck until it cracked. He scratched at the hair on the back of his head. “
Aggele
,” he called to me. “Get the snow to come later in the day next time.”

I rolled my eyes, bent over and scooped up a handful of snow. I had to gather a lot as it was starting to melt in my hand the moment I picked it up. I tossed it at Luke, who had turned, staring off at the back yard.

It hit him square in the neck and he cringed, his shoulders hunching. He looked back at me, making a face and moving stiffly, like moving made the snow colder.

Revenge lit up the brown eyes and I knew I was in trouble.

I turned and started hauling myself away across the yard. I’d only plotted my assault; I didn’t have an escape plan. Dive in head first. That’s how I worked.

The splat of wet snow hitting my thigh told me Luke was right behind me. I made a wide turn around the house, sailing toward the back yard. It was hard to run in Kota’s boots, as they were too big. It was more like a quick, stomping march, and I was leaping more than running.

I ran smack into Gabriel coming around to catch me. He caught me by the waist, and we both went tumbling to the ground, sliding against the grass.

“Ow,” I said, rubbing my hip that had crashed into his. I was still wearing the shorts, despite the coat, so I got my butt and lower back wet with snow, and my legs were freezing.

Gabriel had his hand pressed against his chest, laughing. “Oh my god, it’s too cold for this.”

“Sang,” Luke said, standing above us. As I looked up at him, he dropped a handful of snow onto my face. Cold, soaking wetness smeared down my cheek, circling my body against my jaw and neck and dripping away.

I wiped furiously at it. I leaned over Gabriel, grabbing more snow and tossing it at Luke, but he dodged it and started running back around the house. He called out to me and then made a taunting, sing-song tone as he ran.

I jumped up, ready to run, when Gabriel caught me by the ankle. He did it so quickly, I nearly fell on top of him again. “No, wait,” he said. He picked up a handful and got up. “You wait here. I’ll chase him back around.”

This led to each of us scooping up handfuls of snow, making slushy snowballs and flinging them at each other. Nathan joined the game. He caught me and held me up, allowing Luke to toss one at me. I struggled against him, but when Luke misfired and caught Nathan in the face, he released me and started running.

I circled around and managed to get up on the porch, where I discovered a fresh bundle of snow collecting in a drift in the corner. I gathered what I could, making a huge ball, and when Nathan was chasing Luke in loop number three around the house, I threw and then ducked.

“Ugh!” Nathan cried out. “Peanut! That was my eye. And my mouth.”

I grinned, knowing if I stayed where I was, I’d be cornered. I flew over the other side of the porch and started to run, collecting a snowball as I went.

Luke and Gabriel continued to chase. I was just aiming a snowball at Nathan’s head when I caught one in the ear.

I turned, finding Kota grinning guiltily, pointing a finger at Silas. Silas was smirking as he pointed a finger back at Kota.

I wasn’t sure which one to believe in the moment and made a dash after them, a melty snowball in hand. Kota started off running and I gave chase. He was running carefully, though, trying not to slip on the snow, where I was already dirty and wet so I didn’t care. I got close enough that I could aim my snowball. It hit him in the back. Not as satisfying when he had a coat on.

Kota laughed, turning around. He caught me by the waist and picked me up off the ground until the boots almost slid off my feet. I was breathless and hot around my chest and neck with the coat on, even though my legs were numb.

“You missed,” he said, swinging me around.

“I got you in the back,” I said.

He released me and reached for his shoulder, brushing at the clump of slush. He turned back around, catching my chin and smiling. “Are you all satisfied with yourself now?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” he said and looked over my shoulder, winking at someone behind us.

That someone hooked fingers into the neck of my coat and dropped a big handful of snow down my back.

I stiffened, turning. Silas wriggled his eyebrows at me.

I playfully shoved at him, scooped up some snow and prepared to throw it but stopped short. He was standing still as if he didn’t care if I threw a snowball or not. Plus, he was wearing his coat. It made tossing at him less fun.

I changed my mind and was about to run off after Gabriel and Luke again when I did a second take at Silas. I thought of what I could get away with. Keeping my eyes on his, I hooked my fingers into the front of his pants and dropped the dripping snowball down the front.

“Shit,” Silas said, smacking my hand away and pulling back from me. He opened up his pants, shoving a hand in and moving things around, scooping out the little bit that remained and hadn’t already melted against his body. He shivered. “She even cheats at snowballs.”

“That wasn’t cheating,” I said, laughing, although it probably was. I felt a little guilty about it but Silas was smiling and that seemed to make it okay.

“How did you know it was snowing?” Victor asked. He’d been standing quietly to the side, his hands in the pockets of his long trench coat. His hair was nicely mussed on the side where he’d slept. His fire eyes were lit to a simmer, subdued for the moment, but still curious. I wondered if he was bored or too cold to participate, but he looked curious now.

I shrugged. “I just heard it.”

“What does it sound like?” he asked, stepping forward. His wavy brown hair fell across his cheek, a little longer these days. Even in pajama pants and a coat and just having woken up, he had an elegant look to him, and carried himself with his shoulders back, and his head high. “Can you show me?”

Heavy flakes were still falling around us. I’d been sure it wouldn’t last but it was building on the ground. If it continued after the sun came up, it’d turn into a slushy rain, which would get rid of the snow quicker. I looked around the yard. With the other boys playing and scrambling for snowballs, I wasn’t sure it was quiet enough to listen.

I held out my hand to Victor. “I’ll show you,” I said.

Victor perked up at this, as did Silas, Kota, and North. Victor took my hand. He lifted it and held it between his palms, at first warming my cold, wet fingers. I led him away from the snowball fight and toward the two palm trees in the back yard, and the opening they provided between them through the thick section of trees.

I crossed underneath the trees, heading into the flattened grass of the path in the woods behind Kota’s house. Once my hand had warmed a bit, Victor’s fingers intertwined with mine, his thumb sliding between my forefinger and thumb, smoothing out the skin on the back of my hand and warming me. I stepped until we were in the middle of the wide path, away from the hovering tree branches, and where we had a clear view of the clouds above us.

I stopped, stood still and listened. The snow fell around us. “Can you hear it?” I asked.

Victor lifted an eyebrow, shaking his head. “What am I listening to?”

I twisted my lips, finding it as difficult to describe as what music would sound like to someone who had never heard it before. Instead of answering him right away, I closed my eyes and listened harder. The wind blew softly, causing the snow to drift a little. The birds had stopped singing. Cars weren’t driving by. This was how I’d heard it up north. When it snowed, especially the first snow of the season, the world stopped, watching and waiting. Animals stopped moving. Birds were quiet.

I slowly curled my fingers into his palm, trying to warm them. “It’s like the world fell asleep, and all you can hear is it breathing,” I said, my cheeks heating as I realized it was probably stupid. I tried to correct myself. “It’s like fire crackle, very soft. The world’s just quiet enough to be able to hear it.”

Victor didn’t laugh. He covered his fingers over mine. Together we fell into the silence, watching our world blanket with snow.

I turned slightly to see if Kota and Silas were still there.

All six of the others were standing behind us, eyes open, quiet and listening. Their heads were crested with white, as I’m sure mine was. Nathan, Luke, and Gabriel were muddied and wet. Silas had his arms wrapped around himself. North's breath drifted from his nose in visible puffs. Kota touched the corner of his glasses, the lenses fogged at the bottom.

My heart melted like the snowflakes that landed on my cheeks. I don’t know how I knew it in just that moment, but I did.

Snowfalls were better with the boys.

As with many things in my life, they made everything better. Now that I’d experienced it with them, I wouldn't be able to imagine a snowfall without them. As much as they had things to show me, to teach me, I had my own little tricks to show them.

It was the first time I felt I was part of a family and wanted to go through many more experiences with them, sharing everything I knew, and exploring new places with them. I finally felt what it was like to have a family, where you cared what they thought, and wanted to share your world.

Our world. The boys and I. Dr. Green and Mr. Blackbourne, too. I wished they were here to share this. I knew someday, though, that they would be. I wasn’t sure how I knew, I could simply feel it. They were home.

My heart melted like the snowflakes that touched my cheek. I don’t know how I knew it in just that moment. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to. The moment I felt it inside me, I was sure it was wrong.

But I did.

I loved them.

All of them.

And that was the worst feeling I could have because the plan I knew about, the plan some of them wanted and the others struggled with... This new feeling inside of me troubled me terribly.

If I really cared about them, how could I ask them to do something so difficult?

SECRETS TOO FRAGILE

I
was one of the last people to return to the house at the finale of the snow fights. When Luke finally admitted defeat due to being too cold, we returned to the house. We left our boots by the back door, and Luke went to find out if the downstairs shower was open.