The next day it dawned cold, but lively. The snowfall from last night added at least three more inches to the never ending snow already on the ground. Inside the orphanage the excitement was palpable. More snow meant a day of fun, and the kids were already whispering about snowball fights and sledding the hill by the bakery.
Eleri and I were among the last to shuffle downstairs for breakfast- the smell of maple bacon, eggs and sweet sweet syrupy goodness ever to exist on this earth, pancakes filled my nose, and the energy in the common room was contagious. The moment we stepped inside, a ball of snow hit the window beside us, leaving a wet streak as it slid down.
"Come on!" A boy, Aldric, called from the doorway, a mischievous grin on his face. "Snowball fight in five minutes, or your chicken!"
I rolled my eyes, but Eleri's face lit up. "We have to go!" she said, pulling me towards the door, almost making me fall flat on my face. "I mean, we can't be chicken can we?"
"You can go," I said with a laugh, holding my ground. "I'm not in the mood to get pummeled with snow first thing in the morning."
She pointed for a moment, but her determination quickly won over. "Suit yourself. But you're missing out!" She raced out the food, her oversized scarf trailing behind her like a banner."
I took my time finishing breakfast, enjoying the delicious pancakes before the chaos inevitably caught up. A few minutes later , I bundled up in layers- sweater, jacket, gloves, and a few heat warmers- before stepping outside. The courtyard was already a battlefield, with snowballs flying back and forth. Aldric and his gang had taken cover behind a wall of snow, while Eleri had somehow convinced an entire group of younger kids to form a rival team. It was truly a sight to behold.
"You're late!" she called out to me as I stepped into the fray. She already had snow clinging to her hair, her cheeks flushed from the cold giving her a look of a baby reindeer. Especially since a few freckles had revealed themselves in the daylight.
I grinned, bending down to pack a ball of snow in my gloved hands. "Alright, who's the target?"
She pointed dramatically towards Aldric's group. "Them, obviously. They've been planning this for days. We can't let them win."
The next few minutes were a blur of flying snow, shrieks, and laughter. Eleri was relentless, darting around like a winter ghost, her speed making it basically impossible to hit. I managed a few good shots on the other team, much to my surprise.
"You'll pay for that!" he shouted, flinging a poorly aimed snowball in my direction. It missed me completely, splattering a few feet away harmlessly against a wall.
"Nice try!" I yelled back, tossing another ball, landing smack dab in the middle of his derby face. He gave a mock growl and dove for cover.
After what felt like an hour of nonstop chaos, we called a bit of a truce- for now, and stumbled inside, breathless and soaked from head to toe. The warmth of the house was a welcome relief as we peeled off our wet jackets and boots.
Eleri's eyes were bright with triumph.
"We totally won." she said, her voice smug.
I shook my head with a smile. " We didn't even keep score."
"But you know we did."
After drying off, the day settles into a quieter rhythm. Eleri and I spend the afternoon lazing around in the common room, doing homework and reading. I was halfway through a book when she suddenly leaned over and whispered, "Want to do something fun?"
I raised an eyebrow, already suspicious. "What kind of fun?"
The grin that I saw was everything I needed to know. "Oh, just a prank," she whispered, her eyes gleaming. "We could totally end this day with a definite win against Aldric, especially for what he did last week.
Ah, yes. Last week. Aldric had snuck into the girls dorm and hidden fake spiders under everyone's pillows. Eleri had nearly screamed the whole building down when she found hers. Revenge was definitely on the table.
I closed my book, leaning in with a smug grin. "What's the plan?"
It turned out she had already thought everything through. The older kids had access to the kitchen after dinner, and she had overheard Aldric bragging about sneaking down to grab extra cookies that night. Our goal? Set a trap.
The setup was simple but effective. We rigged a bucket of flour above the pantry door, tied it carefully to the handle so that when he opened it- poof! Instant flour shower.
By the time we were done, my stomach hurt from laughing at the thought of his reaction. After we started hiding behind a stack of boxes, waiting, holding our breath.
Sure enough, not long after we heard footsteps, He whistled as he approached the pantry, completely unaware.
Poof!
Aldric was covered head to toe instantly with flour. His head a white powdery mess, man I wish I had a camera at times like these. He stood there, stunned, blinking like a fish out of water as if he couldn't believe what just happened.
We just couldn't hold it in anymore. We burst out laughing, clutching our sides as he wiped his face with a slow deliberate motion. His eyes narrowed in mock fury.
"You're both dead," he said, trying to sound menacing , but the flower in his hair made him look like an angry snowman.
Eleri gasped between giggles. "Totally worth it."
He gave a half smile, shaking his head as he brushed himself off. "Just wait. I'll get you back."
We ran out of the kitchen before he could catch us. Still laughing as we made our way black upstairs. That was so worth it.
That night as we settled back in my room, Eleri lay on the bed, a content smile on her face.
"I think today was a good day," she said, her voice soft.
I nodded, staring up at the ceiling. "Yeah, it was."
And for the first time in a while I fell asleep without worrying about tomorrow. The world outside was still covered in snow, and for now, that was enough.