Hate Me

Hottie God:  I wish you could come to our away game. 

Hottie God:  Can’t wait until this weekend at your loft. 

Hottie God:  My mom is taking me shopping for my birthday. 

Hottie God:  I miss you.

Hottie God:  We just took down the Eiffel Tower. All the cardboard was starting to fall off it and we were told it was a hazard. :(

“Hey, Boots,” he answers.

“Hey, yourself. I got all your texts.”

“Ha. Random, right?”

“They were cute. And in reply, I would say: you can get naked on my furry rug anytime you want, providing I get to watch; I can’t wait until this weekend either; I was sad to see the Eiffel Tower gone; and what are you going to shop for?”

“You forgot something.”

“What did I forget?”

“That you missed me too.”

“I missed you too, Aiden. It’s part of why I can’t wait for this weekend. Are you going to tell me what you have pla

“Nope. And I’m shopping for clothes.”

“I wish I could do that instead of the dance competition. I’m starting to get nervous for it.”

“Peyton says you and Maggie have the routine down.”

“We do. And our small group hip-hop routine is really good. I feel great about that. But I want the whole team to place.”

“I’m sure you will. I won’t get to see you tomorrow night either,” he says sadly.

“I know. Sucks. I’d like to meet you at Stockton’s but I’m just too tired.”

“Meet me for breakfast?”

“That sounds good. Night, Aiden.”

“Night, Boots.”

After I hang up, I decide to skip my shower and do something for Aiden instead.

Look outside. 

3am

I wake up to the sound of my phone vibrating.

I open one eye and see that Aiden’s calling.

“Open your curtains and look outside,” he says, sounding way too chipper for whatever the hell time in the morning it is.

“Uh, what time is it?”

“Doesn’t matter. Open them!”

I stumble out of bed and, with one eye still shut, pull open my curtains.

“Oh my gosh!” I whisper, seeing both falling snow and Aiden outside.

I push open the window.

“Get dressed and come outside!”

I run into my closet, using my phone as a flashlight, pull on some clothes, and then launch myself out the window.

The ground is covered with a thick layer of snow. There are millions of white flakes falling and sparkling in the moonlight.

“It’s so pretty!” I say as Aiden takes my hand.

“Look at the trees. They’re all covered in ice.”

“Oh, Aiden. I’ve never seen trees like that. It’s like a real life winter fairyland!”

I run over to one of the trees and feel a branch. It’s slick and frozen.

“Have you never seen snow before, California girl?”

“I have. This is just different. When I’ve been to places with snow, the snow was already there. You know, like, you fly into a ski resort and there’s suddenly snow everywhere.”

I hold my arms out and twirl in a circle, sticking out my tongue and letting the snowflakes melt on it.

Aiden does the same.

As I watch him, I realize that my heart is like one of these snowflakes.

Aiden has been slowly melting it.

He leaves his tongue out and pulls me into his arms, touching the tip of his tongue to mine, so we’re catching snowflakes together.

When other students start wandering out of the dorms, he says, “I knew it wouldn’t last long.”

“What wouldn’t?”

“Us being alone out here.” He kisses my forehead. “I’m glad you got to experience the quiet of it.”

“It’s beautiful, Aiden. Thanks for waking me up.”

He smiles at me, then grabs a handful of snow and shoves it down my shirt.

“Ahhh!!” I scream. “What the hell?” 

“It’s tradition. Eastbrooke students always have a huge snowball fight to celebrate the first big snow. It’s about to get crazy!”

“Really? How fun!”

I drop to the ground and quickly start stockpiling snowballs.

After about four, though, my hands get cold.

“I need to buy waterproof gloves.”

He slips my wet gloves off and brings my hands up to his face. “They’re cold.”

He takes my hands and puts them underneath his shirt—on his bare skin—to warm them up.

I stare into his eyes and watch the snow fall around him. Then I stand on my tiptoes to kiss . . .

SPLAT!!

A snowball hits me right in the cheek.

I turn toward the direction it came from to find Riley and Ariela gri

“They’re dead,” Aiden says.

He takes his snow gloves off, blows warm air into them, and then puts them on me. “Go get ’em!”

I grab my pile of snowballs, hide behind a tree, and launch them at Riley and Ariela, who have taken off ru

I’m bending down to make another snowball when Dallas shoves a bunch of snow down the back of my shirt.

I scream and go ru

The snowball fight continues until the sun comes up.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6TH

Fragmented moments.

History

I’m sitting in class watching a movie.

And somehow it’s triggered . . . something.

Caused it to gnaw at the corners of my brain.

It’s a thought.

Or a memory.

Trying to get through.

I close my eyes for a second, shutting out my surroundings, and I'm quickly back at the Undertow.

Vincent's strong arms are around me. He’s wearing a charming smile.

I relive a series of fragmented moments.

The beach.

The ashes and his loss.

Our di

The brush of a hand across my knee.

Words filled with i