A Year of Winter

six

October 12th, 2012

I walked into Ms. Calloway’s twelfth grade English class on Friday right on time, feeling more confident in myself than I had in a long while. My study session with Winter the other day hadn’t only helped her, but myself, and I could feel the adrenaline of the guaranteed success of my next grade rushing through me; it was just one more good grade I could put on my transcript.

I nodded hello to Ms. Calloway and went to the back of the room, taking my seat. As the late students began to flood into the classroom, I watched the door, waiting for Winter to enter the class. But as the minutes passed, and the bell had already rung, I’d yet to see her sitting in her usual spot.

“Alright, guys, take your seats and I’ll pass out the test.” Ms. Calloway announced from her desk, arising and taking the stack of tests in her hands, beginning the process of handing them to each aisle to pass down.

I patted my fingers on the desk apprehensively, eyeing the doorway. I got my test from the kid that sat in front of me, wrote my name and the date, and began to write. I looked up at the door, once about every few moments.

She didn’t come to class that day.

❄

“Hey, Tyrone?”

Tyrone turned around in the hallway and grinned once he saw me, tackling me in an over affectionate “bro-hug.” After I’d almost been asphyxiated, he said, “Henry! What’s up, little man?”

Nervously, I adjusted my glasses, pulling away from his grip so I could breathe. “Have you seen Winter today?” I asked casually, remembering how Tyrone had mentioned that she was in his wood shop class.

Puzzled, Tyrone squinted his eyes, thinking back to earlier in the day. After a moment, he slowly shook his head, “Actually, I haven’t. She wasn’t in Shop today. Why?” He inquired.

I shrugged it off, hopefully looking as nonchalant as possible. “Uh, no reason.”

Tyrone smirked and nodded towards me, “Alright, Carson. Whatever you say.”

❄

October 13th, 2012

I spent the day looking at my watch, wondering if Winter was actually planning sticking to her word or not.

Andrew had invited me out with him, but I told him I wasn’t feeling well and had decided to sit inside today. I sat on my bed, my copy of The Decampment laying beside me. I’d read the first four chapters, like Winter and I had planned, but wondered if she was just going to abandon our meeting like she’d abandoned school the other day.

I watched the clock tick the hours away, until I felt myself growing tired. Once the sun was melting into a peachy sunset, I felt my eyelids shut closed. The next thing I knew, my eyes were opening, and I could hear a rummaging sound by my window, set in front of the dark night sky. I shook myself awake; how many hours had I been asleep, I wondered?

I picked myself up from my bed and crept apprehensively towards my window, frightened about what I might find. I tried to convince myself if was just a bird, or a branch dusting my window, but the scared kid inside me was afraid to look.

I’d just about made it halfway when I saw the window fly open, a short gust of wind blowing through my room, chilling me to the bone. Before I could even react, I noticed a hand grab the window pane, and a black silhouette hoisted itself up. I squinted, looking hard at the figure, trying to make out its features when I realized.

“Winter?”

Winter looked up at me, her face now visible and lit slightly by the moonlight. She drew a smirk across her face, amused, as she effortlessly swung her legs over and hopped into my room, dusting off her black pants as if it were nothing.