Brother Blood

Chapter 16: snowball fight!

Once my pack had pulled Mr. Danube's car out of the drift, Ralph pressured the man into leaving. He looked unhappy, glancing at Grant as if Grant might change his mind at any moment.

"Sorry Dad," Grant said, hands in his pockets. "I can't go. I'll write?"

"That's not the same," Mr. Danube scoffed. "I'll come back to visit."

"You'll call first," Mel told him. "And we'll tell you if you can or not. This is our land, our pack, Peter. You are a guest here, and a rather hostile one at that."

"At least I'm human," Mr. Danube grumbled.

"Hey," Susie Lynn complained. "I didn't get a choice in the matter. Are you saying I'm a monster because I was a victim?"

She glared at him more vehemently than even Ralph or Mel. Stefa hid a smile.

"No," Mr. Danube said carefully.

"And I've never killed anyone," she continued. "I bet you've killed people. Even humans. You're not better than we are. You're just mad about what happened to Grant. And I bet that wasn't his fault either."

"Susie," Ralph admonished.

"No! Why does everyone think they can judge us?" she demanded. "I'm a good person. My parents are good people. I like these people, and they're nicer that you." She folded her arms, clearly done with the matter.

Mr. Danube's mouth twisted into an involuntary smile. "How old are you?"

"None of your business," Susie Lynn retorted. "I'm going to go start a snowball fight now."

She stopped past him out the door. Katie and Brian were quick to follow. Mr. Danube sighed.

"Please call me," he said finally. "Grant, if you need anything..."

"I need you to go," Grant told him firmly. "I'm fine. Goodbye."

Grant went outside to his father's surprise, scooping up snow to launch at Brian's head. Brian protested and shot a snowball back. Mr. Danube trudged to his car. We watched him go and then Ralph and Mel turned to Stefa.

"I don't have a car here," she told them. "I can't leave yet, sorry. Still daylight outside."

"You are leaving without Conor," Mel told her.

"Oh my God, can we stop talking about it?" Stefa said, exasperated. "Yes, I know. And if you don't mind, I'd like the time I am here with Conor to be spent with Conor. Conor, peek out there for me? Do you think that's cloudy, or partially cloudy?"

"Cloudy?" I hazarded.

Stefa linked arms with me and we headed outside.

"I'll stay in the shade, just in case," she told me. "But I didn't want to miss out on a snowball fight."

She reached down for handful of snow, but it fell through her fingers. I laughed, showing her how to pack it in order to throw. Her first attempt hit Grant right between the shoulder blades.

"Stefa," he protested.

"Can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen," she taunted.

"It's forty degrees out here!"

He flung a snowball back at me, but I dodged most of flying snow. Katie used the moment of distraction to land one on my thigh. She giggled and returned to her hiding spot behind the trashcan. This would have saved her, but Keith and Casey snuck up and hit both Katie and Brian with a large snowball, darting away before they could retaliate.