Snowed In (1)

t w e l v e

His words and stature instantly calm my nerves, a relieved smile springing to my lips. "Yeah, well, I wasn't kidding. I honestly have no idea why he doesn't have a girlfriend yet. Clearly he's the relationship guru." I say sarcastically with a small laugh.

This earns a deep chuckle from Winter, his head shaking slightly as his head drops, his shoulders shaking. "You know, I don't think I've ever quite met anyone like him." He says before raising his head to give me a small smile. "Or you."

The smile falls a little from my face, confusion wrapping my head in a thick blanket as I try to decipher the mixed messages this guy is giving me.

"That's nice of you to say. You too." I smile, playing it safe.

"Thanks." He nods. "Let's eat."

"Good idea." I laugh, grabbing my crushed pineapple and other assorted options.

After settling on the living room couches with forks and can openers, we dig into our random food selections.

Halfway into my fruit, I pause. "Wait...we haven't even turned on the generator and I really need to charge my phone." I speak through a mouthful of pineapple.

The two boys sitting in front of my freeze, an embarrassed smile slipping onto Winter's face while a puzzled expression overtakes my brother's handsome features.

"Whoops."

"Oh I forgot we had one of those."

Their responses cause my eyes to roll. "Okay well whatever. Let's just get it started up."

Winter groans, his cheeks full of mixed fruit. "I'm too lazy." He mumbles to me.

"Quit whining. Just tell me how to do it and I'll do it." I tell him with a laugh.

He shakes his head before standing up, setting down his fork and can. "Nah I'll do it just let me go get the gas by the door."

Once he's gone, Dakota gives me a pointed look as he holds up his olive covered fingers. "So..." he bites the snack from his pointer finger, "you have the hots for our neighbor with the weird name." He chews.

"He does not have a weird name!" I whisper, keeping my eyes on the hallway as I wait to spot Winter.

"Are you kidding me? Your infatuation has inflamed your brain. Who the heck is named Winter?"

"Hey I happen to like my name!" Winter hollers from the dining room as he walks back in with a bright smile, gas in hand.

"Well okay then." Dakota mumbles before mouthing sorry to me and biting another olive from his thumb.

I shoot him a glare behind Winter's turned back as he fills the generator with gas. My eyes glide around the room before landing on my backpack, an idea to cure my boredom landing in my thoughts.

"So I was thinking that since we have a generator and I could just charge it later, we could watch a Christmas movie on my laptop? I kind of forgot that I had it until now." I say, looking between the two of them.

"A movie sounds amazing, Sam." Winter grins at me. My stomach does a small flip as he holds my stare.

"Okay cool." I laugh.

"Whatever, I don't care. I mean, I'm down I guess." Dakota sighs, sinking into the couch.

I roll my eyes. "If you don't want to watch a movie then just go to sleep or something because that's pretty much the only thing to do at this point."

His head rolls to the side as he gives me a dead stare. "It's currently like one in the morning so I think I'll take you up on that offer. Give me one of those blankets. Actually...no, give me two. It's like negative one thousand degrees in here." My brother gestures.

Sighing, I grab a couple blankets from the pile on the floor and chuck it in his direction. "There you go. Now go to sleep and stop talking." I give him a fake smile.

"Ha-ha." You're a regular comedian. "Goodnight, hoes. Don't get frisky while I'm unconscious." He mumbles before laying on his side and closing his eyes.

After a few minutes of silence, snoring emits from his lips.

"Well that was fast." Winter laughs, his eyes locked on Dakota with amusement.

"Yeah he's odd." I say. "Wanna watch that movie now?"

He looks over at me with a toothy grin. "Got Home Alone?"

"You know I do." I nod with a low laugh.

"Let's do it then."