False Paradise.

Chapter 14 - I'm taking a break, thank you very much.

I bent over to pick up my coat as well, before turning back as Claire took it off halfway, pointing to her room down the hall.

"I keep a trunk full of stuff people don't want - this ones from kid whose dad was a firefighter."
Right... a hoarder. How could I forget that first day?

"And why the hell am I supposed to wait for Antoinette?" I asked, putting the coat on and placing a hand on the doorknob. If it wasn't a convincing reason, I was leaving. Snow couldn't wait.

"Because snow day's are rare, and it's a 1-A tradition to spend them together," Kristina explained, glancing to my hand. I instantly took it away from the doorknob. Honestly, I thought Kristina was trying to cut my hand off with that look.

"So why am I being pulled into this? It's a tradition you girls started, I'd be an outsider." I didn't look back to the door, but stayed looking at them.

Claire struck a dramatic pose. "It's been tradition ever since I arrived at the dorm! And that was last year."

"It actually started after Dominique arrived," said Kristina, looking at Claire. "Which was shortly after. I was introduced, and then he left... and then you two showed up, making this the second time this tradition will be held."

Dominique? I felt like I've seen a name like that before somewhere... but before I could dwell on it, Claire continued with an excited grin: "And now you're here, so we have all four members for it!"

I opened my mouth to say something, but then immediately shut it again when Kristina spoke. "Last year it was only three of us. This time it will feel complete."

"Yeah, and because it's a snow day, you get to see new sides of people you've never seen before - isn't it great?" Basically jumping on the spot, Claire looked at me expectantly.

I had thought about enjoying the snow on my own, but with Claire looking so excited I had a very hard time saying no.

I crossed my arms, debating my options. On one hand, I could spend the day alone in the cold, my least favourite temperature, with a water state I knew nothing about. On the other, I could be with those three and have fun.

Yeah, what was I thinking? The answer was so glaringly obvious. "Fine, I'll go. Not like I had something too important to do anyway. But first, food."

After a successful breakfast, Claire and Kristina dragged me out of the room without me putting any resistance, down the hall and to the first floor, with Antoinette following us with a smile. It was still a sight I appreciated, so I smiled back.

Once the elevator doors opened, I was hit with two things:

1) The incredibly cold air.

2) The sound of laughter and games.

3) The area ahead of us completely turned into a sheet of white, with small snowflakes that fall from the clouded sky.

4) The fact that I don't know how to count to two.

I stood up straight, looking around at the scene. There was... a lot of people in here, but no matter where I looked, I couldn't find any familiar faces.

But the frown disappeared into surprise when I felt a hand taking mine and pulling me along.
"Wh- Hey, Antoinette, let go!" I exclaimed, while looking at the back of her brown hair. I didn't exactly do anything to rid myself of her, seeing as how her hand is warm from the glove she's wearing, whereas mine was cold.

Passing by the crowd, I heard all around the sounds of joy, and my eyes scan around. Everywhere I saw, something's going on: snowball fights, snow angels, other variations of the word snow. Even with the heavy clouds above, the positivity all around seemed to make everything shine.