ExtraOrdinary

30 | bridget

30 | bridget

Snow begins to fall from the sky. I smile. If this snowfall keeps up, there's sledding dangerous hills with Ivan and Mikey Brewer in my future during winter break.

I glance between Chance and his car. "I'm worried you won't be able to get home if the snow gets too bad."

"I can always call Uber."

"That's your solution to everything, isn't it?"

"It's a great service."

I snort. "Oh, I bet you it's way better in the city. Welcome to Brimwell Uber, where Farmer Todd will pick you up in his tractor!"

He laughs. "Farmer Todd has great stories, though."

"Yeah, about birthing calves and shucking corn."

"The true American dream."

"What a hick dream."

And just like that, it's like that day never even happened. Except it did. Because now, while chatting with Chance about hillbillies and country music and what the hell do farmers do during the winter, I'm not waiting for it to end. I don't hate it. And even though my flaws repeat like sound-off in the military every time I look at his blemish-free face and compare it to mine, I don't hate him for having a blemish-free complexion.

Although, a part of me still despises the fact that Chance Olson is so utterly un-hate-able.

"Hey, pretty boy." I pretend to kick his shin. "Have you ever done a snow-angel before?"

He releases a barking laugh. "Have I ever done a snow-angel? Doe-eyes, I lived in New York. Of course I've made a snow-angel."

I roll my eyes. "Alright, fine. Sorry, Your Highness. C'mon." I stamp down the steps and into the snow. I head across the street to the field there.

Chance jogs after me. Together we walk several feet into the field before I pivot and fall back into the snow. Chance lies back beside me. I perform a sort of jumping jack against the snow, eyes closed, relishing the cold.

When I open my eyes again, I squint against the brightness of the gray-blue sky. I stop moving the snow with my limbs and say, "So you've moved around a lot."

"Constantly. I never stayed in a place longer than a year most of the time."

"That must've been hard. Especially for, like, making friends and stuff."

"Yeah. I mean, I'm pretty amicable so people liked me plenty."

I snort.

I can hear the grin in his voice. "Helps that I have the face to match my good personality. But yeah. It did make it difficult to establish any lasting friendships."

Because curiosity killed the cat, I ask, "And girlfriends too, I'd imagine."

He sits up, shaking his head to loosen the snow from his hair. "I've never been in a relationship before."

I, too, sit up. I look at him, eyes wide. "You're kidding."

He shoots me a small grin. "Nope. I've never officially dated someone before. The constant changing cities and transferring schools made a romantic relationship seem stupid to even attempt.

"I've had plenty of flirtations before. Brief moments of whispering intimate secrets and cuddling in forbidden places. I thought that was the compromise: a real relationship isn't feasible when I'm moving around so much. So a meaningless flirtation will have to do."