Snowflakes Fall and So Did I

~CHAPTER 33~

Eventually though, I had given up on staying conscious, and as Anna removed herself from my side, she tucked me in, and said: "I can't wait for you to meet your surprise tomorrow."

I was too tired to reply, so I smile in response and was out like a light, not expecting for the next day to be the most social day of my life.

Hiccup, Astrid, Merida, Moana, Maui, Eret, Bunny, Tooth, Kristoff, Flynn, and Jack all came to visit me throughout the day. First it was Hiccup, Astrid, and Merida. Then it was Moana, Maui, and Eret. Then it was Bunny, Tooth, Kristoff, and Flynn. And lastly it was Jack.

Jack, however, came with three surprises.

His siblings.

They were so excited to see me, and when Sophie chanted "my name" (Ella) I wanted to cry right on the spot.

And I did cry, just not with them.

No, I didn't cry until I saw an old friend of mine. Anna's surprise.

Olaf.

And at first, I thought I was dreaming.

"You...you're real?" I had asked.

Olaf had giggled and extended his arms out. "I think so. I look and feel pretty real to me. Here," he moved one of his arms toward me, for me to touch, to know that this is reality, and when my hand comes in contact with his arm, I gasped.

And then I'm crying, and then we're hugging, and then we're all talking, Anna, Rapunzel, my aunt and uncle, Olaf, and I. We caught up on all the years that were missed out, filling in the missing pieces, and just basking in the presence of each other's company.

The whole day was a great one despite me being in a hospital bed covered in bruises, but now I no longer have to worry about that.

Because as of now, I'm back home. Well, really, I'm at school now, making my way to Mr. Black's class, and avoiding all the stares. It's like the first day of school all over again. I'm wearing a black-turtleneck shirt to cover most of the bruises, and for extra measure I covered them up with makeup. No one should be able to see them, but with all the eyes that have been on me I can't help but feel exposed.

"Hey Snowflake!" I hear Jack call from up ahead.

I was so zoned out that I didn't even see him standing by the stairs. Smiling, I pick up speed, my heart doing the same, and say once I approach him: "Hey."

I've already seen him this morning, but my heart always reacts the same. It's the same whenever I get a text from him. He was texting me nonstop when I left the hospital. Same with Olaf, who made sure I had his number before he returned to his work in the hospital's kitchen. They were both annoyingly cute.

"Mr. Black isn't here," he says, his eyes watching me closely I notice. "You okay?"

I nod. "Yeah, just," I pause as some people walked up the steps to the second floor, whispering the each other, which makes me paranoia think it was me they were whispering about. "...annoyed. And tired. Nothing I can't handle. Anyway, you said Mr. Black isn't here?"

"That's right," Jack happily replies as he wraps his arm around my shoulder and leads us away from the stairs. "We're supposed to meet up in the library with the rest of the class. I'm thinking about just ditching for the rest of the day. What say you oh beautiful one? Wanna join me?"

Rolling my eyes and suppressing a smile, I remove his arm from my shoulders and say, "The beautiful one says no. Thanksgiving Break is a few weeks away. You can survive school without ditching until then."

Jack throws his head back and groans. "You are such a buzzkill."

Making sure no one was nearby to hear, I say: "And yet you like me." My smile turns into a wide grin when he looks back at me with a grin of his own.