Eternal Winter

“Tiggy, lemme walk to you home. We can stop by my place and pick up Matt on the way and we’ll just leave after that.” Sam loops his arm through mine, “It’s off to see the wizard! The wonderful wizard of Oz!”

I giggle while pulling my hat on before Sammy pulls me out of the coffee shop. The cold air invading my lungs causes me to gasp and struggle to catch my breath as Sam drags me with the frozen precipitation. I tilt my face up toward the overcast sky and count the street lights as we pass under them. Humming along to a Blue October song in my head, I pull my coats collar up a tad just in time to feel a slushy wetness smother the side of my face. Stopping dead in my tracks, I slowly turn to face my assailant. Sam stands under a street light, hands behind his back, attempting to look innocent. His cool blue eyes cast up toward the sky, a lopsided smile plastered to his face. He shrugs, “What?”

“Did you just-?” I cock an eyebrow at him.

“Did I what? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The sly look on Sam’s face tells me otherwise.

I slowly stoop and ball the cold snow in my hands and standing up straight, chuck the wad of ice at my friend nailing him directly in the chest. The compact ball explodes sending bits of snow and ice up into Sam’s face. His face immediately screws up into a look of surprise to which I respond by sticking my tongue out at him like we’re a couple of feuding kindergarteners on the playground. “Suck it!”

Sam gives me a look of astonishment. “Oh, it’s on.”

Before I have time to even give an inquisitive look, Sam is bellowing towards me at speeds that don’t seem to be possible with all the ice about. As he approaches me his arm wraps around my waist and I am flung over his shoulder where he then “tackles” me into a snow drift left from the daily road sweep. Sam puts a hand down to push himself up and off of me while I continue to fling snow at him. He sputters when he gets a face full of snow and begins he’s counter attack. His counter attack involves “sitting” on me whilst tickling my sides through my coat.

“Stop!” I screech throwing more snow in Sam’s laughing face.

“I’m sorry? Stop what?” He looks at me with a thoughtful expression as he continues to assault my ribs, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

I change my tactic. Instead of escape, I try to pull him to me as much as I can hoping that being this close will prevent his hands from continuing their onslaught. I slip my arms under his and hug him close.

Sam laughs into my hair, “Okay, okay. I give up.”

“Good,” I let him go and he takes my hand, helping me get to my feet, “Now, I’m sure the kids are waiting on us. So, no more fooling around?”

He holds out his pinky and smiles big, “Pinky promise.”