Chapter Nine: Snow Day Surprises
662 Words
The morning alarm buzzed relentlessly, but Julia didn’t rush out of bed. Outside, the world was coated in a thick layer of white. Snow had fallen overnight, turning her neighborhood into a quiet, sparkling wonderland. For the first time in weeks, she didn’t feel anxious about the cold or slipping. Instead, a small flutter of excitement filled her chest.
Her phone buzzed.
Liam: Snow day! Want to build a snow fort after school?
Julia’s heart skipped. The charm in her pocket pulsed faintly, warmer than usual. She typed back quickly.
Julia: Yes, but you better not make me fall
Liam: Deal, but I might tease you anyway
By the time she arrived at school, the halls were quieter than usual. Many students had stayed home, but a few were trudging through the snow to attend classes. Julia’s steps were careful, her charm seeming to hum softly against her hand like reassurance.
“Julia!” Liam waved from the hallway, his scarf dusted with snow. He jogged toward her, stopping just short enough to avoid slipping. “You made it!”
“I had to,” she said, laughing softly. “Don’t want you to have all the fun without me.”
He grinned. “I promise I’m only fun when you’re around.”
Julia felt her cheeks warm, the words making her pulse quicken. They walked side by side, careful to avoid icy patches, chatting about homework, classmates, and small winter plans. Each step felt easier with him there, the charm pulsing gently as if approving.
After school, they trudged through the deep snow to a quiet park. Liam started scooping snow into blocks, pretending to inspect them critically. Julia joined in, laughing when her first block collapsed spectacularly.
“You’re hopeless,” he teased, brushing snow off her gloves, “but I kind of like it.”
Julia giggled, feeling the tension of the week melt away. “I can’t tell if that’s a compliment or an insult.”
“Both,” he said, winking. “That’s my style.”
They worked together to build a small fort, shoving snow carefully into walls and laughing whenever something tumbled down. Julia noticed how natural it felt to be with him, how easy it was to forget the worries and the cold. Every laugh seemed to warm her from the inside out, and the charm pulsed steadily now, reassuringly.
At one point, Liam stepped closer to adjust a wall, and Julia felt a shiver not from the cold, but from being near him. Their hands brushed accidentally, and they froze, looking into each other’s eyes. For a long moment, neither spoke.
“I think we make a pretty good team,” Liam said softly, his usual teasing tone replaced with sincerity.
Julia swallowed, heart hammering. “Yeah… I think so too.”
Snow continued to fall around them, covering the park in silence, soft and magical. Julia realized that the charm wasn’t just about luck. It had guided her here, to moments like this, to someone who made her feel safe and cherished.
As the sun began to dip, casting a golden glow over the snow, Liam leaned slightly closer. “Do you want to try the sled hill?”
Julia hesitated for just a second, then smiled. “Only if you promise to catch me.”
“I promise,” he said, and together they ran toward the hill, laughing, slipping slightly but steady in each other’s company.
Julia felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the sun or her winter coat. The snow, the charm, Liam’s presence it all combined to make her heart feel lighter than it had in years. Maybe bad luck wasn’t permanent, maybe magic really existed, but most of all, maybe love could bloom in the coldest, most unexpected moments.
For the first time, Julia believed that some things like this snow, this laughter, and this feeling in her chest were worth holding onto forever.
- Writer
