A Touch of Magic

Chapter 7: Snow Day

If I'd thought the world was white yesterday, I'd seen nothing. Today it was like a Norwegian Christmas card, yet the radio still proudly proclaimed our school to be open. It wasn't just the kids who bussed into school that'd be missing; teachers driving from out of county would be late, if they got in at all. Sadly, there were no such problems for Zara or me.

"What's wrong with you, zombie girl?"

I took it she was referring to the rings of no sleep around my eyes. I couldn't tell her why; the strange dreams I struggled to remember, the fear someone or something was trying to attack me in my sleep. I couldn't even bring myself to show her the geography project cover. In the light of day, the cocoa cat paw-print looked more like a dirty smudge.

"Thanks Zar. Bad night. Change of subject; your text was a bit vague. What did you mean, 'it was ok'. What constitutes as 'ok'?" We were sitting at the back of the class next to the newly fixed radiator, which now worked a whole lot better.

Zara coloured and looked around. As I'd expected, few students had made it in; she needn't have worried. "Well, mum was her usual standoffish self and kept out the way. You know, we could've been having rampant sex in my room and she wouldn't have noticed."

I giggled. It was true. But then, Zara was just as distant when she had her head in a book. "Well you didn't have rampant sex. And no, I'm not saying you're not capable of it, I'm saying you'd text more than, 'it was ok'. So, what did happen?"

Zara's face knotted for one moment, but then relaxed, though she still folded her arms. "We worked solidly for over an hour. Pete didn't want dinner. He simply said thanks and left." She paused, embarrassed. "I thought... well, I thought..."

"That he might kiss you?" I finished off.

She looked affronted, shoulders high and eyebrows arched inwards.

"He's just started to notice you. Give him a chance. Think about it Zar, if he'd have snogged you, you'd have thought it was all because you helped him."

Her eyebrows raised and shoulders fell. "I suppose. But, I really wanted to feel some sort of closeness, even a hug to say thanks."

"Zara, this is Pete."

"I know but..." She pushed her glasses back on her nose and sighed.

"But nothing. I bet he's already looking at you differently. Rome wasn't built in a day."

Zara looked at me strangely.

"What?"

"You. You've gone all wise-owl on me. Freaky."

*

By the afternoon, the school heating had packed up. We were sent off and told to log-on at home. No chance. The whole of Hillington Secondary could be found on the riverside park playing with the ever-increasing snow.

I was freezing, having been attacked from all angles by Robbie and his mates. Contributing to Zara's igloo building hadn't helped. Red-raw and wet, I'd permanently lost the use of my fingers. However, due to Zara's instructions and mathematical ability, our snow-build was fab and even I felt a small glow inside when Pete ditched Tammy's bum-on-the-bench posse to come and help.

The inner glow turned to an outer tingle down my spine as Gorgeous George put his arm around my shoulder. "That's some structure."

I almost wished he wouldn't touch me. It was far too lovely, and my whole body was getting the wrong idea in spite of my brain having no illusions. "Zara doesn't do things by halves," I chuckled. "Is Shelly with you?"