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Once A Year
By blackrider11
It doesn't snow in at Silas, well to be more accurate, it only snowed in the "DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ENTER THIS ZONE" area. Being abroad at Silas, made it difficult for them to come home for the holidays and in their first year they had looked forward to the first snow of the season. Snow was, for better or worse, an integral part of their childhood. And when they couldn't get access to it, they had been crushed. Instead Perry made hot chocolate and they had cuddled together under the covers reliving memories of past winter years.
They talked and laughed about how LaFontaine would mischievously sneak up behind Perry, just waiting for a chance to catch her off guard to playfully shove snow down the back of her jacket. The year that some boy named Jason threw an iceball at Susan's head, and how Lola had retaliated with such fury that he had spent the entire rest of the year avoiding the two of them. How that each year Lola Perry would run over to the LaFontaine household to tell Susan that it was snowing. That one year she had come over and tapped on the window at midnight. And the one time Susan had met her half-way. And how they had made snow angels on Christmas Eve of every year.
Recalling the memories was great but it wasn't the same; it wasn't quite enough, for either of them. It wasn't quite like the real thing. When they started this year, Perry had already resigned herself to the fact that there would be no snow for the next few years that they would be here. LaFontaine, however, was a different story.
Because they knew that it was only once a year, under the right conditions, that Perry believed in magic. And they were going to make sure that this opportunity would not pass by again. So when they went to bed at night, LaFontaine made sure to set their personal alarm to wake up.
"Perry, Perr, wake up." LaFontaine gently shook Perry awake.
"Susan? What is it?" Perry glanced at the clock, it read 10:24pm. "Do you know what time it is? We just got to sleep."
"I have something to show you."
"Can't it wait until morning?" Perry groaned.
LaFontaine shook their head and held out Perry's cold weather clothes, "Sorry Perr, it has to be right now."
"Might I ask where we're going?" She asked.
"You'll see," replied LaFontaine. "Come on," they said as they grabbed Perry's hand before she had finished zipping up her jacket.
On their way outside they passed the student resource thermometer that is hung in every dorm. It read -3 degrees Celsius and to Perry's displeasure there was nothing but water on the ground. She started to wonder why LaFonatine had dragged her out this late at night when tomorrow she'd be woken just so they could open presents together. Perry let LaFonatine lead her to the science buildings and then through a maze of twists and turns, up and down, throughways and sideways. They ended up on the roof with a skylight dome structure on top. Perry supposed she never saw this because she never bothered to look closely at the buildings. LaFonatine guided her to right under the middle of the dome. In the light, Perry could see the grin on LaFonatine's face.
"Sus-LaFonatine, what are we doing here?" She asked.
"Just wait a little while longer."
"Wait for what La-" And then out of the corner of her eye she saw the first one. A snowflake, this first bit of actual winter was quickly joined by another piece, and then another. A couple, became a flurry. Perry turned and watched for a few moments before getting a freshly made snowball thrown at her.
"Susan!" Perry yelped in shock. She only heard LaFontaine's laughter as they retreated and began to hastily build a wall to avoid any incoming snowballs that they knew were just moments away.
A smile crept its way across Perry's face as she responded as quickly as possible with one of her own, hastily yet well made balls of snow. Missing, to her friend's delight. And letting go of all worries, cares, or appearances, Perry dived to the ground to avoid another of LaFontaine's snowballs.
An hour after the snow stopped falling and after eight destroyed snow forts, several dozen snowballs, and lots of laughter, both of them agreed to call a truce because truth to be told both Perry and LaFontaine were exhausted. And together they lay there side by side arms stretched out yet not quite touching.
Then LaFontaine began moving their arms up and down and legs side to side, "Snow angels!"
Perry followed suit and when the angels were finished, they got up getting ready to go. In the distance there was a sound of a ringing bell signaling the hour of midnight. Wind rushed through the dome, kicking up the snow and sent it whirling around the two friends. Not one flake touched them despite the fury of the storm and it seemed that the snow itself was playing with them, not getting too close or too far. In the light, each flake seemed to dance and twirl in the air. Each one taking a turn to give off a glow and then fade. As suddenly as the storm began, it vanished, the only evidence that there had been snow at all was the faint indention of two angels on the ground.
LaFontaine smiled, "Merry Christmas Perry." And when Perry turned and LaFonatine could see her face, they knew that they had succeeded because there was that glimmer in Lola Perry's eye that said for this small moment of time, they believed magic was real.
The End