An Awfully Big Snowball Fight

Fresh snow dusted its way onto Molly’s back as she brushed against the pine needles. With each step she took, she remained alert and hopeful that the continuous crunch of the frozen crystals wasn’t alerting anyone to her location.

No teams. That was the one and only rule. Everyone had to fend for themselves. So Molly took her chances dodging between snowdrifts and tree trunks as she searched for a safe place to hide.

As she ran towards a new tree, a snowball crashed directly into the truck ahead of her. The snow blasted into sparks like a dazzling array of fireworks. She smiled at the beauty while hurdling herself into ball on the ground. If there was one thing Molly loved more than anything, it was sparkles. And glistening snowflakes seemed to blanket the world in them that day. Perhaps not everyone loved the snow, but Molly never thought it was a good thing to be exactly like any one other than herself.

Her smile still curled her lips as she popped her head up to look around. There wasn’t anyone in view, and so she stole the chance to sneak away and hide behind another tree.

Grasping onto the bark with her fuzzy mittened hands, Molly slowly raised herself to a standing position. The shimmering world around her placed her in complete reverie. Everything was making her smile. It was even difficult not to laugh as she started adjusting her hat. It was knitted in a soft blue yarn that had rivers of silver sparkles throughout and an incredibly fun pom-pom on top. There was no denying that the only reason she had even remembered to put on a hat that day was because of how much fun it was to have a silly bobble on top of her head.

“Pst! Molly!”

Curiosity crinkled her brows as she looked around the snowy landscape to find where the voice had come from.

“Molly!” her sister’s whispering voice called out again.

Victoria was waving at her from behind her own wall of snow not too far away.

Again, Molly tried not to laugh as she bolted towards her sister. Another snowball flew past her head, causing her laugh to finally escape as she fell into place next to Victoria.

“That was close,” she said breathlessly.

“Mhmm.” Victoria was already staring at her phone, mesmerized by the latest YouTube tutorial on how to have the perfect no-heat curls.

“Victoria!”

“What?”

Victoria was an ethereal beauty. Her blonde hair was perfectly curled around her green knitted hat, her lips moisturized in the trendiest shade of pink, and her lashes were licked with mascara that sent them to the sky. Many would assume that Victoria put too much attention in her appearance, but Molly knew that it was silly to judge a girl on such shallow ideas.

Molly shook her head and looked back out into the glittering forest. “You aren’t playing anymore?”

“Of course I am! Jeremy and I are on a team,” she motioned towards him with a tilt of her head before placing her phone away in her pocket.

Hearing his name, Jeremy looked over at them both with a wide grin. “Welcome to the team!” His straw-yellow hair was tucked inside a hat that matched Victoria’s, and his mittens seemed to collect the snow more than they released.

“We aren’t supposed to be on teams!” Molly laughed in protest. “It was the only rule we came up with.”

“Psh!” Victoria looked up at her sister with a sly tweak to her lips. “Everyone knew that when we made that rule that it didn’t apply to me and Jeremy.”

Molly wished she had a protest to that, but there was no use.

“Look at the wall he built!” Victoria pointed excitedly. “Isn’t it fantastic?”

“Sure sis, Jeremy is the master at building a snow barricade.”

“You’re more than welcome to stay here.” He cheered enthusiastically before turning his attention to collecting up snowballs into his arms.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll be okay on my own…” Molly fiddled with the tail of her braid. She didn’t entirely like having her soft brown curls tied away, but she knew her circumstances called for more practical hair fashions than the ones of her dreams.

“Suit yourself.” Jeremy said happily as he prepared to take aim towards an opponent.

Molly cast her sights to the tree branches above her, and a wild idea started to trickle into her thoughts. The tree was heavy with the fresh snow and its branches matched in a positively perfect way.

“Victoria, give me a lift.”

“A what?” Victoria didn’t bother to hide the disapproval from her voice.

“Just lift me up until I can reach the first branch.”

Victoria pursed her glossed lips, but still got up to help. “I was comfortable.”

“I know.”

“Why are you even climbing this tree?”

“Because trees are magnificent. And if I become an ally with anyone out here, it’ll be with a tree.” Molly allowed Victoria’s grumbles to fade away as she grasped onto the first branch and hoisted herself up.

Across the yard, beyond the snowdrifts and on the outskirts of the forest, George leaned casually against a shadowed tree. His long black coat made for horrible camouflage in a yard full of fresh snow, as did his dark hair that kept cascading into his eyes. Even the scarf he had loosely thrown around his neck was a shade of midnight blue. So all of his darkness made it easier for him to keep hiding in the shadows as opposed to the bright piles of snow.

Since George had just hit Jeremy square in the chest with a snow ball, he elected that one good hit was enough to earn him a rest. Not that he had done much. But he smiled to himself all the same, and thrummed his fingers against the tree’s bark as he looked down at his reluctant partner-in-crime, Thomas.

“I don’t even get a round of applause?” He asked with his cool smirk.

Thomas looked up at him and slowly removed one side of his headphones. “Did you say something?”

George rolled his eyes and looked further into the forest. “I just hit your brother and I get no thanks at all.”

“We’re not on a team,” Thomas grumbled. He tugged his plaid coat around him tighter, and continued his glare at George through the fringes of his chestnut hair.

“Come on! Everyone formed alliances as soon as we said no teams,” George tried to convince Thomas with his smile, but he was only met with a stoic face. “Jeremy and Victoria are on a team together.”

“We all knew they were going to do that.”

“That’s my point!” George felt himself get excited again. “And I bet Linus, Desmond and Molly have all partnered together. They’re probably all smiling and happy about it too.”

“Then why don’t you go join them?”

“Do I look like a sunshine person to you?”

Thomas took a moment to study George through the corner of his eyes, hiding the curl of his lips as fast as he could. “The sunniest.”

Just the idea of being sunny caused George to scowl. “Take that back or I’ll throw a snowball at you.”

“If you throw a snowball at me, I will never be on your team.”

“So you will be on my team?”

“No one has formed teams except Jeremy and Victoria. But that doesn’t even count since Victoria isn’t doing anything. You’re overthinking this.”

With his fingers rhythmically tapping against the tree trunk once again, George started to sort out his thoughts. “What about the sunshine people? We know they have to be up to something.”

Thomas almost laughed, except Thomas never laughed. “They’re not a team. Linus is too careless. Desmond is too careful. And Molly is up in that tree on the other side of the yard.”

“What?” George spun around to see if he could see which tree Thomas was talking about. There were a multitude of trees, and no way of knowing which one she had climbed into. “What on earth is that girl doing in a tree?”

“I try not to wonder about stuff like that.”

George laughed as quietly as he could as he peered down at him over his shoulder. “It’d be more fun if you tried.”

“I try not to have fun when I get the chance.” Thomas said, slowly placing his headphones back on and scrolling through the music on his phone.

It was impossible for George to fight off another laugh as he turned his attention back out to the trees. “That is painfully obvious Thomas. Painfully obvious.”

In the third and final corner of the yard, Desmond sat behind a snow covered hedge bush as he tightened the laces on his boots. The frozen tips of his golden hair tickled his eyes as he tried to focus on the knots he had to make, and caused him to sigh a little out of frustration. He didn’t know why he was out in the snow. He supposed it was because Molly suggested the idea and it wasn’t like she was the type of girl people said no to. She certainly wasn't the type of girl he would say no to. So there he was, not remembering how he ended up hiding out with Linus who was busy building a snowman.

“What are you even doing that for?” Desmond asked.

“My older brothers promised to make me their main target. Mr Snowman is a decoy!” a huge smile took over his face. “They will aim for him and completely miss us!”

“Linus, it does’t even look human!” He started laughing.

“If you don’t like my snowman, then you should have teamed up with someone else,” Linus kept smiling, it almost seemed as though it got bigger, but that was impossible. He removed his hat and shook his hand through the ashy locks of his shaggy hair before placing the knitted accessory onto the snowman's head.

“We’re not on a team. We all agreed to no teams,” Desmond turned his focus to fixing his gloves and pulling the fur-lined hood to his coat over his ears.

“Jeremy and Victoria are on a team.”

“They don’t count.”

Linus chuckled vibrantly. “Well I guess I should have known you would never have formed a team with me anyways. Too bad you didn’t ask her when you had the chance.”

“Molly wouldn’t have said yes,” as soon as he said her name, Desmond knew he was going to regret acknowledging that he was thinking of her.

Changing from something friendly to something mischievous, Linus’s smile shone towards Desmond in a very daunting way. “You’re right. She probably wouldn’t have been able to.”

Unable to fight the reflex, Desmond shot his stare back towards him. “Why do you say that?”

“Because… she would’ve already been on my team.”

“You’re just a boy,” Desmond tried not to worry about the statement as he began to roll around a bit of snow.

“I’m only few years younger than you,” Linus shrugged his shoulders and started tending to his snowman again. “Besides, I know she would have said yes to me.”

“And why’s that?”

Linus’s grin grew even more wide. “Because I, unlike you, actually would have had the guts to ask.”

The laugh Linus tried to bellow out was cut short as Desmond threw a snowball directly at his face. It ended up hitting him in the gut, but a hit was a hit, and Desmond was happy with that.

The blow caused Linus to stumble backwards and beyond the cover of the hedges. It only took a moment before he was struck by three more snowballs from unknown assailants.

“Okay okay! Alight alright!” Linus put his hands up in surrender, and cool echoing laughter rang from across the yard.

Being as careful as he could, Desmond slowly stole a chance to look around the bushes to see who had thrown the snowballs. From across the snowdrifts he saw Thomas standing up, almost smiling, except he was known to never smile.

“How do you know when you’re out of the game?” Thomas called.

“I imagine it’s when you look like that,” George sauntered out of his hiding place, fully smiling as he slid his hands into his pockets and tilted his head to the side. “Poor little Linus.”

“Take that back!” Linus was smiling again, even though he had been defeated. “I’m spectacular.”

“Fine,” George mused as he continued to stalk forward along with Thomas. “The Spectacular Little Linus.”

“Hey!”

But before Linus could protest any further, another snowball struck him, and everyone ran to hide behind the hedges.

Desmond was surrounded. Linus stood and tried to brush the snow off of him, Thomas lazily sat down and placed headphones over his ears, and George wore a wolfish grin as he crouched down to Desmond’s level.

“Hello my dearest friend,” George said. “Want to form an alliance?”

“Don’t give into it Desmond,” Thomas warned. “He was ready to pummel you with snowballs just a moment ago.”

“To be fair, we weren’t on the same team then,” George said, lacing his voice in cunning and charm. “But if we are now then I promise to not get you at all. Promise.”

Desmond stared at George through narrowed eyes. “You promise?”

“I’m offended that you had to ask that again.”

Linus started cackling in the background. “The only thing any of us can trust is how much Jeremy is protecting Victoria. If we can all agree to get to him, Victoria will surrender.”

George nodded, the plan even made sense to Desmond, except one person was being left out.

“What about Molly?” He asked.

“The wild card,” George nodded slowly.

“Well we can’t expect Desmond to gang up with us against Molly,” Thomas, who no one expected to have still been listening, folded up his headphones and signalled that he was in on the plan.

“You’re absolutely right Thomas. Desmond would never capture Molly willingly,” George pattered his fingers along his knee before pushing himself to a standing position wearing a very nefarious smirk. “But we can use him as bait!”

“I am not agreeing to this,” Desmond pointlessly said. The truth was either he helped or he got ambushed himself.

After exchanging ideas, George had everyone convinced of a simple yet clever plan. Each gentleman would carry as many snowballs as he could, and they would approach Jeremy from behind, using the hedges as cover during the journey to his hideout.

So they crept their way closer to where Jeremy was keeping Victoria safe. Everyone remained as quiet as the snow allowed them to be as they perched behind the last hedgerow and prepared for total annihilation.

Once the snowballs started flying, the fight was short and over before it even felt like it began.

Dramatically playing the part of a wounded soldier, Jeremy made a show of falling to his knees. He called out to Victoria to save herself, but she only giggled at him as she snuck out of her hiding place.

Her perfectly manicured nails tic-tacked their way across the screen on her phone before she placed it in her pocket. “I surrender.” She said to the boys. “Don’t throw any snow at me.”

They all laughed, except Thomas. Truthfully, none of them were willing to brave the consequences that throwing snow at Victoria would have brought down upon them. Victoria may have always been put together well, but that never meant she wasn’t willing to tear the world apart when she saw fit.

“Where’s Molly?” Linus bravely asked.

“Why are you asking me?” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared all of them down.

“If we get her that means we win,” George shrugged his shoulders and slid his hands back into his pockets.

“I don’t want to be involved in this,” Desmond said, but no one was really paying attention to him.

“You think that a group of boys can outsmart my little sister?” Victoria laughed, sounding like bells, before her face became serious again. “How does one even win this game anyways?”

“You win when everyone else looks like him,” Thomas motioned to Jeremy with his thumb.

Jeremy finally stood up, towering over everyone, and was indeed covered in the most snow. “It’s true. I lost.”

“So where is she?” Linus asked again, still laughing it seemed, or perhaps it only looked that way because his smile was so big.

“I’m not telling you boys anything,” Victoria smiled, placed her hands on her hips and shook her head.

“What do we do now?” Linus turned to George, who had somehow become the evil genius of the whole scheme. Soon, they were all standing and whispering ideas back and forth, using Desmond as bait was still the main plan.

“What makes you think that using me as bait is even going to work?” Desmond said to no one in particular. Slowly, they all turned their faces towards him, all wearing a smile that suggested he should know the answer to his own question. Even Thomas smiled, but it vanished just as quickly as it appeared. But no one replied to his comment before they went back to their whisperings.

While they were busy in their murmuring, Victoria completely removed herself from the location and was hiding behind a different tree. No one was watching, so no one questioned her about why she switched trees, or why she thought it was necessary. No one saw the cruel little twitch of her lips as a smile formed. And no one followed her eyes when she looked up to the branches. If they would have, they would have seen Molly as she prowled out onto the branch above them, holding on tightly to the one above her, and jumped.

Snow fell down from the pine tree in a large gust that covered all of the boys at once. The white powder fell so heavily down on them that they couldn’t even be seen through the cloud of snow.

Complaints from each of the young men came out as grunts and grumbles. George shook snow from his hair, Jeremy cringed as it traveled through the collar of his coat, and Desmond had to wipe the snow off of his face. Linus only laughed, because he always laughed. Thomas seemed unbothered, but that could have been because he never let on when something bothered him.

Molly’s laugh echoed down from the tree as she wedged her feet between a fork in its branches and swung herself upside down to face them. Her braid was swinging from side to side as she laughed at them while hanging from her tree.

“I heard you boys were looking for me,” She offered with a wild smile. “I guess this means that I won.”

After swinging herself fully to the ground, Molly began to untie her braid, anxious for her hair to be free, and continued to enjoy the effects of her works. The snow still hadn’t fully settled and she loved the atmosphere of glistening ice crystals almost as much as she loved the feeling of her loose rivers of hair. So Molly sighed, as one does when a plan comes together faultlessly.

“Never send a group of boys to do a lady’s work,” Victoria sang as she stepped into place beside her sister.

One by one, the boys turned to look at them, each expression was less impressed than the last.

Molly gleamed in wicked glory. “And never underestimate an alliance with the trees.”