Snow Day
The warm spring sun shone down on the picturesque town of Echo Creek. Today was picture perfect as clouds lazily drifted across the skies as they cast their dark shadows on grateful passersby as they ambled across town. The scene was one someone might have expected on a postcard that would wish a friend or relative greetings and proclaim "Wish You Were Here", but the sun beat down on the Southern California community with intensity. The only reprieve that was to be found, aside from the trees that cast their protective shadows, was a fairly cool breeze that danced across Echo Creek.
"Its soooo hot Marco! Why must it be hot?" Star complained loudly to Marco who was bending down to drink the water coming from the outdoor water fountain at school. Marco took in Star's words, but finished drinking his fill before he turned around to reply. "Well Star," Marco began as he wiped his lips with the sleeve of his hoodie, "it is Southern California. It's gonna start getting warmer and warmer the closer we get to summer!" Marco said as he sang the last word in celebration of the season to come.
Star glared at Marco playfully as she gave him a gentle shove. "But Marco, can you really say that we even had winter? I mean, I know that it got cold and chilly but we never got snow like everyone does in the movies we watched over Christmas break!" Star claimed as she pouted at the thought at not having gotten the opportunity to play in the cold white frozen water that she had Marco explain to her countless times over this past winter only to be disappointed when the magical frozen water never fell from the sky as Marco had said snow does.
"Star, it doesn't snow here. It's far too warm, even during winter." Marco stated matter of factly as he gave Star and apologetic smile. "I promise that one day we will take you somewhere where you can see and play in the snow." Star brightened up at Marco's words as she began to imagine an Earth adventure filled with frozen activities that she now longed to see and experience with her own eyes. "Thank you Marco! You are the best!" Star shouted excitedly as she wrapped Marco up in her arms trying to make him physically feel the happiness that he brought her on a daily basis.
Marco loved hugs from Star, but he wished that she wasn't so strong sometimes as the happy embrace was preventing proper inhalation of the oxygen Marco's lungs were desperately craving. "St-ar…need…air…can't…breathe!" Marco managed to choke out as Star instantly released him from her excitement fueled strangle hold. Star sheepishly smiled at Marco as she put her hands behind her back. "Sorry Marco, I got a little carried away again." Marco smiled brightly at Star and reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze "That's fine Star, just remember not to squeeze that tight. I love your hugs and all, but I love breathing too!" Marco said with a chuckle as he released her hand and began walking towards the large double doors that led back into the school. Star stood there for a moment, looking at her hand as she blushed lightly. Marco turned as he began to open the door and noticed Star still standing where he had left her. "Come one Star! You don't want to be late to your science class do you?" Marco asked as he continued to hold the door. Star looked up with a start and notice Marco holding the door for her. "Coming Marco!" was the only thing Star could think to respond with as she ran through the door and all the way to her science class, leaving Marco in her dust.
Star sat in her science class, completely bored out of her ever loving Mewnian mind. Earth was interesting, as could this Earth class, but today's lesson was simply a review over human and plant cells for a test they would be having someday soon. "Miss Butterfly, are you….ok? You see seem like you are in another world." Mr. Winters asked with a look of genuine concern on his face as he peered over his thick glasses at Star. "eh, hmm, what…Oh! Yes! I'm fine! Just uh, how does that one Earth expression go? I was following a rabbit in my mind?" Star asked as several other students began to laugh at Star's admittedly humorous reaction. Mr. Winters smiled ruefully as he shook his head. No sooner had he done this, the final bell for the day rang releasing the students to their own devices for the rest of the day.
Mr. Winters began to erase the chalkboard as the students filed out of the room talking happily now that their freedom had been granted to them by the final bell. Star walked up to Mr. Winters and tapped him on his shoulder. Mr. Winters turned around and gave Star a warm smile and asked "What can I do for you Miss Butterfly? Do you have a question?" Star absent mindedly gnawed on her wand as she thought of the proper way to word her question.
"Well," Star began, "I was wondering why it doesn't snow here in Echo Creek and how I could make it snow." Star asked as she finally found the correct wording to her query. Mr. Winters smiled at Star as he thought about how best to answer her question. "Well, let me see…for one thing it's generally too warm here in Southern California. Our climate doesn't exactly facilitate a snowy environment given how close we are to the equator compared with other places that regularly have snowy weather conditions." Mr. Winters stated much to Star's continued disappointment. "But how could I make it snow here?" Star asked almost pleadingly.
Mr. Winters looked at Star thoughtfully as again thought about his answer. "To be honest, it can snow here. I have seen it. However, it would require the atmosphere to be below the freezing point and even the ground would have to be cold enough to allow any snow to stick. Even then though you would still need enough moisture in the air for snow to actually fall." This answer made Star smile mischievously as she looked down at her wand. "Thank you Mr. Winters!" Star proclaimed a little too loudly for how closer they were. Mr. Winters chuckled as he resumed erasing his chalkboard and called out "See you tomorrow in class Star." Star popped her head back though the door and sang "No you won't! We are going to have a snow day!
Mr. Winters began laughing at Star's incredibly enthusiastic and high spirits. "Ah, to be young again." Mr. Winters signed wistfully as he continued his final tasks for the day before heading home. Little did he know that he had inspired Stars imagination which fueled more of her spells than her magical instruction book typically did.
Star found Marco waiting for her outside in their usual spot. "So, how was class?" Marco asked as he smirked at Star's happy and extremely upbeat demeanor. "Oh, you know. It was sciencey and stuff." Star replied nonchalantly as she did not want to spoil the surprise she was planning for Marco in the morning.
The walk home was uneventful as usual since Ludo had, typically by now, learned his lesson that Star was not "at her most distracted" following a day of school, regardless of how taxing it had been on her that particular day. Once they entered the Diaz home Star only came out of her room one time, for dinner. Marco thought that this was unusual for the normally extremely social, he chuckled to himself as he thought 'butterfly', Star, but he brushed it aside as either homework or girl stuff of which Marco did not want to get involved in either. Either he did not need to distract his friend from her studies or she was doing whatever it was that girls did.
If Marco had been paying attention as he passed by Star's room, he would have noticed a chill in the air that was unlike the usual chilly bursts of chilly air dished out by their air conditioner. No, this was much colder than that and all of Echo Creek was going to be in for an extremely chilly surprise come tomorrow morning when they woke up to start their Friday. Star was going to make this a snow day Echo Creek would not soon forget.