A/N: So this is my Secret Santa gift! Merry Christmas, TheQueenofBooks!
Snowflakes & Snow Angels
"So yeah, long story short, I rode an alligator across the Sahara desert!" Izzy proudly concluded after informing Noah, Dawn and Owen of how she escaped the Playa during 'Revenge of the Island' and ended up in Australia. The four-some were gathered inside, passing time by telling stories to each other, as it was snowing outside and their flights home had been delayed.
"Before I proceed in picking out all two hundred and thirty one plot-holes of your adventure in Australia, Where is the Sahara desert?" Noah asked the excitable girl.
"Oh, Noah!" Izzy chuckled. "Australia! Were you not listening to my story?"
"I do believe he was, Isabelle, and merely asked if you knew where the setting of your holiday was," Dawn began. "For the Sahara is actually in the African continent, not Australia."
"Tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to." Izzy chuckled. "Want to hear about the time I met good ol' Saint Nick?"
"YOU MET SANTA?" Owen inquired, a grin etched across his face. "To quote Katie and Sadie: EEEEEEEEK!"
"As suitable to the season as this tale sounds, I really must try and contact my parents to inform them of the flight delays." Dawn said as she stood up from her chair by the fireplace. "I won't be too long." She added.
As Dawn proceeded to walk away from the fireplace that Izzy, Owen and Noah were gathered around, Izzy began her story.
"So, it all started with a can of pepper spray and a $5 dollar karate lesson from an old man that lives on my street." Izzy began, as Owen looked intrigued. Noah, on the other hand, was focused on other matters.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Dawn. What is she doing? He thought to himself, subtly turning his head slightly to get a better view. Watching her surroundings carefully, Dawn slid on a coat, scarf and a pair of mittens before edging out of the back door.
"… What?" Noah muttered under his breath, to Izzy's annoyance.
"Excuse me!" Izzy scowled. "I am trying to tell a story here!"
"Uh, sorry," Noah uttered. "I-I forgot something in my room. I'll be right back."
"Wow, some people can be like, so rude." Izzy rolled her eyes. "Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, so this guy was totally like 'I'm the really Santa Claus', and I was like 'What? No way!' and he was all like 'Yes way!'"
Putting on his own jacket and gloves, Noah carefully made sure that Izzy and Owen hadn't noticed him leave through the back door. "Now, what are you up to?" He uttered to himself as he spotted Dawn's petite footprints in the snow.
Cautiously treading in the snow, Noah accidentally managed to stand on – and subsequently break – a stick, hidden under the layer of white, causing him to make a screwed up face, which he stopped making when he'd realised that Dawn hadn't heard him. "Phew" He muttered, before continuing to walk.
It wasn't much later when Noah came to a large clearing, in which he saw Dawn, perched upon a log, feeding a small squirrel.
"Well, are you going to join us?" Dawn uttered, not breaking eye contact with the furry animal.
Noah, surprised, widened his eyes.
"No need to be startled," Dawn added. "I know you're here, Noah."
Still in shock, Noah stepped forward from behind the bushes. "H-How did you know I was here?"
"I can't tell you that. One likes to keep an element of spontaneity," Dawn smiled, still facing the squirrel. "You of all people should know that?"
"What do you mean by that?" Noah scowled, stepping closer to the moonchild.
"Nothing," Dawn simply replied, before continuing, "Just that I had noticed you, of all the people on the island, are the cagiest: you are always tucked into a book without saying a word, and the words you do say are only of a cynical nature, making for an awfully hard time trying to read your aura."
"Oh good, you noticed," Noah responded. "Anyway, you said that you had a hard time reading my aura, which means you've tried before, right?"
"Correct," Dawn clarified.
"Well, why?" Noah inquired. "Why me?"
"Do not take it personally, I read the auras of all of my friends," Dawn chuckled nervously. "I hope you are not offended."
"In all honesty, it doesn't matter really; it would be nice to have someone know a bit about me without me having to explain it." Noah smiled - a rare occurrence. "So what have you gathered so far?"
"Well to start with, I thought you were just being a cynic for the sake of it," Dawn began. "But as I spent more time with you, I was eventually able to break through that wall you had built up ever so slightly, and I found the route of your sarcastic nature."
"Well?" Noah gulped.
"You were bullied as a child." Dawn added.
"No offence, but I think that is rather obvious." Noah chuckled. "If you wear a sweater vest and read books, you're like catnip to the brain-lacking football players at my school."
"So that is why you are so quick to shoot others down," Dawn finished. "Due to years of bullying as a child, you had learned not to care what anyone else thinks of you, and have been what can be regarded as a negative person or a cynic ever since."
Noah, feeling uncomfortable, was hesitant to make eye contact with the moonchild now that she knew a little bit of his background.
Noticing that Noah was looking nervous, Dawn decided to change the topic of conversation. "Don't you just love the snow?"
"The what?" Noah turned to face the petite girl. "Why do you ask?"
"It is winter isn't it?" Dawn chuckled. "The first snow fall of the year."
"I guess…" Noah uttered, raising a brow.
Dawn looked into a snowflake, glistening in the sun as it drifted down to touch her hand, where it melted on impact.
"You know, no two snowflakes are structurally the same." Noah pointed out.
"Ah, nature," Dawn sighed. "It's beautiful. Why do you think I'm so interested in it?"
"Oh, you're interested in nature?" Noah chuckled. "I'd never have guessed!"
"Make your jokes, Noah, but when it comes down to it, nothing beats the beauty created by Mother Nature." Dawn uttered, proceeding to sit down cross-legged on the snowy ground. "Winter's my favourite time of year. It's a shame I'm not currently able to share it with my family." She sighed, now a little downhearted.
In bid to comfort the blonde girl, Noah knelt down on his knees beside her. "Have you ever made a snow angel?" He was able to ask her, visibly nervous.
"I haven't actually," Dawn answered. "I guess I'd just spent so much time admiring the snow rather than actually playing in it."
"You haven't?" Noah asked, surprised. "My parents used to take me to the park in Christmas time and we'd go sledding, and then make a couple snow angels." He revealed, now rather embarrassed.
"Aw, how sweet!" Dawn smiled. "I may be mistaken, but I think this is the first time you've mentioned to me your life outside of Total Drama."
"Well, it's not like I'm about to go and reveal that on TV now…" Noah responded.
"Of course not," Dawn chuckled. "We can't have Mr Scrooge showing he has a heart, now can we?"
"Oh, ha-ha!" Noah laughed sarcastically. "I'll just go back inside shall I?" He added, turning away from the chuckling moonchild.
"No," Dawn said, stopping her laughter. "… Please stay?" She added, placing her mitten-clad hand on the bookworm's shoulder.
Freezing, Noah refrained from turning around. "… Why not?"
For a few moments, Dawn hesitated to reply. "… I'm having fun… here… with you." She eventually uttered.
"Fun?" Noah raised his brow. "With me? Now I know you're having a laugh." He added, before continuing to walk away.
"I'm being serious," Dawn assured the bookworm, running around to the front of him. "Now how about you show me how to make a snow angel?"
"You mean you were serious… you don't even know how to make a snow angel?" Noah asked, as Dawn nodded. "They're literally the easiest things to make."
"Well then, show me?" Dawn smiled, as Noah complied by lying down in the snow on his back, flailing his arms and legs about, prompting Dawn to laugh.
"You do so know how to make a snow angel!" Noah furrowed his brow.
"Of course I do!" Dawn chuckled. "Who doesn't?"
"Point taken," Noah smiled. "Now, can you at least help me up?" He asked, holding out his right hand.
"I guess I owe you that much," Dawn smiled, grabbing Noah's hand, only to be pulled down into the snow.
"And I guess we're even now," Noah chuckled as Dawn turned to lie on her back beside him. "For a psychic, I'm surprised you didn't see that one coming."
"I'm not a psychic," Dawn chuckled. "I read auras."
"Yeah, about that…" Noah said, halting his laughter. "You know how earlier you said I was hard to get a good aura from?"
"Yes, but about that…" Dawn began, "I didn't mean it offensively at all, I just-"
"What aura are you getting now?" Noah interrupted the moonchild as he slid his hand into hers.
Surprised at the bookworm, Dawn turned to face Noah, who was facing up towards the sky. "What are you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing?" Noah smiled, still facing the sky. "… I'm giving you the real me, no cynical front, just me, so if you want to read my aura, well now's your chance."
Dawn simply responded by removing her hand from Noah's.
"Well? Are you not going to read my aura?" Noah inquired, as the blonde shook her head. "… Why not?"
Moments later, Dawn answered the bookworm's question. "… I am refraining from reading your aura because that feels like cheating… I want to get to know you the real way over time…" She concluded, turning to face the sky, leaving Noah to smile. "… You can stop smiling now."