§ • Snowman • §

"Annabeth?" a little voice asked from beside me. I shoved a piece of scrap paper into my book, marking my page.

I turned my head and saw that Bobby and Matthew were standing beside my bed. "What?" I asked, lifting myself up from my stomach.

"Will you come outside with us?" they asked in unison.

"I have homework," I replied flatly, opening my book again.

"Annabeth! Go outside with you brothers!" Helen shouted from downstairs.

I groaned internally and faked a smile. "Okay, fine. Let's go."

§

Half an hour, and a lot of fighting and resistance (Bobby and Matthew seemed to have a rivalry against ski pants) later, we were outside in our tiny, freezing backyard.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Bobby asked.

"Let's make a snowman!" Matthew suggested.

"No, that's stupid," Bobby sneered.

Matthew pushed him. "Shut up! Mom says you're not supposed to call people stupid."

"Mom also says you're not supposed to say shut up," sang Bobby.

"Stop fighting!" I shouted. They were silent. They stared at me, their mouths hanging open. I cleared my throat awkwardly, "Okay. I think we should make a snowman."

"Fine," Bobby grumbled.

"Do you guys even know how to make a snowman?" I asked them. They shook their heads. I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Sometimes, I wonder how you two lived the way you did for your whole lives," I muttered. I clapped my mitten-covered hands, rubbing them in false anticipation. "Okay, Bobby, you can start making the middle snowball. Matthew, please start on the head. I'll make the bottom." They were still staring at me. "You heard me! Go!" I shooed them away with my hands and began on forming the bottom ball.

The snowman, in the end, was lopsided and lumpy. Matthew didn't really understand the concept of a sphere, so the head looked more like an egg. Bobby seemed to have merely shoved a bunch of miniature snowballs against each other until the lump he had created was large enough to be considered the middle of the snowman.

"Okay then," I muttered. I took off my toque and placed it on top of the snowman. I unwound my scarf and arranged it around his neck.

"Bobby, do you want to go get a carrot?" I asked. He nodded and ran inside. I grabbed two pebbles from the ground and shoved them into the egg-shaped head. I broke off a branch from the baby oak tree in our backyard, making arms. Bobby came rushing up to me with a deformed carrot in his hand and it made a nose.

"Done," I said. "Let's go back inside. It's freezing."

"Race you to the door, loser!" Matthew yelled rushing to the house, pushing his brother in the process.

"Hey!" Bobby protested and followed him, waddling in his ski pants.

I treaded to the house, my toes and fingers numb. I took off my down fill coat and hung it on the coat rack. Helen was sitting in the living room, watching some soap opera.

"I took them outside," I said monotonously and ran upstairs. On the way up, I saw her nod, completely engrossed in her television show.

I looked out the window of my bedroom and saw the snowman staring back at me. The wind made the thin oak branches sway, like he was waving.

I waved back.


Bleh. I hope you guys mildly enjoyed it, 'cause I hate this so darn much. But I need to post something, as I promised you something everyday.

Only nine more days of school left and then I'm on winter break! Yay!

What are your guys' plans for the hols this year? Tell me in a review! Maybe we can make it to a whopping three digits? Only two more to go!

Happy Christmas, lovelies!

-Lou