Today was going to be a good day. Max had woken up at a healthy hour for once, and breakfast was a mug of instant oatmeal rather than dry cereal.
Weeks of apathy were finally starting to catch up to her, and after a few 'very concerned' lectures from teachers Max had a ton of overdue homework and studying to catch up on. It actually felt pretty good as she finished a Math makeup worksheet, and pulled out the next assignment from the stack. English research paper. Due last week, but Mrs. Hoida had been very understanding, so now Max just had to turn it in before Thanksgiving break.
Damn, I need my laptop for this one. The charger was fully dead now, and she'd used the last of the battery watching Netflix again.
I actually feel like getting something done for once, and I can't? But then her eyes fell on the mountain of clothes on the floor, which she'd been picking things out of to wear for the last week. Might as well...
The pile barely fit in her laundry bag, and took a fair bit of effort to lift, but it would be worth it for some clean clothing. Trudging down the hall, something didn't feel right. The light was different. It took her a few steps to realize why, then she saw it out the window to her left.
Snow. She could feel reality breaking apart again, seams tearing, holes appearing, just like it had after her first vision. What did I do?!
A minute later she was dressed and knocking urgently on Warren's door.
A voice came from inside. "Just a second!" After a pause and a brief clatter inside the door opened partway and Warren stood there in his PJs, looking confused. "What's up Max?"
"Why is it snowing?" Her voice was a bit more panicked than she intended.
Warren's confusion grew. "Cause it's... too cold for rain?"
"No it's not, I was outside yesterday and it was really warm."
A voice answered from behind Warren: "A cold front came through last night." Brooke was sitting on the side of the bed in Warren's room and Max hadn't even noticed. "It's been in the forecast all week."
Max's panic was quickly being replaced by mortification. "Isn't it too early though?"
"It's the middle of November. A little early maybe but not that weird. I thought you used to live here."
"Jeez Max, did a snowstorm murder your parents or something?" Brooke interjected.
Whatever reaction she was expecting to that remark, it was not the one she got. Max regained her composure, but not before both of them noticed the uncomfortable expression on her face and glanced at each other in confusion.
"I'm sorry... I'm just gonna... bye..." Max rushed to the staircase and ran upwards.
They think I'm nuts! Freaking out over a few flurries. She took a second to picture it from their side and couldn't help but chuckle a little. Well they're not wrong. She burst out of the stairwell door onto the rooftop, and laughed even more as the freezing air hit her face and tiny snowflakes melted on her nose. Roofs and sidewalks were dark and slick, but the trees to the west had already grown white whiskers on their brown branches.
She could picture Warren assuring his girlfriend-because of course they were an item now, how could she not have seen that coming-that Max's family did not die tragically in a snowstorm, and he had no idea what the heck was wrong with her. And Warren's still in his pajamas. Oh god! I wonder what I interrupted. Poor guy.
The snow was falling a bit harder now, dampening the sound of her laughter, but she kept laughing, could hardly stop, until she could hardly breathe. At some point the laughing itself became funny somehow, and another wave of it came.
When Max was finally done, she walked toward the door only to find that it wouldn't open. The little block of wood Max had shoved in the door latch lay on the roof in front of her, leaving her stuck up there until someone opened it from the inside. She chuckled a little again as she reached for her phone to text Kate.
