08: Snow Angels: Scott and Dawn

Scott despised winter. It wasn't even completely because of the snow. He could actually tolerate the stuff. What he didn't like was being trapped in his house. Either that, or risk freezing his butt off once he stepped outside onto his pappy's property. The acres were coated in the frosty flakes, leaving nothing for the young man to do but feel his brain melt to mush from all the boredom.

He was used to this though. His pappy had been taking care of the boy since he was practically born, or so the story went in the family. Scott's parents showed up from time to time, making sure he was still alive, but after a while he didn't look forward to their visits. So it was mostly just Scott and Pappy on the acreage, tending to it daily. Scott learned a lot from the old man, but Pappy also made him hard, like steel, with edges that sliced up anyone who dared to get near him. Scott couldn't remember anything more affectionate than a pat on the shoulder after a hard day's work. Even then it didn't feel like much. So while he worked hard all year round, once winter came, things stalled.

The two men couldn't escape each other. Pappy hated winter just as much as Scott for basically the same reasons. With no work to get done, the old man got grumpier earlier on, making it difficult for the two to really get along. Once snow started to fall, the two went into a kind of hibernation where, besides making sure the horses, chickens, pigs, sheep, and cows were fed they avoided all other forms of life. Other than that, Scott stayed in his room where he flipped through old books and worked on his carving. After sixteen years, he had gotten pretty good at carving anything he saw.

Everything changed when he went on "Total Drama" and met Dawn though. She lived in the town next to his acreage. They were to school together and, although he wasn't sure how, she became his best friend. Then, during a party at Dakota's during their final year of high school, he realized he actually really liked her and were kind of, sort of, maybe already dating. Neither had bothered to comment on it before then though.

After the party, things got serious. Well, as serious as they could with a guy like Scott and a girl like Dawn. She never made a plan in advance which was something he liked about her, so once they graduated it was kind of a toss-up as to what they were going to do with their "adult lives" now. Scott couldn't leave the old man alone to look after the property, so he chose to stay with Pappy for the time being. Besides, he was so used to being on the farm he wasn't sure what he could do besides that. As Dawn often said, he was at his best when he was using his hands.

The thing that caught him and his pappy off guard the most was when Dawn asked to move in with Scott. She loved animals and always wanted to live on a farm, and since she had no plans for college, it seemed like the perfect idea to them both. At first, Pappy wasn't thrilled. He was reluctant to let a woman into his home, seeing as they had done so well without one most of their lives, but Scott vouched for her. As he put it, "she won't girly up the place". That convinced Pappy, and at eighteen, the redhead and his doll-like girlfriend were living together. She had her own room, but she often snuck into Scott's, claiming hers was chilly. Whatever the reason, he wasn't complaining.

Once Dawn moved in, things did change though. She started making both men eat breakfast and devised a somewhat strict cleaning schedule so the place wasn't a complete mess. Pappy despised it at first, but when he saw how nice his place looked and how his nick nacks were free of dust, he accepted the change and elected to do dinner dishes every night as his contribution.

She also planted more flowers on the property, as well as different kinds of vegetables and fruits, ones Scott never heard of before. They tasted good enough though, so he didn't complain.

They fought, as expected then a couple first moves in together. Well, though fought before they lived together, but it was nothing out of the ordinary for them. Sometimes he really wanted to run away from everything, especially her, but he never did. As his pappy said, "you only got one chance kid. Don't mess it up." Scott vowed he wouldn't.

Now it was winter, their first winter together on the farm, and Scott was fully prepared for his hibernation. He was just about to grab his knife and put on a record when his bedroom door creaked open and in came Dawn. Her white-blonde hair was down to her waist and she had earmuffs on that tried to keep the wisps in check. Her green eyes sparkled as she shifted from boot to boot and a giggle slipped out. He leaned back on his bed and quirked an eyebrow, wondering what had her so happy.

"What's up D?"

The young woman walked into his room and grabbed his jacket that was on his chair from when he fed the animals that morning. She tossed it at him and grinned. "We're going to make snow angels," she stated confidently.

Scott blinked as the woolly jacket settled on his lap. "We're doing what now?" He couldn't think of a time he made snow angels.

Dawn shook her head, unwilling to argue or explain (damn, was she stubborn!). Instead, she pulled him to his feet, stuffed his arms into the jacket, and dragged him out the front door of the log cabin. He watched her search for a huge snow bank and upon finding one she flopped down on her back and began making a snow angel.

At first, he just watched her, unsure what to do. One thing he learned about Dawn was she walked to the beat of her own drum. She didn't take the beaten path, but instead made her own. She didn't expect Scott to do the same, but he knew she liked when he let his adventurous side get the best of him. But this was winter and he hated winter! He hated being stuck inside with nothing to do.

'But now you're outside and you have someone to share things with. You can go on horseback through the woods or have a snowball fight like you saw kids do at school when you were young.'

True, true, he could do those things.

'And when you're cold, you can curl up on the couch with a blanket and something warm to drink, like that tea stuff she likes. And you can read her stories from that old book you started last year but never finished.' Hmm, he never thought of it like that.

Dawn looked over at him and smiled.

"Aren't you coming Scott?"

The young man's feet carried him to a spot beside her and he sprawled out. "After this, I get to pick what we do."

Dawn chuckled. "Sure Scott, whatever you say."

And they proceeded to make snow angels for the rest of the afternoon.