Chapter 18

*one month later* (December)

"Randy!~" Lex knocked on her friend's door with Howard next to her, both grinning widely. Howard was in a light blue coat with a reddish scarf that matched his sneakers, while Lex wore a purple coat with fuzz at the hems and a grey beanie along with furry black boots.

"Randy? Do you wanna build a snowman?"

"I'm good." Randy called from inside.

"C'mon let's go and play! We never see you anymore! Come out the door! It's like you've gone away!"

"You saw me yesterday."

"We use to be best buddies, and now we're not. I wish you would tell me why!"

"Don't even finish that…"

"Do you wanna build a snowman? It doesn't have to be a snowman!"

"What are you doing?" Randy finally opened the door with a smile.

"We want to build a snowman, if you didn't hear us!" Howard said.

"C'mon! It's a snow day! We have to take advantage of the situation!" Lex said, grabbing one of Randy's arms whole Howard grabbed the other and they tried to get him to come outside.

"Guys I can't!"

"Why not?"

"I'm not dressed correctly!" Lex stopped and looked at Randy, who stood there in a t-shirt and sweatpants, shivering because of the chilly wind coming through the open door.

"Then go get dressed! Hop to it Randy!" Howard demanded, pushing Randy back inside.

"We expect you to be out here in ten minutes or less starting…now!" Lex shouted through the door. Randy rolled his eyes and smiled to himself as he hurried up the stairs to get dressed. Finding his blue-green coat and boots, he hurriedly put them on over his clothes, not bothering to have warmer attire under his coat. Going back down and explaining he was hanging out with Howard and Lex, Randy ones the door to see Howard and Lex laying in the snow making snow angels.

"Oh, hey Cunningham!" Lex greeted, still moving her arms and legs to compete her snow angel.

"What took you so long?" Howard asked, standing up to admire his own handiwork.

"I needed to get dressed."

"And you took two minutes too long!" Lex laughed as she stood up and brushed the snow from her pants and coat.

"Nice snow angels." Randy grinned at Howard's short snow angel with tiny, wide wings next to Lex's tall one with long, thinner wings.

"All we need is yours, Cunningham!" Lex laughed, pushing Randy into the snow. He rolled his eyes playfully, but did as she said anyways. Now it was Howard's smaller snow angel between their larger ones.

"Aww, it kinda looks like a family!" Lex cooed with a giggle foreign to Randy. It was adorable in his eyes, but a bit too girly to Lex, who covered her mouth and stared down at the snow.

"Stupid giggle…" She grumbled mostly to herself.

"It's not that stupid." Randy assured.

"It sounds like your sister's giggle." Howard stated blatantly.

"Gee, thanks Howard." Lex said sarcastically.

"Anytime!" Randy grinned, grabbing as much snow as possible before throwing a snowball at Howard and another at Lex.

"Oh, you're in for it now, Cunningham!" Lex laughed as she quickly began building a fort.

"This means war!" Howard laughed, throwing tons of snowballs at Randy, who dove for cover behind a tree. This wasn't going to end well…but it sure was gonna be fun.

Meanwhile, Nomicon was watching them all from Randy's window. He'd called Randy for a lesson (a relatively short one, but he couldn't deny him lessons he needed them) and he hadn't shown up, easily worrying Nomi. Granted, they had a fight, but Nomi still thought of Randy as his friend and was genuinely concerned. That is, until he saw him laughing and running around with Howard…and Lex. Concern flying out the window, jealousy took over from there.

"I see what you're up to…" Nomicon mumbled, his clothes changing. Now he stood in a green sweater under a red coat, black pants, and maroon boots. Perfect for the winter. Slipping out the window, (since it would be a problem if Mrs. Cunningham saw him walking through the front door), Nomi easily hopped from the roof and landed in the backyard on a pile of snow.

"Now to greet Lex." Nomicon put on a smile as he walked around the house and saw Lex hiding behind a fort similar to the other two built by Randy and Howard. Snowballs were flying in every direction and hitting anything within their path. Nomicon was so focused on the trio's antics that he didn't notice the snowball headed straight for his face.

"Are you okay Nomi?" Lex called, trying to hide her laugh. It was easy since Randy and Howard were already laughing and rolling in the snow.

"I think so." Nomi said, sitting up and sneezing.

"Sorry, I was aiming for Cunningham and Howard was aiming for me so you kinda got caught in the middle. You should be more careful when we're having a battle!"

"I was trying, though I was distracted by your laughter." Lex blushed and softly punched his shoulder.

"I'll make sure to have less fun then. If I'm laughing you're gonna get hurt!" Lex said as she helped Nomi up.

"Are you two done yet?" Howard asked.

"Only if you are!"

"That doesn't make any–" But Howard didn't get to finish. Why? Cause he got a face full of snowball! :D

"That's it!" And it was almost like war out there. Snowballs flying left and right, the four of them hiding and tossing as they laughed until their sides ached. Hours later, practically covered from head to foot in snow, they were all laying in the snow and staring at the grey sky as snow continued to fall gently down from the clouds.

"You know what's funny, Cunningham?" Lex said, breaking the silence.

"What?"

"After all of that, we still didn't build a snowman."

"I thought you two were just joking!"

"Do you wanna build a snowman!" Howard began with a smirk.

"Or ride our bikes around the halls!"

"We think some company is overdue!"

"We've started to the paintings on the wall!" The two sang "hang in there Joe!" in unison and continued with their song.

"It gets a little lonely!"

"All these empty rooms!"

"Just watching the hours tick by!" Lex and Howard looked at Nomi expectantly to finish the song. He rolled his eyes and turned over with a grin, waiting to see what they'd do.

"Randy? Nomi? Please, we know you hear us. Why won't you sing along? You say 'leave me alone' but we're not done. We're just having fun, please, just…c'mon!"

"We only have each other. Just you, you, you, and me! What are we gonna do?" Howard and Lex sat up and gave Randy and Nomi the saddest looks they could muster.

"Do you want to build a snowman?" Nomi sang quietly, sitting up and smiling.

"Fine!" Randy chuckled as Lex attacked him and Nomi in a hug.

"I knew we'd get to you, huh Howard?" Lex jumped back up as her and Howard began to make a giant snowball for the snowman's body, leaving the two blushing boys lying in the snow.

"…that hug was meant mostly for me." Nomi whispered.

"In your dreams!" Randy quietly said back.

"Betcha I can build a better snowman than you!"

"You're on!"

*hours of snowman building later…*

Lex looked out the window of Randy's house, smiling at the three snowmen outside in the winter weather. Though she wanted them all to work together on one snowman, Nomi and Randy had turned the idea into a competition. Compared to the simple snowman Howard and Lex had made, their snowmen were gigantic. Nomi had made his resemble a phoenix while Randy had attempted to make his a ninja, complete with a sword for one arm. Lex chuckled, taking a sip of hot chocolate as she snuggled more into the blanket Mrs. Cunningham had given her. Once she'd seen how cold the group was, Mrs. Cunningham had pulled them all inside, took their coats and boots, made hot chocolate, and gave them blankets before letting them warm up in the living room.

"I told you Randy, I told you to get dressed in warmer clothes!" She said sternly, passing around some marshmallows.

"I– achoo! I'm fine mom!" Randy sniffled, curling up more into his bundle of nearly twenty sheets.

"If you were, you wouldn't be sneezing! Let me get you some tissues, okay pumpkin?"

"I'll get them, Mrs. Cunningham." Lex volunteered, setting her mug down and smiling politely.

"Sweetie, I don't want to bother you–"

"I insist. After all, it's my fault he went outside in the first place. It's the least I can do."

"Well, I suppose. Thank you!"

"You're welcome!" Lex smiled and walked out the room, Nomi and Randy watching her the whole time.

"I see why you like her so much!"

"Mom!"

"She's very sweet, Randy. Make sure to keep this one!"

"Thank you, mom! Hey, I think I need another blanket!"

"Wait here!" Nomi and Howard snickered as Mrs. Cunningham left the room, Randy blushing and trying to hide behind his mug of hot cocoa.

"Wait here sweetie pie while I embarrass you further and find your baby pictures!"

"Shut up…do you think Lex heard her?"

"I hope she did. Maybe she'll realize how much better suited I am for her." Nomi said seriously.

"You?! I'm clearly better!"

"Give me some reasons backing your statement."

"I'm Bruce, the Ninja, and not bad looking."

"Well, I'm intelligent, smooth, and downright attractive."

"You're a ninja's encyclopedia."

"And you're a teacher's nightmare."

"Are you two done or should I call Lex back?" Howard said over their voices. The two grumbled in reply, glaring daggers at each other until Lex returned with tissues in her hands.

"Here we go! A box of tissues for our sick little ninja.~" Lex cooed, handing one to Randy after setting the box down on the coffee table.

"I don't need one." Randy insisted. It wasn't two seconds later that he sneezed loudly.

"Mhm. Use the tissue Cunningham." Lex smirked, handing it over before sitting back down in her comfortable seat between Howard and Nomicon.

"I think I ran out of blankets honey, so I brought you your comforter. Oh, thank you for bringing Randy a few tissues, Alexandria!" Mrs. Cunningham stated, covering Randy in a huge sheet so now only his face was visible.

"It's Lex, but your welcome!"

"If anyone needs anything else, I'll be upstairs in the study!"

"Thanks Mrs. Cunningham! Your mom's super nice Cunningham."

"She means well. Just a bit embarrassing in front of you guys…"

"Hey, at least you have a mom like that."

"Oh my juice, I'm so sorry I brought that up unintentionally!"

"It's fine. I brought it up. You just lead me to it."

"What's this about?" Nomi asked gently. Lex sighed and explained the entire story to Nomicon.

"I…I'm so sorry. I offer you my deepest condolences."

"It's fine…" Lex mumbled, pulling her legs to her chest and resting her head on her knees.

"Lex I…" Randy began.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I had to get all defensive and junk. Guess I just can't let it go!" Lex smiled lightly. "Thanks for your concern, but I think sniffles over here needs it more than I do."

"I do n– ACHOO!" Randy frowned, blowing his snowless into another tissue.

"Yes you do, since we need you to feel better by Friday!"

"…can I get more hot chocolate?"

"I'll ask your mom."

Hello! This chapter was finished far quicker than I had anticipated. You should all look toward to chapter 19, because ish will go down! I also forgot to mention on the last chapter that I have a made a poll about who's your favorite couple in Another Ninja That is on my profile! Vote now, since I'm pretty interested in who it is! See you all in Chapter 19! :)