According to my calculations we have approximately 9 chapters to go. Big things are coming guys, just wanted you to know, so when things happen and you see the chapters are ending you freak out *insert evil laughter*. Anyway hope you enjoy the chapter, because we're having a white Christmas!
Please review if you liked this and I'll love you forever
Halloween came and passed and Eleanor did nothing besides stealing her brothers' candy. She missed her old friends from Inverness, but none of them bothered to contact her in any way, shape or form, so she concluded that they didn't miss her just as much. It was okay though. Her new friends were way better than the old ones.
Before she knew it, it was December.
Don't get her wrong, she loved December. The Holidays' Spirit, the pretty decorations, how the prices of everything dropped by the 26th, the sow painting the town white… Eleanor loved snow. But what was so innocently beautiful for everyone was possibly deadly for her. Why did snow have to be so cold?
There was something different this year though.
Even though the temperature was below 10°C, when she started having serious trouble breathing and started coughing blood, nothing was happening.
"So it worked" Eleanor's dad said when she told him she wasn't feeling anything from the cold.
"What worked?" She asked.
"Dr. Sharman said that maybe, because we are at sea level, and because the temperature is normally higher here, well… it could make you more resistant to cold"
She woke up on the 17th of December to a white covered world that, for the first time, wasn't trying to harm her.
It was too cold to stay on the roof. Castiel hated it when he couldn't stay on the roof. It meant he had to have lunch in the cafeteria with everyone else. Amber would definitely find a way to annoy him if he stayed out in the open like that. Last time he had lunch down at the cafeteria she had "accidently" spilt grapefruit juice on his crotch and offered to clean it for him.
He got suspended for a week.
Castiel sat on an empty table on a far end of the cafeteria with Lysander. Eleanor and Rosalya got there five minutes after they sat down, and Eleanor looked happier than usual, if that was even possible.
"Guess what" She exclaimed, sitting next to him and taking his arm.
"What?" He asked, a small smile appearing on his face
"I can breathe!"
"Congratulations. Do you want a badge?" Castiel asked sarcastically.
"Shut up, I'm serious!"
"Wait" Lysander interrupted "It's snowing. Don't you have Brumatosis?"
"I do"
"Then you should be at home Eleanor! What if-"
"I can't feel anything"
"What?"
"It's something about the air or altitude or whatever. My doctor says that now I'm more resistant to cold. We're not going back to Inverness, though. I could get worse, and my brothers have grown quite fond of annoying our neighbour"
"I'll get you a 'congrats on your functional lungs' later" Castiel said, stealing one of Eleanor's carrots.
"You are so thoughtful" Eleanor said sarcastically and stole some of his mash potatoes.
"Jesus Christ guys" Rosalya exclaimed.
"What?" they both asked in unison.
Rosalya stared at them for a while before looking down at her plate "Nothing"
"Okaaay" Eleanor mumbled "Anyway, what are you guys doing on Christmas break?"
"I'm going to Manchester with my parents to see my family" Rosalya answered "We go every year and every year it gets harder to stand the 'devil'"
"Who?" Eleanor asked
"Rosa's cousin. He is a little… unpleasant" Lysander explained.
"Woah woah woah! Don't put that kid in my family! He's not my cousin; he's just my dad's friend's kid. And he's not 'a little unpleasant'. He throws stuff at people while they're eating and he sets fire to stuff and he puts gum in your hair if you are distracted. He's evil, I'm telling you. He's the anti-christ or something!"
"Well, um… on another note I'll be visiting my parents in Warwickshire with my brother" Lysander interrupted.
"You're from Warwickshire?"
"Yes, Wilmcote"
"Is your name, by any chance-"
"Yes"
"Why did you trade Wilmcote for Sweet Amoris"
"As small as Sweet Amoris is, Wilmcote is smaller. You left Inverness for your own reasons, I left Wilmcote for mine"
"I… didn't mean to offend you"
"You didn't"
"I only left Inverness 'cause my dad said he wanted to become the king of Scotland. We got scared"
"You did well"
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Castiel asked, confused.
"Macbeth, you uncultured swine!" Lysander shouted at him "How are we friends?"
"Oh. Hey, thinking about it, isn't 'Lysander' the name of the guy in-"
"A Midsummer's Night Dream? Yes. And Shakespeare grew up in Warwickshire. Does that answer all of your questions?"
Castiel smirked at his friend "Not really, there's one more. Remember that time you got drunk and you told me-"
"That answers all your questions then. Great" Lysander interrupted, his face as red as a tomato, and Rosalya chuckled "What are you doing for Christmas?"
"Well, mum and dad are in Greenland or Canada or some shit, so it's just me and Demon again"
"What?! No way!" Eleanor exclaimed.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm not letting you spend Christmas alone"
"I don't mind, I'm an atheist"
"So am I, but it's still a time to be with loved ones" She gave him an apologetic look "People that care about you"
"What do you suggest? That I go spend Christmas with you and your family?"
"That's exactly what I'm suggesting"
"Nope. It's your family, not mine. I appreciate it, but no"
"Then at least spend Christmas Eve with me. I'll set you free by dinner time; just… don't be alone for the day"
"Alright" Castiel mumbled, giving in "But, hey, just out of curiosity… Is your family like, half ginger, half Asian? Because it must look really funny"
"I'd love to say no, but yes, that is basically my family. Dad's half is very much Scottish, mum's half is very much Korean. You should see Christmas dinner, is hilarious"
"Not gonna work"
"You are no fun"
When Eleanor woke up on 24th of December at 7:30 in the morning, she didn't even care if it was early. She put on some clothes, got her coat, scarf and hat, and went straight to Castiel's house, running in the snow covered ground thinking about the gift she got him. She would ask him to spend Christmas dinner with her family again, and she would not accept no as an answer. Because, after all, she got him a very special present, and it would be amazing if she could give it to him when the clock stroke twelve.