Snow Fall or No Snow At All

"And today it's going to be a lower temperature than usual, at a whoppin' 51 degrees! Bundle up folks! Ha! Just kidding, everyone, but be on the look out for some colder winds today. We're going to move on to John Locus-Smith, who'll tell us about the flocks to all the beaches this 2018 summer! Happy July, folks! What's up, John?"

CLICK.

"Who turned that junk on in the first place?" Kelsie asked, the remote in her hand as the TV screen went blank.

"I think Margaret was trying to get to the cartoons, but then she got distracted and left the TV on. She must've been scrolling through the channels and landed on that one before she left it." Talita said from the kitchen. She lifted up her frying pan and dumped an egg on a plate. "Do you want an egg?"

"I already had cereal," Kelsie replied. "But thanks."

Paloma walked into the room, wearing her pink scrubs and holding a lunch bag. "Has anyone seen the convertible keys?" She asked, tossing her dark, curly hair.

"In the utensil drawer." Kelsie said.

"What?" Paloma yanked open the utensil drawer and found the car keys with the spoons. "Who put them there?"

"I dunno, I just saw them there when I got a spoon for my cereal."

"Okay. I'll see you guys later. I need to leave for my shift at the vet clinic. We're treating a Saint Bernard today!"

"Bye!" Talita called as the door slammed after Paloma. Alexa entered the kitchen, pinning up her white-blond hair into a neat bun.

"Do you have ballet today?" Kelsie wondered aloud, jumping up from the couch and going over to her sister.

"Yup. It's Wednesday, remember?"

"Seriously?! I thought it was Thursday!" Talita chuckled.

"Tell Coral I said hi!" Kelsie piped.

"Kels," Alexa started, grabbing a protein shake from the fridge. "I only see Coral in the hallways. Remember? Advanced Ballet and Beginners classes only see each other when we're both on break."

"Yeah, but you still see her." Kelsie mumbled.

Alexa sighed. "I'll tell Coral you said hi."

"Goody!" Kelsie clapped her hands as Alexa knelt down and put a snack of celery sticks into her duffel bag, which already had ballet shoes and a leotard inside of it.

Alexa zipped her bag closed. "I'm leaving now, so Margaret's in charge while I'm gone. Until Mom comes home, listen to Margaret. Okay?"

Kelsie and Talita nodded. Alexa smiled and left the house. Kelsie ran over to the front window and saw Alexa climb into the convertible with Paloma, before the two pulled out of the driveway and drove off.

Kelsie turned to Audra, who was descending the stairs with her other sister, Anna Sofia.

"Audra, when can I drive?"

"When you're older," Audra answered, smirking. Kelsie frowned. Audra grinned. "Soon. Very soon."

"Did Alexa leave yet?" Anna Sofia asked, running her fingers through her red hair. "I needed to ask her something about Algebra."

"You just missed her," Talita said as she met the others. "Her and Paloma just left."

“Nuts. Now I’ll never figure out how to find the slope of a line.”

“You’re forgetting you have 5 other sisters who aren’t Alexa and who’d be willing to help you.” Audra said with wisdom. She looked at Kelsie. “Erm, preferably ask the ones older than you who should know the content.”

“Hey!” Kelsie pouted. “I know what multiplication is!”

“Yes, you do, but that’s not what we’re talking about.”

Kelsie stuck her bottom lip out playfully. Anna Sofia bit her lip, tapping her freckled nose. She did that when she was thinking.

“Okay, Margaret’s here, right? I’ll just ask her. Problem solved.”

“I think she’s outside,” Talita offered as Anna Sofia slipped her shoes on. “Beware, the news said that it’s colder out today.”

“Yeah? How cold is cold?”

“Low 50’s.”

“We’re all gonna freeze to death,” Audra said sarcastically, walking into the kitchen. “Is anyone going to eat these eggs?”

“Don’t touch my eggs!” Talita yelled, following Audra into the kitchen.

Kelsie looked wide-eyed at her older sister. “Can I come with you?”

Anna Sofia laughed. “I’m just going outside, Kels. You can follow me if you want, what do I care?”

Kelsie did a happy hop and quickly put on her tennis shoes. Then, her and Anna Sofia walked out the front door.

Anna Sofia rubbed her arms. “Gee, it’s colder than I thought.”

Kelsie pointed at the driveway. “There’s Margaret.”

Margaret was skateboarding to and fro the driveway, her dark black curls hidden beneath a light pink helmet. Margaret noticed her two youngest sisters and rolled to an abrupt stop in front of the garage door.

“Good morning, guys. What brings you out on this freezing summer day?”

Anna Sofia gave another hearty laugh. “Ha. Good one. But, I gotta say, it is colder than usual. Like, fall weather.”

“You’re telling me. What would the red-headed maiden and the smaller, brunette lady like to know?”

Kelsie giggled as Anna Sofia started talking rapidly about algebra and its confusion. After a small conversation and several math equations drawn on the driveway in chalk, Anna Sofia finally figured out her algebra dilemma. By then, Talita and Audra had joined them outside on the front lawn. Talita had gone to the lengths of wearing a light jacket in the breezy weather.

“It’s summer!!” Margaret protested, eyeing Talita’s sweater with deep hatred. “There is no reason for that… that atrocity!”

“It’s a jacket, sis. Lay off.” Talita said, rolling her eyes as she picked grass out of the lawn.

“It’s not THAT cold,” Audra shrugged, though she shivered slightly when she said it. “There’s just a breeze and a low temperature. Plus, those dumb clouds are blocking the sun.”

“That’s true, I guess,” Margaret said stiffly. “But still.”

Kelsie’s ears perked up as a pink convertible came into view. Alexa pulled up into the driveway.

Alexa exited the car not wearing her usual ballet ensemble. It seemed that the Advanced Ballet class had finally gotten a locker room for after class on Wednesday.

“Hello!” Alexa said happily as she locked the car.

“Well, look who’s home,” Margaret smirked from her seat on the front porch. “Welcome.”

“You’re home early,” Talita commented. “What gives?”

“We had a sub. Ms. Kidler was out sick.”

“Well, you’re home! That’s good,” Anna Sofia said. “Do you wanna play connect four with Kelsie and I?”

“After this round!” Kelsie said quickly, dropping a red coin into the game. She smiled at Alexa. “I’m about to win!”

“It’s cold,” Audra said stubbornly. “I think Talita was onto something with that jacket.”

Alexa dropped her duffel bag and joined her sisters on the ground. “I heard on the radio that the temperature dropped several degrees since seven.”

“Ah. Winter is upon us.” Margaret laughed. “Look, I even see some snow.”

There was a silence as everyone stared oddly at Margaret.

“What?! There’s some falling from the s-OH MY- SHOOT, THERE’S SNOW FALLING FROM THE SKY!!?!”

“WHAT?!” The others jumped up and glanced eagerly at the sky. Sure enough, there were little white snowflakes dropping down from the heavens, landing delicately on the grass below.

“AWESOME!” Anna Sofia said, sticking her tongue out to try and catch some flakes.

The sisters ran across the lawn, each attempting to catch bits of snow in their hands or mouths. Soon, there was a thin layer of frost stretching across the neighborhood.

“Snow in summer!” Talita said, shrieking with delight. “Whaddaya know? I guess that snow can fall in July!”