Snow on the River

Candy and John sat on opposite ends of the couch with their heads propped up on their hands watching TV.

"John," candy's voice was dull and bored but John could tell by the slight whine in the way she said his name that she was about to request something of him that he wasn't going to want to do.

"What?" His voice equally dull with a hint of annoyance.

"Go change the channel, this is boring."

"What, no," John was glaring at the TV, but hadn't made any move toward it, "why can't you do it?"

"You're closer, come on." Candy groaned.

"We're literally the same distance-"

"After everything I do for you!" candy cut him off, now sounding dramatic and looking at him like he had just slapped her.

John stared at her for a moment with narrowed eyes and Candy stared back with that same suffering look on her face.

"You know what," John stood up quickly, "I'm only doing this because I hate this show."

"Yay, John!" Candy cheered him as he bent down in front of the television and started clicking.

John went slowly through all thirty-two channels that cable had to offer until he had come back around to where he started.

"Wait, go back!" Candy shouted.

John clicked back to the previous channel, which showed a couple kissing in the snow surround by over-the-top Christmas decorations. John turned to give Candy a skeptical look. Candy was smiling brightly at the screen with her hands clasped together.

"Really," John scoffed, "this cheesy Christmas movie?"

"I love Christmas!" Candy roared.

"Dude, these movies suck!" John retorted on his way back to the couch.

"You suck!"

John went back to his side of the couch and plopped down, crossing his arms. On the screen the couple enjoyed an oversized mug of hot chocolate with large marshmallows poking over the rim. Candy gasped loudly and pointed at the TV.

"John! That's what we need!"

"What?"

"Hot chocolate!"

"Where are we going to get hot chocolate?"

Candy shot up and jumped over the living room table in one motion, sliding into the kitchen. She was out of view, but John could hear her rummaging through the cabinets. Candy came to the kitchen doorway with a pouty look, staring pointedly at John. He tried to ignore her but after a few seconds he sighed.

"Nothing?"

"No," Candy's pout morphed into a smile, "let's go get some!"

John's eyes widened and he immediately began thinking of ways to dissuade her.

"It's twenty-four degrees outside! Do you really want to walk to town in this weather?" John knew this wouldn't work; Candy loved to walk to town no matter what the weather. She'd once made him walk in the snow just for a candy bar.

"Exactly!" She jumped, "it's cold! Think how good that hot chocolate will be in the cold, that'll make it worth the walk!"

"No, it won't," John protested, "I don't even like hot chocolate."

Candy gasped then shook her head, "well, you're a freak but that's okay we can still be friends."

Candy started to gather her boots and coat, ignoring John's objections. John watched helplessly as she sat down and started to lace up her boots.

"You really going to walk up that hill on the way back just for some hot chocolate you'll drink in two minutes?"

The steep hill that led up to Candy's neighborhood was treacherous and this reminder had worked before to get John out of walking to town with Candy.

"Still worth it." She shrugged, her smile unfazed.

"Wait," John said hastily, "how are you going to pay for it?"

She stopped lacing her boots, her happy expression now thoughtful and for a moment John was sure he had her. Then he saw the smile return to her face as she finished tying her boots. She jumped up and disappeared into her bedroom, returning a few seconds later presenting a ten-dollar bill in front of her face with both hands.

"Where," John threw his hands up, "did you get that?"

"I sold a jar of expired grape juice to Jenna on the bus," Candy grinned devilishly, "told her it was wine."

John gave her a horrified look, "what is wrong with you?"

"C'mon, John!" Candy pulled on her coat and was wrapping her scarf around her neck.

"It's dark!" His last-ditch effort was the weakest yet.

"You scared of the dark now?" She laughed and threw him his coat, "come on! It'll be worth it!"

As John put on his coat Candy started dancing across the living room to the front door while singing the melody to some disco song. John rolled his eyes and pulled on his coat and shoes with a smirk.

John shivered as he walked hunched up in his long coat with his hands deep in his pockets, while candy, still smiling, strolled cheerily beside him. It was dark and the only light came from the blinking street lamps overhead. Soon they came upon a cluster of houses that were decorated with Christmas lights and glowing figures. Candy squealed as they came into sight and John groaned.

"Oh, John," sighed Candy, "just because you hate fun doesn't mean you can't enjoy the beauty and hard work that goes into- what is that?"

Candy stopped and pointed toward a big bright waving Santa, and behind him there was movement of something large and aggressive.

"A bear!" Candy hissed, quickly stepping behind John.

"That's not a bear," John said, miserably, "it's Jenna."

Candy looked closer and saw it was Jenna, the girl that had given her ten dollars for a jar of expired grape juice she thought was wine. She was wrestling with a large black bag that was attached to the Santa.

"Let's just slowly and quietly-"

"Jenna!" Candy walked over to the edge of her lawn, "Jenna! What are you doing to Santa?"

Jenna's head popped up from around the Santa, wide eyed, looking at Candy as if she'd never seen her before. When John crept up to her side, looking around nervously Jenna's wide-eyed stare became hard and angry. Jenna let go of the bag and came marching over to where they stood. She stopped stiffly in front of John, staring angrily at him. He was about to speak when she opened her mouth and let out an incredibly high-pitched wail that made both John and Candy flinch.

"What is happening?" Candy couldn't hear her own voice over the screech coming from Jenna's throat.

"Go," John pushed Candy toward the direction of town looking nervously from the front door of the house to Jenna, still standing there like a statue screaming.

John and Candy took off running down the small street until they were surrounded by less festive houses with screeching teenagers on their lawns. Once they stopped to catch their breath and they didn't hear the screaming Candy turned behind them to see if they were being chased.

"Oh, my god!" she turned to John with an exasperated look, "that grape juice made her psychotic!"

"No," John panted, "she does that every time she sees me walk by her house."

Candy looked at John, eyebrow cocked, he shrugged, and Candy started laughing.

"That's insane!" She said through her laughter, "and hilarious that it happens to you."

John scoffed, "well, I'm glad you think it's funny because I don't, her dad came out on me once threatening to call the cops!"

They continued down the dimly lit street with candy's laughter echoing in the cold with occasional "ooh's" and " ah's" at seeing some Christmas decorations that were spread throughout the neighborhood. They came to the top of the steep hill, and they could see the small town below, sprinkled with Christmas lights. The traffic always died off around six pm in the winter and Candy loved coming to town and having it herself, and John of course, although he didn't quite love it as much as she did.

They walked down the hill toward the gas station that served coffee and hot chocolate out of a machine. There was no one in the parking lot or at the gas pumps and the store was empty except for the cashier, Brad, they knew from school who had graduated last year. John nodded at him as they entered, rubbing his hands together, happy to be in a warm space. Candy rushed over to the coffee machines as Brad came out from behind the counter.

"Hey, you're banned from here," Brad's voice was bored and he leaned against the counter that held the coffee machines, "you have to leave."

"Banned?" Candy's eyes were wide with feigned innocence, "what do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

Candy did know what he meant. She had been banned a few months ago for trying to steal a candy bar and a pack of gum. Brad had been working when the owner stopped her at the door and threatened to call the police but had instead settled for her permanent expulsion from the only gas station in town.

"Get out," Brad was walking back to the cash register, "and take John with you."

"Why me? I didn't do anything." John snapped at Brad.

"Yet." Brad added in a final tone, glaring at John, "you can leave, or I can call the cops."

John huffed as he and Candy exited the store with the ding of the bell behind them.

"Man, that guy is such a nerd." Candy said as they walked to the side of the building where Brad couldn't see them loitering.

"Candy!" John rounded on her, "did you just forget you were banned for stealing? Does your mom know?"

Candy narrowed her eyes at John, and he immediately regretted mentioning Candy's mother. Bringing up her mom was a sure way to start a heated argument between them, Candy didn't like that John would hold the threat of her mother over her head when she was, in her mind, just trying to have fun. Candy didn't know that her mother had asked John to look after Candy and to make sure that she didn't get into too much trouble while she was working. He tried not to let her down, but candy made it really hard for him sometimes.

"I did forget, if you must know!" She snapped at him, "and if she did do you think I'd still be walking around?"

"Good point," John added quickly and he knew that was the end of the conversation.

"I guess I made you come down here for nothing." Candy sighed, slumping against the wall of the gas station.

John shifted uncomfortably trying to think of something to say to cheer her up when a truck slowly crept up rolling to a stop in front of them.

"Rick!" Candy ran over to the truck as the window slowly came down to reveal a middle-aged man with long black hair and a beard.

"What are you all doing standing out here? It's freezing!"

John came up behind Candy and waved.

"John don't you know better than to have this poor girl out walking around in this weather?"

One of Rick's favorite things to do was to mess with John.

"What-"

"He made me come all the way down here in the cold for hot chocolate and we got put out because he's banned!" Candy interjected.

"You're kidding," Rick grinned, "John, what did you do, try to stick up the place?"

"What, no! She's-"

"Yeah! And the guy at the register was super rude to me just because I was with him!"

"Well, I never in my life," Rick shook his head in disbelief, "John, I thought better of you than that, son."

John stared at Rick, his mouth hanging open. Candy laughed at the sight of him and Rick joined her.

"You're the devil," John said to candy.

"I'm just playing," she turned back to Rick, "are you going in there?"

"Yeah, I guess you want your hot chocolate?"

Candy smiled and nodded handing him the ten-dollar bill.

"Don't worry about that, girl." Rick rolled his window up and pulled his truck to one of the gas pumps. Rick got out and quickly got some gas before going in to pay and retrieve the hot chocolates. A few minutes later he emerged carrying two large paper cups.

"Thank you so much, Rick!" Candy took her cup and hugged him.

"Thanks," John mumbled, taking his.

"You want a ride home?"

"Yes!" John was so thankful for Rick he thought he might cry.

"No, we're going to the park." Candy said, as she inhaled the scent of hot chocolate.

"The park?" Rick rubbed his hands together, "it's awful cold to be going to the park, are you sure?"

John looked at Rick with a pleading expression as Candy said, "yeah, I'm sure. Thank you so much! Come on, John."

"Keep an eye on her, John!" Rick called as they headed in the direction of the park and Rick back to his truck.

"I will." He replied feebly.

The park wasn't far from the gas station and as they walked it started to snow.

"Oh my."

"God."

"John, it's snowing! Come on! Let's get to the river!"

"Are you trying to go swimming now?" John was scared she might say yes but she just grabbed him by the sleeve of his coat and led him to the park. The river was right next to the park and as they entered through the chain link fence the snow started to come down hard with big snowflakes that clung to their hair.

"Let's climb up to the top of the playhouse!"

They scaled the old wooden playhouse careful not to spill their drinks and settled on the roof. They watched the snow fall on the river, covering it like a white blanket. The snow created a deafness around them as it fell thickly from the dark sky.

"This is so cool." John held the cup in both hands, cradling the warmth.

"Yeah," Candy agreed, holding her cup out to John with a smile, "to best freaky friends."

John rolled his eyes and tapped his cup to hers. They looked at each other and smiled, feeling a connection that words could not express. They each took a drink at the same time.

"Disgusting," John grimaced at the cup and looked back at the river, "but I guess you were right, it was worth it."