Free Little Battles by N.K. Smith Page B

returning it, I busied myself with my glucose monitor.

    Damn, it was cold, but we were in the woods just outside my house. There were even a few of those little flowers sticking up out of the snow, and the stream had taken on a crystal look. The feel of the place had changed somewhat with the change in weather, but it was still the peaceful and calm spot Elliott had shown me.
    “Now what?”
    I looked up and was greeted by something cold and wet hitting my shoulder. “What the hell was that?”
    When I finally found him, Elliott’s lips were curved in a sexy way. “Did you just throw snow at me?”
    He shrugged and nibbled his lip a bit nervously. I wondered if he thought I was going to get mad at him or something. It was actually kind of cute the way he looked, I just wish his eyes weren’t trained on my boots. I didn’t want to drag out my reaction. He was obviously worried that I wouldn’t be happy with him. I’d never had a snowball fight in my entire life, but I wanted to try it out. I reached down quickly and scooped up some of the fluffy white stuff and packed it together.
    I wasn’t a good aim and I ended up hitting him in the side of his face.
    “Sorry, Elliott, I…”
    I was cut off by another snowball grazing my left ear.
    That was the beginning of my first snowball fight.
    After I grew tired of getting hit by snowballs and having snow fall down into my coat and shirt, we made a snowman. He was kind of asymmetrical, had no face, and was crazily proportioned, but I guessed he fit in with the rest of us weirdos.
    Afterward, I lay back in the snow and looked up at the gray sky. The woods behind us were quiet and the snow continued to fall down and tickle my face. I was aware that Elliott had lain down next to me.
    “D-d-do you liiiike the ssssnow now?”
    I smiled. “It’s all right.” It was simply awesome, but I couldn’t bring myself to show that much excitement in front of him. This unique feeling I had when I was around him felt wrong and strange.
    My teeth started chattering involuntarily and I felt him take my gloved hand. He stood up, pulling me up with him and even though our hands were covered, I felt something pass between us.
    It was a scary connection and instinctively, I pulled my hand away then wiped at my face with my fuzzy gloves.
    “Y-you’re c-c-cold.”
    I nodded. Without saying anything further, Elliott grabbed my hand again and started walking back to the house.
    “That was fun.”
    He smiled at me, his eyes brighter than I’d seen them before. “I-i-it’ll p-p-p-probably mmmelt tomorrow, b-but…”
    “It was fun for today.”

    I stirred the big silver pot on the stove, making Elliott chili as I’d promised, while he sat at the table, his hand wrapped around a coffee mug as he looked at the peanut butter and apple slices I’d set down before him.
    “You’re not allergic, are you?” I asked. His brow furrowed and I gestured to the plate. “To nuts or whatever.”
    He shook his head. “N-no,” then nodded toward the green, leafy balls on the counter that didn’t go with chili, but I didn’t care.
    “W-why do you liiiike B-Brussels sprouts?”
    Why did he need to know that? I mean, who asked why someone liked a certain vegetable?
    I answered, “Because they’re good for you,” but that was a cop-out answer, and I knew it. It felt cheap and hollow, and not at all the answer he deserved.
    I sighed, knowing this shit with Elliott was already too deep for my own good, but I was powerless to change it now. “Because at first they’re green and chewy and slightly bitter, but when you get down to the center of it, they’re actually kind of sweet.”
    I was completely high. I’d dropped a pill when we got home just to take the edge off. My lips were slightly parted and my eyes were probably a bit glassy. Every once in a while one of my knees would buckle under me, making me sway as I locked them tight again.
    “W-w-why do you g-get high all the time,