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An unrelenting fire blazed within me. The air crackled with the intensity of our outburst. As if this was some Western movie, we were ready to battle, clutching our hands at our sides.

“Admit it. You love being mommy and daddy’s favourite. You’ve always been a kiss-ass.”

“I’m done with this,” Joshua said. “Go get wasted with your bandmates like you always do.”

With a swift turn, he stormed off. I threaded my fingers through my hair and gripped at my roots. I turned to the gravestone.

“Maybe next year.”

??

The frosty night targeted the town. The air was sharp, and the moonlight paraded on the frost-kissed ground. It’s only when I approached our front door that yelling pierced the silence. My hand hovered above the handle. I thought about taking another walk. My parents would be too busy arguing to notice I’m gone. A typical weekend.

Gracie.

She would trap herself in her bedroom, clutching Duke to drown out the noise. I knocked on her door and waited for her call before sticking my head through the gap. She was on the bed with her head on Duke’s back.

“Grab a coat and Duke.” I said. “We don’t have time to waste.”

She didn’t argue. I motioned for her to be silent as I picked up the puppy and descended the stairs.

“Where are we going?” She asked the moment I closed the front door behind us. “Wherever you want, bug.”

Her eyes crinkled with genuine joy, warming me up despite the frost.

“Duke wants to build a snowman in the park.”

“Did he tell you that?”

She narrowed her eyes. I raised my hands in defeat before motioning for her to keep up with me. I still had my car revoked, but the park wasn’t far from our home.

The soft glow of the moonlight illuminated the white landscape. It glistened like diamonds. The crisp air brought a refreshing chill, as opposed to the stuffiness of home.

My back stiffened when a giant snowball lodged into it. Gracie’s contagious laughter echoed into the night. I reached down and scooped a handful of snow before ducking behind the leafless oak tree.

She must have figured out what I was planning, because she began running in the opposite direction. She was in clear air. I took the shot.

My stomach ached from laughter as she fell onto a pile of snow. Duke went to check up on her. She got back up and hurled another ball at me but missed. It set us off once again as we battled until we couldn’t feel our fingertips anymore. I called a truce when my phone chimed for a text.

Are you with Gracie?

I rolled my eyes, certain Josh was asking to snitch on me.

It depends, who’s asking?

His reply was instant.

Mom and Dad are about to send out a search party, so you better get home now.

I rolled my eyes and tucked my phone into my back pocket.

“Hey, bug,” I said. “It’s getting late.”

Disappointment settled on her face like a heavy sigh. She lowered her gaze but didn’t argue. She picked up Duke and wordlessly exited the park. I placed my arm around her shoulder. Our footsteps created a rhythmic cadence as neither of us spoke a word the entire journey home. Even Duke picked up on the tension. Josh was sitting on the porch steps with his head in his hands. He bolted upright as if he’d been waiting for us.

“Relax,” I said, already knowing he was going to interrogate us. “We went to the park.”

“Without telling Mom and Dad?”