Taken Home By The Grizzly by Ariana Hawkes EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Authors: Ariana Hawkes
- Language: English
- Genre: Short Stories
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2 MB
- Price: Free
Zoe
I swear it’s cold enough to freeze the nards off an elk this morning.
I’m huddled in my ugly-but-warm parka and knitted hat, but I’m
still shivering as I shuffle along the sidewalk, trying my best not to
faceplant in the snow.
The café I’m heading to is just across the little town square, but it might
as well be on the other side of the Arctic. In between is a dazzling,
sparkling display of festive lights and decorations. Real pretty, except that
every little thing I see taunts me, reminding me, Christmas is over, and you
don’t live here anymore, Zoe.
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I pass the huge Christmas tree in the center, trying not to look at its
gorgeous glittery splendor, and I’m less than fifty yards from the café
when…
Thunk! something hits me right in the face.
“What the—?” White powder explodes in front of my eyes. A
snowball? My cheek stings like crazy. Feels like there was plenty of ice
packed into it.
I clutch my face and look around wildly, trying to identify the thrower
of the missile.
“Ha-hah!” comes a loud voice off to my left. A child stands, right arm
raised, poised to lob another snow rocket at me. I say child. He’s almost my
height.
“You little…!” I holler. I crouch down, snatch up a handful of snow and
pack it into a hard sphere. Then I straighten up and prepare to launch.
He gives a shriek of fear.
Oh God, he’s actually pretty young. He’s probably only ten or
something. What am I doing? I drop the snowball in horror. Always on the
defensive, Zoe. Always ready to act first, think later.
A lady rushes over. She’s wearing an expensive-looking coat and tall
leather boots. “Oh, there you are Lucas!” she exclaims.
To my dismay, the little brat starts whimpering.
“What’s the matter, honey?”
He jabs a quivering finger at me. “That mean lady was about to hurt
me.”
“What?” I squeak in outrage. “He started it!”
She looks me up and down with disdain. “You should know better at
your age.”
I open my mouth to point out that her little angel almost blinded me
with a mini iceberg.
What’s the point, though? Some people only see what they want to see.
Instead, I hunch my shoulders and leave them to their charade.
When I pull open the door of the café, a waft of warm air and the smell
of freshly baked cookies greets me. I love this dang place. It’s buzzing, but
right away, I locate my best friend, Chrissie. That’s because she’s sitting in
our usual corner. She looks up at the same moment and we give each other
a sad little wave. When I arrive at the table, I see that Chrissie has already
ordered a coffee for me. And donuts. It’s so sweet, my eyes sting. I blink
fast before I start crying like an idiot.
“Why is your cheek all red?” she asks as I sit down.
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