First Snow - 1. First Snow

Miguel peered out the window into the darkness. It was rain mixed with slush. The edges of the window were rimed with frost, and he shouldn’t want it to snow, but he did. He had to go back to job hunting in the morning, and his coat wasn’t thick enough to keep out the cold, but could it be worse than the rain? It was still damp from his futile all day trek yesterday, even though he’d left it draped over the vent.

Maybe he should have stayed in Florida, where everything was familiar, where the weather didn’t make his fingers and feet ache with cold. But he needed a fresh start. Take some classes, a job… friends.

He’d figure it out. His mom had always said Miguel was gifted with eternal optimism. And a white Christmas would be amazing. Miguel touched the tiny star on the mini Christmas tree he’d gotten from the one dollar store when he went to stock up on cheap groceries. Yeah, it was one less loaf of bread, but it had lights, which brightened his tiny dorm room.

Totally worth it.

A rapid tap on the door pulled him away from his desk at the window. “Miguel! You’re here, great!”

“Where else would I be?”

Wink shrugged and darted under his arm, somehow dancing into the room without making it look weird. “A lot of students left. It’s super quiet. I wasn’t sure if you would still be here. Yesterday when I knocked, you didn’t answer.”

“I was out looking for a job.”

“You were?” Wink tilted his head. “What kind?”

“The kind that works around my classes and pays me something.” He wasn’t choosy. Miguel sat on the bed.

“I’ll help you, if you want.” Wink turned and practically lit up. “You have a tree! Oh, it’s cute. You like Christmas?” He stood over Miguel’s tiny tree and touched the lights, blue, green, and red reflecting on his glasses.

“Who doesn’t?”

Wink shrugged. “Lots of people. The Christmas spirit can dim, especially for certain ages.”

“Most college kids are probably too mature to decorate their dorm rooms.” Miguel’s face heated. Maybe he should have bought the bread.

A second later, Wink was on his bed next to him. “Your tree is perfect. At home, we always do Christmas up big. Tree, lights, cookies. It’s a thing!”

“So why are you here?” Alone. Like Miguel. He was there because his mom had died and the rest of his family and friends didn’t want him. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that.” He didn’t want to upset Wink if he had a crappy home he was avoiding too.

“I thought about going back, but I wasn’t sure. I like the people here.”

“You can’t go just for break?” Miguel looked at the thick rain coming down the window. The light outside his window flickered.

“Maybe. It’s hard to leave and come back.”

“Because of snow?” He still had the flakes on his mind. “I bet it’s hard to drive in snow.” Wink had a red car. Nothing fancy, but he’d given Miguel a ride a few times.

“Not exactly. Haven’t you driven in the snow before?”

Miguel shook his head. “I’ve never even seen snow.”

“What?” Wink’s mouth dropped open. “No way! You haven’t?”

“Nope. I’m hoping it’ll snow for Christmas.”

“Maybe it will. It’s cold enough. Hey, do you want to come to my room? We could watch movies? I have cocoa. And pizza.” He tacked on the pizza with a grin, knowing that would get him. Miguel loved pizza.

“Cocoa and pizza?” Miguel raised his eyebrows.

“It’s almost Christmas. Cocoa is always okay.”

And pizza was a food group all on its own. It really did go with anything. Miguel grabbed his hoodie off his pillow. “Okay.”

The pizza was crispy, and hot, and full of meat and cheese. The cocoa was nothing to write home about—as if he would—but sitting on the bed in Wink’s room watching Christmas movies was just what Miguel needed. He sank against the pillows. Wink had tons of them and they were all red and green. A tree blinked on the desk taking up the whole top. Lights framed the window.

It made his little tree look even sadder. Wink definitely did Christmas.

Miguel yawned, then focused on the TV. Jack Frost was zipping around bringing snow and ice. The old shows were his mom’s favorites too. He wondered how Wink knew, like he always did. Came over with food when Miguel was on his bag of noodles. Casual hugs when he missed his family the most.

He’d replaced the best friend who’d turned his back on Miguel when he came out. Became an even better one.

“Hey, hey Miguel, wake up.” Wink shook his shoulder gently.

“Huh?” Miguel wiped his mouth in case he’d drooled. “Sorry. I should go back to my room.”

“No, you should come here for a minute,” Wink said softly. He pulled on Miguel’s hand, hauling him out of the pile of pillows. “Shoes on.”

“Why do I need my shoes?”

“Trust me.”

He did, so Miguel slid his feet into his sneakers. He took his coat. Wink hauled him out by the hand. “I wanted you to see this.”

The lawn was covered in a field of white. Fat, fluffy flakes floated down in the yellow shine of the lamps overhead. The air was somehow warmer than it had been before. It was quiet, calm.

Miguel reached out a hand and caught a flake. For a second, before it melted, it lay perfect on his palm. His first snow. It was beautiful.

“Make a wish,” said Wink.

So he did.

When Miguel opened his eyes, the field was gone, but the snow remained. Christmas lights, trees, and the jingle of bells. Snow fell from a sky light with flickering lights.

“Wow. You brought me home, Miguel. Thank you.” Wink hugged him. “Welcome to the North Pole.”

“I knew it!”