The next day dawned cold but lively, the snow from the night before still blanketing the world outside. Inside the orphanage, the excitement was palpable. Snow meant a day of fun, and the kids were already whispering about snowball fights and sledding down the hill by the bakery.

Eleri and I were among the last to shuffle downstairs for breakfast, but the energy in the common room was contagious. The moment we stepped inside, a ball of snow hit the window beside us, leaving a wet streak as it slid down.

"Come on!" A boy named Aldric called from the doorway, a mischievous grin on his face. "Snowball fight in five minutes, or you're chicken!"

I rolled my eyes, but Eleri's face lit up. "We have to go!" she said, pulling me toward the door. "I mean, we can't be the chickens, can we?"

"You can go," I said with a laugh, holding my ground. "I'm not in the mood to get pelted with snow first thing in the morning."

Eleri pouted for a moment, but her determination quickly won over. "Suit yourself. But you're missing out!" She raced out the door, her oversized scarf trailing behind her like a banner.

I took my time finishing breakfast, enjoying the quiet before the chaos that would inevitably follow. A few minutes later, I bundled up in layers—sweater, jacket, gloves—before stepping outside. The courtyard was already a battlefield, with snowballs flying back and forth. Aldric and his gang had taken cover behind a wall of snow, while Eleri had somehow convinced a group of younger kids to form a rival team.

"You're late!" she called out to me as I stepped into the fray. She already had snow clinging to her hair, her cheeks flushed from the cold. "Get over here before they get us!"

I grinned, bending down to pack a snowball in my gloved hands. "Alright, who's the target?"

She pointed dramatically toward Aldric's group. "Them, obviously. They've been planning this for days. We can't let them win."

The next few minutes were a blur of flying snow, shrieks, and laughter. Eleri was relentless, darting around like a winter ghost, her speed making her almost impossible to hit. I managed to land a few good shots on Aldric's team, much to his frustration.

"You'll pay for that!" he shouted, flinging a poorly-aimed snowball in my direction. It missed me completely, splattering harmlessly against the wall.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Nice try!" I yelled back, tossing another snowball that hit him squarely in the shoulder. He gave a mock growl and dove for cover.

After what felt like an hour of non-stop chaos, we called a truce and stumbled inside, breathless and soaked from head to toe. The warmth of the orphanage was a welcome relief as we peeled off our wet jackets and boots. Eleri's eyes were bright with triumph.

"We totally won," she said, her voice smug.

I shook my head with a smile. "We didn't even keep score."

"But you know we did."

After drying off, the day settled into a quieter rhythm. Eleri and I spent the afternoon lazing around in the common room, doing homework and reading. I was halfway through a book when she suddenly leaned over and whispered, "Want to do something fun?"

I raised an eyebrow, already suspicious. "What kind of fun?"

Eleri's mischievous grin told me everything I needed to know. "A prank," she whispered, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "We could totally get Aldric back for what he did last week."

Ah, yes. Last week. Aldric had snuck into the girls' dorm and hidden fake spiders under everyone's pillows. Eleri had nearly screamed the whole building down when she found hers. Revenge was definitely on the table.

I closed my book, leaning in. "What's the plan?"

It turned out Eleri had already thought everything through. The older kids had access to the kitchen after dinner, and she had overheard Aldric bragging about sneaking down to grab extra cookies that night. Our goal? Set a trap.

The setup was simple but effective. We rigged a bucket of flour above the pantry door, tied carefully to the handle so that when Aldric opened it—poof! Instant flour shower.

By the time we were done, my stomach hurt from laughing just at the thought of his reaction. We hid behind a stack of boxes, waiting, holding our breath.

Sure enough, not long after, we heard Aldric's footsteps. He whistled as he approached the pantry, completely oblivious.

The door creaked open.

Poof!

Aldric was instantly covered head to toe in flour, a cloud of white powder filling the air. He stood there, stunned, blinking through the flour as if he couldn't quite believe what had just happened.

Eleri and I couldn't hold it in any longer. We burst out laughing, clutching our sides. Aldric wiped his face with a slow, deliberate motion, his eyes narrowing in mock fury.

"You're both dead," he said, trying to sound menacing, but the flour in his hair made him look like an angry snowman.

Eleri gasped between giggles. "Totally worth it."

He gave a half-smile, shaking his head as he brushed the flour off his clothes. "Just wait. I'll get you back."

We ran out of the kitchen before he could catch us, still laughing as we made our way back upstairs. The prank had been perfect, and even though we knew retaliation would come eventually, it was worth it.

That night, as we settled back in our room, Eleri lay on her bed, a contented smile on her face.

"I think today was a good day," she said, her voice soft.

I nodded, staring up at the ceiling. "Yeah, it was."

And for the first time in a while, I fell asleep without worrying about tomorrow. The world outside was still covered in snow, and for now, that was enough.