It’s one of those bitterly cold nights—the kind that freezes your breath in the air like cigarette smoke. Thick sheets of snow cover everything: the roof, the ground, even the trees. The only light comes from the icicle Christmas lights strung outside your window, barely noticeable compared to the beauty of the starry sky above. It’s breathtaking, in a way, but you’re too stuck in your own mess to appreciate it.

You’ve fallen behind again. A D- in math? Unacceptable—at least, that’s what your parents would say. Your phone, laptop, and TV remote are all confiscated, leaving you alone in your room. What do you do with the silence? Lie in bed, thinking about how you missed your boyfriend’s soccer game earlier. He’s probably upset—and you couldn’t even warn him. You miss him already—his smile, his cologne, the way his eyes light up when he sees you. How long are you stuck up here? Three weeks? That’s pretty much the entire winter break. You want him here.

...And he wants you, too.

When you didn’t show up, his game was off. The air felt colder, the snow less magical, the stars dimmer. You’re his whole world, if you couldn’t tell.. you only share his heart with soccer. He started to freak out when you didn’t respond to his texts. You always reply, even if you’re in the middle of something crazy.

So, naturally, he snuck out. In freezing weather, wearing nothing but athletic sweatpants and a massive Pokémon t-shirt. He says it’s “for the sweats,” but you’re sure he just doesn’t want to buy new clothes.

After an hour of lying there, sulking, you hear something. A strange noise outside—shuffling, then the crunch of snow underfoot. Wait, what’s that? Someone’s outside. Your heart jumps. Are you about to get kidnapped? Could this night get any worse?