Because it was a small town with very little to do and because it was located in Florida of all places, the moment it began to snow in Tallahassee, nearly everyone knew about it. The snow was by no means heavy, just barely falling with enough frequency to cover the ground in a thin layer of white. Nevertheless, it was the first snowfall of winter—and the first snowfall  the town had seen in years—and people of all ages flocked outside to play in it before it melted to rain.

Eleanor Davidson was one of the few who remained indoors, though having lived there all her life, it was one of only times she’d seen snow. She just wasn’t in the mood to be sociable and didn’t like the cold anyway. The nineteen year old instead remained in her dorm room and sat on her bed, watching what she could see of the campus become coated in white. Her peers were frolicking out there but she couldn’t pick anyone out in particular; everyone was covered from head to toe in their winter best: hats, scarves, boots, coats. It was odd, knowing they were in Florida but looking at a scene from Michigan. She wondered if somewhere among the revelers was Sam— and then squashed the thought immediately. She didn’t want to know where he was or what he was doing; crayons could melt on him, for all she cared. She closed the blinds with a bit more venom than necessary and turned decisively away from the window. She noticed now that her roommate, Katara Winslow, was staring at her curiously. She herself was in the process of putting on a gloves and a third layer of clothing.

“You sure you don’t want to come outside, El?” she asked. “Who knows how long the snow’s going to last or when it’ll snow again. And it’s not like you’ve got anything better to do. Come on, it’ll be fun and newsflash girl, you really need to have some.”

Her tone was playfully cajoling but beneath that, Ellie could hear genuine worry. She hadn’t been having much fun lately: no shopping, no clubbing, no hanging out. Just sitting in her room not thinking about him. Maybe she should get out… She sighed. “I know, Tara. Next time okay? I’m just not in the mood and it’s cold and wet.”

“No, El, it’s snowing,” Katara said scowling. She was a five-foot-two eighteen year old with short brown hair and big brown eyes but for some reason, God had seen fit to make her scowl one of the most threatening expressions known to man. “But yeah, whatever. I’m holding you to that. You can’t hole up in here forever. There are other fish in the sea. Heck if you want that fish, you can have him. You dumped him, remember? Whatever you do, you need to do it. This can’t be healthy.”

“Yeah,” Ellie said, not looking her roommate in the face. She heard the other girl sigh as she turned and left the room. No, she thought, falling back on her bed. It just wasn’t that simple.