Let It Snow (John Green Spinoff)

[ThatSneezyGirl]

*Okay so this story is based off the book Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. If you haven't read it, then you should because it's amazing! Of course it is. Anything involving John Green is going to be good, but anyway here's some background information: It's Christmas Eve and Julie Dougal is forced to board a train and head to her grandparent's house after her parents get sent to jail because of a shopping riot involving Santa Villages. It's a bit outrageous, but it's actually a huge part of the plot. Her train gets stuck in a snow bank because there's a blizzard going on so she gets off to try and find another way to get to her grandparent's house when she meets Stuart. He offers to take them to his house for safety and they end up falling into a frozen river on the way and this is where I picked up. Hope you enjoy!*

I had never felt that kind of pain before. It wasn't one specific kind of pain, it was every kind of pain combined into one to create a feeling so intense that it had found a way to manifest itself deep into the marrow of my bones. I had never realized the cold could do something that powerful. The ice from the stream had frozen my fingers shut and I struggled to hold onto Stuart's hand as he drug me through the snow covered streets of his residential neighborhood. He didn't stop dragging me until we were inside his house and out of the storm.

"Shower. Now."

He left swiftly and then I was alone in his bathroom. I stripped off my snow soaked clothes and took a hot shower that would've burned my skin if it hadn't of been numb from the ice.

After I got out, I grabbed a towel and dried myself off. I felt so much better. There were new, dry clothes sitting on the counter and I slipped into them. I assumed by the baggy sweatpants and big sweatshirt that they were Stuart's, but I wasn't complaining. They were warm, and warmth was something I had been lacking lately. I wandered downstairs and found Stuart sitting on the couch, a blanket draped over his shoulders, holding a steaming mug of some sort.

"Hello Julie, I'm Debbie, Stuart's mom! Nice to meet you!"

"Hi." I said quietly.

She was enthusiastic and perky and loud, one of those people who you could hear on the other side of a parking lot.

"Here you go," She handed me a mug with the same stuff that Stuart had and I concluded that it was hot chocolate. "Sit down, get comfortable!"

She forced me down onto to the couch so close to Stuart that our thighs were touching. I shifted awkwardly and took a sip of my drink. The hot liquid traveled down my throat and warmed my insides more than the shower did. It tasted so good. It almost made me forget that I was in a strange town at a strange house sitting next to a strange boy on Christmas Eve.

"I hope being out in the cold for that long didn't do any damage." She said as she switched on the lights on the Christmas tree.

As if on cue, I started to hear Stuart sniffling in my ear and I looked over to see him rubbing his nose with his forefinger. His breath began to hitch and an adorably cute pre-sneeze look washed over his face as the need to sneeze took over him.

"HUHTSCHOO! HEHTSCHOO!"

He sneezed over his shoulder and sniffled loudly.

"Bless you." His mom said.

She didn't seem to think much of it. She was too preoccupied with lighting every decoration that adorned their home. I could tell that she was one of those people who went overboard during the holidays. From tinsel hanging from the ceiling to Santa Clause table clothes, everything had some sort of Christmas flare to it. It was a bit overwhelming actually.

"HAHTSCHIEWW!"

Stuart's loud sneeze startled me and I nearly jumped out of my seat.

"Bless you honey," His mom finally drew her attention away from the snowman candles on top the fireplace and onto her son ."Are you feeling okay?"

She placed her hand on his forehead but he swatted her away.

"I'm fine mom," He stood up from the couch and made his way to the stairs. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

He left without another word and the house quickly fell silent.

"He's always such a grumpy one when he's tired," She walked over to the closet and pulled out a pile of blankets. "These are for you. I hope they'll keep you warm tonight."

She wrapped me up so that I was basically a cocoon and I wiggled my head out to keep myself from suffocating.

"Well goodnight Julie," She made her way to her bedroom door. "Merry Christmas."

That's when I hit me. I was alone on Christmas. As welcoming as Debbie and Stuart were, it didn't make up for the fact that my parents were in jail over fight involving tiny plastic houses. I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to get some sleep. I was exhausted by the day's events, but somehow I couldn't manage to fall asleep. Eventually my body was able to relax and I somehow managed to fall asleep to the light of the Christmas tree.

[2SHY222]

Interesting! Never heard of this book but now I wanna read it

[AnteatersOnParade]

This is great! I was bummed to hit the end!

[ThatSneezyGirl]

*i mean to update this a long time ago but honestly I just forgot, but better late than never  *

 

My wake up call the next morning came in the form of a five year old jumping onto my stomach. My eyes popped open from the force.

"Who are you?" She said excitedly. "I'm Rachel!"

Her enthusiasm mimicked Debbie's and I could immediately tell that she was her daughter.

"Rachel stop it, she's obviously sleeping."

Was sleeping. I sat up and looked around, confused for a moment before I realized where I was. Stuart's mom switched on the Christmas Tree that must've automatically gone off sometime during the night. 

"Santa came!"

Rachel nearly dived into a giant pile of presents that had also somehow magically appeared while I was sleeping. Her face was brighter than the lights on the tree as she shook each box, trying to figure out what she was about to unwrap.

"Where's Stuart?" His mom asked and I shrugged in response. "Stuart! Get down here!"

I heard shuffling coming from upstairs and suddenly a messy haired Stuart emerged. He slowly walked down the stairs with a blanket draped around his shoulders just like last night, although this time he hugged it much closer towards his body. He nearly collapsed when he made it to the couch and it took someone with less than decent vision to tell that he was sick. 

"Merry Christmas!" His mom rejoiced, blatantly unaware of her son's current state. "Where going to wait to open presents until later."

Probably for my sake, which I was actually kind of thankful for. 

"Whaaaaaat!?" Rachel exclaimed. 

A look of pure horror washed over her adolescent face as one of the presents in her hand hit the floor.

"Except for you Rachel."

Her terrified expression switched back to excited as she tore through her presents, wrapping paper and bows flying everywhere. 

"Are you okay?" I leaned over and whispered as Debbie snapped pictures of Rachel with one of her new Barbie Dolls.

"Yeah, just tired." His raspy voice wasn't convincing in the slightest, but I brushed it off and went back to watched Rachel plow through the multitude of boxes. He rested his head on his hands and I could see him drifting off to sleep to the tune of the cheesy Christmas songs that Debbie was playing. I felt bad for him. I knew he didn't feel good, but I knew that he wasn't the kind of person who wanted to be fussed over, which probably stemmed from the fact that his mom loved to fuss over people. 

"Okay, time for breakfast." 

Stuart jumped at the sound of Debbie's booming voice and struggled to walk to the kitchen, his blanket still held tightly to him. We all sat down as his mom placed all the food on the table.

"HAHTSCHOOO! HEHTSCHOOO!"

Stuart sneezed into his hands and wiped his nose on the blanket.

"Bless you." Debbie immediately went over to him and placed her hand on his forehead like she had last night, except this time her eyes widened. "Oh honey you're burning up!"

"Ndo, I'b okay." If the congestion in his voice didn't give it away, it was the fact that he thought his hands back up to his face and turned away from his mom.

"HUTSCHIEWWW! HAHTSCHOOO!"

"Stuart, you're sick. Go back to bed." 

"I'b fide, really."

He tried to convince her, but she wasn't buying it. She glared at him until he finally got up and walked back upstairs as she followed closely behind. I sat there alone for a couple minutes, not knowing whether to stay put or to follow as well. After feeling too uncomfortable by myself, I slowly walked up the stairs and lingered in the hallway, watching from afar. 

 

"Stuart, just let me take your temperature."

 

"Ndo, leave mbe alode." I heard him growl.

 

"Honey, no need to be angry, I'm just trying to help."

 

"I don't ndeed your help. I just wand to be left alode."

 

Debbie sighed and got up, annoyed at her son's stubbornness. 

 

"Okay well if you need anything I'm right down stairs," She waited for a response that wasn't coming. "Seriously Stuart, anything, just let me know." He still didn't respond. "Water, medicine, another blanket, soup. Please, let me know"

 

"Yes Mbother." He said finally, exasperation and annoyance in his voice. 

 

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek before walking out of the room, somehow seeming to not notice I was watching the whole scene. I walked to the doorway and stood there awkwardly, debating if I should go in or not. He seemed like he was in a bad mood, and if he didn't even want to be around his mom, I doubted he wanted me around. Just as I turned to walk away, I heard a raspy voice call out,

 

"Julie?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"Cad you get mbe an extra blanket? I'b freezing."

 

"Yeah sure." 

 

I was thrown off by this. I was sure he was going to tell me to leave or to go away, but that wasn't the case. I walked to the hallway closet out of instinct and found several old looking comforters folded on the shelves. I grabbed all of them and hurried back into his room before shutting the door behind me. 

 

"Here." 

 

I spread each blanket over his shivering body and I could see a slow smile creeping over his face.

 

"Thandk you," he coughed a little. "I wanted to ask mby momb, but I didn't want her to freak out and baby mbe all day."

 

It was understandable. Debbie gets very overwhelming very fast. As nice and motherly as she was, she was not someone I would want to be around if I was sick either.

 

"Did the blankets help?"

 

"A little."

 

He was still shaking slightly. He had to be running a high fever if 5 blankets couldn't warm him up, and judging by the small beads of sweat forming at the base of his forehead, I knew I was right. I looked over and saw a thermometer on his night stand that his mom must have brought up and stuck it in his mouth.

 

"What are you-""Stop resisting and let me take care of you."

 

I had never really been one for being straight forward, but I knew that was the only way I was going to get through to Stuart and have him let me help him. He looked up at me as we both waiting quietly t let out a high pitched whine, signifying that it had come to a conclusion on his temperature.

 

"102.1," I said. "Congratulations, you have a fever."

 

He celebrated his achievement by breaking into a coughing fit. He turned and buried his face into the crook of his arm, the congested coughs loudly and harshly rumbling out of his chest. His eyes watered with irritation as pain shot through his throat and I handed him the bottle of water that was also sitting on the nightstand. 

 

"Thandks." He croaked, congestion smothering his voice.

 

"You're welcome," I looked over the Arsenal of cold supplies Debbie must have grabbed when she came up here. Three bottles of different cold medicine, a bag of cough drops, the thermometer, the bottle of water that Stuart had drank most of, a box of tissues, and a washcloth. This was serious business to her. She wasn't messing around. I grabbed one of the bottles of medicine and poured some into the cap and handed it to him. "Take this."

 

"I hate that stuff. It's gross." He whined.

 

"I know but it'll make you feel better," I said. He stared at me and I rolled my eyes. "Just take it."

 

He unwillingly took the medicine and let out another round of coughs. He took another sip of water before snuggling into the mountain of blankets.

 

"HAHTSCHIEWW! HUHTSCHOO!" EITSCIEWWW!" 

 

He sneezed openly, his hands not making it to his face in time. I handed him a tissue and he blew his nose, causing it to turn an even brighter shade of pink. He sniffled thickly but it was no use. His nose was running like a faucet and tried blowing it again, but it didn't work so he simply groaned and gave up. I brushed his messy hair off of his sweaty forehead at an attempt to sooth him, and by the way his eyelids were slowly drooping, I could tell it was working. I usually wasn't good at care taking, or social interaction in general, but with Stuart it was different. I didn't feel awkward or out of place like usual. He made me feel almost at home, or at least the most at home I could feel on Christmas in a unfamiliar town. 

 

"This sucks," he looked up at me with tired eyes. "But I'm glad you're here." 

 

I smiled and I could feel my cheeks getting hot.

 

"Is there anything else I can get for you?"

 

"Mbbbb..." He trailed off, his eyes finally closing. 

 

I stood up to leave but was pulled back.

 

"Stay with mbe." He said sleepily.

 

I nodded in a agreement, although not like he could see it. I pulled his head into my lap and stroked his rosy red cheek with my thumb.

 

"Good night."

 

"Goodndight...." He whispered. "And Mberry Christmbas."