Paulo

Paulo bit his lip hard as he trudged through the three inches of snow that lay between him and his front door. It had been snowing since last night, and judging by the forecast, it wouldn't stop anytime soon.  

When he first saw those few specks floating gently through the night air, he laughed excitedly, dancing and spinning around with his arms wide and his mouth open, trying to catch the flakes on his tongue. But then his mum told him to stop, come inside, brush his teeth, and go to bed.

Waking up that morning, the front garden was crisp and white. All traces of the freshly cut grass had vanished, replaced by an unblemished blanket of cold.

He had hoped that school would be cancelled. Sadly, it was not. Other schools had been cancelled. Catharine's school had been. So had Wally's and Dan's. But not his.

Paulo watched them bitterly as they hurled snowballs at each other in the park, laughing and screaming with joy. They had waved as he passed them, but he pretended not to notice. Perhaps that was unfair. It wasn’t their fault that his school was “soldiering on in the face of adversity.” Those were Mr. Sampson’s words, not his. Well, he would make it up to them tonight over Xbox Live. Maybe they could play a game of C.O.D. or Minecraft.

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With a sigh of relief, he retreated into the warmth of the hallway, removing his shoes and coat and tossing them into the corner, next to his school and P.E. bags.

“Paulo? Is that you, love?” Sandra asked, poking her head around the kitchen door.

“Yeah."

“The school called. They said the heaters broke down during the final period, and they can’t get anyone to fix them until Friday. So, you won’t be going in tomorrow.”

“YES!” 

“I’m glad to see you’re taking the news so well,” Sandra said, rolling her eyes and smiling as she passed him a mug of steaming hot chocolate, tiny marshmallows bobbing across the molten surface. He winced a little at the heat searing his lips as he took a sip.

“Careful, it’s hot.” 

“Thanks."

“You’re welcome. Now wash up; dinner will be ready in half an hour.”