November 30th

With the weather getting a little colder, the football season was officially over, giving Levi the release he needed. The almost constant practices and workouts were one big chip on his shoulder, including the actual shoulder injury that required a shoulder brace, but he was glad that it was all over until college next fall. Of course, he was emotional over his last high school football season, but man was he glad for it to be over. He honestly didn't know how he would've survived the season if it weren't for Skye, but he doubted he would ever admit that to her.

Seeing as we were finally done with the thanksgiving holiday and December was tomorrow, it was like wintertime already. Christmas and Hanukkah preparations would begin, and most importantly the snow would start to fall. On top of it all, Skye was coming back to school from Thanksgiving break with a new do, one done with the help of Nini.

Skye and Levi met up with each other in the halls, seeing each other for the first time since the game on thanksgiving. Levi was surprised to see Skye in a completely new hairstyle, but immediately thought she looked good in it. She was also wearing the shirt she and Levi shared as part of their little "custody agreement" with a long sleeve shirt underneath, which Levi also noticed. Skye had seen the shoulder brace on him as well, so it was like they both came back to school with something new about them.

"Hey." They awkwardly said to each other.

"I like your, uh, your braids." Levi stuttered, not wanting to screw up the compliment.

"Thanks, and I like your cast," Skye replied, also feeling the same.

"It's a brace, but thanks?" He said, letting out a chuckle.

"Well, you complimented me and I didn't know what to compliment back with, so." She shrugged.

"Ah, gotcha." Levi nodded. "Shall we go in? To class, I mean."

"We shall." Skye grinned, then the two walked in together, Skye holding the door for Levi to make his life a little bit easier. It was the least she could do considering she jinxed his injury.

As the two walked in, their teacher greeted them, not failing to mention how they were at the top of his class, which they were confused about. "If it isn't my top students."

"Top students?" Levi questioned.

"Yes, I graded assignments over the break and you two are both tied for the highest grade in the class." Their teacher replied, which sparked an idea in the ever so competitive Skye.

"Um, contest to see who's number one at the end of the year?" She proposed.

"Um, yes!" Levi exclaimed.

"Keep it up, you two. By the way, congrats on the game, Levi." He said, then Skye and Levi walked over to their seats after Levi thanked the teacher.

While Skye threw her backpack off her shoulders and set it beside her chair, Levi managed to roll his backpack off his shoulders without having to lift his right arm. For the time being, he couldn't exactly lift it, so he was going to have to do everyday things a lot differently until he healed, which would take at least a month.

"God, we rock," Levi said as he sat down. "We so rock, right?"

"Duh!" Skye exclaimed. "We're literally the dream team."

Hearing murmurs from the people behind them, Skye decided to joke around about it as she found it hilarious how salty people could be about how awesome they were. "Ooo, we got ourselves a couple of haters over here."

"Stop acting like you're the main characters!" Someone from the back yelled, which made Skye and Levi's jaws drop.

Fortunately for the haters, their teacher interrupted everything before things could go further, starting class as the fun of Thanksgiving was long over. "Quiet down, everyone! We may have just gotten back from break, but we have to start our next unit."

"We're totally the main characters." Skye quietly scoffed.

"Totally," Levi replied.

•••

Meeting up once again at lunchtime, Skye and Levi entered the lunch line together, waiting to see what would be served. It would surely be mediocre, but at this point in the day they were ready to eat anything. Skye had noticed how Levi wasn't sweaty like he usually was when he came to lunch as he has gym class right before, but today there wasn't a single drop of sweat on him.

"Hey, you're not all gross and sweaty." She said. "It's weird. Sweat, ya freak."

"I can't participate in gym until I can take off this brace," Levi replied. With the help of a doctor's note, Levi was fully exempt from all gym activities until further notice, and his grade wouldn't suffer either.

"Lucky bitch." Skye rolled her eyes, remembering all of the times she had to participate in gym when in pain from her time of the month, but that was pretty different in comparison to completely injuring your shoulder from football.

"Yeah, I guess." He frowned. For him, it sucked that he had to miss out on sports, even if it was just gym class. Skye simply couldn't relate.

"How long will you need the brace for?" She questioned, then immediately thought of the worst possibility. "Do you need surgery or anything? Are you never gonna be able to play football again?"

"No, no surgery thankfully. I have to go back to the doctor in a couple weeks to check on it though, but I was told I would heal just fine." Levi said. Right after the game, Levi wasted no time calling his mom and telling her that he was heading to the emergency room. She sure wasn't elated about it as she was in the middle of Thanksgiving preparations, but she grabbed her keys and headed on over anyway. It was definitely an interesting Thanksgiving that's for sure.

Skye let out a sigh of relief, thankful that his injury wasn't as worse as she thought. She felt guilty enough about it. "Thank god. I'd be so nervous for you if you had to get surgery and then I'd feel awful if you had to quit football forever."

"Luckily I don't. The doctor said I was lucky it wasn't any worse." He replied, keeping the lunch line moving along as he conversed with Skye.

"Jesus, those Brandywine guys really did a number on you, huh?" She questioned. The answer was most definitely yes, but thankfully they didn't exactly get away with the stunt scot-free.

"Yeah. I heard those guys got in trouble by the coach." Levi added. "I don't know exactly how, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was just a slap on the wrist."

"I swear I thought you were dead for a second," Skye said, saying that out loud for the first time.

"Well, your favorite dummy is still standing." He chuckled.

After getting their lunch trays and having their food served to them, Skye and Levi walked out of the lunch line together. Skye was concerned that Levi couldn't hold his lunch tray, but he was able to use both arms in this instance as it didn't require raising his arm above his head or anything, so he was fine.

Setting their trays down, the two sat across each other like always, digging into their food and continuing their conversation from before. "By the way, Levi, how's driving?"

Ah, yes, driving. Besides Nini who went to another school, Levi was the only other person that knew how to drive. Usually, he tried being a show-off by driving with one hand, something he did around Skye mostly, but now he would have to do it all the time if he wanted to keep on driving. Because of these circumstances, he figured he finally had an excuse to force one of his friends to learn how to drive, which he vowed to do while he rested his shoulder.

"I'm hoping to teach one of the Three Stooges how to drive so I don't have to drive one-handed," Levi said, which brought an idea to Skye's mind.

"Wait, teach me how to drive!" She exclaimed. "My dad has been wanting me to get my permit since literally forever."

"Hey, hey, hey. One student at a time. I can only do so much with one working shoulder." He replied. Of course, he would be willing to teach Skye how to drive, but he'd rather do it when he was a fully functioning human. Plus, teaching just one of his friends would be enough of a chore considering their reputation of being idiots (besides Danny though, he always tried containing the idiots, but usually failed).

"Fine, I'll wait." Skye groaned. "I'm hoping to get a new bike for Christmas anyway."

"Oh!" Levi gasped. "I just remembered to tell you something."

"You're getting me a bike?" Skye asked, getting excited as she that was what she hoped.

"No..." Levi replied. He hated to crush Skye's hopes, but that wasn't remotely related to what he was going to say at all.

"Damn." She sighed.

"Sorry." He frowned. "Anyway, since I can't play in gym, I was sitting with those group of kids who never participate, right?"

"There's always one of them in every class," Skye said. So true, Skye, so true.

"Yeah, but I overheard them talking about a snowstorm coming up, so we might end up with a snow day this week," Levi said excitedly. Who doesn't love a snow day? Whether you cared about school or not, everyone loved when there was even the slightest chance of having no school.

"Oh my god, are you serious?" Skye questioned.

"Yeah!" He exclaimed. "Maybe we can plan a snow day together or something."

As much as Skye loved the idea of potentially spending a snow day with Levi, she figured she could try to be productive if a snow day were to happen. "Well, I was just thinking to use that time to set up the Christmas tree."

"Oh, right," Levi said, forgetting that not everyone celebrates Hanukkah like him. "You celebrate Christmas."

"You're Jewish?" Skye furrowed her eyebrows, having no idea about this.

"Yes ma'am." He nodded.

"Oh my god, eight-day party." She gasped. Skye had watched enough of Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights growing up, so that was pretty much all of the Hanukkah experience she's ever had.

"My mom makes a mean latke." Levi grinned. Among other things, Levi's mom was an amazing cook, although Skye's dad impressed him with his food, which he couldn't wait to eat again if he were ever given the chance to.

"Stop, you're making me wish I was eating that instead of school food." Skye groaned.

"Alright, I'll stop." He laughed.

"Thank god." She said. "Hm, you know what I just realized?"

"What?" Levi questioned.

"I could so beat your ass in a snowball fight now," Skye smirked. You see, Skye immediately assumed that she would have the ultimate advantage against Levi. And seeing how competitive Skye and Levi were towards each other, she simply couldn't pass up any sort of bet or competition.

"You wanna bet?" He asked, which was just what Skye wanted.

"With the advantage I have against you? Hell yeah, I do." She said.

"Whenever it snows, you're on," Levi said, staring Skye down, and she did the same.

"I look forward to it."

•••

Dear Future Me,

Levi better pray when it snows, cause I will beat his ass, messed up shoulder or not. He better watch out for my hair though cause I know Nini didn't put in all this effort for nothing. I don't know how she's so good at that, but considering my mom is white and also absent, Nini actually had the opportunity to learn those kinds of things. I still have to send her what hair products I use for my curls. Shit.

Anyway, I am absolutely killing it at this point in time. I'm thriving in school, I'm thriving in the friendship department, all of that. Plus, now that it's almost December, I can get prepared for Christmas! Should I get everyone a gift? I probably should, right? Eh, I'll figure that out later. After learning that Levi celebrates Hanukkah, I have to make sure I get him a proper gift.

Ya know, I would love to have a snow day this week. Thanksgiving break was simply not enough relaxing, especially after that crazy football game! I can't believe I was literally in the same vicinity as Megan. That girl scares me. Whatever, HER TEAM LOST!

Stayed tuned to whether there was a snow day or not though. I want it so bad. Wait, you'll literally know? Damn you Future Me for knowing all of this shit already.

Sincerely (I guess),

Past Me.

•••

MARIA TALKS!

welcome to act two! we have a LOT in store and let's just say the stakes are higher this time around. i'm so excited for everyone to see what i have planned and i pray to god everyone who's still here sticks around <3

as always, vote, and don't be afraid to comment!