"I can't believe it's actually snowing. It's the first day of October!"

"Welcome to Alberta, where it snows nine months of the year."

Taylor rolled her eyes at Clara, who stuck her tongue out in return.

Aubrey turned to face the window. "Did I tell you, I submitted the forms."

Taylor turned to face her brown-haired friend. "No way! Really? How long until you know if you get accepted?"

"Mr. Thomas said he'd let me know within a month or so."

Clara rested her head on her hand. "I can't believe if you get accepted that you'll be spending a semester in Italy. What are we going to do without you?"

Aubrey laughed. "I'm sure you'll be fine. We can always facetime."

"I'm going to miss you," Taylor said.

"I haven't even gotten accepted yet. Don't miss me yet."

The bell rang above them and Taylor sighed. "Bye Clara, have fun in mechanics."

Clara scoffed. "I'll try, have fun in bio."

Taylor pulled her binder off of the lunch table and began walking with Aubrey in comfortable silence towards the classroom.

"Oh hey! Are you planning on flirting with Lucas today? Because if you are, please give me a forewarning so I can effectively get in the zone to block you out."

Taylor's eyes widened and she quickly looked around to make sure no one had heard, but everyone was too occupied with getting to class. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Aubrey laughed. "Are you kidding me? Every day is the same. If you're going to flirt so much, you might as well go out with him."

Taylor hid her pink face. "Shut up. Like you aren't wanting to date some hot Italian dude."

"It's one of the richest schools in Europe Tay. Everyone there will be wealthy heirs from around the world, if anything, I'm going to become a trophy wife. And don't change the subject."

Taylor followed Aubrey into the Biology classroom and took her usual seat next to Aubrey. Lucas followed after them and sat on her other side.

"Hi," He greeted.

"Hey," Taylor responded, ignoring as Aubrey pinched her arm.

He smiled at her, his face turning pink. "Do you know CPR?"

Taylor's eyebrows jumped in surprise. "Yes, actually."

"She's the first aider for the Falcons." Aubrey butted in over Taylor's shoulder. Taylor elbowed her.

It was Lucas' turn to blink in surprise. "Wait, you're the first aider?"

She nodded. "I am, I started about two weeks ago."

Lucas hummed in thoughtfulness. "So you know a lot about the team then, hey?"

Taylor nodded. "I guess so. I'm usually in the room when they make their plans," She paused. "Why'd you ask about CPR?"

Lucas' face turned pink. "Oh, I was asking because you took my breath away," He ducked his head. "I'm sorry, that's kind of dumb. My older brother said it was a good idea, and I shouldn't have listened to him."

Taylor could feel her face heating up and distracted herself with watching Nasir duck into the classroom, chuck something to Jamie, and head back out. He didn't even look at her. Had she done something wrong again?

She jabbed Aubrey to stop her from snickering. "What do I say?"

"Why should I know? You're the one who hangs out with a dozen boys in your free time."

Taylor turned back to Lucas. "The hayride is coming up next weekend. Do you want to go with me?"

Lucas blinked in surprise, before smiling. "Of course! That'd be great."

~~~

"Get in the car, you dink!"

Jacob flipped her off as he tugged the door to the truck open and hopped into the side seat, shouting his goodbye to Nolan.

"Are you ready for team bonding?"

Taylor scoffed. "I already told you, I'm not going."

Jacob crossed his arm. "Come on, please! We have to present a united front! We can't just party without you."

"Do you really want me there? Or do you want a driver?"

Jacob sucked his bottom lip between his teeth. "Both."

"Mhmm," Taylor pretended to think. "No."

Jacob groaned as she backed out of the parking lot. "Please, I'll do the dishes for a week, and fold your laundry."

Taylor raised an eyebrow as she pulled out of the school parking lot. A week of not folding laundry or washing dishes. That sounded good.

"All I have to do is come to this party? Where is it?"

"Jamie's house, out on an acreage. His parents are out and the whole team is going. It's team bonding."

"Is it really? Or is it an excuse for you all to get drunk and party?"

"There may be others coming," Jacob trailed off with a hopeful smile on his face. "Pleeeeeease."

Taylor turned left onto Main Street, driving past old town buildings from the fifties which she had grown up with. The snow from earlier in the day had stopped and turned to mush, spraying up as she drove.

"I'll consider it, but I expect those chores to be done for two weeks."

Jacob began to protest but stopped when Taylor said. "I can always just stay home and you can call mom and ask her to drive you home."

"Fine."

"And I want to bring Clara."

"What? No!"

"Okay, you can call Mom when you're drunk at three in the morning. I'm sure she'll be happy to be your getaway driver."

Jacob slouched lower in the chair. "Fine. Clara can come, but Aubrey has to stay home."

"Aubrey is heading to Fort Mac anyways. So that won't be a problem."

Jacob huffed again, and Taylor grinned to herself. She'd won this round, and at least Clara would be coming with her to keep her company.

~~~

"This is in no way, going to be team bonding," Clara commented as they pulled up outside the house.

Taylor nodded back in response. "Is this really what you do on your weekends?"

Jacob scrunched his nose at her. "Says the person who builds forts."

Taylor rolled her eyes and stopped the vehicle, parking out front of the house. The sun had begun to set, sending golden rays across the old blue house and the surrounding farm. 

There were only about two-hundred kids in their high school, but it looked as though about half had shown up.

Taylor clenched the keys in her hand, staring at the house. Was this really the best idea? She could always come back and get Jacob later.

"You're overthinking it," Clara said. "Just get out of the truck, and it's not like you have to drink."

Taylor twirled the keys. "I can't drink. I'm driving you and Jacob home."

Clara grinned at her. "You are a wonderful friend."

"Shut up and get out of the car before I regret taking us here."

Clara chuckled and Taylor turned, unlocking the truck door and opening it, stepping onto the grass. It squished under her running shoes and she scrunched her nose in disgust as cold water seeped through the thin black fabric of her shoes and into her socks.

Jacob walked past her, heading into the house. "See you later."

"Make good choices!" Clara shouted, before picking her way around puddles to join Taylor.

Taylor clenched her fists, letting the keys dig into her palm to distract her from her nervousness. Clara grabbed her arm and began to pull her towards the house. "Come on, it'll be fun, and it'll give Aubrey something to scold us for on Monday."

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "How'd you even convince your dad to let you come?"

"I didn't tell him, he's a cop. What do you think?"

Taylor made a face at Clara. "You know he's going to catch you one day, right?"

Clara shrugged and linked arms with Taylor as they walked to the house. "And until that day, I will live free."

Taylor shook her head in disapproval, but let her cousin lead her into the house. She immediately scrunched her face. Loud music was reverberating from a speaker on the oak coffee table and people were scattered around. The smell of fruity vape and alcohol was pungent in the atmosphere, plunging the house into an almost invisible cloud. 

Taylor shoved the keys into the pocket of her purple windbreaker and paused, unsure. Clara walked them across the wooden floor and handed Taylor a bottle of water.

Taylor twisted the cap nervously, and Clara smacked her. "Team bonding right? Go talk to one of the team members."

"I hate you," Taylor shouted at her friend's retreating back. Clara gave her a thumbs up, before slipping away. "Why am I friends with you?" She murmured to herself.

"I didn't think you'd come."

Taylor looked over at Nasir. He was wearing jeans, a white shirt, and his hockey jacket, and his dark hair was fluffy. "Jacob made me. I'm his and Clara's DD."

Nasir chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "I'm Nolan's, we live on the same street," He caught Taylor eyeing his red cup and shook his head. "It's ginger ale."

Taylor nodded in understanding and resorted to taking a sip of her water to avoid speaking.

"What's it like?" He asked, before waving his hand to clarify. "Being the coach's niece."

She shrugged. "I don't know, what's it like being the son of the town's only lawyer? My mom likes your mom."

"Fair enough."

Taylor shoved her hands into her pockets before continuing. "I don't have to worry too much about you guys trying anything with me because he's usually there to watch."

Nasir huffed in amusement and looked down at her. "You're kidding. That's what you were afraid of?"

Taylor chuckled slightly. It did seem ridiculous looking back on it. "Yeah, it's kind of silly. You guys always just seemed so full of yourselves," Nasir gave her a raised eyebrow and she hurried on. "You aren't, but sometimes, it seems that way."

"We get that a lot. I think the only one of us who is actually a genuine dick is Jamie, but he's a good forward."

"Why do you hang out with him then?"

"Why do you hang out with Clara?"

Taylor tilted her head. "Clara and I are cousins and have been best friends since we were kids. Sure, sometimes she's hard to handle, but I wouldn't trade her or Aubrey for the world. I don't know what I would do if they died, because they are part of my family."

Nasir hummed in understanding, and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "That's a much better answer than I thought. I just put up with Jamie since we've been in the same class since kindergarten. I'm better friends with Carson and Isaac."

"We've all been in the same class since kindergarten."

"Touche. Sometimes you just get stuck with the same people. There isn't much you can do to change that."

Taylor nodded her agreement. "Why do you hate Jamie so much? I get that he's a dick, but like, is there a specific reason?"

Nasir shrugged and glanced around to make sure that no one was listening in, albeit the music was too loud for anyone to hear them anyways. "He's a little too liberal in using racial slurs towards me, and I get that my family is probably the only middle eastern family in a hundred square kilometres, but he's an asshole about it."

"Why haven't you punched him yet?"

"What would that solve? It would only get us both in trouble, and besides, when I graduate I'm leaving this town."

"What do you want to do?" Taylor asked.

He gestured out towards the porch as Jamie turned the music up so loud that the cups were bouncing on the table. Taylor nodded her agreement and followed him out onto the porch and into the steadily cooling evening. The sun had vanished into the horizon, leaving a dark starry night and a faint chill that forewarned the months of cold to come.

Nasir leaned his back on the railing and Taylor took a seat in the porch swing.

"I've always wanted to be a pilot since I was a kid."

Taylor grinned. "That's super cool. Aren't you afraid of flying?"

Nasir shook his head. "Nope, I've never been. I've always loved the freedom of it. What about you? What do you want to do?"

"I want to be a doctor, like a general practitioner."

Nasir hummed. "It suits you."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Why, because I'm a first aider?"

"No, because you're good at taking care of people."

Taylor ducked her head to hide her embarrassment at the compliment, and she was lucky that Nasir's phone began to ring.

He pulled it out and answered, and Taylor's eyebrows jumped slightly as he slipped easily into his native language. The conversation was quick, but he hung up and dragged a hand down his face. "I have to go, my mom needs my help with my younger siblings."

"Bye, see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."