Page 10 of Falling Like Snow

December 21: Winter Solstice at the Bramble Inn

December 24: Christmas Eve Snow Ball

December 27: Falling Snow Festival

“Jingle and Jam?” Hannah asks, pulling her dark wavy hair out of its ponytail holder, sending it cascading down her back.

“Apparently Fern knows people in some rock band who said they’ll drive here and do a Christmas show,” I explain. “Mom’s working out the location details today. She wants somewhere indoors so she doesn’t have to scramble last minute if the weather is bad.”

“That’s cool! Are we paying them?” Preeti asks. “Traveling here is a pretty big ask for no money.”

I pick up my sandwich. “No, Fern’s coming too. She’s just gonna stay with Ellis through most of December so she doesn’t have to keep going back and forth,” I explain. “She’ll record the band and post the video for exposure, so it’s a mutually beneficial show. Plus, they’ll get all the profits from any band merch they sell.”

“Ah, smart!” Preeti says.

“I’m so jealous that she can just do school online from wherever. What a dream,” Hannah mumbles.

Preeti shrugs. “I like seeing everyone every day. And I like being in an actual classroom.”

“There’s something wrong with you,” Hannah says.

Preeti laughs as she steals one of Hannah’s orange slices and pops it into her mouth.

“Anyway, I don’t know about you guys, but the reindeer farm sounds like the best part of this whole festival,” Hannah says, getting back to business. “Do we get to feed them like we feed goats at petting zoos?”

“Uh, I have no idea,” I tell her. “I’ll try to find out for you.”

“What’s Show in the Snow?” Asher asks, still studying the list.

“We were thinking we’d have a bonfire and roast marshmallows while projecting a holiday movie in the square. Mom wants us to pick the movie.”

“That’s cute!” someone says from a few seats down the table. I glance over and find the bright smile of Daphne Davis, one of our theater friends. Her sleek black ponytail falls over her shoulder as she leans toward us. “We should do The Holiday.”

“Or Deck the Halls,” Preeti suggests. “It’s hilarious and stars Danny DeVito.”

“Jingle All the Way,” Sterling calls from a few seats down, where they’re wearing a blue sweater that perfectly matches their blue hair. One of the best tenors in choir, Sterling is nothing if not colorful and coordinated—they were made for the arts, born for the stage. “It’s got Arnold Schwarzenegger. His bad acting is pure comedy.”

“No, Single All the Way!” another one of the theater kids shouts.

“You’re all wrong. While You Were Sleeping is the correct answer,” Hannah says.

“Jingle Jangle! It’s a musical!” our friend Parker shouts from somewhere down the table.

“Die Hard,” Asher says like everyone is ridiculous for suggesting anything else.

“Die Hard is not family-friendly,” I tell him.

“You never said that was a stipulation,” Asher says.

I frown at him. “It’s a Bramble Falls event. It’s implied.”

“We could just make it late enough that kids are in bed,” Asher argues.

“We have no way to guarantee they wouldn’t be there, watching people get slaughtered and listening to Bruce Willis say, ‘Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.’ ”

“They probably hear worse at school,” he says.

“Well, if inappropriate holiday movies are on the table, then my vote is for Holidate,” I say.