“You could work those cookies off in a nice, warm gym,” Hailey pointed out.
Jess sighed. “Okay. I know one reason you definitely can’t argue with. You know that Noel will probably be there.”
Noelle smiled. “Okay. I’ll go.”
Jess laughed, shaking her head. “I knew it! But I don’t care why you’re going, as long as you’re going to run with me.”
Alyson shooed her off the bed. “Go take off that dress before it gets wrinkled.”
Noelle jumped up and ran out of the room, giggling. Her party was only four days away, and it was going to be perfect!
chapter 11
THE NIGHT OF THE SNOWFLAKE run was clear and cold, just above freezing. Noelle had on leggings, a T-shirt, a sweatshirt, and gloves, because she didn’t want to run in a heavy coat. She ran to the car, shivering the whole way.
“Thanks for taking me, D-d-dad,” Noelle said, dramatically chattering as she slipped her seat belt on.
“I haven’t done a run like this in awhile,” Mr. Winters replied. “It should be fun.”
Cars crowded the municipal parking lot off Main Street, but Mr. Winters found a space. They quickly walked to Main Street, where giant lighted snowflakes shone on every telephone pole along the route. The storefronts were all decorated for the holidays, and Christmas carols blared over a loudspeaker attached to a police van by the starting line.
Spectators lined up on along the street, looking snug in puffy coats and mittens, and Noelle was jealous of them. She jogged in place, trying to keep warm, when Jess ran up to her.
“Come on, let’s find a place at the starting line,” she said, grabbing Noelle by the arm.
Mr. Winters nodded to them as he stretched. “I’ll be running with the old people,” he joked. “Be careful, and I’ll meet you by the bakery after the race,” he said. “Don’t go wandering off anywhere.”
“I won’t, Dad!” Noelle called behind her as Jess dragged her off.
It looked to Noelle like at least a hundred runners had taken a place behind the starting line, which had been painted on the street in a red-and-white candy cane stripe.
“At least it’s warmer in the middle of the crowd,” Noelle said, rubbing her gloved hands together.
“We’ll warm up when we run,” Jess promised.
“I hope that’s soon,” Noelle said.
Then the Christmas music stopped and a woman’s voice came over the speakers.
“Good evening, everyone. I am Mayor Sherman,” she said. “Welcome to our fifteenth annual Snowflake Run!”
The crowd cheered, and Jess grinned at Noelle.
“Remember, there are no winners or losers at the Snowflake Run,” Mayor Sherman went on. “This is a race about holiday cheer! At the end of the race there is free cocoa for all in front of Tamika’s Bakery! Don’t forget to step inside and try one of Tamika’s famous snowball cupcakes. And now, without further ado, let the race begin!”
A small cannon on the police van went off, sprinkling the runners with tiny fake snowflakes. With a cheer, the runners surged forward.
Jess flashed Noelle a smile as they joined the pack. The black sky above glittered with stars, and Noelle felt like she was in the middle of something magical.
She turned to look at a display in the candy shop window when she noticed a familiar head of wavy hair a few feet in front of her. Noel!
Without thinking, she quickened her pace to catch up with him.
Of course he’s fast, Noelle thought. He’s Noel!
But Noelle was fast too, and she jogged right up next to him and gave him a little wave.
“Hey!” he said, with a surprised grin. “I didn’t know you were a runner!”
“For fun, mostly,” Noelle said. “But I’m trying out for track this year.”
“Me too,” Noel said.
They fell into pace next to each other. For a while they were quiet, just looking at the decorations as they ran down the street.
“So, um, it’s almost Christmas,” Noelle said.
“The Snowflake Run kind of kicks off the last stretch until Christmas, don’t you think?” Noel asked. “It’ll be here before we know it.”
“I can’t wait,” Noelle said. “I can’t wait until Christmas break, either. But first Mr. Randinelli is giving us a big test. Can you believe it?”
Noel nodded. “I have him too. He’s like Scrooge or something.”
The effort of the run kept them quiet for the rest of the race, but Noelle cast a few sideways glances at him, not believing her luck. This really was a magical night.
The race took them to the end of Main Street, where they made a right turn into Pine Valley Park. Tamika’s Bakery sat right across from the park, and tables had been set up with big thermal containers of cocoa. To get there, they had to cross the finish line, which was marked by two old-fashioned lampposts wrapped in candy cane–striped ribbon.
Noelle took one step past the lampposts and then stopped, placing her hands on her knees.
“We did it!” she said, breathing heavily.
Noel high-fived her. “Awesome. Do you want to get some cocoa?”
Noelle was about to say yes when she suddenly remembered something—Jess! Frantically she looked behind at the runners coming up to the line, but didn’t see her.
“I’m so sorry, I need to find Jess,” Noelle said. “I guess I . . . I must have lost her. . . . I’ll see you later!”
She hurried off, leaving Noel looking a little baffled. A huge rush of runners came through the finish line, and Noelle pushed through them until she spotted Jess.
“Jess! Jess!” Noelle yelled, waving her hand.
Jess walked up to her.
“I’m soooo sorry,” Noelle said. “There’s this big crowd, and . . .”
“. . . and you had no problem finding Noel in it,” Jess snapped. “I saw you.”
Noelle felt terrible. “I just wanted to say hi. And then we were running, and . . . ”
Jess rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Let’s get cocoa.”
“And then let me buy you a cupcake,” Noelle said. “I owe you.”
“Yes, you do,” Jess agreed.
As they sipped their cups of hot cocoa, Noelle couldn’t help glancing around to see if she could find Noel. Jess had every reason to be mad, but Noelle had been rude to Noel, also. What if he was mad at her too?
I probably blew it, Noelle thought. There’s no way that he’ll come to my party now.
Then she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Nice run,” her dad said. “I saw you moving fast.”
Noelle gave Jess a pleading look, hoping her friend wouldn’t say anything about why she was running fast. But Jess just smiled. “Hi, Mr. Winters. Noelle was just about to get me a cupcake.”
“I’ll get both of you a cupcake,” Noelle’s dad said. “My treat.”
Tamika’s snowball cupcakes were perfect little treats, white cupcakes with rounded tops covered in fluffy white frosting, shredded coconut, and edible sparkles. Noelle bit into hers, but the sweetness took a backseat to her worries.
She felt bad for how she had treated Jess. She felt bad for how she handled Noel. It was a relief when her dad said it was time to go, and she bundled into the warm car.
“What’s the matter, hon?” Mr. Winters asked as they drove home. “Tired?”
“No,” Noelle said glumly. “It’s just . . . I’m running out of holiday cheer, I guess.”
Mr. Winters nodded. “The holiday season is wonderful, but it can also be stressful. Maybe the day after your party we’ll just take some chill time, you know?”
Noelle nodded and stared at the window. Her holidays were starting to get stressful, for sure . . . but not for the usual reasons.
chapter 12
THE NEXT DAY, FRIDAY, WAS just one day before her party. Noelle was dying to talk about the party at lunch with her friends, but she noticed that Jess seemed quieter than usual.
She’s probably mad about la
st night, Noelle guessed, but she didn’t bring it up. Hailey and Alyson did most of the talking at lunch.
As soon as Noelle got home, she got right back into birthday mode.
“Okay,” she announced at dinner, “I made a chart of everything that needs to get done tonight for the party.”
“I have to go out for a bit after dinner, but I won’t be long,” Mr. Winters said.
“But my party is tomorrow,” Noelle said. “As in, tonight is the last night we have to get ready for it. There’s tons to do.”
“I can help with whatever needs to be done,” her mom said. “I’ve just got to bake some brownies for church Sunday morning, since I won’t be able to do it tomorrow night. And Andrew can help too.”
Andrew put down his fork. “Why do I have to help? It’s her party.”
Mrs. Winters gave him a don’t-mess-with-me look. “Because we’re a family and we help each other, that’s why.”
Noelle took her phone from her pocket and looked at the chart. “You can vacuum the rugs,” she told her brother.
“No way am I taking orders from Sergeant Birthday over there,” Andrew said, shaking his head. “That’s just not right.”
Mrs. Winters sighed. “Andrew, could you please vacuum? That’s your job anyway. And when you’re done I’ll find something else for you to do.”
Andrew rolled his eyes, but he didn’t object, and went back to his plate of chicken.
“I won’t be long, and then I’m going to make some cheese balls and some other appetizers,” Mr. Winters said. “We’ve got all night.”
Noelle sighed. “Fine.”
“Well, it is the last weekend before Christmas,” her mom pointed out. “It’s normally a very busy weekend for us. But we’re making it work. Your party’s going to be lovely.”
“Perfect,” Noelle corrected her. “It’s going to be perfect.”
“Perfect is a tough word,” Mr. Winters said. “You know, some artists and craftspeople intentionally put a mistake in everything they create. Some do it because they believe that no one or nothing can be perfect, and others think that it makes their works more interesting. So maybe you shouldn’t aim for perfect.”
“But I just don’t want anything to go wrong,” Noelle said. “What’s so bad about that?”
“I think your father’s got a point,” Mrs. Winters said. “It can’t hurt to relax a little bit. You’ll probably have a better time.”
“And so will everyone else,” Andrew mumbled.
But the advice didn’t sink in. Noelle was too excited. She kept picturing the party over and over again . . . guests arriving in the perfectly decorated room, and then Noel would enter, and smile at her, and Noelle would walk up to him, and . . .
“Noelle, are you listening?” her mom asked. “I was asking what you need me to do after I’m done baking.”
“I still need to finish the favor bags,” Noelle said. “And I was thinking of putting some of the extra violet flowers in the downstairs bathroom. And I want to set out the plates and cups and stuff.”
Mrs. Winters nodded. “Okay, you do the plates and cups and I’ll help with the favor bags when I’m done. I picked up a few more things yesterday.”
“All right,” Noelle said. “May I be excused, then?”
“Of course,” Mr. Winters replied.
Noelle helped clear the kitchen after dinner, and a few hours later, the Winters house was a busy hub of activity. Mr. Winters had returned with packages that he whisked up to his bedroom, and was now sliding a pan of cheese balls into the oven. Andrew hid in his room for two hours, but now the sound of the vacuum blared through the house.
Mrs. Winters finished her brownies, and now she and Noelle were sitting at the kitchen table, filling the favor bags. Noelle had taken a lot of time picking out things that both kids and adults would like.
“Tiny box of chocolate. Check,” Noelle said, putting one in a violet bag. “Lip balm. Check. Violet pen. Check.”
“And I found these,” Mrs. Winters said, opening up a bag of tiny notebooks with silver covers, “to go with the pens.”
“They’re perfect!” Nicole exclaimed. “Am I allowed to say that?”
Mrs. Winters grinned. “I think that’s all right.”
Noelle filled a bag with all of the items and tied a silver ribbon to close it.
“You know what I like best about these?” Noelle asked.
“You mean besides the fact that they’re perfect?” her mom replied, teasing.
“Yes,” Noelle said. “I love them because there’s nothing Christmasy in them!”
They finished the favor bags, dusted the furniture, and adjusted the decorations until Noelle was satisfied. When they were almost done, Mr. Winters came into the family room with a hand behind his back.
“I picked up something for you, almost-birthday girl,” he said.
“What is it?” Noelle asked.
Mr. Winters held out his hand. “Ta-da!”
Noelle let out a shriek. “A violet lightbulb!”
“I could only find one,” Mr. Winters said. “But I think it’ll give you the effect you want.”
“Let’s put it in!” Noelle said, her green eyes shining with excitement.
Her dad screwed the bulb into the lamp next to the couch, and soon the room was bathed in a lovely purple glow.
“Ooh,” Noelle breathed. “That really is perfect!”
She gazed around the room. Everything was just as she had imagined.
“Noelle, I have to admit, it does look pretty perfect,” Mr. Winters said, giving her a squeeze. Then he looked at his watch. “Hey, it’s almost eleven. You should get a good night’s sleep for your big day tomorrow.”
“I don’t think I can sleep,” Noelle said. “This is even better than Christmas Eve.”
“Wow. That’s pretty good,” Mr. Winters said. “But do me a favor and try, okay?”
“Okay, Dad,” Noelle said. “And thanks.”
A short while later, Noelle snuggled into bed and stared at the twinkling lights on her tree. She closed her eyes and drifted off, dreaming of her perfect party.
chapter 13
NOELLE WOKE UP THE NEXT morning, wide awake and excited. Her party wasn’t until the afternoon, but she still had to help set up the food, and get dressed, and . . .
She suddenly froze, listening. Everything was so quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet you only hear . . . she ran to the window, her heart beating.
Snow blanketed everything she could see. It was piled up on the roof, mounded on the front lawn, and huge hills of it covered the street outside. There were no cars moving down the street, no people outside—just snow, snow, snow everywhere she looked. Heavy white flakes were pouring from the sky. That’s why it was so quiet.
Normally, Noelle loved snow, especially on Christmas. But none of her birthday dreams had included snow.
Panicked, she ran downstairs. Her mom and dad were awake, drinking coffee in the kitchen and wearing bathrobes. They stared at the small kitchen TV with worried looks on their faces.
“What’s going on?” Noelle asked.
Her mom looked at her with a sympathetic frown. “Oh, honey, it’s a record-breaking blizzard.”
“A blizzard?” Noelle asked. “I didn’t even know it was going to snow!”
Her parents looked at each other. “Well, yesterday they were predicting three inches, so we weren’t too worried about it,” Mr. Winters said. “We didn’t tell you because we didn’t want you to worry either.”
Noelle looked out the back door. The snow was piled as high as the porch railing. She hadn’t seen anything like it in years.
“So people can still come, right?” she asked, her voice shaking a little.
“There’s a state of emergency,” her mom replied. “They’re asking people to stay inside because the roads aren’t safe. Some people don’t even have power. I’m so sorry, honey, but we have to cancel the party.”
“Nooooooo!” Noelle wa
iled. “The party’s not till five. The roads will be clear by then, won’t they?”
Mr. Winters shook his head. “This is a big storm, honey. It could take days before the roads are clear.”
“But it’s not fair!” Noelle cried, and then before she could explode into tears, she ran up to her room, slamming the door behind her.
“Stupid snow,” she mumbled, burying her face in her pillow. She felt hot tears sting her eyes, and she struggled to hold them back. She didn’t want to end up like one of those girls on Sixteen and Spoiled who burst into tears when the balloons were the wrong color or they didn’t get the deejay they wanted.
But at least they all got their parties, she thought miserably. I don’t even get to have mine!
A knock sounded on the door. “Come in,” Noelle called out meekly.
“It’s me,” her mom said. “Is it okay if I go to your invitation site and send out an e-mail about the party? Just to make sure nobody is worried about getting here.”
“Fine,” Noelle said flatly.
“Okay then. Dad’s starting breakfast,” Mrs. Winters said in a quiet voice, and then she left.
Noelle took her time getting dressed, only heading downstairs when the smell of bacon was too hard to resist. She carried her laptop with her. Her parents didn’t normally let her use it at the table, but she had a feeling that they wouldn’t object today.
She was right. As she sat down and opened her laptop, her dad slid a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of her.
“I’m just going to see if anybody replied to the e-mail yet,” Noelle said.
“That’s fine, honey,” her dad said.
“I just sent out the e-mail,” her mom said. “So people might not be replying just yet.”
But Noelle found a bunch of replies waiting for her on the site. The first was from Hailey.
Noooooooo! Soooooo sooooorrrrrry!
Alyson wrote next.
That stinks! But you still have to wear your dress today, no matter what.
Noelle wanted to smile at that, but couldn’t just yet. She got a few other replies from kids who were sorry, and her cousin Nick was psyched that he might have a snow day Monday.
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