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Sarah Sues Santa – P.J. Leonard

Chapter Twenty-One: The Snowball Fight

Despite the howling wind and snow, if felt warm here compared to the North Pole. Boots crunching
in the snow, she followed the lights back through the gate and up towards the big entrance door. As
she came closer, the falling snow calmed down, and the wind stopped. By the time she came to the
steps, the snow had stopped completely. She turned and looked back the way she came. The
courtyard was filled with untouched snow except for her own line of footprints, but beyond that was
the vast forest of pointed pine trees. The red postbox still stood there, next to the gate.
She took out the key and unlocked the door with a loud clunk. But she didn't go inside. She stood
back, looking for the window to the playroom. There it was, off to the left. The dark shapes of
children roamed about inside. She gathered handfuls of snow in her hands, smoothed it into a ball,
and threw it at the window. It slammed into the glass, snow splattering out like a scoop of ice
cream. Instantly the windows of the playroom filled with the faces of children, all staring at her.
Sarah smiled and waved.
"Come and play!" She shouted. She threw a couple more snowballs at other windows, and soon the
whole orphanage was staring down at her, noses and cheeks pressed against the glass.
Sarah rolled a ball of snow around the courtyard, the ball of snow getting bigger and bigger until
she couldn't push it any longer.
"Come help me build a snowman!" She shouted, pointing at the big ball and gesturing in case they
couldn't hear, "The door is open! Come on!"
None of the children budged, they just stared at her. Her smile fell for just a second, but she pulled
it back immediately. No. I can't give up yet.
Sarah lay down in the snow and waved her arms and legs, making a snow angel. She stood up and
looked over her handiwork. Not bad. She looked back at the windows of the orphanage. Still
nobody moved. She turned away, and took a deep breath. This isn't working. Have I made a
mistake? She clenched her fists. No! I must not give up!
She started to write her name in the snow with her footsteps. S...A...
"This is fun!" She yelled, “you should all try -"
Sarah slipped, the world spun and she landed face first in the cold snow. For a moment, she listened
to the silence. Then, sitting up, she let out a long sigh. Why wasn't this working? She had been so
sure, so -
A snowball splattered across her neck and cold ice dripped down her back. Gasping, she spun
around. Becky and Anna stood there, holding snowballs, wearing thick jackets and cheeky smiles.
"Well, are we doing this or what?" Said Anna, tossing her snowball from one hand to the other.
Sarah grinned, scooped up some snow in her gloves and whipped it at Anna.
"Gotcha! You're it!" And she and Becky ran from Anna. She didn't get far though, because a few
other kids had stepped out of the front door, blinking in the bright light. Slowly, as though they
were touching snow for the first time, they scooped up snow in their own hands. Becky threw a
snowball at them to get them going, and sure enough they pressed the snow in their hands into tight
balls and threw them. Becky ducked, and so did Sarah, but she felt hard pellets of snow pound on
her back like rain.
"Gotcha back!" Anna laughed.
It was as though a pipe that had been building up pressure had suddenly burst. More and more kids
ran out into the courtyard, first in a trickle but then in a flood. Soon the air was filled with snowballs
zipping back and forth, the air a whirl of snow, happy yells and smiles. A group of big boys
including Michael built on Sarah's snowman, making it as tall as any of them, and the smaller kids
simply leapt around in the snow, giggling uncontrollably. Sarah stood back, taking it all in.

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