COLD WATER

eight.           cuter in person

▬ CORI LAUGHED AS SHE flopped back into the snow, her arms stretched out and a wide smile on her face. She loved the snow and she had been outside in the snow everyday since it started. It was so deep that she fell through it, leaving a Cori-shaped hole in the snow bank.

"You are a strange kid." Charlie shook his head, a chuckle behind his words as he rested his ax on his shoulder.

"Hey, Chief." Charlie turned to see Carter and Noah making their way through the snow, both in thick coats – the latter still spotting his letterman.

"Hey, boys." He waved, slightly confused.

"Cori called, said you were chopping down a tree. Thought you could use some help." Carter told him as he scanned the yard but neither he nor Noah saw the blue eyed Swan.

"Oh, yeah. I'd appreciate it."

"Where's the pipsqueak?" Noah asked, still looking around.

Charlie shook his head and pointed at the snow bank. "Every time." He shrugged, adjusting the ax as he made his way to the treeline. Cori giggled, sitting up a little bit and she smiled over at the two boys.

"Hi." She raised her gloved hand to wave at the two.

"You're gonna freeze." Noah laughed as they made their way over to her.

"If snow takes me out, I'd be a happy little ghost." She hummed.

"This is the opposite of helping!" Charlie called out as he inspected the trees, looking for a good one. "Come on, Cori, you're better at this than me."

"Let's go, Peanut." Carter held his hand out and she took it, he pulled her to her feet and steadied her when she started to tip over, which made her smile. Then they started across the snow covered yard towards Charlie.

"What do you think of this one?" The oldest Swan asked, pointing at the closest tree.

"Nope." Cori shook her head, making her way towards another tree.

"What? Why not?"

"There's a hole." She pointed at the gaping bald spot and he narrowed his eyes as he shook his head.

"She's picky." Carter chuckled, making his way over to the girl. "Does it really matter?"

"You know how you love Halloween?" She looked up at him and he nodded. "That's how I feel about Christmas."

"Got it." He nodded and they separated, all four looking at the trees, inspecting them carefully.

"Think I found a good one!" Noah called out and the others made their way over to him.

"Looks good to me." Charlie nodded, just wanting to be done but Cori circled the tree. It wasn't perfect, but it was probably the best tree they had seen since they started.

"Chop 'em down." Cori nodded and Charlie let out a relieved breath and held the ax out to Carter.

"Have at it."

Carter took the ax and adjusted his grip as he shifted his feet so he had a better stance, the other three backed up and left the boy to swing the ax. Cori cheered, clapping her hands and making a big deal of it, which made the three guys laugh.

Her cheering subsided a little as she looked up, her eyes landing on Bella's window and she could just barely see Bella sitting in the same spot she had been in for what felt like months. Cori knew she was watching them, that was all Bella had done since September. She sat and she watched. Never speaking a word.

.

.

.

.

.

.

▬"I REALLY CAN'T STAY." 

Cori sang along to the song as she moved around the living room, a Santa hat on her head, a snowman sweater covering her torso, and her snowman socks keeping her feet warm.

"But baby it's cold outside." Rachel sang, getting a wide smile from the younger girl.

"I made coco." Noah grinned, walking into the room with two mugs, behind him Carter held two more. "It's still a little hot, so don't burn yourself." He directed the last bit at Cori and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"It was one time." She mumbled, shaking her head as she hung a candy cane ornament on the tree and the boy disappeared back into the kitchen to get the rest of the hot chocolate he had made.

"It's okay, honey." Kim kissed her cheek, making the girl smile. "Now, where does this go?" She asked, holding up one of the ornaments that Cori made when she was little – it was a paper snowman with colored macaroni noodles glued to it as the buttons but a few had fallen off.

"Back in the box." She hummed and the girl chuckled as she put it back and grabbed another ornament to hang on the tree.

"Anyone else feelin' a little stuffy?" Paul asked, tugging at the collar of the long-sleeve shirt he wore.

"I'm sorry, baby." Rachel made her way over to him and kissed his cheek. "But I appreciate you wearing it." She pushed his hair back off of his forehead, a smile on her lips. They wore matching shirts, each with a reindeer on it.

"Just take it off." Cori shrugged, her eyes on the tree as she hung a Santa ornament.

"You just want me to take my clothes off."

"No, no I don't." She pointed a finger at him, getting a few laughs from the others in the room. "I'm merely offering you a solution. If you want to roast alive, by all means, go for it."

"If it helps, I want you to take your clothes off." Rachel told him, giggling as Cori tossed a pillow at her head.

"I'm taking mine off." Jared huffed, he was also dying in his shirt and with the heat cranked up. He knew he would be but when Kim asked him to wear matching sweaters he couldn't say no.

"It's a million degrees in here." Paul muttered as he tugged his shirt off, letting out a relieved sigh once he could breathe again.

"So we're stripping?" Noah joked and they all laughed, none of them hearing the footsteps getting closer.

"No." Charlie stated, standing behind Noah, who jumped and turned towards the Chief of police with wide eyes and a nervous smile.

"It was a joke." He rushed out, his face pale as he looked at the older man, the other six were covering their mouths to keep from laughing, but they weren't doing a very good job. "I'm sorry." He turned and sat on the couch, his head down and his hands in his lap as he stared at the floor.

"Hey, Chief, what's with the suitcase?" Carter asked, pointing towards the bag at his side.

"Jeez, Charlie." A blonde huffed as she closed the door behind her, shaking the snowflakes from her hair. "Just leave me out in the snow to die."

"Lola!" Cori dropped the ornament she held and launched herself towards the girl, who laughed when Cori slammed into her chest.

"Oh, God." She chuckled, her air supply momentarily impaired from the sheer force of the hug. "Hey, Cor, I still need air."

"Sorry." She quickly pulled back, smiling up at the blonde. "What are you doing here?"

"It's Christmas." She shrugged. "And Charlie wasn't sure what to get you, so I suggested that he fly me out." She reached over and patted his shoulder. "Isn't that right, Big Fella?"

"Regretting it already." He muttered before he started up the stairs, taking her suitcase with him.

"He loves me." She grinned, her eyes on Cori once again.

"Come meet everyone." Cori grabbed her hand and tugged, pulling her into the living room. "Lola, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Lola."

The blonde looked around the room, her eyes settling on Paul. "We finally met."

"We've met before, weirdo." He laughed as he pushed himself off the couch.

"You're taller in person." She mused and he let out a breathy laugh as he shook his head. "And she's my best friend."

"Oh, don't start this again." He shook his head stepping closer to her and she raised a challenging eyebrow. "She's my best friend."

"Actually..." Carter spoke up and Cori covered her face with her hands – she had been party to the many arguments about who was her best friend over the years and now Carter was throwing himself into the argument. "She's my best friend."

Lola and Paul shared a look before turning towards Cori, mock offense contorting their features as Carter pulled the girl closer to him. "You replaced us?" They asked in unison.

"Oh, my goodness. You guys are insane." She shook her head. "If you don't stop, Jared's gonna be my new best friend."

"Yes!" The boy cheered, getting a laugh from the others in the room.

"Okay, back to decorating." Cori clapped her hands, moving away from Carter but his hand lingered for a moment on her waist. The girl couldn't help the blush on her cheeks as she looked at him but she took a breath and reached into the box of ornaments.

"Coco?" Noah held a mug out to Lola, a wide smile on his face. "I made it myself."

"Hmm. You're cuter in person." She took the mug and made her way over to Cori by the tree, leaving the boy confused.

.

.

.

.

.

.

▬"I KNEW YOU WERE HIDING something from me." Lola narrowed her eyes as she and Cori sat on the latter's bed later that night. "You've been dodging questions and changing the subject every time I bring up boys."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Cori shook her head, her eyes on her fingers as she played with a loose string on one of her pillows.

"I knew something was up and now that I see you and him, I can confirm that I was right."

"Lola, what are you-"

"You and Carter."

Cori's cheeks flushed. They had been so careful. No one knew that they were... friends with benefits. Because they didn't really act any differently when they were in public, they still held hands, they still wrapped their arms around the other, they were as clingy as they always had been.

"It's not what you think."

"Really?" Lola raised an eyebrow. "You two aren't dating?"

"No." Cori told her seriously. "We're not. We're just... we're best friends who occasionally make out." She shrugged, waiting for her reaction.

"Yeah, I was way off." Lola mumbled, blinking a few times before looking at Cori once again. "Why aren't you together?"

"Neither of us wants a relationship, I just enjoy his company and he's a really good kisser." Cori told her and Lola was quiet for a moment. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"When you left you were this quiet little thing that had never even kissed a boy, now look at you. You're all grown up." She sprung forward, wrapping her arms around the girl as they fell back against the mattress. "And I'm missing it."

Cori giggled as he patted the girl's back. "Yeah, I guess I am." She mumbled as the past year's events ran through her head, she had been through a lot since she moved to Forks. Falling in love with Emmett, finding out he was a vampire then breaking up with him. And she didn't want to think about James, but he was always there in the back of her mind. And that was just the first couple of months in the small town.

And still she felt as if she hadn't grown up at all.