T H R I L L

Most days Rowan knew he and Dewey were perfectly in sync, not a breath or blink out of time. But today was a weird day. And they were not lined up. Not in the slightest.

"I'll skin you alive and wear your coat, Ro!" Dewey screamed, racing down the half-wet, half-frozen walkway beside the wide river cutting through the city.

Rowan leapt over a small fence surrounding the inner path, slipping on a patch of black ice before regaining his footing and tearing down the cobblestones. Dewey probably meant it this time, Rowan thought. He'd stolen his sundae, knocked sprinkles over the girl he wanted to impress, and managed to drop hot, gooey chocolate all over Dewey's impeccably done hair before falling on top of him in the dirty, mostly melted snow.

"Ah, no thanks!" Rowan called back.

"Not asking," Dewey snarled back.

Rowan didn't slow.

Everything was a blur of lights. Christmas was a few weeks away, but every business in the city by the river had their trees, fences, and windows decorated to the nines already. Snow threatened in the crisp air. A good snowstorm would be nice. Usher in December once and for all and give the both of them a chance to watch White Christmas, something apparently Dewey had never done.

"I'm gonna... Unlace... All of your stupid... shoes! I'm gonna..." Dewey kept yelling but by this point in the chase, his heavy breaths smashed the words together into incomprehensible clumps.

Rowan hazarded a glance over his shoulder. Dewey was pissed. Red in the face with how mad he was. But he was smiling.

Rowan grinned back and ran harder.

This was living.