"You'd better dress warm," Elise warned, "it's cold outside."
It was true. Although the weather was nice on that day in early April, the temperature had dropped during the night. It was almost nine o'clock now, but it was still only 3°C. Sophie heeded Elise's warning and put on her winter coat, a red, down-filled mantle. It was knee-length and had kept her warm all winter. She also put on her beanie, mittens and scarf, which were a matching set made of white wool.
"See you tonight, Elise."
"Yes. Give your grandma a kiss from me. Oh, aren't you wearing the new mittens I gave you?"
"Oh, I forgot about those. But these should do."
"Aw, come on. Wait, I'll get them for you."
The mittens Elise had given Sophie for her last birthday were impressive pieces. They were black, down-filled mittens, which came nearly to her elbows. They were a bit excessive for this spring day, Sophie thought, but she didn't want to disappoint Elise so she didn't protest when Elise returned with them.
"You can put them over your other mittens. I think they're large enough."
"That's silly, they're warm enough by themselves."
"Come on, let's try anyway. I want to see if it's possible. Take your coat off first, it'll be easier that way."
Sophie sighed loudly and rolled her eyes, but she did as Elise said. When Elise had something in her head, it was easier to just go along. And indeed, although it took a lot of effort, Elise manage to pull the black mittens over her white ones. The mittens were closed with a zipper from her wrist to her elbow, and Elise also tightened the elastic bands to keep them snug around her arms.
"Are you happy now? My hands are useless." Sophie ostentatively held up her hands in the big black mittens. The thick double mittens were so tight her hands were kept rigid. She could slightly bend her hands, but that was all.
"Well, you won't be picking your nose," Elise laughed while she held Sophie's coat open for her. Sophie sighed again and let Elise help her in the coat. Elise bent forward to connect the zipper and did it up all the way.
"You'll have to tie my shoelaces as well, I'm afraid," Sophie said.
"No problem. I'll go get them." Elise dashed to the hall, where all their shoes were kept and returned with... her red Moonboots.
"These are better, I don't even need to tie the laces!"
"Are you crazy? It's not exactly snowing outside!"
"I know, but you look so cute in them. Here, put your feet in."
"Elise, I'm not going to wear Moonboots in April!"
Elise looked at her with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "They're the only shoes I'll help you in, and you're not able to put on your own shoes. So it's going to be Moonboots or nothing, I think."
Sophie shot her a dark look, but Elise just smiled and waited.
"You're a bitch, you know that," Sophie said while she slipped her first foot inside the Moonboot.
"And you're cute when you're angry," Elise answered.
"Well then. I'm going to brave the raging snowstorm and visit my grandmother now," Sophie said sarcastically, while she tried to grab her scarf. Even that was difficult with her double-mittened hands.
"You should have your hood up then!" Elise immediately reached for it and started putting it up.
"No - stop this - I don't want -" Sophie tried to push Elise away but she was too slow. Sophie had pulled the thick red hood over her beanie and was already tightening the drawstrings. She pulled them really tight, so Sophie's mouth was covered and only her eyes and nose were visible between the collar and a small band of her beanie which could be seen under the hood.
"Elise, please, don't do it up so tight," Sophie protested.
"It has to be tight, else the stormwind will blow the snow under it! There, I'll help you with your scarf now."
Elise wrapped the long scarf around Sophie's head and neck, wrapping it tightly around her face. She finished by securely knotting it at the back of Sophie's head. She happily noticed that Sophie wasn't protesting anymore. The tight layers of the scarf over her mouth stopped pretty much any noise she could make. One more thing, Elise thought. She bent down and tied the drawstrings at the bottom of Sophie's coat tighter, forcing her Moonboots together.
Elise took Sophie's handbag. "I'll put the train ticket here, where you can easily reach it," she showed. Then she slipped the handbag around Sophie's neck and opened the door for her. "There you go then. Little Red Ridinghood off to visit her grandmother. Watch out for the bad wolf, he might be hiding in the blizzard!" Sophie gave Elise one more furious look, but Elise only giggled.
---
As expected, the day turned out to be bright and sunny, and after the morning chill the temperatures rose quickly, up to 20°C in the afternoon. Elise was with some of her friends, enjoying a drink on the sunlit plaza. It was the first warm week of spring and the girls enjoyed the opportunity to dress in short skirts and light tops.
Then a person in a bright red down coat and Moonboots stumbled into Elise's view. Everyone gawked at her as though an alien had just landed. Many people laughed and remarked on the overdressed girl. Sophie was still dressed exactly like when she left.
Sophie was clearly searching her; Elise had told her she planned to have a drink on the plaza. Elise waved and Sophie slowly made her way through the crowded tables. Finally she reached them and dropped down in an empty chair next to Elise. She looked exhausted and sweaty. Well, that wasn't surprising, considering how she was dressed.
"Sophie, why are you still dressed like that? How was the visit to your grandmother?"
Sophie pointed at her scarf. Well, she waved her bulky mitten in its direction, at least.
"Oh yes. Hold on." Elise unwrapped Sophie's scarf. "So what happened?"
"Well, nothing happened, thanks to you," Sophie said. "I missed my train because you thought it was funny to tie my knees together. I ended up at grandma's about an hour later than I intended, and she wasn't home. No idea where she was, but I guess she assumed I forgot to come over. I suppose she's called me, but I can't reach my cellphone and I wouldn't be able to handle it anyway. So I waited outside her house for a long time, hoping she'd be back at some point, but I never saw her. And then I returned, and came here to find you."
"And you were dressed like this all day?" one of the other girls asked.
"Yes. Thanks to Elise here."
Elise reached under Sophie's hood and felt her beanie. "Wow, you're really drenched with sweat," she commented.
"I know!" Sophie angrily retorted. "And will you let me out of these clothes now!"
Elise grinned. "You're SO cute when you're angry. Especially when you're angry while dressed like an Eskimo! But I don't want to hear any more angry words from you. Else I'll have to put your scarf over your mouth again. Now, be a good girl, and I'll buy you a drink. You must be thirsty. What do you want to drink?"
Sophie didn't want to give up, but she knew it was a lost cause. Elise could very well carry out her threat to tie the scarf over her mouth again. And she was very thirsty. "Just water then," she said.
Elise motioned at a waiter. "Relax, Sophie," she said, "enjoy this beautiful day!"
Sophie frowned, but the effect was mostly lost because she had to wipe the sweat from her face. With friends like that, who needed enemies?
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