“One for you,” She handed a red envelope to my Fiona. “This one for you,” She gave another to Angie.
“And this is for you,” She extended a white envelope with a green and red ribbon wrapped around it towards me, smiling brightly.
“Oh, I don’t celebrate Christmas,” I smiled in return, not reaching out.
“Still welcome to join us,” she insisted, jabbing the card towards me with a warm smile. “My house, 6.00 pm on the 23rd. Don’t be late!”
She hollered away, skipping to her next invitees on her list. Fiona closed her locker with a shrug and smile, looking over my invitation.
“You know, Ashley, it would be nice if you did celebrate Christmas with us for once. You never come to any of the Christmas gatherings held,” Angie commented, slapping on some lip balm.
“This is the first time I’ve been invited,” I state matter-of-factly.
They shrug at this and we start walking. Fairy lights lit up the usually dark and gloomy hallway on our way to class. A few miniature Christmas trees, replicas of the big one in the school canteen, stand to remind us of the cheer and warmth that the Christmas spirit brings. The Christmas spirit I never seem to have. We pass by several classes before Angie reaches her homeroom and we bid her farewell.
“I heard he’ll be there,” Fiona smirks a few steps before I enter my first class for my first period. “You sure you don’t want to come?”
“Who said I wasn’t coming?” I laugh and wave her off, entering the chemistry lab. “Hey,” he greets me, pulling out the chair beside him for me to sit.
“Hello. Are you coming to Kirsten’s Christmas gathering on the 23rd ?” I ask as casually as I can, sitting down beside him. He furrows his eyebrows at me.
“Yes, are you finally coming to your first Christmas party?” There’s a laughter in his voice and a twinge of a smile on his lips. I nod in response. “We’ll have to make it a special one, won’t we?”
“I’ll see you there.”
“You look fine, Ashley,” Fiona reassures me, her hands on the steering wheel as we park near Kirsten’s house.
“Beside, I’m sure he’ll love it,” Angie teases, earning a laugh from Fiona.
“Your first Christmas celebration! I’ve never been this excited since my birthday!” Fiona squeals.
“That was two days ago,” I mutter under my breath as we leave the car. We enter the mansion Kirsten calls her house and are immediately greeted with blinding Christmas lights and reindeers hanging from the ceiling. We come right in time to see Kirsten stand on a platform holding a mike.
“Welcome everybody, and Merry Christmas! To begin our celebration, let us join hands in song,” She motions for the band to start playing music. “I saw three ships come sailing in...”
“On Christmas day, on Christmas day,” My friends started joining in and soon, a choir of people began singing too. I glanced around the room hoping to find a glimpse of him, but I fail to do so. Instead, I listen to everyone else sing and cheer to a song everybody but me knows.
“Our Saviour Christ, and His lady,” His voice suddenly rang in my ears, although it was only a whisper. “So you came.”
“Only for you,” I replied, earning a grin from his handsome face. “On Christmas day, on Christmas day.”
Katya Tjahaja
“And this is for you,” She extended a white envelope with a green and red ribbon wrapped around it towards me, smiling brightly.
“Oh, I don’t celebrate Christmas,” I smiled in return, not reaching out.
“Still welcome to join us,” she insisted, jabbing the card towards me with a warm smile. “My house, 6.00 pm on the 23rd. Don’t be late!”
She hollered away, skipping to her next invitees on her list. Fiona closed her locker with a shrug and smile, looking over my invitation.
“You know, Ashley, it would be nice if you did celebrate Christmas with us for once. You never come to any of the Christmas gatherings held,” Angie commented, slapping on some lip balm.
“This is the first time I’ve been invited,” I state matter-of-factly.
They shrug at this and we start walking. Fairy lights lit up the usually dark and gloomy hallway on our way to class. A few miniature Christmas trees, replicas of the big one in the school canteen, stand to remind us of the cheer and warmth that the Christmas spirit brings. The Christmas spirit I never seem to have. We pass by several classes before Angie reaches her homeroom and we bid her farewell.
“I heard he’ll be there,” Fiona smirks a few steps before I enter my first class for my first period. “You sure you don’t want to come?”
“Who said I wasn’t coming?” I laugh and wave her off, entering the chemistry lab. “Hey,” he greets me, pulling out the chair beside him for me to sit.
“Hello. Are you coming to Kirsten’s Christmas gathering on the 23rd ?” I ask as casually as I can, sitting down beside him. He furrows his eyebrows at me.
“Yes, are you finally coming to your first Christmas party?” There’s a laughter in his voice and a twinge of a smile on his lips. I nod in response. “We’ll have to make it a special one, won’t we?”
“I’ll see you there.”
********************
“You look fine, Ashley,” Fiona reassures me, her hands on the steering wheel as we park near Kirsten’s house.
“Beside, I’m sure he’ll love it,” Angie teases, earning a laugh from Fiona.
“Your first Christmas celebration! I’ve never been this excited since my birthday!” Fiona squeals.
“That was two days ago,” I mutter under my breath as we leave the car. We enter the mansion Kirsten calls her house and are immediately greeted with blinding Christmas lights and reindeers hanging from the ceiling. We come right in time to see Kirsten stand on a platform holding a mike.
“Welcome everybody, and Merry Christmas! To begin our celebration, let us join hands in song,” She motions for the band to start playing music. “I saw three ships come sailing in...”
“On Christmas day, on Christmas day,” My friends started joining in and soon, a choir of people began singing too. I glanced around the room hoping to find a glimpse of him, but I fail to do so. Instead, I listen to everyone else sing and cheer to a song everybody but me knows.
“Our Saviour Christ, and His lady,” His voice suddenly rang in my ears, although it was only a whisper. “So you came.”
“Only for you,” I replied, earning a grin from his handsome face. “On Christmas day, on Christmas day.”
Katya Tjahaja
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