Jo and Laurie: A Re-telling of the Re-telling

Christmas Eve Pt. 1

Christmas Eve Part One 

Few days had passed since Laurie kissed Jo, they hadn't talked. Laurie couldn't even stand to look outside his window at her, he was so embarrassed by his rash behavior. He couldn't have helped it, even if he tried. He knew she had to feel the same way, even if her hand against his face proved otherwise.

Jo similarly felt embarrassed, but for a different reason. She hated that she reacted that way, truthfully. It was immature, unladylike. Jo sulked around her room and tried to write her new novel, scraps of paper flung on the floor.

This is all wrong, Jo concluded.

She gave up on writing, she couldn't think of anything. She decided to look out the window to see if Laurie was standing. To her disappointment, he wasn't there. It was Christmas Eve and she still hadn't given him his gift yet. She decided to be the bigger person and to give Laurie his gift, even if their tension had grown greatly. She pulled the little box out of her drawer and wrote a short card:

Dear Teddy,

Merry Christmas. Thank you for always being there for me. Here is something to remind you of the eternality of our friendship.

With love and gratitude,

Jo March

She felt satisfied with her writings, she walked over the snow-trodden ground and approached his front door. As she knocked, she heard a carriage pull in from behind her. Turning around she saw Violetta approaching. Her heart sank, yet burned with anger and jealousy, stop it, Jo!

Violetta was thrilled to see Jo and leaped out of the carriage, "Miss March! Miss March! Oh, how glad I am to see you!"

Jo, although she tried not to, said with disdain, "Merry Christmas Eve, Violetta."

"And a very Merry Christmas Eve to you too, Miss March!" Violetta gleefully exclaimed.

"May I ask why you are still here? I thought you were going to have Christmas in New York?" Jo inquired.

"Yes, well... plans changed. The snow is quite awful this year, don't you agree?" Violetta noted.

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, I love the snow," Jo remarked.

"Well, as you said: beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Now, if you would excuse me, Miss March. In truth, I have come to see Laurie. I figured it would be the last time I would see him before he started his travels."

"Excuse me, his what?"

"His travels? Didn't you hear? Laurie is going on holiday. His grandfather is taking him to Europe for a few weeks before going back to school, some sort of wonderful Christmas gift!"

Jo felt a glob in her throat starting to form, how could he do this to me?

Although, at the same time she understood exactly why he would do it.

"Oh yes, I forgot about those. He is going to have loads of fun," Jo said in an effort to still seem heavily involved in Laurie's life.

Laurie opened the door, "Hello girls, come in! I didn't know you two were friends."

"We aren't," Jo whispered under her breath.

"Hi, Laurie... I wanted to let you know that my trip to New York is canceled, and also my family brought this for you and your grandfather," Violetta handed him a box of chocolates.

"That's splendid! Thank you. Merry Christmas, Violetta. Maybe we can meet for a stroll later this week," Laurie looked right at Jo when he mentioned this and her face flamed.

"I would enjoy that greatly, Laurie. Good evening to both of you. Merry Christmas." Violetta left gracefully, going back into her carriage, fulfilled with her mission completed.

When Violetta left in her carriage, Laurie looked at Jo and smirked, "I am sorry I didn't come talk to you sooner."

"Teddy, why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" Jo was upset.

"Jo, I just-- I can't be around you. I know we agreed to three weeks with no mention of what happened, but Jo I can't ignore it. I can't ignore how I feel about you, I can't ignore how things have changed, and I certainly cannot be as close as we once were. Jo, it's painful to have your affection dragged in front of my face, can't you see that? I noticed you were acting differently, and I think I know why. But Jo, if you are going to keep leading me on like this with no affection in return, how am I expected to be okay?" Laurie puffed his last words out with anger and sadness.

"Teddy-- I... I don't know what to say." Jo awkwardly replied, she couldn't tell him exactly how she felt because she wasn't allowing herself to. She wanted to say how she truly felt, but at the same time, there was something holding her back.

"Jo, say something. Please. Anything." He held her face with one hand and wrapped his other around her waist.

"When are you leaving?" Jo's lips quivered.

"Three days." Laurie looked in her eyes as a last plea for something, he had already begged as much as he could, he moved his other hand to the other side of her face.

Jo turned away from his touch, handed him his gift, and told him: "Merry Christmas, Teddy."

She squeezed his hand and left him there, holding onto his gift, and watching her leave out of her front door.