Puppets in Uniform ~~ An Apply Fic

𝕃𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕒

Andy was wandering about the market like a little kid, even gawking at the smallest of things. Tiny bobbles, tiny toys, glass flowers and intricate metal rings. Val and I joked, teased each other.

"She looks like a little kid." Val snorted and nudged me in the side. It was as if she was making fun of me, I wouldn't know why, Andy and I are only friends. Andy's also just weird and it comes out in the way she acts. Not in a bad way though.

"That's true." I laughed, poking Andy in the back of her head when she gaped at a set-up of Mary, Joseph, Jesus and the three shepherds. I think she was actually gaping at the baby goats and not the scene that had already been re-enacted the past two hours.

She followed us loosely, while Val went to certain stalls and purchased presents for her siblings. Her hands were full of two or so bags, and each one held a present. Andy circled back, holding a metal work piece that looked like fallen leaves.

"I found your crown!" She cheered, putting it on my head. It took a lot of effort, and my hair was messed up- and the band was tilted to the right side of my head. It would probably fall off in a few minutes.

While we walked, her eyes glazed over slightly, her shoulders slumped downwards.

Val jogged over to us, grinning happily with wrapped pastries. The smell of apples wafted through the wind, cinnamon following closely after us.

"I found the apple tarts from Ms. Maggie!" She laughed, pointing over at a woman behind a stall. It was hidden a bit in the shadow, and it looked old. The wood was gnarred, as if it had been made and moved around for the past 100 years.

~~~

I glared at the old men whose cheeks were red from snow and beer. They were whooping loudly, and giving sleazy grins to the waitresses.

A hockey game was on the screens, and they cheered every time Ireland scored. Val snorted at them even flipping them off under the table.

"I'm surprised that I can hear myself." Andy shouted over the loud Christmas music, even getting elbowed in the back.

I got a refill of my spiked eggnog I had been drinking and took a long gulp. I'd never had eggnog until this night and I have to admit it had quickly become my new favorite Christmas drink. I'd already had 3 cups and I knew that Val and Andy were slowly starting to monitor how loopy I was getting. They didn't seem to know that I wasn't a light drinker, I used to take shot after shot and still be able to keep myself composed.

More people entered into the bar and crowded the screens as well as us, shoving and pushing.

"Andy?" Val smirked, swirling her glass and staring at Andy. Or more specifically- Andy's head in my lap,  because she fell over.

Andy jerked up, face red and lips tight.

"Sorry! I really don't weigh that much so I get pushed around surprisingly easily!"

"Sure you do." I smirked at her, taking a sip of my drink. Her face flushed even more.

Val and Andy continued to bicker at each other, occasionally yelling with the rest of men and women at the bar when Ireland scored or yelling in uproars and protests when the ref called a foul against our team.

I giggled silently, but found the surrounding noise slowly fading away as my own thoughts clouded my mind.

Dinner last night was...tense. Val's mom seemed irritated, most likely because she'd sent us over without consulting with her mother first. Which was fair, I could see any mother becoming annoyed with their child for doing something without their permission. Not like I would know the feeling personally of course, and again I found myself become jealous.

Jealous that Val could have someone who cared like that, cared enough to be over protective. No doubt Valerie found it unbearable, but I would give anything just to have someone shelter me.

But then again I guess it was a blessing to be able to do what I like and maybe I was just selfish. Because well, here I am supposed to be here for Val and yet I'm sitting here wrapped up in my own thought of self pity and jealousy. How terrible I am.

Someone was poking my shoulder.

"Liaaanaaa." Andy laughed, waving her hand in front of my face. "Are you a sad drunk?" She pouted, feigning disappointment. I smiled.

"No more than you are, light weight." I teased, poking her cheek. She put her hand up to where I poked and rubbed, as if I had hurt her.

"I've been drinking hot chocolate. Not your spiked eggnog." Andy snorted, showing off her mug. I nodded, and went back to my thoughts.

I felt the light buzz of my drunkenness in the back of head, and I couldn't feel my body anymore.

Andy murmured something to Val, who nodded slowly before looking back at the game. "Cmon Lia." She said, already wrapping an arm around my waist and gently nudging me off the stool.

"Nope! I don't want to!" I groaned, grabbing my cup to take another sip but Andy whisked it away from me in a graceful like spin.

"Nu-uh, we're going to have some water, or hot chocolate cause I'm feeling generous." Andy shrugged, but her hold on my waist was still strong even as she was so small! I wiggled a little, trying to grab my cup.

Val gripped it by the handle taking a loud final sip from it.

"Hit the market. I'll catch up with you guys soon." Val said, giving the cup to the bar tender. The cup was gone and so was the warm feeling in my belly. How was Andy so sober? Oh wait- Lemonade and hot chocolate don't have alcohol unless asked for other wise.

"Okay, tell me how the game goes. I'm weirdly excited over it." Andy agreed, grabbing her things from the counter with one hand.

We headed out of the bar, Andy's hand leading me by the small of my back.  The door banged shut behind us and we walked down the street to where a bench was covered in a light sheer of snow. Andy brushed it off and sat me down.

I tried to sit up for a good to seconds before giving into the wooziness and resting my head on Andy's shoulder. She stiffened for a second, until reaching some point of acceptance and relaxing.

"Ya know, since your really drunk right now you're probably not gonna remember any of this-" She started.

"I'm not drunk!" I cut her off. "You're just blurry."

She scoffed, while also laughing at my stubbornness. I smiled, it felt good to make her laugh. I closed my eyes, letting the cold air swish against my face contrast with the warmth emanating from Andy.

I felt a set of eyes on me and looked up to see two deep brown eyes staring into mine, snowflakes stuck in the lashes and melting as I watched.

"Stop looking at me like that." I told her, still staring. She hesitates, contemplating her answer.

"I don't think I will."

"Well, you should."

"Why?"

"Because it makes me get this feeling like we should kiss." I blurted out, somehow feeling composed. Or was it the alcohol making me think that.

Andy snorted. "Is that supposed to be a good feeling or a bad feeling?"

"Bad." I looked away from her, staring at the lamp post across the street from us.

"Why?" She asked again and I could feel the confusion radiating off her words.

"Because I can't love you, I don't know how."

Andy didn't say anything, all I could hear was the steady rhythm of her breathing and the small echo of her heartbeat.

"I don't know how." I whispered again, and the world slowly faded to black.

I had a dream in that drunken slumber that night, and in it I was watching a little girl get a class cup out of a cupboard and set it on the counter.

I watched her sit next to it, her feet dangling and swinging back and forth in the air as she waited. And that's all she did, she waited.

For a glass of milk that would never be filled, and a mother who would never come back.