Holiday Blues

"Chris, It's 10 fucking AM, wake the hell up!" Zack bangs on a brown hardwood door, making it creak.

Christian sits up, groaning, rubbing his eyes, forcing them open.

"Alright, alright! be right there!" He yelled out hoarsely, stumbling out of bed and walking straight to his tiny tiny bathroom that could barely fit one person.

Christian was an advertising student in an ivy league. While that should supposedly be inflexible, Chris found the challenge exhilarating and fun. He wanted his wits in battle anyway. Weekdays were usually packed with assignments and classes day and night but weekends were pretty relaxing and could sometimes even be wild. As much as the ivy league turned out outstanding academics and successful entrepreneurs, it turned out an almost equal amount of alcoholics and party animals. Chris figured he could balance both, and boy did he.

He lived in a decent dorm with his roommates - Zack, an uptight and annoying economics student, and Logan, a flirtatious and chill retail major, a couple of his only friends. He had promised he'd go to the mall with them for Christmas gift shopping and he had slept in a little. Chris wasn't going to buy shit at the mall, he'd never been one to enjoy the holiday season and he wasn't going to start this year. His first year at college. It really had been quite a good year.

Chris squeezed a tube of striped blue toothpaste onto his brush and began his routine. After ten minutes, he was ready (partially) with his signature red hoodie that he put on the second he got it out of the laundry and his black shorts, which were arguably one of the only good shorts he had. Not that he couldn't buy new shorts, he was just attached in a sense. He walked out, running a hand through his ash-blonde hair since he didn't have time to brush it anyway.

Zack was pacing around the living room while Logan was chugging down a beer.

"Put that beer down Logan, it's the last six-pack we have," Chris warned. Logan shot him a look before setting it aside, wiping his mouth with his elbow.

"We gotta go," Zack announced, grabbing the car keys off the counter and tying his shoelaces.

"Do I have to go? I have nothing to buy." Chris admitted, leaning against the doorframe while he did.

Logan slung an arm around Chris' shoulders. "Dude, don't tell me you have nobody to get a gift for. 'cause I would definitely like one, ya know?"

"Shut up, that's not what I meant. I just don't celebrate Christmas, is all." He shrugged, trying to wave it away like it wasn't any big deal.

Zack straightened himself to look at him, raising his eyebrow.

"What are you Jewish?" he asked, without hesitation.

"I will punch you in the nuts," Chris warned, squinting his eyes at him.

Logan laughed. "I'd pay to see that," he commented.

"Then what's with the fucking I don't celebrate Christmas' bullshit?" Zack questioned as he walked out the door. Christian stayed quiet, contemplating a believable explanation because he didn't really wanna tell him the actual reason. He hadn't told anybody before so why would he start doing so now? Just because they were roommates and the fact that they all care immensely about him doesn't mean that they all deserve to know everything about him. He could keep from them anything he wanted, that was his absolute right. Wasn't it?

"I dunno, I'm not big on Christmas and shit. can you let this fucking go for once, God's sake man," Chris said, rolling his eyes and shoving his hands in his pockets.

Logan sensed the tension immediately and interrupted it, "Well, anyway, Maya wants to come with us. She has some shopping to do too." he said casually.

Christian flipped his head to Logan, who was just looking ahead. Ah, Maya. She was a beautiful redhead art major with a smile like sunshine and they literally shared no classes, but for some peculiar reason, they kept running into each other all year. Slowly, they began talking to each other, and even though they didn't have any similar interests, they kind of... clicked, if that was the right word. They were merely friends and nothing else but that could just be because neither of them had the guts to ask the other out or it was just not meant to be. He didn't know and he honestly didn't want to find out. For now, things were okay between the two. Since she hung out at his dorm, she eventually met his roommates and they got along too, to Chris's surprise. He loved his friends but they could be, well, he didn't wanna say difficult.