Three Phantoms of You [bxb]

Try on my Gift

Kiev:

Everything is the same the way I remembered them.

It wasn't really a big deal for my family when I arrived home for the holidays. For fuck's sake, they see me all the time before, and it's nothing celebratory. Yet, I can still see how much some of them missed me.

I was initially welcomed by my little sister when I got home, since there was no one else in the house other than her. She said that my mom and my brother went to the market to buy food and stuff, leaving her alone at home.

She's already nine, and even if I have only been gone for months, I can tell how big she's grown.

"I miss you," she said.

Same words as my other relatives said to me once they saw me again. It would mean nothing if I didn't move away to study because they don't bother to see me even if I'm here. That's why "I miss you" is never said unless you're distant, which is temporary.

Even as I got here, everything was still the same in routine. I stay in my room, get out when it's time to eat, do chores, and sulk alone. It's what I do best. The only change is that I get to be lonely in my old, messy room, with outside noise battering my state.

And without him, I tell myself; however, it's not in me to think of him in the first place.

Sure, I did send a few texts about how I got home, how great it's going sarcastically, and how I miss him a little. But it's his fault to leave me those words of farewell the last time we talked that got me feeling all this anyway.

It's no use, though, because Nolan hasn't bothered to reply to any of it, which is unlike him.

Kiev!

my mom shouts from downstairs.

That's my cue to eat and get out of my room once again.

I really need something to distract my mind, yet I can't think of any. Normally, I just spend my holidays reading and studying, but my mind is so caught up in the process right now that it can't seem to get any product done.

I'll just start doing things by tomorrow, whatever it is, to put my time into something. It's been a week already, anyway, since I got here, so I better move myself.

Good thing I know exactly where to go in times of boredom; it's the only thing I know to love doing anyway. To thrift.

So I get up from bed, hurriedly finish my food, and dress myself to go out.

I'm greeted with a smile from my mom before I head out, which she does all the time whenever I leave the house because, somewhat, she's scared that I'll rot in my room if I don't.

And I walk out the door.

————————

The cold winter air fights my warmth as I walk on pavements of snow to get to the store.

Snow is already getting heavy in this part of town, which I enjoy the most. It's just reminiscent of how I loved walking and nudging solid snow with my feet as my mom walked me in these busy streets. It was playful, but it's not fun now as you realize how far your hands are from the snow you could easily touch before.

Depressing, I know. But introspection keeps me absent, as I soon notice that I'm already in front of the thrift shop.

There are multiple markets beside it; others are lavish, while some are just the same thrifts, yet this one has always been my favorite. Our favorite.

Town Thrift

It welcomes.

This was the place where Nolan and I used to go after school during high school, even if we went to different schools. He introduced me here since he loved how ridiculous it is to wear things that used to be someone else's.