The Firefly

36°

He turned away slowly clearing his throat embarrassed as he ran a hand through his hair closing his eyes.

-You don't ... have to worry.- Repeated the boy lowering his voice and when there was a snort not far away I remembered that we were in the company of Mr. and Mrs. Hale.

So-min fidgeted a bit on the sofa looking nervously at Isaac who watched us without saying anything, snorting at times. Clearing my embarrassed throat, I backed away slowly, trying not to meet his eyes.

-It is not polite to call your girlfriend " Brat."-The latter scolded him, if only Jake could have, he would have glared at him.

-It doesn't bother me.- I said agitatedly trying to defend the boy and the latter hinted a tiny smile.

By now my stomach had become a butterfly farm.

-There are more presents to open.- His mother informed us as she stood up and reached for the tree, seeming to want to avoid a discussion in front of me at all costs.

As the two parents opened their gifts sent by friends I unwrapped Leda's.

-What present are you opening?- The boy asked me, hearing the sound of the paper.

-The one Leda gave me the other day.- I informed him with a smile when I saw a pastel pink picture frame sticking out of the package, I took it in my hands looking at it.

-What is it?- Jake leaned toward me, barely touching our noses, he didn't seem to notice. Or maybe he just didn't care.

-A... framed photo of the two of us in ninth grade.- I replied hesitantly looking away from the boy. I smiled to see how me and Leda had changed in appearance in so few years.

-Would you describe it to me?- Jake asked smiling a little nostalgically, my heart clenched. I decided to take a chance and carefully took his hand, letting his index finger rest on the glass.

-Here is me.- I said and for a moment the boy said nothing surprised by that sudden contact. -Right by my side is Leda.- I informed him by moving his finger a little by sliding it on the glass.

-She was wearing a white shirt...-

-I don't care about Leda.- He interrupted me.

-Describe you to me.-

He ordered slowly opening his deep, clear eyes.

I swallowed, trying not to be mesmerized again. -I was more... short than I am now, I had shorter hair and I didn't have my glasses yet.- I said, watching my face from a few years earlier give the camera a tongue-lashing. Jake smiled, I saw his tender dimples again.

That was by far the saddest Christmas lunch of my life.

At the table the tension seemed to have faded from the day before, but it had not disappeared.

I told So-min and Isaac some anecdotes from my childhood before moving to San Francisco.

The woman seemed to have grown fond of me though in a short time, perhaps she was happy that her son was finally " dating" a girl.

My breath stopped when I remembered the relationship that Mr. and Mrs. Hale thought existed between Jake and me. My cell phone suddenly rang, and I gasped.

-Axel?- I asked myself as I read the name on the screen, the boy at my side seemed to blanch. -Excuse me for a moment.- I said as I stood up and gave a quick bow.

I felt my cheeks burn at the grip of his hand on my leg.

His face lifted slightly to allow his eyes to set in mine and only from those nivee pupils did I understand what he would have wanted to express in words.

-I'll be back immediately.- I murmured in an attempt to calm that tension of his, but his fingers pressed against my skin as if to melt into it.

-I promise.- I scanned each syllable and slowly ran my hand over his intimating him to loosen his grip. Hesitantly, he gave up that hold. -Go.-

I moved away catching my breath, once out of the reach of their eyes and ears I decided to answer. -Hello?- I mouthed in a croaky voice.

Axel and I had hung out a few more times after the first meeting and seemed to have gotten along well together, I admit I thought often about him.

-Hey Amber, Merry Christmas.- He wished me on the other end of the phone. -How are you doing?- Honestly deep down I hoped he hadn't called me just to wish me a happy Christmas, I began pacing back and forth through the Hall.

-Would you be free this evening? You know, to eat something and celebrate together.- Hesitantly he managed to spit it out, from the tenderness I couldn't hold back a small smile.

-I'm not in San Francisco at the moment, but I should be back tomorrow night.-

-Then I'll pay you dinner tomorrow.- He exclaimed.

Closing the call I stood for a few moments staring into space, conflicted with myself, and wondering if it was right, forcing my feelings.

I returned to the table, keeping my eyes and face turned toward the floor: all I wanted was to avoid the icy gaze of the man at the head of the table.

He didn't seem to like me in any way.

Perhaps he sensed the truth, that his son and I had nothing to do with each other, or perhaps it was simply my being so different from that sophisticated reality that made me seem so pathetic in his eyes.

-I hope everything is okay, dear.- So-min cast a careful glance at my phone.

-Oh, yes. He was just...a friend.- I said softly, following her gaze.

-Yeah, a friend.- On his scarred lip, the boy's scar pulled into a grimace, and I couldn't help but blame myself for his obvious annoyance.

I shouldn't have left him alone with his parents, surely he didn't consider a friend's call a big enough excuse to get up and leave him under those circumstances.