Even Heroes Have Scars

[110] Out of Touch

Ansley's P.O.V.

For the next couple of weeks, I didn't see much of Demi unless she visited the diner, which only happened once or twice a week. Jacob had tutoring after school most days, and by the time we both got home, it was dinnertime, and after dinner was cleaned, I sat at the kitchen table with Jacob and quizzed him on his notes and flashcards for each class. He was determined to pass midterms with flying colors, so every waking moment had to be spent studying and taking practice tests and catching up on any late work to avoid having to repeat junior year.

Given all of that, I obviously did not have time to meet with May or any other songwriters; that had to wait until I was done helping Jacob pass.

Right before his Christmas break, he took his tests, and we were both so relieved to see he got A's and B's on everything.

Over his break, if I was working, he was with Drew or Maddie or even the whole group. I wanted to be able to trust him on his own, but I just wasn't quite there yet. Maybe after the holidays.

Demi texted me two days before Christmas to ask if Jacob and I wanted to spend Christmas morning and day at her parents' place like last year, but I declined, feeling like that was a boundary that needed to be upheld. However, I did agree to dinner.

At this point, our friendship had been rekindled for over a month and a half. I was grateful for it, of course, because I didn't really have many friends left in Dallas, and it was easy to send her texts about trivial day-to-day things without the pressure of keeping a whole relationship alive.

The Christmas dinner went similarly to Thanksgiving, minus the drama. Lots of laughter and stories and wonderful food. However, after dinner, Jacob and Maddie helped Dallas do the dishes, which gave Demi an opportunity to pull me aside and sit us next to the Christmas tree.

The lights twinkled in her eyes that were already dazzling with excitement. The fire glowing in the fireplace blanketed us in warmth, despite the frigid air outside, and I found myself wanting to relax into this comfortable setting with Demi.

"I got you a gift," she said, pulling out the only present that still sat beneath the tree: a small box wrapped in seasonal paper and a matching gold ribbon.

"What? Why? I didn't get you anything," I stated, cheeks going red and hot as I remembered how Demi had previously mentioned that we didn't need to get each other gifts anymore.

She laughed softly, beautifully. "You didn't have to. I told you not to. But this is something I wanted to do but never got a chance to give you until now."

I smiled at her, still blushing slightly.

"Come on – open it," she encouraged.

I slowly began to unwrap the gift, tearing the paper gently and quietly. Once the paper and ribbon were removed, I opened the box to see a folded-up sheet of printer paper, which I unfolded and read the words printed on it. It was a confirmation email for an art class at a gallery downtown.

"Is this for me?" I asked, almost not believing it.

She nodded. "For us. We can go together. A fun little outing as friends."

I couldn't tell if this was crossing the line, it seeming almost romantic. But maybe it was only straddling the line. Maybe it was time for me to trust that she wouldn't take advantage of the opportunity. I knew she did stuff like this with other friends, like spa days and vacations. I needed to give this a shot.

"I know we've never done a class like this before, but I thought it could be fun, and I think we could both use a break from being at home or at work. A good change in scenery," she explained like she could see that I was apprehensive about accepting this gift.