Creep

Chapter Forteen

This is my December. These are my snow covered trees. This is me pretending. This is all I need.~Linkin Park

It was the 23rd of December, the day of our first annual gift exchange. I just finished wrapping each of their presents, and let me just say I am super excited to see how they like them! I tried really hard to get each of them something meaningful. Not only that, but each gift comes with a neat cursive written note opposed to a card.

My mom gave me about $20.00 to spend on the gifts. That was really generous of her, and I've been thanking her for days on end.

For Gerard I picked up a slateboard. Gerard's cost all twenty dollars, luckily for me Miriam and Ethan's came to zero.

For Miriam, I cut up my old clothes and sewed her a pillow case.

And for Ethan, I gave her my copy of Bridge to Terabithia, and a small tree in a hand crafted pot.

My mom decided that she wanted to come with me to Ethan's so that she could hang with her parents and drink wine. I honestly think it's so she can keep an eye on me. But it doesn't matter because I plan to have the best Christmas this year.

I remember one Christmas, I'm not sure if it was real, or a dream, or whatever, but it was the best.

I ran in my parents room just like any other kid (this was way way back when they used to sleep together), and I jumped up onto their bed and they laughed at my little kid cuteness.

When we got into our living room there was one gift under the tree for me. I opened it with much anticipation.

It was a book. My first ever chapter book. It was one of the "Box Car Children" series. I loved it so much I read it over and over again until I just about memorized it.

My love for reading never left, but the one who picked out the book for me did.

. . .

When my mom saw Ethan's house her mouth dropped.

"Wow, her house is huge!" I nodded in agreement.

Her house was covered with decorations. Red and green lights glimmering through the trees, and a nativity scene centered on her frosty lawn.

As I rang her doorbell, I used the first thin glass door as a mirror, and fixed what I could of my hair.

"Hey Hen," Ethan said as the door swung open, "Nice to see you Judith, my parents are seated in the kitchen."

My mom insisted that Ethan call her by her first name. Ethan said that when she's older she's going to have children call her by her first name too because she thinks calling someone by their last name makes you feel like you have less of a connection with them.

I joined Miriam, Gerard, and Ethan on the sofa when I was done placing down their white wrapped gifts. All of our guardians took a seat on the couch across the room to watch the fun.

Miriam started the game. My gift to her was grabbed first. She carefully removed the envelope off of the present and unwrapped the paper. It's always interesting to see who opens the card before or after the gift. She gasped at the sight of her pillowcase, "This is so cute and thoughtful! You know I've never sewed a pillow case before!" She then picked up the card and read it aloud:

"Miriam, when I first met you you were so shy I was lucky if I even caught a slight glimpse of your eye. You'd cover your mouth to stop your laugh from attacking my ear drums. But as I got to know you I began to realize that you are nice, and caring, and that maybe at first you were quiet because you were careful enough not to just give someone your trust. I'm glad that I've earned your trust, just as you earned mine. Thank you for being you!"