Christmas and Eve

my roommate melted frosty the snowman

countdown: two days

Eve was devasted.

She was sitting in her bedroom, holding the Christmas Cactus that was decked out in lights, cuddling the pot in her lap.

Marmie was on her bed across the room, her legs dangling back and forth. She wouldn't meet Eve's eyes.

"You're leaving me?" Eve repeated her question, unsure she had even heard right.

"My mom wants me home for the break. Especially since she heard-"

"But we had plans! We we're going to spend Christmas together!"

"Yeah, but look on the bright side, Evie. You can set up all your decorations without me bugging you anymore."

"I don't care," mumbled Eve. "It's not any good without you bugging me. There no point for decorations if it's only me here."

"There are other students at this school, Evie. You won't be alone."

"But I wanted you to stay! I saved your ass, Marmie, and all I wanted was to spend a happy Christmas full of good feelings with you. But apparently I can't get any of that."

"Evie, we spent most of Hanukkah together. Christmas is just another day, we can spend a million days like that together. As soon as I'm back, we can do all those stupid Christmas activities you wanted to do," Marmie tried to explain.

"Christmas isn't just day. It's a day when everyone is happy and there's good feelings and joy and it's just all-around content. No other days are like that. None."

"Well, I'm sorry Evie," was all Marmie could say. "I have to pack."

"I want all my days to be full of happiness for everyone, Marmie. Christmas is the only day that happens," continued Eve.

"You can invite the kids from the drama club," Marmie suggested.

"I want you to be happy with me for once, and not because of alcohol. I want you to be full of joy like Christmas is supposed to make you, for the whole day. That's what Christmas does."

"You could get Katherine or Liz or Gracie..."

"I wanted to spend it happy with my family. And here, my family is you, Marmie. I care about you like family."

"You could get the cute girl from your drawing class?"

"I can't believe you're leaving."

Marmie heaved a sigh, and went back to packing her things quietly.

"You can invite Sydney Peacarif and build snowmen like you used to," Marmie offered after a moment, still trying to cheer up her friend.

"You melted our snowman last time. You found all the extension cords to get a hairdryer out there."

"Yeah, that was pretty nice. He looked like he was victim to some crazy radioactive reaction." Marmie laughed quietly. Eve didn't think it was as funny.

"Do you have to go?"

"Eve, look, I love you and all, but I can't always stay with you. You are nineteen, you need to grow up."

"I am grown up, Marmie. I just-"

"You're over-dependent on me, Eve. You alway have been. You can't function without someone else there to help you, or to laugh at your jokes or-"

"I'm nothing like that!"

"Yeah, you are. You used to act independent, but you really never were. You needed someone to push you along, you were never able to pull yourself." Eve didn't respond. "You can't function without someone there, Eve. It's not healthy."

"It's Christmas, Marmie. All I'm asking for is a happy, good day with you. It's not the same alone, Marmie. I need you to eat reindeer and murder Santa and melt frosty the snowman."

"See how sick this is? You need someone to depend on, even if that someone is an awful, horrible person who's been raining on your parade and hating everything you do."

"That's not what-"

"Grow up, Eve. I can't stay here forever. You need to grow a backbone, because right now, this is just embarrassing. It's pathetic," Marmie repeated the last part slowly, emphasizing the words.

In one swift movement, Eve threw the potted cactus at the wall above Marmie's head. The pot shattered, dirt and broken fairy lights showering over a terrified Marmie.

"Eve!" shrieked Marmie, scrambling out of the way. Eve didn't move, her face impassive and her body calm. Breathing heavily, Marmie pushed herself to her feet and grabbed her red suitcase, extending the handle in the most forceful way possible. "I think I'm going to spend tonight at Sydney's room," she said calmly, clicking open the door.

Eve didn't respond.

"Oh, and next semester," added Marmie from the doorway. "Next semester, I think I'm going to look into a single."

She didn't bother closing the door.