Just One Night

Chapter 5- Him

We walk together to Toys R' Us in an awkward silence. It's my fault, I shouldn't have gotten pissed off. Technically she was right. I do get what I want. If I asked for it I got it. Thing is those were just material things. Cars, clothes, phones. They weren't anything of importance. I never really got what I really wanted. Not that I know exactly what that is. I just know it's not what I've got.

We make it to Toys R' Us and still haven't said a word to each other. The silence is freaking killing me, what's killing more though is that I have no idea on how to break it. I can't help wonder if she feels the same and maybe that's why she hasn't broken it either. Or maybe she's pissed that I got loud with her. Or pissed that I almost broke one of her rules. Or...

"So how do want to do this?" She asks finally breaking the silence.

"Do what?" I stupidly ask.

"The whole picking out a toy thing." She explains with a smile on her face.

I take that smile as a sign that she is definitely not pissed and smile back at her.

"Split up?" I suggest.

"Ok. Um do you want to meet up at the Ferris wheel or someplace else?"

"The Ferris wheel is fine."

"Ok then. I'll meet you there." She says giving me an awkward smile before walking off in search for a toy.

I watch her until she disappears into the crowd, then go off in search of my own toy. I make my way around the store until I find exactly what I was looking for. Toys have changed so much since I was kid, but Legos will always be the same. Well at least the concept of Legos will always be the same. I try to find the most basic box of Legos I can then head towards the Ferris wheel.

I find her standing at the Ferris wheel clutching a doll to her chest. She's looking around for me but after a quick sweep of the room her eyes go back to the doll she's holding. She looks at it with such vulnerability it makes me wonder what her life is like. What she's like. Why she's so guarded, what her name is. I shouldn't be so curious about her. I mean I have a girlfriend. A girlfriend most guys in my school would be envious of. A girlfriend every guy wants. A girlfriend most guys in my school have already had including my supposed best friend.

I shake my head and focus on her. She's the only thing that matters tonight. She represents the freedom I crave tonight. I take a few extra seconds to take her in and in those few extra seconds her eyes find mine and she smiles at me. A genuine smile, something I'm not used to. I smile back at her before making my way to her.

"Legos?" She asks with a smirk on her face.

"My dad—"

"Stop. No background stories." She says stopping me.

"You know I think we need to be more specific with the whole no getting personal rule. How about we keep it to a minimum. Like we can give an explanation as to why we never got the toy but keep it on a need to know basis." I suggest.

She thinks it over and judging by the look on her face she's hesitant and nervous. Just as it's our turn to board the Ferris wheel she turns to me.

"Ok fine. Need to know basis only." She says agreeing.

I wait until we get on the Ferris wheel before saying anything.

"Ok so as I was saying. My dad wouldn't buy any toy that wasn't a baseball or a bat."

"Honestly I'd be ok with getting the same gift year after year." She says shrugging her shoulders.

"Don't get me wrong I loved getting new baseball gear every Christmas. It's just...Lego's are a rite of passage so to speak in every kid's life." I say.

"A rite of passage? Really?" She raises an eyebrow at me.

"What about you? What's up with the doll?" I as her.

Her cocky smile immediately vanishes and she turns to face ahead. She looks down at the doll and even though I know I'm not supposed to see the look of utter sadness on her face I make a mental note about it anyway. I'm determined to make sure she's a little less sad by the end of our night together.

"It was the one Christmas that we actually had money to get actual gifts. I wanted this doll so bad. It was the only thing I wanted. I was so excited on Christmas morning until I looked under our sad pathetic looking tree and saw nothing." She explains.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Need to know remember. You don't need to know the rest of the story." She says quietly. I can tell she's trying really hard to put on a brave act but I catch her wiping away a tear that escaped.

"So what's next on this tourist tour?" I ask wanting to change the subject and let her off the hook.

"I've always wanted to whisper a secret to a stranger in Grand Central." She says eager for the change in subject.

"Grand Central it is." I say smiling at her. She gives me a small smile in return and it's the most beautiful almost smile I've ever seen.

We ride the rest of the Ferris wheel in silence and once it ended we put the toys back and head to Grand Central Station.