Innocence

Christmas Lights

December 14th, 2017.
4:57pm.

"Tracey!"

"TRACEY!" I hear my mom yell from the top of the stairs. My phone has still been playing music, as The Killer's Mr. Brightside plays on the speakers.

In the quietest, most tired voice I had, I replied "I'm awake!"

"Good for you. Now get your ass up here and help your father with the Christmas lights." My mom says, then walks away.

I lift myself up and look at the alarm.
4:58pm.

I missed a full day of school and slept for almost seven hours.

Immediately getting out of bed and going to the drier, I take out my clothes, and set them in a basket. After that, I pull my phone out from my pocket and turn off the music and speakers before heading up the stairs.

As I reach the top and walk through the kitchen to the living room, I see my father on the stepping ladder outside the window.

Putting my shoes on, I head outside to see my father. "Mom said you needed help?" I say. My hair was a mess, and I was still wearing my pajama bottoms.

"I don't need no-
Ahh fine, hand me a couple of those extra bulbs in that box" he says pointing downwards at the ground.
I grab the box and just hand it to him.

"I said I only needed a couple, I didn't mean the whole-
Ahh okay, now go inside and grab the tape on the shelf closest to the closet."

After doing so, I hand the tape to him and he proceeds to replace and tape together bulbs before plugging it all in.
"All right son, one more thing before I get these lit." He says, stepping down from the ladder. "I'll be right back."

He runs inside and I look at the work he's done. Mostly green and red lights spread across the walls of the house and all along the garage door. I really loved the whole process of setting up Christmas. Like, the little Christmas towns we put on the dresser. Wreaths and mistletoe. Even the lights.

My dad walks back out with my mother in hand. "Honey, son. Stay right here."
He runs to the side of the house.

"Alright here we go!" He flips the beaker from the control box and immediately all of the lights flash on.

Green, red, blue, orange, and purple lights were lit up all over the house. Some lights flickered on and off in patterns which was amazing to see, courtesy of father.

As me and my mom look on in amazement, my father comes running up for his own look at his work.

"Yes! Exactly how I wanted it to be!" He says.

"Now you know how I feel with my own work, Dad." I say.
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Later that day, 11:51pm

I was just getting ready for bed. My sleeping schedule was a little off so that meant I'll be going to bed a little late, as I was a bit far from tired. But I had to get in bed anyway.

I had all my clothes folded and put away. My art tools and blank canvases stored nice and neatly. All I needed was a cup of something to drink.
So I headed upstairs quickly, my parents were already asleep in their room.
I entered the kitchen and grabbed a cup from the cupboard and brought out the iced tea from the fridge and poured a glass.

I take a sip as I put the jug back into the fridge and walk back down the stairs.

I move the curtain at the bottom part of the steps out of the way with one hand with my cup in the other. After doing so, I set the cup down on my nightstand. Then walk over to one of my basket of clothes.

Kneeling down, I rustle through the basket of clothes to find what I was looking for. Then I feel it and bring it out.

The last couple of cigarettes from my dads package. There were about four left.

I've kept it hidden for a while now that I tried cigarettes, and it's been at least a year since I started. I stole them from my dad as he always buys a package before finishing another. They help me concentrate. It's like a little something I look forward to throughout the day.
I had a lighter too, also stolen from my father.

I grab one smoke from the silver wrapping in the package, and grab the lighter and head to the window.
It's what I do every night. Or at least every night I do have a smoke.
I just open the window up enough to have all the actual smoke sucked out.

Which means I have to stand INCREDIBLY close to the wall which can be a discomfort at times as I'm trying to get a puff out of the cigarette.

Anyways, I opened up the window quietly and sparked the cigarette. Immediately inhaling then exhaling.

A thing about cigarettes for me is that, they're not that important to my life. I can literally just choose to have a smoke or not. I don't have to do it, but I do. I could quit now for all I care, but something always makes me not want to. I WILL come crawling back sooner or later.

Halfway through the cigarette and I only coughed once. Usually I could only withstand a couple puffs, but I can handle my own now.

As I blew the smoke from a puff out the window. I notice the Christmas lights still shining from around the corner onto the snow, lighting it up all around.

It's the last day of school tomorrow before the Christmas break, and also the day in which the Christmas dinner is held...

...And aunt Jade comes over..

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