Being Shot

P h o t o #45 - Waterlogged

P h o t o #45 - Waterlogged

I could feel my eyes sparkle as the sky lights above our heads letting the bright winter sun into the building refract off of the golden little bell hanging at the end of the chain I held. Jingling it again with the shake of a hand, I could remember the collection of these kinds of themed pieces of jewelry I had acquired over the years of going to the mall during this time of year to buy my grandmother a gift. You just couldn't avoid getting one from the many people garbed in holiday costumes that handed them out at almost every corner.

Never having seen such a simple, yet intricately designed bell that contrasted with the usual gaudy necklaces and bracelets the mall often offered, I looked up and smiled at the man that had handed it to me, "Wow! Thank you, Santa!"

The older male chuckled in a very jolly manner behind his fake white beard, the crinkle around his eyes behind the oval glasses perched on his nose almost making me wonder if this man had truly lost his way to the North Pole, "No problem, it's Santa's job after all. I hope you and your boyfriend have a very Merry Christmas." He let out a few more hefty laughs as he put a hand over his large belly.

"Oh, actually-" I began, ready to correct the man as he continued to chuckle as if he had heard the most wonderful of news, but was stopped short once fingers brushed up against the sleeve of my thin black cardigan that loosely covered the sleeveless evergreen turtle neck I had borrowed from Kayla. She had insisted that I wear it instead of the emergency change of clothes I always kept in the forever packed overnight bag my grandmother had sent the boys over with the night before, especially since the clothes were in need of major washing and ironing.

"C'mon, Emma," Cooper spoke before I could finish my sentence, "didn't you say you wanted to go to the pet store?"

I turned my head, my long ebony pony tail whipping my shoulder as I balked at him, "Oh, you're right!" I subconsciously swept my hand over my bangs as I turned back to the short man, wondering just how scatterbrained I could be to get distracted so easily and even forget why we were even in this part of the mall in the first place, "Thank you again, sir. Have a Merry Christmas."

The man waved to us as Cooper and I walked towards our destination, his attention quickly returning to a little girl that had run up to him in complete awe at his appearance, her long brunette hair swishing excitedly as her mom followed swiftly behind her. A small grin lifted my lips as I turned my head back around, finally beginning to watch where I was going for once.

That didn't last long, though, since I immediately directed my eyes to the bell still tinkling in my palm. The swirls and flakes finely designed into the shiny metal were breathtaking, even the little sound it made was as delicate as the first snow fall of the season.

The hug Elliot and I had shared the night he and the others spent over my house during the nightly snowfall we had gotten, the first of the year, flooded my mind before I could protest. My ears burned as I looked down at my feet, feeling the heaviness in my chest that had been fluctuating within me ever since Elliot had started acting differently whenever I was around as strongly as ever.

"Do you want me to put the necklace on for you?" Cooper asked from my side.

It took me a moment to realize that Cooper had been watching me this entire time, which made me a whole different kind of embarrassed, like I had been caught doing something bad.

A gave him a small smile, "Would you?" I asked as I brushed my ponytail over my shoulder.

Cooper nodded as I set the necklace into his slightly unsure hands. I turned around, my back facing him as I crossed my arms over my chest, going back to my thoughts, 'There's another thing, too,' I shut my eyes as the idea processed in my head, cogs in my brain turning as I analyzed, 'why is it that whenever a girl is even remotely close to a guy it's automatically assumed that the two are dating each other? It happened with Elliot too-'