When China Breaks//Ed Sheeran #Wattys2016 #NewVoices

holiday p1

I had all of these unrealistic thoughts about spending Christmas break with Ed. School let out for the break on the seventeenth, so I figured there would be at least one day when we would get to spend the whole day together, but I was surprisingly wrong.

Ed called me the day following the day school let out. I was sitting at home, curled up on my sofa, watching Disney Junior shows. It was soothing in an odd way, and I could easily lose myself in my own thoughts. When my phone began ringing on the table, I picked it up and answered it without even checking the caller ID. "Well, good morning," I said happily, the addictive feeling of happiness lifting me up.

"Um, yeah," Ed replied halfheartedly. Oh no, I think, he's going to break up with me. And how convenient, right before Christmas! He only has to buy one present for his girlfriend.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Just tell me flat out. Don't beat around the bush."

"Yeah," Ed chuckled, "I know how you hate that."

"You're doing it right now!" I accused him, trying not to be whiny, but the snake in my stomach was coiling itself around my insides.

"My parents weren't sure about bringing me home for Chrismas, but they managed to scrape together some money for me." He said to me. My heart plummeted. I didn't want to be selfish because his parents wanted their son back for Christmas, but I had thought of so many things for the two of us, and now all my plans had been washed away.

"Oh," I say softly.

"I'm really sorry about not telling you sooner. It sorta slipped my mind too because I've been making all of these plans for Christmas, and now I just can't..."his voice faded off. "Don't get me wrong, I miss my mum, but I had so much stuff I wanted to do."

"Yeah, I know," I agreed. "That's where I am right now."

"I don't mean to put you out or anything, but is there any way you can come over here? My flight leaves in, like, five hours and I don't have any time to stop. But I really have something to give you." He told me.

Mary Ella was behind me, folding some laundry. "Hey," I said to her, "can you take me to Ed's house?"

"Sure." She shrugged. I climbed into my chair and went to my room to get my coat and shoes on. Mary Ella helped me into the minivan. I called Ed back as soon as we were on her way and he gave me the directions.

Ed lived surprisingly close, only about four blocks away from me. Mrs. Martinez's house was a small, one-story house made of brick. The once green grass was turning a shade of dry yellow. Ed's rusty old truck was parked in the driveway."

"Want to me to go in with you?" She asked me, helping me from the van into my chair. I saw that they had stairs leading to their house, and I knew that was going to be one hell of a struggled.

"No, you don't have to," I say to her. "But I will need help getting up those stairs."

Luckily, Mary Ella was experienced in this sort of situation, she had me lean against the railing and she placed my chair on the flat platform. She helped me back into the chair before knocking on the door for me. Ed opened the door ten seconds later. His hair was damp from a shower, and his shirt was sticking to his body. I had a mix of thoughts and it became awkward to look at him after I processed what I was feeling. "Hi," he said. His face was red, probably from his hot shower.

"Is this why you showered?" I heard someone laugh from behind Ed. Mrs. Martinez was sitting on her sofa with her husband. She wore the ugliest Christmas sweater I have ever seen in my life, but I was pretty sure that was the point.

"Aaliyah and I like each other, but I'm pretty sure she likes me better when I smell good." Ed joked, taking my chair from Mary Ella. She went to wait in the car and Ed closed the door to keep the cold from seeping inside. "We're going to go to my room." He said.