My Simple Christmas Wish.

Chapter four.

I didn't sleep at all last night. My head was thumping like someone was smashing a hammer into my skull.

I kept hearing Jessie move around in her bedroom, so I'm guessing she didn't sleep much either.

As I got up, I looked down into my bed and saw blood. The scab had come off my cut from my wrist and bled. Sighing, I pulled my long-sleeve pyjama top over it and went down stairs to see Jessie sat back at Dad's desk, working on her idea. She looked so pale and she had dark rings around her bloodshot eyes.

"You okay?" I said, my voice too creaky to tell I was concerned.

"Fine." She replied, not even looking up ftom her permanent gaze upon a piece of paper covered in scribbles, which was nessled between lots of scrunched up pieces of paper.

Trying not to distract her, I carefully walked away and got my breakfast.

Three hours later, her head rose up from the desk and turned towards where I was sat. "Finished." She mumbled as tried to walk on her limp legs, looking much like Bamby.

When she finally made her way over to me, she handed me a bunch of about five pieces of paper, all covered in scruffy handwriting and eccentric drawings. My eyes surveyed the pages, my curiosity increasing with each word and diagram. "Okay"' I said, turning to face her. "Explain please."

"Well, if we do go ahead with the Winter ball idea, who is mum going to go with? I saw this advert on the television yesterday about a website where people say what they like and they find someone else who has the same interests as them." She replied, attempting a smile.

'A-a what?' I said slowly.

'Look,.' Jessie said, twisting the old, battered computer towards me.

On the cracked screen I could see the same baby pink lettering that I saw yesterday, but this time it was surrounded by lots of tiny red hearts, making it look much more cheesy. My tired eyes scanned the page until I saw the sentence 'TICKETS TO THE BALL MUST BE BOUGHT BY THE FIFTH OF DECEMBER!'

'The fifth of December?!' I gasped, turning away from the screen that was now covered in tiny flashing Cupids to face Jessie. . 'That's way too soon!'

Her head lowered and I instantly felt guilty.

'Fine.' I said, but it's your responsibility.

'Okay.' She snapped. 'Let's sign up. Right, name...' she said typing mum's name, Rose, into the box.

I gulped, what if anyone knew it was her? After all, it was a website for people in our town.

'Age......40.' Jessie muttered, her fingers tapping away at the dusty keys. 'Sign up!' she said making one final click on the mouse.

This was it, this was the idea that had been banging about inside my head. This was it.

'So....what do we do now?' I said, trying not to make my voice sound too shaky.

'We wait.' She replied bluntly. I knew she was just as scared as I was.

I streched my mouth into a half smile and walked away, turned on the grey, big-back television and started flicking through the channels on the tiny screen. I stopped when I came across 'A Christmas Carol.' I remember that story from when I was younger, very vaguely though.

After the film had ended, I turned round and faced Jessie who slowly looked towards at me. I knew we were thinking the same thing. 'Shall we look?' I muttered as she nodded her head. We carefully got up and stretched our stiff limbs and strolled over to where the computer was perched upon dad's desk and flickered the mouse making the screen light up and 'Lovebirds' appear back on the screen. 'Anything?' I questioned at Jessie's silence.

'Not yet.' she replied solemnly.

'There's still time...I guess.' I said trying to sound the slightest bit reassuring.

'Yeah.' She replied, walking away and re-positioning herself back on the sofa.

I didn't know what to say, so I followed her back towards the sofa, sat down and turned on my phone to try and avoid the awkward situation.

                                                                           *

My boredom was increasing with every second, three hours had passed before I eventually got up.

'I'm going upstairs' I mumbled while getting up and going upstairs.

As I walked into my bedroom a sight from outside my misty window caught my eye. A family, all of which were wearing giant smiles on their faces. Not fake smiles, real ones. They were putting their Christmas decorations up, all sharing laughter between them. What I'd do to have that, I thought. If only. Sighing, I looked away and sat down on my bed. If only I got My Simple Christmas Wish.