mute » tomlinson ON HOLD

two; helping

The fire cracked and popped in front of me, my wool socks becoming rather warm as they sat perched on my coffee table. The Macbook my mother bought me last Christmas sat on my lap, my fingers hovering over the keys. My eyes stared into the orange and red flames while I thought about which website to go on first.

I finally typed in a men's clothing store and picked up my mug from the coffee table while I waited for the page to load. I rubbed my, now, burnt tongue on the edges of my teeth as my eyes searched for a decent jacket for Trevor.

I was into the 40th page of jackets when I finally got fed up and shut down my laptop. I sat still on my couch for a minute and listened to the computer's fans slowly turning off. Placing it gently onto the coffee table, I stood up to retrieve my own coat before stepping out into the snow.

Once inside my car, I blew into my hands then rubbed them together in order to get them warm enough so I could successfully turn the key in the ignition. My fingers flew to the heat knob once I heard the engine roar to life.

The mall was only ten minutes from my apartment and I spent that entire time thinking of a gift for Trevor, yet again. When I got there, the parking lot was beyond crowded and I had to park two blocks away from the shopping place.

My fingers were numb and my whole body ached with cold by the time hot air poured onto me at the entrance. It felt like my eyelashes had tiny icicles hanging from them when I rubbed my hands over my face.

I looked over the mobs of people before heavily sighing and starting to journey through them. Elbows were constantly shoving into my ribs, shoes stepping onto my own, and fronts getting pushed against my back until I finally reached the less-crowded wing of the mall.

Pushing my hair back into place, I began walking to a sporting store in hopes of finding a perfect winter jacket. My eyes roamed across shop windows aimlessly as I walked.

A girl with her hair down caught my eye before I could make it to my desired store. She kept tucking a hair behind her ear as she leaned down, arranging things inside a cardboard box. My eyes then drifted to the store's sign that shone brightly despite the morning light. I was pleased to notice it was the book store I had bought Lottie's gift from, and the long-haired girl packing boxes was the same girl I gave a ride home.

My feet unconsciously carried me into the tiny shop, the same smell of dusty books wafting my senses.

She pushed her hair back once more, before jumping back when I finally spoke with a simple "hey".

Her widened eyes were the perfect shade of green and blue, twisting together in a beautiful swirl. Her dark brunette hair still fell over her shoulders messily, tough knots visible. The freckles dotted her face were more prominent than I had remembered. Wariness showed throughout all of her features as she stared at my figure.

Without speaking, she nodded at my presence and continued stacking the books. She cautiously watched me from the corner of her eye, never fully looking towards me.

"Need help?" I offered. Still, she said nothing and kept working.

Bending down to my knees beside her, I took a book from the ground and tucked it safely in the box. Her hands stopped and when I looked over, her eyes were strained on me. "Need help?" I repeated, a small smile peeking over my features.

She shyly tucked another strand of hair behind her before finally nodding. I smiled more widely, then, glad she accepted my offer.

We continued stacking books for another few minutes until she stood up abruptly, leaving me kneeling on the floor while she went over to the cash register. A lady I hadn't noticed come in was standing in front, impatiently tapping her foot.

"I would just like this, please," she blew out a sigh, her cheeks becoming larger as the air filled in her mouth.

The girl nodded, tapping away on the touch screen; her eyebrows furrowed and her right cheek caved in a bit as if she was chewing on it. She kept hitting the screen repeatedly, but from the way her shoulders would slump after every try, I could tell whatever she was trying to do wasn't working properly.

"Lord," the lady started again. "What on earth is taking so long?"

The girl's eyes flicked up to the rude lady's face before dropping back down to the register. After about five more tries, the lady began to get more and more impatient.

"I asked, what is taking so long?" When the girl said nothing, the lady's face seemed to turn redder. "Speak to me!"

"Hey, hey!" I interrupted getting to my feet. "I'm sorry about the wait, but can't you see it isn't working?"

Walking behind the counter, I laid a gentle hand on the girl's back and softly pushed her out of the way so I could stand in front of the cash register. Never thought I would be thankful for the little experience my teenage job at the local grocery store gave me, until then.

After I tried many more times, still to no avail, the woman finally slammed the book on the counter and left without another word, my eyes following her out of the store with distaste. I shook my head and breathed out a sigh before looking towards the girl.

Small dots of water, almost too small to notice if it wasn't for our proximity, clung to her lashes as she tried to furiously blink away the moisture. To avoid any embarrassment, I acted as though I didn't see the tears that threatened to leak from her wide eyes.

Instead, I spoke softly, "Would you like to go to lunch with me?"

The slightest movement of her head was all I needed as a confirmation before a wide grin overtook my features.

unedited again oops