Eight days a week

Mistletoes and Gingerbreads

One shot AU

It's Christmas time again and Shannon could not care less about it. She doesn't like Christmas since that long holiday fifteen years ago when she lost her parents on Christmas Eve.

The last thing she remembers of them was that she wanted some gingerbread and her parents had to leave in the snowy night to get some. She was so desperate to get some and she acted like a brat to get it. She was never that faddy, but she she really wanted her gingerbread. Her parents wouldn't have to go out in the storm but Shann's watery blue eyes convinced them to go. Shann loved Christmas, like any other nine year old kid. She believed in Santa, in his reindeers, in the magic of mistletoes, well in everything. Her sister Casey was going to watch over her during her parents absence.

Before leaving her parents stood under the mistletoe and looked into each other's eyes. Shann was amazed of how her parents fall into the mistletoe's magic and looked so in love. They shared a short but passionate kiss and then smiled at Shannon. She smiled back and then she watched them leave. She waited for them for a few minutes before getting mad. She was getting impatient and Casey was getting worried. After a couple of hours Shann got so mad and fell asleep while listening to Christmas carols. In the middle of the night Casey woke up Shann with tears in her eyes and told her that because of the storm, a truck drifted in the snow and went over their parents car. They tried to avoid it but they were carried away off a bridge. None of them made it. Casey hugged her tightly and cried even more. Shann was still half asleep but she was in shock. She hugged her sister tightly and started crying too. The only thing she could think of was first, that it was her fault for making her parents leave in the storm. Second, if it wasn't because her gingerbread made her happy for Christmas, they weren't gone. Last, if Christmas was so wonderful as she thought it was, she would still have her parents with her. That's when she stopped believing, in magic, in Santa, in everything. From that moment she hated Christmas and all around it because it reminded her of what happened on what was her favorite day of the year.

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Shann had some errands to do before going to work. Her sister wanted her to pick up a cake that she ordered for a Christmas party she was hosting. Shann didn't want to be there, but she promised her sister that she would help.
"Shann, are you going to pick up the cake for me? I have to get all the food and some drinks and I have no time." Casey asked her while getting the car keys.

"Yeah, I told you I will." She replied while scrolling Tumblr on her phone while sitting on the couch.

"And.." Casey swallowed before going on. ".. you're coming tonight right? You promised."

"Yeah, I know." Shann replied without showing emotion and not looking at her sister.

Casey saw her sister and she came closer to her. She understood why she wasn't excited.

"Shann." She took her sister's hand. "It's been fifteen years. You loved Christmas. Come one, show some excitement."

"I'll get the cake now." Shann half smiled at her sister and got up from the couch. She didn't want to talk to Casey.

"Merry Christmas Shann." Casey told her before leaving.

"Bye Casey." Was the only reply she would ever give back from that sentence.

She got her jacket and left to the bakery around the corner. It was snowing and all around was all white. Everything was so covered with Christmas lights and colors. She could hear Christmas carols all the way to the bakery and some kids wanted to take a pic with a guy dressed like Santa. Shann felt so disgusted about everything that she tried to ignore it. She couldn't care less about all of it.